Writing about beauty is the most obvious part of the job description, but being a beauty copywriter requires plenty of other skills and responsibilities. Beyond putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), a beauty copywriter spends their time reading, researching, strategising, editing, and sending many, many emails.
What kind of writing do beauty copywriters do?
A beauty copywriter predominantly creates product descriptions, product packaging, brand decks, marketing material, press assets, website pages, and blog posts. It’s also common for copywriters to also support businesses with their social media captions, email campaigns, advertisements, and internal brand documents. Unless specified, they generally don’t have much to do with imagery creation, graphic design, social media management, web development, or campaign management. However, they’re likely to know a thing or two about these areas because they work closely with people who perform these tasks.
Is a copywriter different to a journalist?
The main difference between what a beauty copywriter creates versus what a beauty journalist creates is their perspective. A beauty copywriter is writing on the behalf of a brand. If the brand is selling products or treatments, they need to be very careful about the claims they can make so that consumers don’t mistake it for something with a therapeutic purpose. A beauty copywriter needs to look at the facts of what they’re writing about, and arrange those facts in a way that is enticing and informative.
On the other hand, a beauty writer or editor represents their views through their publication. They can use opinion a bit more liberally because they are trusted to use their expertise to explain why they like or dislike something. Their understanding of a product or service may come directly from a brand’s publicist, but they’re not usually under obligation to write about it in a particular way. (Of course, they shouldn’t misrepresent the product or service they’re writing about or overstate its benefits.)
How does a beauty copywriter work?
Before a beauty copywriter can start writing, they need to understand the full picture of what they’re writing about. A solid brief from a client should include information like their overall brand vision, where they fit in the market, what the product or service specifically does, who it’s for, how it’s made, and anything that makes it unique. If a copywriter asks for more information or to clarify something, it’s not because they don’t understand. It’s because they want to be certain about the work before they start it. They might also make suggestions about how to make the project a smooth and successful one.
The copywriter sifts through this information to find the most important points to cover. They’ll also do their own research to figure out how they will make the final copy sound incredible. Then, the magic happens. The writing process is different for every copywriter, but they’ll generally start with a rough outline, fill in the gaps, add some flair, and finish with a first draft for the client to provide feedback on. Excellent clients know how to give fair feedback. As long as it’s clear, specific, and within the agreed scope of work, the copywriter should be happy to make any number of edits in a revision.
When to work with a beauty copywriter
There are many reasons why it’s helpful to engage with a specialised beauty copywriter. You might want a third-party perspective, you may be short on time or resources, or you just don’t feel comfortable writing. Whatever your reason is, a beauty copywriter can help you present your brand in the best light possible.