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. When … [Read more...]
Why You Need to Resell Your Copywriting Work
Okay, pop quiz, copywriters. Once you found the client, landed the work, written the first draft, and conducted your self-edits, what's the next step? 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 a really short post.) Don't Just Send Your Copy Believe me, I certainly understand the … [Read more...]
Beware the Copywriting Influencer Trap (a.k.a. Why You Don’t Need the World’s Most Beautiful Website as a Copywriter)
Thinking about all the professional copywriters in my network, none of them have a major presence beyond their online portfolio. We’re all heads down, working on projects, and, generally, see ourselves as part of a larger team pulling off great work (designers, creative directors, strategists, developers, etc.). You could make the case that I’m not “up” on what’s … [Read more...]
5 Creative Strategies for Copywriters to Land Work
Okay, you already know that one of my favorite ways to get the word out about your impressive skills and even more impressive copywriting service is to directly pitch clients. ‘Nuff said. (Or, if not enuff said, check out this post.) But, honestly, if ALL you do is send pitches and follow-ups you’ll land clients…but you’ll also get bored. There are more ways to get out there … [Read more...]
4 Perks of Working in an Office Before Starting Your Own Copywriting Business
Wanting to start your own business is a fantastic (and doable!) goal as a copywriter. It’s a major reason why many of us pursue this career—because we can increase our work-life balance and make a fantastic income. But laying a solid foundation for your copywriting career is crucial, especially when you’re first starting out. One of the best ways to get the foundation … [Read more...]
What Are the Most Common Copywriting Business Costs?
They say that it takes money to make money … but that’s not always true. Case in point: Your copywriting business. How much does it cost to start copywriting? Not much once you have training. Which, it should go 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 … [Read more...]
How to Win Trust to Get Copywriting Clients
Here’s a hard truth: the average conversion rate for purchases is right around 2%. Of course, it can skew up or down depending on the industry or the product, but 2% is a pretty solid estimate. That means that for every 100 people who see an offer…2 people will buy. That's on top of the fact that, for most businesses, a lot of money is spent getting those 100 people to even … [Read more...]
Creative Brief: The First Step to Any Successful Copywriting Project
Here’s a copywriter’s nightmare scenario: You land a client. You agree on a price and deadline. You work your rear end off, writing, revising, and perfecting the copy. And, when you send it to your client, they reply with: “This really isn’t what I wanted.” Or, maybe even worse, pages and pages of changes they want made. Huh? What went wrong? How did this project … [Read more...]
The Top 10 Benefits of a Copywriting Career
It's always the right time of year to think about all the things we’re thankful for—and, for me, one of those things is definitely my career. I thought I’d share 10 things that I’m thankful for about copywriting to give you a little insight into exactly why I’m so passionate about this career. 1. I Get to Write for a Living As a little kid, I dreamed about being … [Read more...]
How To Be a Copywriter If You Hate Selling
I hear this a lot. “I’m interested in copywriting, but I don’t want to trick people or force people into buying anything.” And I definitely get that. A lot of people get put off by the idea of selling and pushing things on people. No one wants to feel disingenuous or pushy. Well, good news! Copywriting Is About Connecting, Not Selling First, that's not what … [Read more...]