They say that it takes money to make money…but that’s not always true. Case in point: Your copywriting business. Now, it goes without saying that you need training in order to work as a copywriter. You have to know how to actually provide the service you want to provide, right? And you also know that it’s a specialized form of writing that’s very different from any other … [Read more...]
Why Copywriters Absolutely Must Have a Network of Designers
Let me be clear: I am NOT a team player. Well, not naturally. I mean, I can be if a need to be…but I’d almost always rather just do things myself. So, if you hear my advice that you need to reach out to designers and create a network of contacts and you think, “Oh, I’d rather not…” I get you. I do. But here’s why you’ve still got to do it. First, you NEED … [Read more...]
What Copywriters Charge for Content Writing
First, of course, let’s get some definitions down: Copywriting is advertising and marketing writing; words that are designed to sell or persuade. Websites, emails, banner ads, brochures, magazine ads, billboards, etc. Content is writing that’s designed to educate, entertain, or inspire. Think: blog posts and articles. They’re both forms of writing, but copywriting requires … [Read more...]
How Do You Land Your First Copywriting Clients Without Experience or Samples?
Here’s what most people think about breaking into copywriting: You need experience to get clients and you need clients to get experience. And that’s a catch-22 that stops a lot of would-be copywriters dead in their tracks. But the truth—and good news—is that that’s only half true. Today, we’re going to talk about which half is true, which isn’t and how you can get … [Read more...]
How to Sell a Sales Page Project
Over the past few weeks, we’ve talked about why sales pages are such a great project for copywriters and how to write them so that they’re exceptionally effective. Today, we’re going to dive into tactics for helping to you sell sales page projects to clients or, more specifically, how to sell yourself as the ideal writer for a client’s sales page project. The thing about … [Read more...]
Copywriting Q&A: Why You Need to Know Your Numbers
Your copywriting portfolio acts as a kind of proof that you know what you’re doing. But there’s another element to add that can be even more enticing and make you even more sellable. What’s that? Numbers. Read on… Today’s question comes from Ellie H., who asks, “I had a potential client ask about the results of my emails. Is that something I should be tracking? Also, um, … [Read more...]
Copywriting Q&A: Tough Interview Questions Copywriters Get
No job interview is easy, but interviews for creative positions like copywriting offer additional challenges—especially when it comes to the interview questions. In today’s post, we’ll go over a few of them, and talk about how to answer them well. Read on… Today’s question comes from Liz A., who asks, “I have an interview for a copywriting position coming up and I want the … [Read more...]
ABP and 7 Other Unbreakable Laws of Copywriting
There are a lot of variables and flexibility in copywriting, which is part of what makes it such an appealing career for people who love to write to write. But I can also tell you that over the course of my 15+ years in the industry, there are also certain inescapable truths. Here, for your learning pleasure, are eight of them. Law of Copywriting #1 ABP You’re probably … [Read more...]
Copywriting Q&A: How Do You Build Your Portfolio?
Your portfolio is one of the most crucial assets you have to land copywriting work. It proves that you know how to write copy well, even before your prospective client works with you. But what's the exact path to building your portfolio? Read on... Today's question comes from Michael S., who asks,"I just found your site! I'm excited to start digging around, but I have a … [Read more...]
Copywriting Q&A: Where Content Belongs on Your Copywriting Portfolio Site
Content writing is different from copywriting. (For more on that, check out this article.) But it’s very likely that, at some point, a copy client is going to ask you to write content for them. Great—but where do those content samples belong on your portfolio site? Read on… Today’s question comes from Angela M., who asks, “I have some content writing from a previous client. … [Read more...]
