How To Become A Copywriter – A Detailed Guide

Copywriting is somewhat a new thing for many people in India, though it’s a fairly established concept in the west. Anyone who wants to become a copywriter first needs to understand it completely. C In other words, you can say that copywriting is closing a deal in print. It involves playing with words to sell better.

When a visitor comes on a website’s landing page, what are the odds that he or she will make a purchase? Here comes the role of a Copywriter, You can analyze the success rate of a copywriter by making a count of how many visitors are getting converted into buyers. A good copy would lure the visitor to make a purchase and it also has something to do with human psychology. It is like getting into their brain.

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Copywriting VS Content writing:

Some people get confused between content and copy, be sure that you are not one of them. The 3 major differences between them are:

• A copy is created for sale, this might be a Webinar, a sales letter, anything done with a motive of creating a conversion, Whereas content is written for engagement like images, graphics, blog posts, a youtube video, Instagram captions
• The second difference is the direction. The copy is very straightforward, one-directional, and intentional. A good copywriter would write every single sentence in a way that would persuade anyone buys the product immediately. Content on the other hand is very multi-dimensional. It’s a conversation between friends in simple words. Think of blog posts, how it makes people talk about them.
• The third difference is the goal. The goal of a copywriter is to sell ultimately and generate revenue but the content builds brand loyalty and brand visibility by spreading the word. The goal of a content writer should be to get more likes, follows, comments and create goodwill for the brand, it’s like PR.

Every business needs both, no one is more important than the other. It’s advisable to stay in your lane and hone your craft over time.

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To Get Started as a Copywriter You Need to Go Through These Things

Why Do People Hire Copywriters?:

Companies have a zillion things to do like ads on radio, Twitter, tv, internet. Forms to fill, forms to fill for various product lines, Google ads, update their Twitter, curating content for their websites, update their Facebook page, make sure that the content is converting, have scripts for their salespeople to follow, creating content for each of their product, write a press release and the list is never-ending.

All this has to be handled by a Copywriter and some companies require everyone in their team to be a writer. You need to maintain good relations with these companies who would need your services and are willing to pay a great deal to a copywriter because Copy sells.

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How to Attract Clients:

Starting a Copywriting freelance career is like starting a new business from scratch, isn’t it..? You will have to work hard and go all beast mode with it as it’s not a cakewalk at all. It’s a skill that you have to develop over time. You won’t start earning a 1000 grand by working on your Laptop overnight. However, there are some proven steps to follow to start getting copywriting gigs.

Research/Study:

Start with researching copywriting at first. Read books, listen to podcasts from industry experts. There are a lot of books you can read to enhance your knowledge of it, a few to name are Influence(Science of persuasion), wizards of ads, Breakthrough advertising, etc.

Be Crystal Clear About What You Offer:

Every single business in this world needs content but would you write copy or content? Decide now because it’s important to know the difference. Do you want to work full-time, part-time/ or do you want to write long-form captions, social media posts, Facebook ads? Take the time out to map out all those possibilities and opportunities.

Also, be very clear about who you want to serve because the very first clients you get as you start will set the tone for the rest of your career and you would get the clients based in that particular niche based on your experience. If you want to write about finance, pet care, relationship management, decide in the beginning and explore all your options. A lot of business owners don’t want to hire an established copywriter because they want to train people who would stick with them in the long run and be the voice of their brand.

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Make a List of Your Experience and Interests:

Yes, this is the first step. A lot of times people underestimate their prior experience which they already have from a previous part-time job or a college degree. Do an experience and skills round up because guess what copywriting is not just about writing, 50% of the work happens before the copy even gets printed. It’s more about ideating, conceptualizing, strategizing, and overall business-minded thinking.

So think about it what you can bring to the table, whether you were writing memos, articles in a publication or making Powerpoint presentations for getting sponsors, or you were managing social media accounts, it all counts and you can include it in your portfolio which would serve you better and that brings us to the next step which is building a kick-ass portfolio.

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Make a Portfolio:

You can start making a portfolio that includes some of your finest copywriting samples. Write some samples which showcase your skills as a Copywriter and ability to sell through words.

Make sure that it is simple because at the end of the day people would hire you because of your skillset not because you have a fancy website. You can find numerous pages on the internet which generate huge incomes but looks very shabby. A good copywriting portfolio should have your name, your expertise/niche, A few samples of your work, and how they can schedule a session with you. One more tip is to always charge for your services even when you are starting.

Your portfolio should always mention your area of expertise or your niche. It should clearly define your niche of Copywriting, Yes you heard me right, it’s important to niche down in this stream as well just as you would do if you were a blogger or a content writer.

For example, if you are a female, you can write a copy about a girl’s hygiene products company. It would give you an edge over a male in that case. Rather than saying I can write everything, you should say that I specialize in a particular niche. It’s better to master a niche because that becomes your area of expertise where no one can touch you.

Do a Copywriting Course:

With everything being online now, you can find so many good courses. Joining a practical course helps to get some perspective about this copywriting thing and especially when you know nothing about it and just want to get into it.

Some of the courses I want to mention are Success works Copywriting course, The creative copywriter Academy, the IDM institute of marketing, the CIM Copywriting course, even Udemy has a free course too. These courses would allow you to write samples under the mentorship of your tutor and will help you be more confident when you finally step into the real world of copywriting.

Look for Small Gigs:

There is some way you can start working at least. This is not something from which you can make big money but it’s a great way to get used to this new field.

Posting on sites like Upwork and Fiver for copywriting gigs, here you get the bargain hunter category of the clients. If anyone wants to do it part-time then this is a great alternative. You can also join some Facebook groups and make an Instagram profile as a budding copywriter, these platforms can be helpful to make some connections and reach out to people who are looking to hire. These ways can get the ball rolling for a beginner but don’t expect big money coming in through these ways.

Start a Blog:

Having your public blog can make a big deal when you pitch clients as you can attach the link to your blog in your portfolio which would make them gauge your writing style, tone, delivery, and the knowledge you have in a particular field.

If someone already knows how to write, it’s then easy to take a business/sales approach to that writing style and convert it into the best-selling copy. It would be an added advantage if you are writing a blog of your own, have some SEO knowledge, and all that jazz that goes into running it.

Rewrite or Critique Existing Copy:

There is no harm in reaching out to the companies who are hiring or potentially looking to hire in near future. It’s a proven method to critique the existing copy on a company’s landing page, Sending them an email rewriting the copy and giving helpful genuine suggestions is a great way to go about it.

Companies anyway test your skill set during the recruitment process, they would give you forms to fill, quiz, rewrite the older copies of their sites so why not do that in advance and prove your mettle. This can be a daring thing that good companies would appreciate and can bring your talent to their attention.

Personalize Your Portfolio:

Getting clients is not a one size fits all approach. To catch their attention and ultimately get the job, you need to personalize the portfolio while sending it to a particular company. For example, if it’s a Social media company and you have your account on social media platforms with a good following then you need to highlight that. That small detail has a 100% chance of working in your favor.

Be careful about its simplicity and accessibility. Do not attach too many files and make sure to send them in a format which is can be easily accessible and downloaded. Always include a cover letter personalized to that company that clearly states your ambition, reasons why you added those attachments. Keep it real and honest, don’t embellish it with fancy details which are not true.

Keep your hopes high because nowadays, small and intermediate level companies are wanting to hire new talent so they can grow with the company while adapting to their ideology and mission statements.

Be Visible:

You got to be present on all platforms like Upwork, LinkedIn, but don’t just update your profile and sit and wait. Post and prey on it. Look up the websites of the brands you want to work with. This hunting method is quite powerful which would give you a great deal of information.

Think globally not remotely because you can be working for a company in Peru sitting here in India. Gather all the information and knowledge about what is happening in the copywriting world, attend marketing seminars, workshops, local meet-ups in your area and always go with an intention.

Don’t just go about distributing your business card to anyone and everyone. Talk to people and ask them their requirements. Be active online, be on Facebook, Instagram, find the groups, forums, don’t be serious about it.

Once you get a client, keep building that relationship with them because most of your business will come from existing clients. Either they will extend your contract or refer you to someone else. Do good work, be polite, and keep growing for being in the business for the long term.

Frequently Asked Questions- FAQs:

Q1. What are the challenges faced in copywriting?

There are many challenges few are listed below:

• There is highest competition in the market.
• Payment
• You have to be different and very creative.
• Technical challenges

Q2. What is the scope of career as a copywriter?

There is better scope as a copywriter as these days every business irrespective of their size of business demands a copywriter. And especially online businesses are more in trend so the demand for a specialized copywriter have increased.

Q3. What are most common tools used for copywriting?

There are many tools to name a few you can try below:

• Grammarly Premium
• Rhymzone
• Hemingway Editor
• Answer the Public

Conclusion:

There are numerous ways of understanding the field of copywriting and pursuing it can be a fruitful career but pay attention to what it demands. One needs to be extremely hard-working and proactive to set their foot here.