The concept of “experience” for copywriters can be a bit tricky: Adequate experience for one project might not be enough for another. And just what constitutes ”experience”, anyway? Is it years? Types of projects? Let’s break it all down. Experience is made up of a combination of knowledge and practice. You gain a base level of knowledge first through training, you … [Read more...]
What’s a Back Pocket Career? (And Why You Need One)
Getting fired or downsized is devastating—emotionally and financially. But there’s something you can do to help prepare yourself and make sure a career shock doesn’t completely throw you. Everyone (and I truly mean everyone) needs a back pocket career. If you like copywriting, but aren't sure you want to do it full-time, that's totally fine! There are plenty of … [Read more...]
How To Prepare for a Copywriting Interview
You applied for the copywriting job and got the call to come in for an interview. Congrats! Now what? You need to prepare for the interview. This means having a ready answer for commonly asked questions and doing some prep work. Your standard interview prep should involve familiarizing yourself with their company philosophy, reorganizing your print portfolio to features … [Read more...]
How to Avoid the Copywriting Niche Trap
Many so-called copywriting gurus will tell you that the path to success is to proclaim a niche right away. But that advice is 100% wrong and, worse, it's potentially damaging to your career. Read on to hear why and find out what you should do instead. The other day, a student said to me, "I’ve heard that I should pick a niche and focus on building samples and finding clients … [Read more...]
The One Thing Your Copywriter Resume Is Missing
There are lots of books and sites about putting together your resume. But the vast majority misses one crucial item—which means your resume is missing it, too. There is one thing that is likely missing from your copywriter resume. When you’re looking for work, the biggest questions on your mind are very likely, “How do I get what want out of a job?” and “Do I want this … [Read more...]
How To Set Up Customer Surveys
You need to know about your target audience to craft a message that makes sense to them. But what if your client doesn’t know anything about the people to whom they sell? Then it might just be up to you to find out. It’s shocking, but it’s true: There are some companies who have no idea who they’re selling to. Sure, if they’re a cable provider, you can guess that they are … [Read more...]
Gifts to Give to Your Copywriting Career This Season
It’s the time of year when we show gratitude for and give gifts to the ones we love. But while we’re celebrating, let’s not forget to show a little love to the founders of the feasts: our careers. Just what would your copywriting career like most to receive this season? This is not one of those, “you’ve treated your friends and family, now treat yourself!” kinds of posts. … [Read more...]
Why We Love Working as a Contract Copywriter (And You Should, Too)
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...]
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...]
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...]