Copywriter Competencies
These competencies outline the expectations and growth path for Copywriters at each level. Use this framework to understand your current level and what’s needed to advance to the next level.
Jr Copywriter (L1)
| Area | Competencies |
|---|---|
| Skill (Individual) | • Developing an understanding of copywriting fundamentals and beginning to apply these skills to small to medium-sized marketing projects • Crafting precise, error-free content for marketing projects • Beginning to create copy that reflects our brand and clearly communicates our story |
| Influence (Team) | • Developing your ability to present your copy decisions clearly • Beginning to influence decision-making for marketing projects among your core team • Supportive and engaged with the marketing team and culture |
| Thinking (Team) | • Spending time fully understanding project needs and partnering with your manager to coordinate and organize assigned projects • Starting to propose improvements to existing processes • Contributing to project planning and coordination • Learning to create clear timelines and ownership responsibilities and communicating clearly with project partners |
Copywriter (L2)
| Area | Competencies |
|---|---|
| Skill (Individual) | • Solid understanding of core copywriting skills and confidently applying these skills to small to medium-sized marketing projects • Creating copy that reflects our brand and clearly communicates our story |
| Influence (Team) | • Clearly and effectively presenting your copy decisions • Beginning to build compelling arguments that consider brand, business, and organizational needs • Influencing decisions among your core team and beginning to drive broader stakeholder alignment |
| Thinking (Team) | • Spending time fully understanding project needs and contributing to the project planning process • Proposing improvements to existing processes, prioritizing your work, and tracking project goals and progress • Leading steps in the project planning process, such as ownership assignments, crafting budgets, and tracking deliverables |
Sr Copywriter (L3)
| Area | Competencies |
|---|---|
| Skill (Individual) | • Strong understanding of core copywriting skills and confidently applying these skills to large marketing projects • Consistently writing copy that reflects our brand and clearly communicates our story • Beginning to concept new copy directions and overarching narratives for projects |
| Influence (Team) | • Proactively developing the approach, project stages, processes, and timeline to deliver on brand design projects • Effectively presenting copy decisions and building compelling arguments • Proactively influencing decisions and working with leaders from other teams to drive broader alignment |
| Thinking (Team) | • Spending time fully understanding organizational needs and establishing clear processes with multiple stakeholders or teams • Prioritizing work effectively based on business and customer needs and documenting your thinking with minimal guidance • Comfortable working with project tools to document your work and defining new tools, templates, or systems to recommend better ways of working |
Copy Director (L4)
| Area | Competencies |
|---|---|
| Skill (Individual) | • Expert understanding of core copywriting skills and investing in improving the quality of overall brand systems • Confidently applying expertise to extra-large marketing projects • Consistently writing copy that reflects our brand and clearly communicates our story • Proactively concepting new visual directions and overarching narratives for projects |
| Influence (Team) | • Clearly providing direction to others to execute your vision • Presenting copy decisions expertly and building compelling arguments • Proactively working with leaders from other teams to drive alignment • Teaching others the art of storytelling, influence, and presentation skills |
| Thinking (Team) | • Proactively developing the approach, project stages, processes, brand research plans, and timeline to deliver on brand design projects and new opportunities • Pushing the brief to new places at early stages of work and driving strategic ideation with cross-functional teams |
Associate Creative Director (L5)
| Area | Competencies |
|---|---|
| Skill (Individual) | • Expert understanding of core copywriting skills and improving the quality of brand systems • Confidently applying expertise to extra-large marketing projects • Consistently writing copy that reflects our brand and clearly communicates our story • Proactively concepting new visual directions and overarching narratives for projects • Mentoring others in your areas of expertise |
| Influence (Team) | • Bringing a strong voice and design leadership to the company • Articulating a strategic vision that drives stakeholder buy-in and inspires teams and leaders • Proactively influencing brand decisions among VP-level and executive stakeholders • Training others in storytelling, influence, and presentation skills |
| Thinking (Team) | • Proactively identifying new brand opportunities and developing the approach, project stages, processes, brand research plans, and timeline to deliver on them • Actively shaping the initial creative brief for main projects and confidently identifying and driving new brand initiatives |
Creative Director (L6)
| Area | Competencies |
|---|---|
| Skill (Individual) | • Expert understanding of core copywriting skills and investing in improving the quality of overall brand systems • Confidently applying expertise to extra-large marketing projects • Consistently writing copy that reflects our brand and clearly communicates our story • Proactively concepting new visual directions and overarching narratives for projects • Mentoring others in your areas of expertise |
| Influence (Team) | • Influencing the C-suite and regularly influencing copy decisions at the highest level • Sharing work with the external design community via blog posts, conferences, etc. |
| Thinking (Team) | • Proactively identifying and implementing new approaches to the brand process and exploring previously undefined problem spaces • Actively shaping the initial creative brief for main projects and confidently identifying and driving new brand initiatives |