Copywriting: Adjusting to the times

Copywriting jobs are important for a wide range of industries. Typically, copywriters are utilized most in advertising and marketing. The skills needed to be a successful copywriter are a strong grasp of language, syntax and an imaginative outlook on life. After all, writers who want to make a career in advertising and promotion need to find innovative techniques to make services and products appealing to consumers.

Employment of authors, writers and editors is expected to grow by 8 percent, about as fast as the average for all occupations, from 2008 to 2018, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, as the years have come and passed, new developments in how internet users organically discover websites has changed. In 2011, Google has played an interesting role in how online content marketing will be conducted in the future. Unfortunately, it is not looking good for the inexperienced copywriter - at the moment.

Freelancer.com cited a massive decline in content writing jobs across the board in the wake of Google's adjustment of its search algorithm. The way the search engine giant ranks content on the internet has evolved. Marketing companies are in a particularly tight position because the algorithm design is so new that there is no preferred or effective method to counteract the technology and conduct content marketing like in the past.

The variations have caused a decline in available writing jobs across industries. Article submission jobs are down 29 percent, copywriting is down 19 percent, and ghostwriting is down 12 percent, reports Freelancer.com. These numbers contradict the statistics compiled only half a year ago which cited massive leaps in growth across the board.

A tighter job market means that employers will be interested in the more experienced and qualified individual. In order to stand out amongst the crowd, copywriters need to figure out ways to differentiate their style and personal brand from their peers.

As a copywriter, constantly improving one's skills is crucial. To keep current, writers can blog, freelance and volunteer, as this can produce great samples for a portfolio and help strengthen skills. Even if one lands an offer in an industry that's far beyond the scope of one's dream job, it could be beneficial for an unemployed writer to step outside of her comfort zone and look toward a new direction while the market is down. Technology is altering the way we utilize writers. It may put them at a disadvantage at times, but the skills of a good writer will always be necessary in the world we live in.