Copywriter

What does a copywriter do?

A copywriter writes the words that sell, explain or announce something.

That covers ads, landing pages, emails, social posts, scripts and product pages. The aim is to get a reader to understand a message and act on it.

In Singapore, copywriters work in marketing teams, creative and media agencies, in-house brand teams and publishers. Some work freelance. The role usually reports to a marketing manager, a creative lead or a head of content.

A copywriter works with designers, art directors, media planners, SEO and performance marketers, product teams and clients. Legal and compliance teams review copy in regulated areas such as finance and health.

What the work involves

• Read the brief, ask questions and agree the message, audience and tone before writing.
• Draft headlines, body copy, scripts and calls to action, often in several versions.
• Work with designers and art directors on how words and visuals fit together.
• Revise copy after feedback from clients, managers and compliance reviewers.
• Check how live copy performs in analytics and test new versions.
• Keep a style guide current and watch competitors' messaging and industry trends.

Pay in Singapore

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Skills a copywriter needs

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Copywriter job description

We are hiring a copywriter to write clear, persuasive copy for our brand across web, email, social and campaigns.

You will turn briefs into drafts, work with design and media teams, and improve copy using test results. The role suits someone with a strong portfolio and a good ear for tone.

Responsibilities

• Write copy for ads, landing pages, emails, social posts, scripts and product pages.
• Turn briefs into clear messages that match the brand's positioning and tone.
• Come up with campaign ideas with designers, art directors and marketers.
• Edit and proofread your own work and that of others for accuracy, style and consistency.
• Write web copy that follows SEO guidance and stays easy to read.
• Plan and run simple tests on headlines, subject lines and calls to action.
• Read analytics reports and use them to revise copy.
• Maintain and apply the brand style guide.
• Work with media planners and production teams to deliver copy by agreed deadlines.
• Check drafts from generative AI tools for accuracy, tone and originality before use.

Requirements

• A diploma or degree in communications, English, marketing, mass communication or a related field is common. A strong portfolio can count for as much.
• A portfolio of published or sample work that shows range across formats.
• Typically 0 to 3 years of writing experience for a junior role, and more for senior roles.
• Working knowledge of SEO basics and Google Analytics (GA4).
• Experience with AI writing tools such as ChatGPT, and the judgement to edit their output.
• Strong English. Skill in Mandarin, Malay or Tamil helps for some roles.

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Copywriter career path

Most copywriters start as content or junior writers and move up through senior writing roles into creative or content leadership.

Some move sideways into marketing roles that use writing and data.

1. Content writer

   Entry · SkillsFuture title

   You write and edit content to a brief, check accuracy and tone, and learn the brand's style guide.

2. Copywriter

   Mid

   You own copy for campaigns and channels, come up with concepts with the creative team and use test results to improve your work.

3. Senior copywriter

   Senior

   You lead the writing on larger campaigns, shape messaging with clients and coach junior writers.

4. Copy lead or content lead

   Lead

   You set the voice and standards for a team, plan content strategy and manage workloads and reviews.

5. Head of content or creative director

   Head

   You are responsible for brand voice and creative quality across the organisation, and for the budget and people that deliver it.

Steps marked "SkillsFuture title" follow the career pathway in the SkillsFuture Skills Framework. The others are titles commonly used in Singapore.

Related jobs and their pay

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Copywriter interview questions

We wrote these questions from the skills this job needs. They are not an official question bank.

1. Walk me through how you go from a brief to a first draft.

   What a good answer covers

   • Reads the brief and asks about audience, goal, channel and any limits before writing
   • Confirms the single main message and the action the reader should take
   • Researches the product, competitors and customer language
   • Writes several rough options before choosing one to refine
   • Edits for clarity, length and tone against the style guide

2. How do you judge whether a brief's positioning is clear enough to write from?

   What a good answer covers

   • Looks for who the product is for and what problem it solves
   • Checks for a reason to believe, such as a feature or proof point
   • Asks how it differs from named competitors
   • Flags vague claims and proposes a sharper single message

3. How do you adapt one message for an email, a paid social ad and a poster?

   What a good answer covers

   • Keeps the core message and changes the format and length
   • Shapes the hook to how the reader meets it on each channel
   • Fits the character limits and the layout of the format
   • Uses a call to action suited to each channel
   • Keeps tone consistent with the brand

4. How do you choose a keyword for a web page and work it into the copy?

   What a good answer covers

   • Checks search intent and the terms real users type
   • Places the keyword naturally in the title, headings and opening lines
   • Avoids repeating it so often that it reads badly
   • Writes a clear meta description that matches the page
   • Works with the SEO specialist on page structure and links

5. How would you design a test for two email subject lines?

   What a good answer covers

   • States one clear hypothesis and changes only the subject line
   • Picks a main measure such as open rate or click rate
   • Splits the audience randomly into similar groups
   • Runs the test long enough for a reliable result
   • Records the result and applies the learning to later emails

6. Which Google Analytics (GA4) reports would you check to see if new landing page copy is working?

   What a good answer covers

   • Looks at engagement and bounce-related measures for the page
   • Checks conversion events such as sign-ups or purchases
   • Compares traffic sources, since different audiences behave differently
   • Compares before and after, noting other changes that could affect results
   • Passes findings to the team with suggested copy changes

7. How do you use ChatGPT when you write, and what do you check before anything goes out?

   What a good answer covers

   • Uses it for ideas, outlines and variations, and keeps the final voice human
   • Gives it clear context on audience, tone and limits
   • Checks every fact, figure and claim against a trusted source
   • Rewrites to match the brand voice and remove generic phrasing
   • Follows the organisation's rules on confidential information and AI use

8. What goes into a tone of voice guide, and how do you keep a team using it?

   What a good answer covers

   • Describes the brand personality with examples of do and don't
   • Sets rules on spelling, terms, formatting and inclusive language
   • Shows before and after copy samples
   • Updates it as the brand and channels change
   • Reviews drafts against it and shares feedback with the team

1. A stakeholder asks you to add three more product claims to a short banner ad. How do you respond?

   What a good answer covers

   • Explains that too many messages weaken the ad
   • Asks which claim matters most to the customer and the business
   • Suggests moving the other claims to a landing page or follow-up email
   • Offers a quick test of the focused version against a crowded one
   • Keeps the tone respectful and linked to campaign goals

2. In a test, headline B gets more clicks but fewer sign-ups than headline A. What do you do?

   What a good answer covers

   • Treats sign-ups as the main measure if that is the campaign goal
   • Checks whether headline B set the wrong expectation
   • Looks at sample size and whether the result is reliable
   • Reviews the landing page for a mismatch with the headline
   • Plans a new test that links the headline and page message

3. A ChatGPT draft for a client includes a statistic you cannot trace to a source. What do you do?

   What a good answer covers

   • Removes it until it is verified
   • Searches for the original source and checks its date and context
   • Replaces it with a confirmed fact or a claim the client can support
   • Tells the team about the check and fixes the process
   • Publishes only numbers that can be verified

1. Tell me about a time your copy was rejected or heavily changed. What happened next?

   What a good answer covers

   • Describes the situation and the feedback clearly
   • Shows they listened and asked questions to understand the reasons
   • Revised the work with a clear improvement
   • Explains what they learned and applied later

2. Describe a time you wrote for an audience you did not know well.

   What a good answer covers

   • Researched the audience through interviews, reviews or data
   • Used the audience's own words where it fit
   • Checked a draft with someone from that group
   • Measured how the copy performed afterwards

1. You are writing a promotional email and SMS campaign for Singapore customers. What do you check under the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA)?

   What a good answer covers

   • Confirms that recipients have given consent to marketing messages
   • Checks that opt-out wording is clear and easy to use
   • Asks about the Do Not Call Registry rules for calls and texts
   • Uses personal data in copy only as allowed
   • Passes questions to the data protection officer or legal team

2. How would you adjust copy for Singapore's mix of English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil speakers, and for local tone?

   What a good answer covers

   • Chooses the language by audience and channel
   • Uses a transcreation approach instead of word-for-word translation
   • Checks local terms and Singlish carefully, and uses them only where the brand voice allows
   • Avoids cultural and religious missteps
   • Has a native speaker review the final copy
   • Follows the advertising code of the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS) for claims

Common questions about a copywriter job

Sources