Copywriting for Beginners

Copywriting as a career has erupted in popularity lately as savvy writers realise the profits to be made by freelancing online. Creating ads, web copy, writing articles, blogs and emails for publication online can be a flexible, well-paid and well respected position!

What is copy? Copy refers to any written material used publicly for advertising, marketing or for a companies benefit. Think pages of a website, regular blogs, social media updates and those marketing emails you receive, these are all penned by copywriters.  

What is copywriting? Its the act of researching and writing these very particular and nuanced pieces. It includes composing formal company papers like operations manuals, reference documents and e-books and is closely tied to social media management, advertising and marketing.

Copywriters can find work any place a company exists, but most use word mills like Fivver or Upwork. Unfortunately, these platforms regularly facilitate extremely low paid projects and often pit writers off against each other instead of fostering real business relationships.

Copywriters require portfolios to compete for and secure jobs, containing links to previous works, a brief employment history of the candidate and any other information. No links to show yet? Mock up a creative ad campaign for your favourite company as a sample of your talents!

To become a copywriter, you’ll need to fine tune your existing writing skills and gain a few new ones. Copyediting, building style guides, technical writing and PR are all important elements to gain experience in. Find what you’re passionate about, your niche, and start learning!

With the influx of new copywriters comes an influx of new ways to exploit them. Scams are prevalent, with so-called ‘gurus’ claiming they have the answers. You don’t have to pay to learn, lots of excellent advice is readily available for free. Find yourself a mentor to guide you.

Copywriting can be a lucrative and highly regarded profession, and if you’re good at it, you may find yourself hiring other writers to help with workload balance. That means you’d be operating as CEO and manager in an agency and in charge of much more than just your own work!

The best part? Copywriting travels well. Independent or freelance copywriters can work from hotels, hostels or campervans, so long as the internet signal is strong enough to support email and access the apps required. Its a natural choice for a digital nomad.

If you’re considering changing career to copywriter, its time to do some research, polish up your portfolio and get applying. Whatever your preferred niche, companies need copywriters, and the best can earn big money online, remote working from anywhere in the world!

Copy that!