If you are searching for how do you become a copywriter, I am guessing you don’t want to wait ten years to become a successful copywriter.
In this article you’ll discover…
- The fastest way to become a freelance copywriter
- How to quickly improve your copywriting skills
- How you can work remotely from anywhere
- The secrets of successful copywriters and much, much more
The good news is you don’t need a formal education to be a great copywriter and your potential clients are not going to ask you for your University degree.
Even better as a freelance copywriter you get to be your own boss by offering copywriting services to potential clients.
More about landing clients in a moment…
But before we go any further, let’s briefly discuss…
What Is A Successful Copywriter? And What Do They Do?
Copywriters use persuasive writing to motivate the reader to take an action.
A few examples would be to purchase a product, sign up to a newsletter or click a link in an email.
It is also known as direct response copywriting because your goal is too illicit a response from the reader.
Most copywriters write everything from…
- Sales letters
- Landing pages
- Direct mail campaigns
- Video scripts
- Social media posts
- Ad copy like Google ads
- Ad copy like Facebook ads
You may also be responsible for email copywriting for a specific target audience.
How Do You Become A Professional Copywriter?
On your journey to becoming a six figure copywriter, you first have to learn the copywriting fundamentals.
Which is basically creating written content with human psychology in mind, sound confusing?
When it comes to the basics you should focus on learning how to write compelling…
- Headlines
- Landing pages
- Sales pages
- Video scripts
- Email copy
- a blog post
And always make it about the reader, explain what’s in it for them if they continue reading your copy.
Also, try to position your ideas as a new opportunity that they haven’t seen or heard of before.
Here’s an example: These 7 simple words can turn you into a 6 figure copywriter, faster than you ever thought possible.
Where Do You Start? Copywriting Books?
If you want to become a copywriter you should start by reading some good copywriting books.
It’s a good way to learn the basics and I’ll suggest a few good books for you in a moment.
Or you may want to take an online course, you can find many six figure copywriters over at at site I’ll tell you more about as we progress through this article.
There is a lot of good copywriters that you can learn from on the site, as well the training is top notch if you want to become a good copywriter.
If you are just starting out on your copywriting career, you may also want to start your own blog.
For a number of reasons one being, doing your own content marketing will allow you to begin testing your landing page copy and headlines as a way of learning copywriting by trial and error.
There is nothing like a successful blog post, to let you know your writing is on track.
What Is A Freelance Copywriter? Do They Get Paid?
A freelance copywriter is self employed and works on various projects and also on a contract to contract basis.
They are not employed by advertising agencies and as a freelance copywriter your income will fluctuate from month to month.
If a steady pay check is absolutely essential to you, then freelance copywriting may not be the best career path for you.
If you are just starting your own copywriting business it may be hard to secure clients at first with out proof of successful freelance copywriting.
Most freelancing jobs pay less to new writers so keep that in mind as a new business owner.
You may want to start working at an ad agency first, a lot of successful copywriters got their start that way.
More about that in a moment…
How Much Do Freelance Copywriters Earn?
As a freelance copywriter you have a higher earning potential, compared to if you were employed by an ad agency or large company.
At an ad agency the average copywriter salary is roughly 61,749.00 per year or roughly $28 per hour.
Which isn’t bad if you require job stability but on the other hand, a skilled copywriter can earn six figures or more with their own copywriting business.
The highest paid copywriters earn anywhere from $10,000 to $25,000 per sales letter in a certain target market.
More about those markets as we progress but as a beginner copywriter you can’t expect to make $10,000 for a weeks worth of work until have a proven track record first.
Some copywriters also receive royalties on their high performing sales letters as well.
Try not to be focused on the average copywriter salaries, there is a lot of potential depending on your career path.
If you really want to become a copywriter, it helps if you have the desire to be the best in the business.
And always strive to improve your writing process…
How Do You Attract Prospective Clients?
One of best ways to start your copywriting portfolio is to immerse yourself in a particular niche market, for example the weight loss niche or the make money online niche.
The next step is to seek out some high converting sales letters written by professional copywriters and analyze them.
Here’s what to look for…
- What is the headline like on the landing page?
- Is it a new opportunity?
- Does it have a unique pitch or angle?
- How does the copy draw in the reader?
- Are you compelled to read further?
- Are they using a story?
Many copywriters also incorporate story telling as a way to interest the reader and to keep their eyes glued to the page.
The sales pages job, is to keep the prospect reading long enough with your writing skills to persuade and motivate the reader to make a purchase decision.
Just remember to explain what is in it for them and how they can achieve their desire, if they keep reading your sales copy.
Also, be clear about which action you would like the reader to take.
a freelance copywriters goal is to get inside the mind of their prospects and explain their problems and desires better than they can themselves.
To Become A Copywriter, You Need To Search For Freelance Copywriting Job Boards In The Beginning.
Once you feel like you have the freelance writing basics down, do a search for freelance copywriting job boards.
The site run by Kevin Rogers the owner of Copy Chief has a pretty active job board you should check out.
The best way to improve your writing skills is to practice writing copy for your first few clients.
Jumping in and writing copy for more and more clients will improve your copywriting more than a basic writing class ever will.
You know the old saying, practice makes perfect and the same goes for your copywriting career.
If you want to be a good copywriter you have to write often and you need a way to measure your results.
For example you can split test landing page headline or sales page headlines to see which one has a higher conversion rate.
You’ll improve your copywriting skills every time you write copy, whether that be for a social media post or you are writing landing pages in a competitive market.
Do You Need Your Own Website To Be A Freelance Copywriter?
If you want to become a copywriter most successful copywriters you’ll be competing with at a minimum will have their own website.
All you need to get started is web hosting for your blog, I recommend CloudWays WordPress hosting because it is fast and affordable.
And for a WordPress theme, I recommend Generate Press again because it is a fast loading theme which will help your site rank higher in the search engines.
Once you get your site up and running it is good practice to do a little content marketing to get your copywriting juices flowing.
Concentrate on writing catchy headlines and keeping the reader on the page as long as possible.
A good formula is: Introduce a brand new opportunity to help the prospect achieve their desire with your unique method.
If you have your own website it is easier to monitor how long readers stay on your page.
A high bounce rate will give you an indication that there is some room for improvement in your copy.
You can use some of the tools in your Google Analytics to give you a better idea what is happening on your webpage.
How To Improve Your Copywriting, If You’re In A Rut?
In order to become a copywriter you have to be a student of good copywriting, let me explain.
It helps if you immersive yourself by reading books, joining copywriting forums and Facebook groups.
And following some top copywriters in your chosen niche market. Sign up to their email news letter and pay attention to how they are communicating with their readers.
- What type of headlines are they using?
- Are they telling a story?
- How many calls to action are they using?
Begin to create an email swipe file of your favourite emails that you can use to draw on for inspiration if you find yourself stuck for new ideas.
Don’t copy anything word for word, just use similar techniques with your own unique spin.
Over time with a little practice you will begin to find your own voice. It may seem difficult in the beginning but just keep at it and you will see positive results.
Attend Copywriting Events And Live Workshops…
There are several copywriting live events each year that you can attend to learn from some of the worlds top copywriters.
You can also network with other copywriters, which is a good way to discover what is working for them.
Make it a goal to attend a live copywriting workshop and aim to create a mastermind group with other copywriters you meet at the event.
Doing weekly brainstorming sessions with other copywriters could lead to some new opportunities that you wouldn’t have thought of on your own.
Interacting with other like minded people will help you to become more successful in less time, than it would if you have to figure out everything on your own.
A Cool Copywriting Headline Hack, You Can Steal!
In order to tell which headline is working better than another, you need to have enough traffic to draw your conclusions.
One way you can test your headlines before you use them in real marketing campaigns, is by posting in relevant niche forums or groups.
For example, let’s say you want to become a copywriter in the weight loss niche.
You would join a weight loss forum or group with a large number of members. You want to make sure it is a very active group as well.
Then you can create a number of different posts with different headlines and see which posts get the biggest reaction.
Measure how many people are clicking on and reading the post. Most online forums allow you to see the number of views each posts gets.
If a particular post takes off, then you know you are on the right track. It should give you a pretty good idea of what would work on a real live landing page or a sales page.
Should You Focus On One Area Of Copywriting?
If you are just starting out it may be helpful to you to focus on just one niche market and just one aspect of that market.
For example, you could focus on writing long form sales copy in the weight loss niche. Even more specific you could be the go to copywriter for the Keto Diet market.
I suggest writing long form sales copy just because it pays better than writing ad headlines and it can also lead to you writing email copy as well.
One thing to keep in mind is the more you understand a certain target market and what the prospects in the market are going through.
The easier it will be for you to speak to the reader with your copywriting.
The more you understand about the readers age, sex, fears and desires the better your writing will be.
Often people will like to move away from pain more than they want to move toward pleasure.
Keep the readers pain and pleasure in the fore front of your mind with your copywriting and measure what has a bigger impact.
Study What Is Working In Other Markets.
It is important that you have a good understanding of what is working in your chosen niche market.
It is also a good idea to see what is working well in other markets as well from time to time to give you more of an edge.
For example, if you are in the investing niche have a look at the weight loss niche or the anti ageing niche to see what their copywriting style is.
It may spark some ideas for you to use in your own market. Over time it is easy to get complacent.
By exploring different markets from time to time it may give you a new perspective on your writing.
Of course some things that works in one market may not work in the next so use your best judgement when trying out new ideas.
Create A Copywriting Lead Funnel.
If you are a freelance copywriter, then you are going to need a steady flow of leads in order to keep the money rolling in.
Think of your service business, like a product you are trying to sell. You have to know how many sales you need to make in order to reach your target income goal.
In order to do that, you have to figure out how much your average client is worth to you.
And then figure out how many clients you need to attract each month to hit your income goals.
You will then need a way to attract your ideal clients, which could include a content marketing strategy in the beginning until you tweak and refine your funnel.
You can learn more about lead funnels here.
Once you have perfected turning your leads into paying customers you may want to consider paid advertising as well.
Repeat Clients Are Good To Have…
It is always easier to make the second sale, so try to incorporate a recurring aspect to your copywriting business.
As long as you are able to make your clients a profit, then there is no reason why they wouldn’t hire you again in the future.
Set a goal for example to 10x the amount your client pays you for your copywriting services.
If your client pays you $10,000 for a sales letter or video script and they make $100,000 or more, then they are more likely to higher you again or recommend you to others.
When a product is selling like crazy, other product creators are going to want to know who wrote the sales copy.
When your copywriting gets to a certain level it will sell itself. But until then you are going to have to hustle.
How Do You Raise Your Copywriting Prices?
Do some detective work and see what other copywriters are charging in your chosen niche market.
If the pay is too low for you, you may want to switch to a more lucrative niche market.
Your best bet for a higher payday is to choose the top 3 online markets.
The top 3 markets are, weight loss and fitness, make money and dating and relationships.
There are literally tons of products in these 3 big markets and if you stick to them you should be able to make six figures a year with consistent effort.
Just a warning, after a few years you could experience a little burn out…
What If You Get Tired, Of The Copywriting Hamster Wheel?
Once you have honed your copywriting chops and made a pretty good stash of cash.
You may want to think of an exit strategy from the sales letter grind, it can happen to the best writers sometimes.
Once you have reached a certain level of success and you have the proof to back it up.
One thing you can do to create recurring income for yourself with less pressure, is to create your own copywriting courses for sale.
It could be a one time fee or even better it could be a recurring membership, where the members get access to different copywriting modules each month.
Or they get access to weekly hot seat calls where you critique their sales copy.
You can even have specific training on how to attract copywriting clients as well.
Copywriter Kevin Rogers transitioned from a successful freelance copywriter to an online coach and mentor and you can learn more about him over at Copy Chief.
How Do You Become A Copywriter, Step-By-Step…
Let’s quickly recap the steps we covered throughout this article…
- Start by learning copywriting fundamentals, like emotional triggers.
- Immerse yourself in some good copywriting books.
- Take an online training course, I recommend Copy Chief.
- Study the top copywriters in your chosen niche market.
- Find your first few clients and get testimonials from them.
- Continue to grow your clients base and think of an exit strategy
Those are the basics to get you started and on your way…
Frequently Asked Questions…
What qualifications do you need to be a copywriter? You don’t need any formal education to be a freelance copywriter.
What exactly does a copywriter do? A copywriter uses persuasive writing to motivate a reader to take a specific action like click a link, enter their email, or to make a purchase.
Can you be a copywriter with no experience? Yes, everyone has to start somewhere. You may want to offer your services at a discount in the beginning to obtain some testimonials.
How long does it take to learn copywriting? You can learn the basics in less than a month but it helps if you have a good mentor.
Is copywriting a high income skill? It can be if you are a freelance copywriter with a proven track record of success.
I hope you enjoyed this article on how to become a copywriter…
It can be a very profitable and rewarding career choice, especially if you want the freedom to work for yourself from anywhere in the world.
Today more than ever people would like to work remotely and you can definitely do that as a freelance copywriter.
Here is a great copywriting book you should check out, if you want to improve your sales letters.
I wish you the best on journey and if you have any helpful tips of your own to share, leave a comment below.
I would love to hear from you.
