Becoming A Copywriter - Basic Media Skills

Becoming a copywriter starts for real the second AFTER you've gotten your first copywriting job.
Now don't worry, all of the skills that you needed to get the job will still be very much in play...but those skills, as you're about to find out, were only a prelude to the real day to day aspects of becoming a copywriter:professional style.
For instance, while it may have HELPED to have been aware of what was happening in the world while you were putting your perfect portfolio together, it is a MANDATORY to do so once you start your new gig.
As absolutely crazy as this is about to sound, you must plug yourself in to popular culture like you never have before. You must know who Paris is dating at the time, you must be aware of a new platform that Itunes is about to release, you must know who the last 3 winners of American Idol were (do you???)
Why?
Because you, my new copywriter friend, are now RESPONSIBLE for knowing these cultural highlights. It is now part of your job to know the most recent, the most popular, and the most relevant popular happenings.
Becoming a copywriter demands it. So don't head into your first job with just the last ten One Show Award Show Books and start burying your head in them and nothing else.
Start ALSO reading Star Magazine and National Enquirer. Put Dancing With The Stars on your Tivo. Change your updates for Netflix and put on the top ten most requested new movies and make sure you watch them.
Does this sound a bit nuts to you? It shoudn't. Because as a new copywriter, your bosses and especially your clients are going to EXPECT AND NEED you to know this stuff inside and out. You are about to become a conduit for them to know and to be able to tap into 'what's hottest' at the moment.
Is Fabio making a comeback (I Can't Believe It's Not Butter) is Ellen DeGenerous going to renew her daytime talk show contract (American Express)???
You are supposed to know these things. Because they will come up.
Clients want to siphon off popularity. And becoming a copywriter now means that it is PART OF YOUR JOB to have knowledge of that popularity.
So, if you don't know what number case held the $1 Million Dollar prize on the Special Thanksgiving Show which absolutely killed in the ratings for NBC, then you'd better start knowing. Because right now, someone else is becoming a copywriter better than you are.
Kevin Browne is a former Creative Director and Senior Copywriterat agencies including J Walter Thompson, McCann Erickson and Young and Rubicam. Kevin now runs TABinteractive where he shows web owners how to FINALLY make consistent online sales with great content at http://www.tabinteractive.net
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