Turns out, just because it’s on the Internet doesn’t mean it’s true. 😉
Now, many of us know this, but it can be easy to believe things we read or see—even on an unconscious level …
… And some of those things may be getting in the way of you achieving your full copywriting success—or even preventing you from getting into copywriting in the first place!
Raise your hand if you’ve heard any of these:
- It’s hard to find copywriting work
- Copywriters work long hours.
- You have to know someone to get hired as a copywriter.
- You have to be clever (or funny, even!) to be a copywriter.
🙋🙋♀️🙋♂️
On this episode of the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast, Nicki and Kate are busting through all-too-common copywriting myths.
And we had so many myths to bust that this is part 1 of a 2-part series. Catch part II right here >
TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher
Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!
A Sneak Peek at the Episode
[03:10] You’ll get seven of the top copywriting myths in this first episode and seven in the second episode (in no particular order). They are all very common, very prevalent myths.
[04:28] Myth #1: “If you can write anything including content, blog, writing, all of that sort of thing, you can write copy.” You have to like writing if you’re going to be a copywriter. You have to have some sort of natural affinity for writing. But copywriting, as many of you know, is a different kind of writing than the writing that most of us are used to. And so therefore, it does require a certain level of training.
[05:35] One of the biggest differences between blog writing and copywriting is that there’s a lot of room for fluff and fat in blog writing. There’s naturally more space to say a lot and be long-winded and not have to be judicious with what you’re putting out there. Copywriting requires a lot of self-control to just say, “this is not fitting here and this can fit somewhere else?” Or, “this is not right for the project.”
[07:53] Myth #2: “It’s hard to find copywriting work. If it’s hard to find normal jobs, isn’t it 10 times as hard to find copywriting work?” In a lot of ways it’s easier to find copywriting work, but the problem is where people are looking for that work. Upwork, Fiverr, and the “easy apply” on LinkedIn: quite frankly, none of these tactics work for finding any work—not just copywriting.
[09:01] Those platforms are a race to who’s going to pay the least amount for the best possible work that they can get. It’s great for clients who want a decent level of work for a very low rate. Not great for the service providers. You’re getting lost in a sea of other applicants. There’s no way for you to stand out.
[10:10] Thousands and thousands of times more projects out there waiting for you to be worked on within companies that they’re just not posting it to the world.
[13:13] Myth #3: “You need to know someone to get a job.” Put yourself out there to your network first and foremost. But it doesn’t have to start with people you know, by any means.
[15:22] One of the great things is that copywriting is a merit-based career. If you can demonstrate that, you can write great copy, people are going to be interested in talking to you and potentially hiring you. So yes, if you know someone, absolutely it helps. But it’s not a must!
[16:28] Myth #4: “Copywriters work long hours.” On a day-to-day basis, that never happened. Certainly, as a freelancer, there may be days you work late—but it’s your choice. 99% of the time, working long hours is all a choice versus imposed on you. Maybe there are days you end up working long hours because maybe you just didn’t plan well, and the deadline’s coming up and you have to hit that deadline (because you can’t miss that deadline!). Or you said yes to too many clients.
[20:32] Myth #5: “You need to be clever or funny to be a copywriter.” There’s so much more work that we don’t see on a day to day basis that it doesn’t involve any sort of humor or wit or puns or being clever in any way. Pitch clients who have that brand voice. But if that’s not your style, if you’re like, “oh, I don’t think in that way,” or maybe that feels like too much pressure, then don’t pitch those kind of clients.
[27:52] Myth #6: “Copywriting bosses are divas and jerks.” Bosses used to have a lot more leeway to just do whatever they wanted to. It’s not Mad Men anymore. But now, just like in any other industry, if you have a problem with your boss, talk to HR. Or, because you’re a copywriter and you know how to pitch, get out of there, go find another job, or freelance until you find another job if you want to be on staff. You never have to feel stuck as a copywriter!
[29:30] Myth #7: “Copywriters spend all day writing”. Actual writing is really only a portion of what we do as copywriters. Yes, we already said there’s writing and there’s editing, but there’s also brainstorming, concepting, talking with your clients and getting a good sense of what the project is all about. If you’re working with designers, there’s collaborating with designers.
[31:50] Even if you’re writing for several hours a day, it is likely not consecutive. We’re creative people, right? Copywriting is both strategic, also creative. And you can’t combine the two of those and also expect to power through and be perfectly effective all the way through your day.
Must-Hear Takeaways
As with every episode, we highly encourage you to listen to the entire conversation! But here are a few of the highlights:
“You don’t have to work long hours in order to make an excellent income. We have copywriters that we work with who are working 20 hours a week and hitting five figures a month, hitting $10,000 a month.” -Nicki
“The great thing about when you’re pitching clients is that you kind of get a sense for who they are well before you pitch them and you can make that choice.” -Nicki
“It does help to know people, but quite frankly, it’s you and you have this portfolio and you’re demonstrating that you have skills and there’s someone else who knows the creative directors, a friend of a friend of the creative director, you’ve got a better shot because you have a portfolio.” -Nicki
“Pushing yourself outside a comfort zone of like, okay, on a day-to-day basis, I’m writing copy and it’s a lot ‘easier’. If you have the opportunity, don’t be afraid. Maybe feel like a challenge, but it’ll feel so good once you’ve done it and then you know that you can do it.” -Kate
Mentioned in the Episode
- Ep. 52: What to Do Before Your Copywriting Interview (Part 1 of 3)
- Ep. 53: Ace Your Copywriting Interview (Part 2 of 3)
- Ep. 54: Post-Interview Must Dos (Part 3 of 3)
- Ep. 61: Juggling Multiple Copywriting Clients
Related Links
- Ace These Copywriting Interview Questions to Land the Job
- How To Prepare for a Copywriting Interview
- Interview Tactics to Get an Copywriting Ad Agency Job
- Episode 173: How to Elevate Your Profile & Land Copywriting Clients on LinkedIn
- BONUS – Laser Coaching: How Do I Find Clients for Freelancing?
- Ep. 10: Your Ideal Clients Want You to Pitch Them
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About the Build Your Business Podcast
Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?
Join professional copywriters Nicki Krawczyk and Kate Sitarz to get the tips, tools, and training to help you become a copywriter and build a thriving business of your own. Nicki and Kate have 20+ and 10+ years of experience, respectively, writing copy for multi-billion-dollar companies, solopreneurs, and every size business in between.
Whether you want to land an on-staff job, freelance full-time and work from wherever you want, or make extra money with a side hustle, the best place to start learning is right here.
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Last Updated on November 1, 2024
