I know quite good English. I have heard that copywriting can help earn some good bucks. I am seeking to earn a part time income from copywriting. Before starting it off I want to ask the experienced copywriters out here the basics of copywriting. Is copywriting the job for me? what requires to be a good copywriter? where to find copywriting jobs? what is the best way to start it? Please help me clear my doubts. jhmattern seems to me the queen of this space Waiting for replies from all experienced Copywriters.
Oh... my... God! lol My friend, those will require quite elaborate answers that I doubt many folks would have the time to give. Best advice that I could give you would be to Google out your questions and I am sure there will be plenty of ARTICLES come up to answer them lol
Only you can answer whether copywriting is the job for you. You have low post count, the people here hardly know you and may not be able to accurately answer that question of yours. I think the most important requirement to be a good copywriter is good grammar and command of the language. Other skills may be important depending on what kind of copy you decide to specialize in, i.e. marketing skills, technical know-how, ability to present ideas in simplified manner, ability to invoke emotions/reactions from people reading your copy, etc. There are many places to find for a copywriting job, for instance this forum, Warrior Forum, getafreelancer, limeexchange or other freelancer sites. You can also start a site of your own, advertising your services, then you don't have to look for jobs, they come looking for you, you just have to deliver the best copy you could to keep your clients. Lastly, the best way to start is to take action now. You can offer your services at lower prices, you may earn some money while training to be a better copywriter and sharpening your skills. Post a sales thread here, register on other freelancer sites and advertise your services there as well. Hope these helps, although I am hardly an experienced copywriter.
No one here can tell you if copywriting is right for you. But... 1. Work on improving your grasp of the English language even more. If you don't have a completely solid grasp on the language you're working in, you can't write creatively and persuasively, which is required in copywriting. 2. Start learning about marketing fundamentals. Great copywriters have to fully understand market research (to get to know the audiences they're trying to influence or persuade), and how to appeal to people with their words. Take a formal course. Read as many books as possible. Do whatever you have to do to understand marketing (and not just what other copywriters have to say about it - you need the fundamentals first).
Yep, nobody can tell you if copywriting is for you - that's something for you to decide on your own. Now here are some things I would add to Jenn's comment: 1. You must also enjoy writing, cause you'll be doing a lot of that as a copywriter. 2. Enjoy researching. That's one of the fun things about copywriting, in my opinion. You try to get to know your audience better and find out what makes them tick. Aside from that, you also get to know the product you're trying to sell or write about from the inside out. At the end of the project, you eventually become very interested about the topic or product you thought was never interesting.
Thanks folks, these are some really good suggestions, I would definitely try to comply to them. I think I need some more experience to begin as a copywriter Meanwhile, I would also learn some tips from you guys.
I can. Anyway, here's what you do. 1. Pick a product/service you love. It could be the newest iPod, a local restaurant, a doctor, whatever. 2. Create an ad for your selection (radio, tv, sales letter, etc). 3. Look over what you've created and see how you feel about it. Was it way too much work? Do you like how it turned out? Did you like the creation process? --- Basically, if you didn't like what you did or felt it was hard, stop here. Since you love your selection and probably know a good deal about it (perhaps even part of the target audience), this is as easy at it gets. --- About liking your work: contrary to popular belief you don't need to love your work to be good at it. I get bored with much of the medical copy I do weekly, but still bang out winners. 4. If we're still on for dinner, put it online and ask people for reviews. Now don't get bent out of shape over the reviews. Some know what they are doing from experience, some kind of know through education, some don't know but think they know and some just like talking. Since you're new, asking for feedback on DP is perfectly fine. BTW, what I've just told you is what I'd tell any advertising copywriting 101 class in college for a first assignment (gives them time to drop the class ).
Consider first this list of underpaid and thankless jobs before making a final decision Digging ditches in Thailand Collecting empty plastic bottles in Brazil Fishing from a tiny canoe on the Amazon Cutting up toxic ships in your bare feet in India Clearing blocked sewage pipes by diving down it without protective clothing in Indonesia Bar girls in Cambodia Writing keyword articles
Well for me, it is a process of research, analyzing on a particular niche, while considering interest of your audiences is important. Off course, one should have a good command over English, with variation in your each content. And yes! do not forget to enjoy your writing.
I'm not a big time copy writer but I do make money on ads and landing pages I've written for myself. Even now I make a point to polish my writing skills a few times a week. I've bought copy writing courses but I've found that most of them don't contain any information that aren't in my best literature text books from college. My advice: will yourself to act on your goal now, and practice your skills regularly. I have improved. You will improve too, and once you feel you're good at something you will begin to enjoy doing it.
in short you have to make a subject interesting its really that simple and you will be writing for other people so you have to make a subject you may or may not like interesting try a few niches you like then write some samples to give to your potential clients
The first step in learning "copywriting" is learning the difference between "copywriting" and "web content writing". Many of the "copywriters" here seem unaware of the difference.
It might be possible to 'drift' into copywriting. I recently edited a few articles for a client and found myself instinctively copywriting. I didn't just edit his English I also re-arranged the content into what I can only describe as a copywriting style - a style that helped sell his product.
As many have said here already: only you can decide whether copywriting is it for you. First of all.. don't set your hopes on getting rich fast when starting out as a copywriter. People who make lots of money from it, are very good and very experienced. Some of the fundamentals you will need: - good command of the language you're planning on writing in - good knowledge of marketing and sales techniques - the ability to write creative, persuasive texts - love doing research - love writing As some people here have already suggested: try writing an ad, brochure, direct mailing.. and see how it goes. Post it so that people can comment on it. And read a lot about copywriting in books, the internet and so on. Good luck!
Aside from what has already been touched on, I'd say you need to test yourself and try to write some effective copy on a subject which literally bores you to tears. If it's any good (i.e. is it absolutely as good as existing web copy/brochure copy/etc on the subject you've chosen?) and the process of doing so did not make you pull your hair out in despair, then you may have a future in copywriting!
Consider the steps listed below when you've been commissioned to create a sales page or letter for a product or service you're comfortable selling and writing about. I. Identify the Reputation of the Business Selling the Product or Service (Since Identifying Unreputable Businesses Selling Low Value Products and Services Will Help You Save Time and Effort By Moving Forward to Help Sell a Reputable Business Offering High Value Productss or Services) II. Identify the Overall Features of the Product or Service Which Can Be Beneficial to the Largest Consumer Markets with the Highest Buying Power Looking for the Same Benefits III. Carefully Identify the Largest Consumer Markets with the Highest Buying Power Looking for Most of the Benefits Offered By the Product or Service You're Selling IV. List Down the Benefits of the Product or Service Needed By the Identified Largest Consumer Markets with the Highest Buying Power V. List Down the Places and Sites Where the Identified Largest Consumer Markets with the Highest Buying Power Hang Out VI. Hang Out on the Sites and Places Where Your Identified Target Markets Spend Time VII. Keep a Keen Eye Out for Relevant Aspects of the Places or Sites Where Your Target Markets Hang Out That Can Help You Market the Product or Service You're Selling VIII. Keep a Keen Eye Out on Relevant Aspects Mentioned By Your Target Markets on the Sites and Places They Hang Out That Can Help You Market the Product or Service You're Selling IX. List Down Average Age Brackets, Nature of Work, Industry of Employer or Business, First Language, and Other Demands of the Identified Largest Consumer Markets with the Highest Buying Power X. Focus on a Subset of the Identified Largest Target Markets with the Highest Buying Power Which Need More of the Actual Benefits Offered By the Product or Service You're Selling XI. Determine if You Can Properly Communicate More with Your Chosen Subset Than with Other Subsets (Consider Moving Forward to the Next Subset that's 2nd to the Subset that Need More of the Actual Benefits Offered By the Product or Service You're Selling if You Can't Effectively Communicate with the Previous Subset - Continue Moving to the Next Subset on the List Until You Identify the Subset which You can effectively Communicate with) XII. Talk to Some of the People or Groups of People Included in Your Chosen Subset to Familiarize Yourself on How They Communicate and What They Need (Other Than Those You've Already Identified) from the Product or Service You're Selling XIII. Identify Other Demands of Your Chosen Subset Which Can Be Relevant to the Product or Service You're Selling XIV. Create an Accurate Psychograph Obviously Based on the Relevant Consumership Mentality, Lifestyle and Demands of Your Chosen Subset and Write a Sales Page or Letter from There If you find everything outlined above difficult and uninteresting, then copywriting isn't for you. I don't have time to expound on the steps listed above unless I get paid doing so (me grins). It'll also be more beneficial for me and anyone new to copywriting needing help if I wrote an Ebook providing in-depth information about each of the steps mentioned above and sell it to anyone who needs it (me grins rather devilishly). That'll be about 3-5 months worth of extensive research and hard work, and I'd have to go to the countries where the largest consumer markets with the highest buying power looking for such products are found and talk to some of the top copywriters of the world (me doubts this). I'll have to place a US $400 price tag on the Ebook with buyers having no chance whatsoever of haggling to get full exclusive or resell rights (eyes with $$$). Maybe I'll offer affiliate resell rights (insert evil laughter here).