In the course of a day, you'll come across about a bazillion ads (I'll have to cite that study later...). Some are good, but many are not so good. As a copywriter, it's crucial that you learn to tell the difference. Being able to tell if an ad is any good is crucial since you'll need to be able to apply that same discernment to your own work. After all, if you can't tell … [Read more...]
What Does it Take to Become a Copywriter?
Before you make a decision about choosing or changing a career, you want to have some indication that you'll actually be good at it and successful at it. It makes complete sense! Whether you will be successful or not at copywriting has a short answer and a long one—and I'd strongly recommend you read both. Short Answer: There's Never Any Guarantee First, the short … [Read more...]
Top Copywriting Industries in 2024
If you're going to get into a new career, it makes sense that you'd want to know for sure that there are jobs and opportunities. We get it—who doesn't have a rent or a mortgage to pay?! There are more opportunities for copywriters than there are good, trained copywriters. Copywriters are in the marketing and advertising industry, but, as you may be able to guess, the … [Read more...]
Why Every Copywriter Needs a Standalone Portfolio Site
As a copywriter you need an online portfolio. But, if you put your work up on Behance, do you still need your own site, too? Short answer? Yes. Longer answer? Yes, yes, yes. Keep Prospective Clients Focused on Your Work With so many great sites out there dedicated to hosting your online portfolio, you might be asking yourself why I'm so adamant about you creating … [Read more...]
How Much Do Copywriters Actually Make?
If we can, we get into certain lines of work to pursue our passions. But, of course, with those pesky costs for housing, food, and other necessities, we also work to pay our bills. So, one of the first questions you may ask as you dip your toes into copywriting is, "how much do freelance copywriters make?" When it comes to how much money you can make in any profession, … [Read more...]
Confused About Where to Start Your Copywriting Career? This One’s For You
Embarking on any kind of new project or journey is overwhelming—and a major part of what's overwhelming about it is not even knowing where to start. What should your first step be? How do you begin? So, let me begin with a a simply answer. When it comes to "where to start" with anything, the best place to start is exactly where you are. Before you dismiss that as trite, … [Read more...]
The Attention Dilemma
When you have a problem to solve or a creative project to write for, it can seem like the best thing to do is just sit down and motor on through until you come up with the perfect solution. In truth, that can be one of the worst ways to get to the answer. When you're trying to access your creative mind, sometimes the best course of action is to step away from the problem … [Read more...]
The Dangers of Using Swipe Files
Some ads are just so good, you have to tear them out and keep them. In fact, many people will advise you to do just that. It's for inspiration, right? But sometimes "inspiration" can get in the way of "creation." Find out how to use other ads to help you—and when having them around is a bad idea. What Is a Swipe File and Why Keep One Simply put, a "swipe file" is your … [Read more...]
Why Tough Creative Directors Can Be the Best Ones
For most people, the ideal boss/employee relationship is like something you'd see in a movie: Good buddies who grab a drink together after work. But in a creative industry, especially when you're first getting started, this can be the worst kind of boss for you. In reality, the best kind of boss might just be the last one you'd think you'd want. First, let's make sure we're … [Read more...]
Why You Need an Online Portfolio
When a lot of people first try to get into copywriting, their first steps are to spruce up their resumes and cover letters and then apply to jobs. And these people (usually, by the way, the ones who tell you that it's "so hard to get into copywriting"...see more below) never get called in for interviews. Why? Because they haven't put together online portfolios. Find out exactly … [Read more...]