Why did you choose a career in copywriting, and how did you get into it?
I was headhunted for my first fashion copywriting role when I was working as a fashion journalist. I had no idea what copywriting was, but I saw the salary and thought, “Yes, please!” I was very transparent at my interview and made it clear that I had no experience in copywriting but knew the fashion industry extremely well and just stressed that I was very eager to learn. Luckily, they took a chance on me, and the rest is history.
What work are you most proud of?
Creating the copy for Barnardo’s Retail 2023 summer campaign was a really fun moment in my career. I felt proud seeing my words on huge billboards. Promoting pre-loved fashion was a really lovely job, and it still makes me smile when I see it in my portfolio.
What piece of copy do you wish you’d written?
Nike’s Just Do It tagline is probably the most iconic piece of fashion copywriting of all time. It would be amazing to have in the room when they landed on that one!
What do you do if you hit a bit of writer’s block?
When the words won’t flow, sometimes you just need a break. I like to go for a walk along the beach and look for shells to give my brain a complete reset. I live in Margate and am lucky to have the sea right on my doorstep.
What are your favourite and least favourite writing-related tasks?
My favourite writing-related task is ideation, the beginning stage where you can really flex your creative muscles and pour every thought onto the page before refining. No judgement, just idea generation.
My least favourite task is chasing late copywriting invoices – please do better, brands!
Any copywriting pet hates?
When copywriters refer to themselves as wordsmiths or word nerds. I’ve seen it way too many times…
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve been given?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Having all the information is essential to make sure you can fulfil a brief properly, so always ask away. There’s no such thing as a silly question, and the right one might unlock something magic that really enhances your copy.
What advice would you give to people starting out on a copywriting career?
Choose a niche. AI is making a lot of copywriting jobs obsolete, so to survive you’re going to need to offer an expertise that companies are willing to pay for. Choose an industry, learn its technicalities inside out and market yourself as a specialist. There’ll be fewer jobs available to you, but you’ll be able to charge more for the work you do.
Why do you find ProCopywriters membership useful?
The copywriting hobnobs aka Zoom catch-ups are my favourite part of the ProCopywriters membership. Writing can be a solitary and sometimes lonely task, so it’s lovely to chat with others in the industry and share what we’ve been up to.
Where can people find out more about you?
Come see my work over on KatieRamsingh.com, connect with me on LinkedIn, The Dots and Yuno Juno or pop my name into Spotify or Apple Podcasts to listen to me talk copywriting on some great podcasts.