A former Israeli prime minister once chastised his fellow politicians by saying their slogan could be, “Sure, I promised. But I never promised to keep my promise.” Outside the semi-virtual world of politics, of course, there are real consequences to failing to keep one’s promises. There is a strong incentive, especially when we are starting out, to agree to any project … [Read more...]
Building Your Career for Maximum Flexibility
Many people get into copywriting because they want the options to work where they want and when they want. And, of course, that's perfectly possible. But to do that successfully (read: without going bankrupt) they have to build their careers accordingly. Now, to state the obvious. You'll never have complete say in when you work since you'll always be creating work for … [Read more...]
How to Be a Part-Time Copywriter from Home
One of the cool things about copywriting is that it doesn't necessarily have to be a full-time job. People can do it part-time to make some additional cash (whether for a vacation, a new car, retirement, or any other reason), part-time to test out and see if they want to do it full-time, or even do it part-time as they raise their children. But how do you go about creating a … [Read more...]
What You Need to Know About After-Sales Service
Let’s say you’re a freelance copywriter. (You are, right?) Now let’s say you bought the latest laptop on the market and loaded it with all the tools a good entrepreneurial writer needs (like, say, a mini espresso bar app). Six months later, if the folks who sold you the thing clear out all those multiplayer online gaming data files clogging the system (“No idea where those came … [Read more...]
What It’s Like to Work in an In-House Agency
Often, one of the biggest surprises for new/aspiring copywriters about in-house agencies…is that in-house agencies actually exist. “You mean there are even more places to work than just ad agencies?” Indeed, I do. Let’s talk all about ‘em today. An “in-house agency” (or “internal agency”) is the creative team within a company that creates work for that company. (This … [Read more...]
How Soon Can You Make Money as a Copywriter?
One of the most common questions i get from people who are interested in getting into copywriting is, "Great, I'm interested—but when will I start to make money?" It makes sense: we want to know what the earning potential is before we jump headfirst into a new career. So, I’ll answer this question, but, I’m going to presuppose that you’re on an actual copywriting study … [Read more...]
How to Protect Yourself from a Computer Crash
One of the most stressful moment in my career thus far had nothing to do with a presentation or a particularly challenging project. No, the most stressful moment came after I'd finished a project...and my computer crashed. How can you avoid the same fate? Here's a simple (if unpleasant) fact of life: At some point, your computer will die. You'll go to turn it on, the screen … [Read more...]
How to Answer the Agency Experience Question
Many new copywriters have dreams of working in an ad agency. But it seems like many ad agencies are only interested in hiring you if you already have agency experience. A bit of a catch-22? Sure—but nothing you can't overcome. Here we offer some tips on how to address the question of whether or not you have experience as copywriter at an ad agency. Why Makes Agency Work … [Read more...]
7 Habits of the Successful Copywriter
Think of copywriting as an umbrella term for those of us capable of turning a boring idea into engaging, meaningful messages. Ads, brochures, emails, blogs, websites, social media—these are just delivery systems. Today’s successful copywriter is a jack-of-all-trades scribe that is unafraid of tasks, diligent with research, and subtly persuasive at the same time. Good … [Read more...]
Copywriter Niches: Should You Specialize?
When it comes to your career, it's a pretty big decision to go "all in" on one niche or another—especially if you can't be sure that it will be a successful strategy. So, should you specialize? I get questions from students all the time that are something along the lines of, "It seems like there are a lot of financial copywriting jobs available in my city. Should I try to … [Read more...]