10 Reasons You Might Be a UX Copywriter and Just Not Know It Yet
By Heather Robson

Do you ever feel like there’s always something new to learn?

And it’s true … ongoing learning is important to your success as a writer.

But because you have so many options, it’s also important to focus your learning on what’s going to serve you and your clients best.

That means it’s important to find the things you love — the types of projects, the types of clients, and the approach to writing — and zero in on those.

That’s how you get really, really good. And that’s also how you build a business you’ll enjoy.

So my question today is this … “Is UX copywriting an approach to writing that you’ll love and want to zero in on?”

Well, you might already be a user experience copywriter and just not realize it yet …

Here are 10 ways to know if UX is the key to building a writing business that will fill you with purpose and make you proud … while also earning you a great income.

1. You love helping people

If you would rather use your words to help people find what they’re looking for than to make a sale, chances are you’ll find yourself at home writing UX copy.

User experience copywriting elevates the goal of helping your visitor find what they need and want above making the sale.

What’s counterintuitive about this is that in most cases, you’ll make more sales by taking this approach.

2. You like working with companies who love their customers

I don’t know about you but in my experience, it’s almost always more fun to work with companies who love their customers.

When your client loves their customers, it changes the energy of everything. Your client is more open to trying new things and finding creative ways to surprise and delight their visitors and customers.

Which means an opportunity for you to pitch more projects and be involved in some groundbreaking projects.

If that sounds like a perfect match for you, then you might be a user experience copywriter.

3. You enjoy writing like a human

For an example of what this looks like, let’s compare two messages from major airlines …

If you’re wondering why you should fly Southwest Airlines, you might stumble across this copy on their site:

Customer appreciation day is every day.
Our Customers mean everything to us. We like to think of ourselves as a Customer Service company that happens to fly airplanes. From booking your trip to the moment you deplane, it’s our mission to make your travel experience a great one.

Not bad. They’re talking to you. They’re talking about how they want to serve you. And if you read this out loud, it’s pretty easy to imagine a person saying this … verbatim. In other words, this sounds like a human.

The same information on United Airlines reads like this:

Our goal is to make every flight a positive experience for our customers. Our United Customer Commitment explains our specific service commitments so that we can continue a high level of performance and improve wherever possible. The commitment explains our policies in a clear, consistent, and understandable fashion. We have detailed training programs and system enhancements to support our employees in meeting these commitments, and we measure how well we meet them.

Tell me, does anything get you more excited than “system enhancements”?

Which copy would you rather write? If you chose Southwest over United, then UX might just be right for you.

4. You believe everything should be win-win …

At the end of the day, a user experience copywriter wants anyone who takes action based on their words to come out feeling like a winner.

If you can accomplish that, your reader wins … your client wins … and you win.

So if you’re all about the winning, then you might already be a UX Copywriter and just not know it yet.

5. You don’t mind selling, but you want to feel good about it

Have you ever heard the old adage, “Nothing happens until someone sells something.”?

A lot of good comes out of selling. Selling things is core to how civilizations are built … it’s how we live longer … it’s how we have more opportunities … more free time … more resources.

So UX Copywriters aren’t against selling. We just want to sell the right thing to the right person.

If that sounds good to you, well then … ah, you know what I’m going to say.

6. You enjoy being on the cutting-edge

This one isn’t required to be a UX Copywriter … but it’s an added bonus.

User experience has been around for a while. It started with design. And then it moved into functionality and the basic messages that make using an app or a website intuitive.

But everything — everything — affects user experience, including the copy on a web page, in an email, on social media … you name it.

Companies know this. They understand that the key differentiator going forward is the experience they give their customers.

And as a UX Copywriter, you can be on the leading edge of helping them succeed.

7. Marketing fascinates you and you believe it can be a force for good

Too often, marketers get a bad rap for being manipulative and pushy.

But that’s not how marketing has to be. It’s possible to approach marketing in a way that allows you to understand your visitors better … to have conversations about their needs and desires … and then to find ways to help them solve problems, and fulfill those needs and desires.

When approached this way, marketing is a force for good. So if you find marketing fascinating and you want to use it for a positive outcome in your reader’s life, then UX might be just what you’re looking for.

8. You think the internet should be easy

Think of all the ways the internet has changed lives for the better.

Easier access to information. More connections with friends and family. A broader selection of entertainment. A venue to express yourself.

But despite all that good stuff, think about how often websites are just plain difficult to use or understand.

Anyone with a UX focus is helping to fix that … one website at a time.

9. You know who the hero is

One time, I told a client I didn’t really care what they wanted … my job was to serve their customer.

That was an awful way of saying my focus was on the user.

But, if you’re like me, and you’re try to keep the person reading the copy — and their needs — at the top of your mind … even above your client’s needs … well then you know that the hero of the story is the end user.

And you can use that understanding to help your clients grow their business like gangbusters. That’s UX copy.

10. Transparency and empathy are important to you

If you like to be frank with your clients and you want them to be straightforward and up front with their customers …

If you’re are open about your missteps and expect the same from those you do business with …

If you value listening and conversation …

If you try to understand where the person across from you is coming from and how they’re feeling before you open your mouth …

Well, then … I’ve got to say welcome home. User experience copywriting is where you belong.

Do you have any questions about getting started as a User Experience (UX) Copywriting Specialist? Please share in the comments so we can guide you.