What does a copywriter do at RKH?

I write copy in all its forms for our clients and for our agency. Whether it’s web copy, ad copy, social media posts or physical media like leaflets and brochures, I’m responsible for the written word here at RKH. I also proofread and edit content written by my RKH colleagues to make sure it ticks every box, from broader requirements like spelling and grammar to project-specific factors like tone of voice, brevity, and information.

Why did you choose your career?

I’ve always had a knack for English, but I wasn’t aware of the role of ‘copywriter’ until I finished university. By the time I’d completed my Journalism degree at the University of Lincoln, I knew that I wanted to write for a living, but I didn’t want to be a journalist. When I saw an advert for a copywriting role at an agency in Nottingham, I knew that was what I wanted to do.

What were your first steps into copywriting?

While my Journalism degree was centred around more than writing, it was certainly related to copywriting in the sense that it taught me a lot about best practice and writing for different audiences.

After leaving University, I worked in Topshop/Topman whilst looking for a job to start my writing career. I got a job as a Junior Copywriter at the aforementioned digital marketing agency in Nottingham; this is where I learned the ropes of copywriting and developed my skills over the course of eight years, before moving to Rock Kitchen Harris in September 2021.

What are the core skills you need to be a copywriter?

• Strong writing skills: An obvious one, but you need to know how to write engaging content that flows well.
• An eye for detail: Proofreading and editing is a crucial part of the role, so you need to be able to spot a typo or incorrect grammar, and you also need to know how to cut down sentences and paragraphs for impact, flow, and brevity.
• Able to follow tone of voice: If you’re working for an agency, you’ll need to jump between multiple clients’ tone of voices, which means changing your writing style. You need to be able to make sure you can get your message across in a brand’s ‘voice’ for maximum impact and recognition!
• Able to follow a brief: Briefs are the foundations of a lot of copywriting work, so you’ll need to be able to work to their requirements. A brief might include key points of information that need to be weaved into the copy, or a specific tagline, or a specific tone for a piece - don't be afraid to question things you're unsure about, though!

What's the best part of your job?

In general, the best part of my job is seeing something I've written out in the world, whether that's a social post, part of an ad campaign, or a blog post for a client. It's always good to know that your copy is helping, informing, or engaging people in some way.

Working with our amazing creative team, it's cool to see something I write in a Google Doc become part of their brilliant designs. The creative is the copy's best friend; it can really help drive a message home or give an advert an extra kick.

I really enjoy writing content for RKH’s website, and helping create social posts for our clients’ - and our own - social media channels. Our agency and a few of our clients have a tone of voice that allows for some playfulness, wit, and personality; that's my favourite way to write, as I can be a bit more expressive and free with my copy. That in itself adds another fun challenge to copywriting, because it requires a very delicate balance; you don't want the message of copy to suffer because you've overdone the playfulness, and you don't want the copy to seem stuffy because you've played it too safe with the tone.

What's the biggest challenge of being a copywriter?

Our clients’ campaigns are usually planned well in advance, but every so often a job comes in with a very short turnaround time, and that means I need to stop what I’m doing and move the urgent project to the top of my workload. It might be an urgent article relating to industry news, or some social posts to let a client's audience know about a business development, for example. These short deadlines are often a challenge, but it’s always very satisfying to complete these projects and deliver high quality copy with a short turnaround.

Why is RKH a good place for a copywriter?

• RKH puts a great deal of emphasis and investment on training and development, with our membership to the Institute of Practitioners of Advertising (IPA) requiring each employee to complete 24 hours of CPD each year.
• Working here means being surrounded by ultra-talented people, so when you’re part of a project team, you know you’re going to produce top quality work, and it’s always satisfying to see each project come to life.
• While it isn’t specific to my role, RKH’s people-first culture is one of its biggest assets, and it’s so great to be a part of it. It’s that perfect combination of friendliness, productivity, and drive, and it’s a huge part of why we’re successful.

What's your career highlight so far?

I’ve worked on a few campaigns that have either won, been shortlisted, or highly commended for awards in various sectors, from product launches to marketing campaigns. This kind of recognition is great, and it’s nice to be part of the team who has made it happen.

What's something you'd tell yourself at the start of your career?

Social media copywriting is going to be a very important skill to have, so get used to writing effective and impactful messaging with very strict character limits! I’d also tell myself to get familiar with useful resources and people within the industry, like Eddie Shleyner and Dave Hartman.

Summing up

I'm now in my 12th year as a copywriter - something I'm very proud of (especially as I didn't know such a job existed before I started my career) - and it's a job that I love. As someone who enjoys reading and writing, it's great to be able to do that for a living, especially at an agency like RKH. I've worked on branding projects for land developers, housebuilders, and banks, social media campaigns for multi-national brands, and I get to play an important role in our agency's communications.

Some projects have been trickier than others, and I've certainly learned a lot across the past 12 years, but I'm looking forward to learning more in the years to come - it's going to be fun!