When most people think of switching careers, they think of leaving one full-time job for another. That can be great. But there’s another option that can offer many of the same benefits, plus a few more: working as a copywriting contractor. Many people use the terms “freelancing” and “contracting” interchangeably, and they do have a few similarities. In both cases, you’re … [Read more...]
Copywriters Confess Their Dirty Secrets
Here’s a not-so-secret secret: Nobody’s perfect. But the ways that copywriters aren’t can be very instructional for other new or would-be copywriters. So, let’s unearth some deep, dark truths from real-life copywriters and learn away. In the words of Mary Poppins, I am perfectly perfect in every way.* But I happen to know a lot of copywriters, and I also happen to know that … [Read more...]
What Will Copywriting Look Like in 10 Years? The Future for Copywriters Is Bright
Good news first: the future of copywriting is safe. Copywriting—whether, full-time, part-time or freelance—isn't going anywhere. The bad news is there are plenty of sensationalist stories that will make you think otherwise. Downsizing, outsourcing, offshoring, automation: there are certainly a lot of words for economic panic, aren't there? Add to that the biweekly articles … [Read more...]
Why You Sometimes Need to “Greek It” in Copywriting
“It’s all Greek to me” takes on a totally different meaning in the creative field. Here we look at what “Greeking it” means in copywriting and when and how you should use "Greek" copy. What Is "Greek" in Copy? The phrase “Greek it” is a misnomer. What it refers to is “lorem ipsum” that, yes, sounds a lot like it might be Greek. Lorem ipsum is actually just gibberish—an … [Read more...]
5 Things Clients and Product Managers Wish Copywriters Knew
The people who request your copywriting work—clients or product managers—are crucial partners in the project. But just because you’re working on the same thing doesn’t mean you’re speaking the same language. Here are five things you don’t know that they wish you did. Most clients and product managers have absolutely no experience being on the other side of the table—that is, … [Read more...]
The Secret to Being Prepared for Creative Reviews
Creative reviews strike fear into the hearts of many copywriters. It’s not always the most comfortable thing to present your work to a roomful of people. But what if I told you there’s a secret to feeling much more sure and prepared? It’s completely natural and normal to be intimidated by reviews. After all, you agonize over a project only to present it and get feedback on … [Read more...]
5 Surprising Places to Find Copy Inspiration
When you need to come up with a concept for a project, sometimes it’s easy and sometimes…well, your creativity could use a refill. But where do you refill it? Here we delve into some sources for topping off your font of creativity that might not be what you’d expect. When most copywriters (particularly ad writers) think about finding inspiration for their work, they … [Read more...]
How I Lost a Ton of Money (and You Can, Too!)
Step right up and learn from the master! When I was first starting out, I made a ton of mistakes and lost out on an awful lot of money. Want to know how? There’s nothing that I necessarily regret. It was all valuable learning for me, and it lets me pass on that learning to you so you can avoid making the same mistakes. But did I do stupid stuff? Absolutely! Did I miss … [Read more...]
Important Digital Copywriting Definitions
Digital copywriting is a fast-growing field, and you should aim to get experience in it as soon as possible. But with terms like “DPI” and “click to open rate,” it can be easy to get lost in a conversation. Digital (or “interactive” copywriting) has grown every more complicated as technologies evolve and, as part of that, new terms and new acronyms pop up all the … [Read more...]
Why People Tell You “Copywriting Is Hard to Get Into”
“Oh, copywriting is really hard to get into.” That’s one of the most popular things for people to say when they hear you’re interested in the field. But why? And what is that based on? So, let me start out with a little story. Practically anytime I’m at party or event and I meet someone new, we do the standard “What do you do?” exchange and I tell them I’m a copywriter. And … [Read more...]