Any kind of writing is open for critiques, but copywriting is one of the few where you'll get that feedback from a full group—and in-person. If you're the kind of person who takes your work personally, you'll need to find a way to get some distance and perspective. How? It can be surprising for new copywriters to get live feedback on their work from a whole group of people; … [Read more...]
Protect Yourself From Agency Layoffs
One unfortunate truth about ad agency work is that there are periodic layoffs and, for reasons you'll see in a bit, they're pretty much inevitable. That said, though, that doesn't mean that you can't plan now to protect yourself and your livelihood. So, I've titled this article "Protect Yourself from Agency Layoffs," but I'll admit that that's slightly misleading. You can't … [Read more...]
What to Do When You Feel Inadequate
It's true: We're all our own worst enemies. After all, who hasn't been going along just fine when, all of a sudden, you're hit with the certainty that you're not good enough? That you just don't have what it takes and you're going to fail? It's coming...so let's talk about how to deal with it. "What do you do when you feel inadequate?" is one of the most common questions I … [Read more...]
The 7 Phases of Becoming a Well-Paid Writer (as Told Via GIFs)
The path to becoming a copywriter is pretty straightforward: you follow the steps of other successful copywriters. But, nonetheless, resistance kicks up and we all face some of these all-too-relatable phases of becoming a copywriter. Stuck in one of the below phases? Great news: we've offered up our best advice to help you take the next step and move out of that phase (in a … [Read more...]
What Do Copywriters Actually Do?
As you explore the field of copywriting, you likely know that a copywriter, well, writes. But, you're also probably thinking, "Yeah, but what does a copywriter do? What does that look like?" Copywriting is one of the most flexible careers. You can work as a fully remote freelancer, a contractor who bops in and out of an office, or on-staff within a company or for an ad … [Read more...]
Should You Get a Copywriting Internship?
Once you're out of school, an internship may feel outdated. But when you see that the ad or in-house agency you really want to get into has only one opening and it's a copywriting internship, you may find yourself reconsidering. Strictly speaking, an internship is an opportunity for beginners in an industry to get practical, on-the-job experience. It's true that internships … [Read more...]
What to Wear to a Copywriting Interview, In-Person or on Zoom
When you land an interview at an ad agency, an in-house agency, or even want to give off a good first-impression on an initial call with a prospective freelance client, what you wear matters. But what, exactly, should you wear? And what happens when you're interviewing remotely using Zoom or other video conferencing tools? For both men and women, choosing what to wear to a … [Read more...]
The Right Way to Fit “Ad” Into “Advertorials”
In the world of copywriting, the advertorial is a mutt. Part ad, part editorial, it hits the magazine or trade publication reader when they are already primed to read. When the advertorial is not that engaging it can come across as deceptive. There you are, cozied up with your favorite glossy, only to look up at the page to see "special advertising section." Drats! Foiled … [Read more...]
How Long Should It Take You to Write Copy?
Time can fly when you're working on a copy project. So much so, in fact, that you can look up and realize a few hours have passed. But is that a good thing? A bad thing? Just how long should it take you to write, anyway? When you're first starting out, it will never feel like you have enough time. A client could give you a month for a paragraph of copy, and you'd still agonize … [Read more...]
Why Online Sales Letters are Dead—and What to Write for Clients Instead
There are all kinds of marketing tactics that you should learn to make the most out of your copywriting career. For instance, you need to know about mediums like email campaigns, paid ads (like you see on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and as website banners), opt-in landing pages, and sales pages. If I had a nickel for every "copywriting" site that says, "I make seven … [Read more...]