I probably don’t need to say it, but there’s more opportunity than ever to work with remote clients. (I guess that’s one small bright side to a pandemic, though the trend was definitely on the upswing before 2020.) And that means that not only can you write for clients on the other side of your country from you, you can also write for clients on the other side of the world. … [Read more...]
What is UX Copywriting and How Do You Do It?
There are a lot of “genres” of copywriting that really aren’t genres at all; they’re just buzz-y marketing. “Conversion copywriting” is a good example. Since all copywriting is focused on achieving its goal for a project and if that goal is conversion well then, guess what? All copywriting is conversion copywriting. Calling oneself a conversion copywriter is just marketing, … [Read more...]
How Can You Know if a Copywriting Deadline is Doable?
We freelancers have a love/hate relationship with deadlines. We love them because there is nothing that will get your rear in a chair and your fingers typing like a looming client deadline. Aaaaaand we also hate them because what gets our rear in the chair are twinges of panic at the idea of not getting the work done in time. Deadlines are essential because they ensure … [Read more...]
Why Copywriters Need to Think Visually (and How to Do It)
Copywriters aren’t designers. But when it comes to concepting ideas, you do need to come prepared with ideas for the project. For example, if you’re writing a banner ad to get people to book a vacation and want the copy to say something like “Go from ARGH!!! to Ahhhhhhh” you may envision someone yelling in an office contrasted with someone relaxing in a beach chair. … [Read more...]
Why You Need to Re-Sell Your Copywriting Work
Okay, pop quiz, copywriters: Once you found the client, landed the work, and written the first draft, the next step is just to send the draft back to your client with a friendly, “Let me know what you think!”, right? (Hint: If that were right, this would be an awfully short post.) Believe me, I certainly understand the impulse to send a draft off an get it off your … [Read more...]
Can You Become a Copywriter if You’re Not a Grammar and Punctuation Dynamo?
A confession: I can’t diagram a sentence. I mean, I could once. In seventh grade, I was a master. But now…participles, gerunds, modifiers? I’ve got no fricking idea. Here’s the thing about rules of English—which is pretty much the same for any set of rules, really—it’s important to understand them so that you can intelligently break them. Unless you’re teaching English … [Read more...]
Do You Need to Send Contracts to Your Copywriting Clients?
Everybody needs a contract, right??? After all, we need to be safe—to protect ourselves!!! But…to protect ourselves from what, exactly? Like the topic of whether or not to bill upfront, the question of contracts comes from the same impulse to “protect ourselves” from nefarious clients. People believe that having clients sign contracts means that they won’t have to worry about … [Read more...]
How Many Rounds of Copywriting Revisions Should You Offer?
I get this question a lot—“how many rounds of revisions do I give my client?”—and I understand the thinking behind it. People are worried that clients are going to “take advantage” of them and request round after round after round of revisions until it’s perfect. But here’s the thing: Our copy is supposed to be perfect. (Or, at least, as close to perfect as it can be.) It’s … [Read more...]
Why Landing Pages Are the Perfect First Copywriting Projects
If you’re looking for a way to get started with a potential client—or, perhaps, a good piece of value to bring to a potential client to convince them to work with you—landing pages might just be the perfect place to start. Landing pages are where a visitor “lands” after taking an action link clicking an ad, clicking a link, or opting in. Landing pages have exactly ONE … [Read more...]
Should You Be Hand-Copying Ads to Learn Copywriting?
I first started hearing about this a few months ago. Someone left a comment on a post asking if there was any use in hand-copying other people’s ads to learn copywriting. Then, someone else sent an email through to us. And, after that, I found out that a few copywriting courses make hand-copying ads major pillars of their teaching. Let me make something very clear: No, … [Read more...]