Maybe you’re a marketing student, or maybe you have a passion for writing. Either way, copywriting could be a huge, colorful opportunity for you. But what does a copywriter do, anyway? Join us as we dive deep into the colorful world of copywriting.
Copywriting Definition
Before we jump into what a copywriter does, it’s important to understand what copy is. In short, copy is marketing words. Expanding on that, CoSchedule’s definition is “written text primarily used in marketing to inform, persuade, or entertain an audience”.
Flashy billboards? Copy.
The product description of a bottle of shampoo? Copy.
Even social media captions are considered copy.
Now that you have examples of what copy is, we can get into copywriting itself. One important thing to note: there is a difference between copywriting and content writing. It’s important to research different writers and decide what’ll be best for your business. Generally, copywriters are known for writing short form copy, such as the examples listed above. Content writers, on the other hand, often write long form articles, emails, and e-books. Some companies, including yours truly, do both. Just make sure you clarify exactly what you need before you settle on a writer.
If you’re aching for more content about copywriting, content writing, or the hiring process, here’s a previous blog post.
Copywriter Job Description – What Does a Copywriter Do?
So now that you know all about the ins and outs of copywriting, you’re probably wondering what a job as a copywriter may entail. If you’re interested in becoming a copywriter, you’ll need to know the field.
Copywriters are digital marketers. As such, a copywriter needs to work closely with other branches of digital marketing. This includes graphic designers, web designers, content strategists, and SEO specialists. It’ll help you to know about different types of digital marketing when entering the field.
One key point to take away is that a copywriter is fully in charge of writing copy. That may sound self-explanatory, but let’s elaborate. Sure, you’ll be in charge of writing the copy for a given project, but where will you start? You’ll first need to work with the client to figure out exactly what they want. How long? What’s their budget? Time frames? It’ll be your responsibility to communicate with the client.
Next, you get to write the copy. Yay! Looks like that English degree did come in handy after all! All jokes aside, this is the easy part for most copywriters. The real work comes in the editing phase. This is where the copy will get sent back and forth between you and the client. Once again, you may be working with website designers or other digital marketers during this phase. Once the piece is finished and edited to the client’s satisfaction, it’ll get sent off to be published. Oh, what an exhilarating feeling…
Now that you’re excited about the prospect of becoming a copywriter, how do you land copywriting jobs?
How to Land Freelance Copywriting Jobs
If you’ve decided copywriting is the path for you, you’ll need to decide when and how you’ll step out into the content marketing world. For some, a copywriting agency is the way to go. In an agency, you get all the benefits of an hourly job: stability, insurance, and ease. You don’t have to think too much about the projects you’re working on. They just come to you.
On the flip side, freelancing is a tempting career path for up-and-coming copywriters. As a freelance copywriter, you’ll be able to work your own hours, name your own prices, and won’t have to answer to a boss. There is freedom and flexibility in freelancing that you just won’t get at an agency.
If you’ve settled on freelance writing, you’ll need to think about where to get a job. There are quite a few different ways to land projects. We’ll list some of our favorites below:
Try a freelance company like Upwork or Fiverr
These services can be a great way to jump into writing experience. It works by allowing you to set up a profile declaring what kind of work you’ll do. When someone has a job that needs doing, they’ll head to these sites and look through lists of people who fit their criteria. This is a great, low-effort way to gain traction when starting out.
Start a blog
For some, this is a high payoff strategy. By starting a blog and writing about something you’re knowledgeable in, it’ll be obvious to potential clients that you’re a smart writer. They’ll also get an exact idea of what kind of writing you can do. Obviously, this tactic leans a bit more into content writing, but it depends on what kind of jobs you want to take. Whatever you choose, backing up your claims as a writer can be a great asset.
Cold pitch
This may seem downright terrifying to some, but hear us out. Cold pitching isn’t as scary as you may think and it comes with some awesome benefits. While learning to build connections and network effectively, you may also stumble into opportunities you wouldn’t have otherwise thought about. For example: say you find a small business that could benefit from your writing on their social media page. When you ask them if you could write a piece for their page, they propose you write for their page continually and even end up recommending you to other businesses.
At first, you may doubt whether or not you’ll be able to pursue your dreams and be a freelance writer for a living. You have to remember that if you go looking for opportunities, they’ll come popping up all over the internet. Keep your ears open.
Writing Tools for Copywriters
Still feeling nervous about jumping out into the content marketing world? Here are some free writing tools that can help you get a start on copywriting.
Grammarly
While the free version of Grammarly doesn’t include vocabulary enhancement or other shiny features, it can help correct your tone or help you keep things concise. It’s a great tool when learning about your personal writing style.
Trello
This user-friendly schedule management program may not be exclusive to copywriting, but it is one of the best tips on this list. If you want to track and manage your content scheduling, Trello’s free package is for you.
Google Docs
This one may seem obvious, but Google Docs is such an intuitive writing program for beginners. The real magic here is in its sharing capabilities. On Docs, you’re able to share with anyone and allow them to edit live, or customize your sharing settings.
Thesaurus
What’s the simplest way to enhance your writing? Why, it’s everyone’s favorite dinosaur-sounding solution. A thesaurus can help you find and replace words to keep your copy from sounding bland. It’s tried and true, and we can’t recommend this one enough!
Overwhelmed?
From social media captions to blog posts, Lorem Finch will take care of all of your writing needs. We provide insightful copy with the intention of making your business look good. And who doesn’t love a glow-up?
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