5 Reasons UX Writers Struggle to make an impact – And How to Fix Them
Impact matters. For all of us. And it matters especially for UX Writers, who often feel like they need to prove their impact in order to get properly involved in team processes (which is wild in itself, but… well).
Plus: With layoffs affecting the tech industry in particular, proving your impact isn't just about getting a raise or promotion—it's also about ensuring job security.
However, if you’ve worked in our field for some time, you already know that for us UX Writers, proving impact can be a challenge.
I’ve been a UX Writer for over 7+ years, working both as a freelancer and in-house with several companies. And through it all, I’ve learned some of the biggest barriers to creating impact as a UX Writer—and how to tackle them.
Want to hear about them and learn how to move them out of the way? Then let’s do this.
1. Unclear Expectations
What’s wrong here?
Let’s start with the most obvious one: Many people in key positions outside of UX simply don’t know what UX Writing is. They think it's about writing catchy, conversion-boosting copy that stands out. But that’s not what UX Writing is all about. So when you deliver clear, concise, and informative copy instead, stakeholders may be disappointed, thinking that your work doesn’t move the needle in terms of conversions or brand appeal.
What not to do:
Don’t go on a mission to teach the people around you what UX Writing is. A roadshow of presentations or lectures won’t help. In fact, it may make you appear defensive and desperate to prove your worth. Also, you will feel isolated and left out. Trust me, I’ve been there.
What to do instead:
Have individual, personal conversations with key stakeholders. Instead of giving a formal presentation, take the time to understand your team’s and stakeholders’ expectations and have one-on-one discussions to clarify what they expect from you. Show how your work can align with their goals and demonstrate its value through small, personalized engagements and informal talks. This way, you integrate into the conversation rather than coming across as someone on the outside trying to justify their existence.
2. You’re Not Integrated Into the Team
What’s wrong here?
Sometimes teams (unintentionally) exclude UX Writers from a huge part of their workflow by treating writing as an afterthought instead of properly integrating us into the design process. When you’re only included last minute, your impact is limited and it’s hard to make a real difference.
What not to do:
Don’t simply demand to be included in every meeting from the get-go just because. Insisting on involvement without understanding (or with even ignoring) the team’s needs will only make you seem rigid and impractical.
What to do instead:
Understand why you’re not being involved in the process. Is it because your team is working on tight deadlines? Or is it because they don’t know how to involve you? Once you get to the root of the issue, suggest practical solutions that make it easy for the team to bring you in without slowing them down. Don’t demand. Suggest. Also: There’s no need to be in every meeting, but there are key moments when your input is crucial. Find those key moments, and clearly say how you should be involved. If that doesn’t help, get management involved. You were hired for a reason.
3. Metrics Don’t Match Your Work
What’s wrong here?
UX Writing plays a significant role in improving the user experience, but if all your company measures is traditional marketing KPIs, it’s often hard to track your impact–even if you have some. For many companies, the only metrics management cares about are lead generation and conversion rates. Therefore, your impact as a UX Writer might simply not be visible.
What Not to do:
Don’t fall into the trap of trying to write “salesy” copy just to match marketing metrics. This will compromise your UX integrity (and your mood, trust me), and frankly, it’s not what you’re hired to do.
What to do instead:
Find ways to measure your work with UX-specific metrics like error reduction, process completion rates, user satisfaction, or even NPS (Net Promoter Score). Work with the design team to incorporate tools that help track these metrics—like user surveys, quick interviews, or in-product analytics. These methods can help demonstrate the direct impact of your writing on the user experience and highlight your contribution to the product's success. Or put differently: Don’t wait for management to tell you which metrics to track. They may simply not know about them.
4. You Can’t Do Your Best Work
What’s wrong here?
If you’re always working under tight deadlines, lack a structured project management system, or if features and roadmaps are constantly changing, you won’t be able to do your best work. Rushed processes lead to rushed writing, and that compromises quality.
What Not to do:
It’s tempting to ask for more time or a structured process, but simply saying “I need more time” probably won’t get you far.
What to do instead:
Have a conversation with teammates and project management to understand the struggles better. Explain that quality will suffer if things continue this way. Most likely, this problem affects the entire team–not just you as a writer. Make specific suggestions on what needs to change in order to ensure appropriate quality, and if things don’t improve after these conversations, escalate it to management. Remember, low quality output does not only affect your reputation as a UX Writer. It also affects the overall product quality, and thus, business success. And ultimately, if you keep addressing the problem and the working conditions continue to hinder your ability to produce high-quality work, it might be time to consider a change.
5. You Have Impact, But Nobody Knows It
What’s wrong here?
You could be doing amazing work, tracking the right metrics, and integrating well with your team—but if no one knows about it, how can they appreciate it? A lack of recognition can often be a cultural issue within the company, where successes aren’t celebrated.
What Not to do:
Don’t shout from the rooftops about your achievements or boast in meetings. That only feels awkward and self-serving. Also, it doesn’t solve the issue.
What to do instead:
Work with your team to build a culture that celebrates success. Help create space for everyone to share their personal wins—big or small. When you build an environment where indivisual achievements (not only team achievements!) are recognized, your impact will naturally be more visible to the right people. If you help lift up others, the same will happen for you. Again, promise.
Final Thoughts
Feeling like your impact isn’t being recognized can be frustrating, but it’s important to remember that these barriers are common. Everyone hits a wall from time to time. The designers on your team do. Your project manager does. Heck, even your boss does. Making your impact visible is a team sport, and it takes time. But with the right approach, you’ll start to see results. However, if your efforts aren’t being acknowledged over a long period of time, despite your best efforts to positively impact your product and team, it might be time to reassess your position and ensure you’re in the right environment where your skills are truly appreciated.
After all, your efforts deserve recognition. Read that again.
