By some kind of absurd serendipity, I recently landed my first copywriting project for a Fortune 500 company. For me, it’s a dream come true. Indeed, many copywriters hope to land gigs at top companies. And why not? The bragging rights that come with signing a major brand can change your entire business.
The pay isn’t bad, either.
However, copywriting for these major companies is very different from working with small or mid-sized organizations. Here’s what to expect if you dare to travel the big brand highway.
Copywriting for Fortune 500 companies involves more stakeholders. A lot more.
At a small business, one or two people might review your work. At a mid-sized place, it might be five or six. At a Fortune 500 company, though, the number of musters you must pass gets far bigger. You’re likely to have five stakeholders just in the marketing department alone. Then your copy has to go through HR, Finance, Legal, the COO, the CEO, and a couple of VPs in between. It’s not unusual to have 10-20 people eyeballing your work at a Fortune 500 company.
And trust me, they are all going to have an opinion. They have to. One wrong phrase could cause disruptions among their staff, create expensive legal obligations, put them out of compliance with federal policies, or cause their stock price to tumble. If the copywriting process seems more laborious at this level, it’s because the stakes are higher.
You’ll revise more.
I was shocked when, a few weeks ago, I came across a Fortune 500 copywriter offering nine rounds of revisions on his work. I offer two and start grinding my teeth around four. But after working on my first Fortune 500 project, I now see how nine is approaching a reasonable amount. When you have 20 stakeholders across five departments reviewing your copy, you’re going to be asked to revise it until everyone is satisfied.
Also, unlike the review process at smaller companies, Fortune 500 stakeholders aren’t going to gather in one room to review your copy all at once. You’ll have to follow the organizational hierarchy and send it to each reviewer at a time, in order. They’ll want to make sure any glaring concerns are addressed before it nears the CEO’s desk.
Yes, this means you’ll sometimes receive conflicting feedback. I recommend keeping your original draft in a safe place in case anyone needs to revisit a clever idea that was cut prematurely.
Your creative license may be limited.
There’s plenty of room for creative, clever copywriting at Fortune 500 companies. But don’t assume it will be anything like the creative writing you do for spec work or your own social media. Not only do you have to stay within the company’s brand guidelines and meet their compliance obligations, key stakeholders (like the CEO) may have specific jargon they want to use—especially for internal communications.
I despise corporate jargon with the fury of a thousand suns, but I care more about helping my clients meet their goals. If anything, these limitations can sometimes inspire more creativity as I strive to bring greater clarity to vague terminology. But if you aren’t used to navigating this kind of landscape, it can be pretty frustrating at first.
The applause is quieter.
Small and mid-sized clients will often gush praise when a copywriter delivers exceptional work. Fortune 500 executives, however, tend to be far more reserved in the face of brilliance. Being at a major corporation, they see it more often. After all, the company didn’t rise to the top of its industry on bad advertising.
Fortune 500 executives are also busy. They will spend just enough time to ensure the message is on point, then quickly move on to their next meeting. “Gushing” is not a line item in their agenda. If you’ve delivered exceptional copy, they’ll be pleased with the time you saved them—and their appreciation will come in the form of additional projects and referrals.
If you’re used to clients cheering your name, this purely business-like response may feel a bit unsettling. Don’t be afraid to roll with it.
In conclusion
Copywriting for Fortune 500 companies requires more patience, flexibility, and tolerance for red tape than smaller clients generally need. I’m thrilled to be writing in this space, but not everyone will find it to their liking. If you decide to pursue Fortune 500 clients, be prepared to learn and adjust your process. A positive attitude will take you far.