Ad agency copywriters and freelance copywriters do much the same job but which is best? One thing tips the balance...

1. Five differences between Ad
Agency copywriters and freelance copywriters

2. 1. WORK SECURITY
Probably the biggest difference between the two types of
copywriters is in the work security of the one and the
unpredictable nature of the other. Working at an agency
brings a monthly salary, a company pension, maybe
even a car. All agencies go through boom and bust
periods of work but if you’re an employee that’s not really
your concern because you’ll get paid whatever the
amount of work coming in to the company. And even if
the worst comes to the worst there’s the prospect of at
least a bit of redundancy money if you were to be let go.
Ad agency copywriters and freelance copywriters do
much the same job but enjoy very different lifestyles.
So, which is best? Here are five big differences… but
tell us what you think in the comments box below.
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3. It’s all rather more precarious for the freelancer. The
money you earn each month cannot be guaranteed. It
depends on a lot of things including how much effort you
put into finding work (either from existing or new clients)
and how much work those clients have to offer. You
have to plan for lean times and make the most of busy
times. It’s the same with pensions. No one else is going
to arrange this for you so – as with everything else in the
freelancer’s life – it’s up to you to arrange it. One last
thing: holidays.
The ad agency copywriter enjoys guaranteed paid
holidays every year which he or she can take more or
less whenever they want. Not so for the freelancer.
Taking a holiday is always a bit of a gamble because
Sod’s Law says that some peach of a job will come in
while you’re away and you’ll miss the chance to do it.
What’s more, while you’re sunning yourself in Spain (or more likely camping in Cork) you’ll have no income coming in for
the time you’re away. It makes you wonder sometimes why people freelance at all!
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4. 2. WORK STYLE
A huge difference between the ad agency copywriter and
the freelancer is how they work. At an ad agency the writer
will invariably work with an art director to form a creative
team. ‘Team’ is the operative word here because very often
the two creatives will get the most out of each other by
pushing ideas just that little bit further. It’s important that
they get on because they spend a heck of a lot of time
together. They also need to know what makes the other
one tick and, rather like a marriage, know when to push
and when back off. The freelancer’s work life is very very
different. Although they may be called in to an ad agency to
work with an art director in an emergency, generally they
work at home, alone. For most this is one of the great
attractions of the job. Not so much the absence of an art
director but the freedom to be able to work whenever and
wherever they fancy.
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A lot of the freelance copywriter’s work is also ‘long copy’ –
brochures or articles and the like – which take quite a bit of
time and concentration to get right so being alone in one’s
den is the perfect environment. Many writers also work best
at night for some reason which is not an option that’s really
open to ad agency staff who need to squeeze their creativity
into daylight hours.
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5. The freelancer’s work life is very very different.
Although they may be called in
to an ad agency to work with an art director in an emergency,
generally they work at home, alone.
For most this is one of the great attractions of the job.
www.copywritercollective.com
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6. 3. WORK VARIETY
A general rule of thumb is that the ad
agency copywriter is going to enjoy more
opportunities to work on nicer jobs. Big
companies with large budgets will always
tend to work with ad agencies rather than
with individuals.
Having said that, an ex-ad agency copywriter who has set him/herself up as a freelancer later in their career may
have built up a good relationship with a particular client and continue to get work from them (the incumbent ad
agency will generally try and stop this happening though). There’s also a strict hierarchy in ad agencies which means
that as a relatively junior copywriter you’re not going to get the pick of the work available. As you progress the
opportunities to work on potentially award winning work will increase.
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7. That’s not to say that the freelancer won’t get any chances to win awards. They’ll just be for different kinds of clients, that’s all.
Smaller, niche clients may well prefer to work with more independently minded (and possibly cheaper) freelancers and these
type of clients often give a copywriter much more creative freedom to do what they really want. The freelancer will also tend to
accept work that many agencies would turn their nose up at (for instance ad hoc work for a local business). For the freelancer
it’s bread and butter while for the personnel-heavy agency it simply may not be worth their while to get a suit and a creative
team involved.
4. HOURS
Which would you prefer: nine to five or twenty four
seven?
Well, maybe that’s a little extreme but, in principle, the ad agency
copywriter is contracted to work five days a week during office hours
while the freelancer is – by their own choice – more or less on call
whenever and wherever. They can’t afford not to be. With only one
pair of hands to rattle out the copy on the keyboard they’ll have to
work all the hours god sends at busy times to get it all done.
Conversely they need to learn to make the most of the quiet times and
relax rather than worrying where the next penny is going to come
from.
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8. The
ad
agency
copywriter,
of
5. SALARY
course, is not a true nine-to-fiver
either. Most copywriters will tell you
that they never stop working and
that they’ll get ideas at any time of
the day or that they’re constantly
mulling over a certain bit of copy in
their heads. And, when there’s a
deadline looming then there’s no
rest for anybody.
All-nighters are a common feature
of ad agency life and one of the few
things that the freelancer has in
common with his or her full time
There are so many variables here such as location, experience,
compatriots. As for overtime, just
specialisms and (above all) track record and it varies drastically depending
forget it!
on what country you’re in. The best advice is to look through Campaign or
job websites to see the salaries on offer, or talk to people in the industry.
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9. CHOICE? WHAT CHOICE?
Looking at stability, variety, work hours and salary it
seems like the lot of the ad agency copywriter is
generally the more rosy one. But ask any freelance
copywriter why they do it and nine out of ten will tell
you it’s the sense of freedom to work the way they
want that makes the self-employed route so attractive.
The idea that it’s a choice, however, is a little
misleading. It would be virtually impossible to set
yourself up as a freelancer without any ad agency
experience so, if you’re just starting out on your
career that’s the place to begin. Build up your
portfolio. Get some awards under your belt. After that,
it’s entirely up to you.
What’s your experience of the differences between ad agency and freelance copywriting? Good? Bad?
Would you ever go back? What would you say to someone contemplating making the leap? Leave a
comment below.
www.copywritercollective.com
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10. www.beacopywriter.org