A copywriter is a person who writes texts to increase customers’ awareness of the company’s products. Moreover, he/she is engaged in a perspective sphere, content marketing, which is as much amusing as blogging. Let’s look what are the steps to become engaged in content development.
Who is a copywriter?
In my book, a copywriter is someone who searches for valuable information, sometimes a unique one and compels it into readable, practical and useful text, like a tutorial. Copywriters mostly work remotely and freelance, that is why they can control the number of articles at the hours most suitable for them.
Copywriters are not rewriters: they do not only copy other people’s texts but analyze them, provide their personal experience and make conclusions.
What do copy editors do?
Some copywriters are engaged in the development of slogans, scripts for videos, advertising messages. However, nowadays most of them write interesting articles on hot topics to draw the potential client’s attention towards company’s products and services. It is not always direct advertising that encourages you to buy here and now. An article in the company’s blog can also be useful – to work for the trust and loyalty of customers, to stir up interest in certain services.
So, copywriters create texts mostly for commercial purposes. That is why they should understand how to promote the webpage among in the search line. A successful copywriter requires basic knowledge of SEO optimization or use special tools.
The requested text is defined by requirements, given by the customer: what words should be used, how much text is needed, what should be mentioned in it, what are the anchor words for a link. The basic requirements are: “The article should be divided into paragraphs. Describe one piece of advice. In general, you need to pick up from 5 to 6 tips. You also need to write an introduction at the beginning and a conclusion (summarize the previously listed tips at the end). The text of the article must be unique. The style is not formal, friendly. The text should not be redundant.”
Finally, a copywriter is responsible for visual content as well and, thus, should be able to perform graphic editing and be familiar with Illustrator, Photoshop. This will help him spicy up the content and make it more amusing.
How to build your career?
STEP 1: Work on the stock exchange
There are over 400 thousand requests on Etxt, Freten, Workzilla. It is necessary to work up a portfolio, gain a brief lead-up in copywriting. It would take about a few months but will turn out to be a rewarding experience. You will understand how to evaluate the payment for your texts. Even an inexperienced copywriter can earn about 20-40 rubles per 1000 characters.
Another tip is to try writing marketing, magazine articles, technical, blog posts. The idea is to try your writing in different texts. Copywriters can be: technical writers, lyrics writers, marketing writers and so on. This way you define your style, what topics do you want to explore and share findings about. You will afterwards crown up your portfolio with these works and suggest different options for clients: from marketing articles to posts on personal development.
Exchange market
After some time you will raise your wages for each character and gain about 15,000 rubles/ month. Working on exchange market will be just like an internship: a temporary work to immerse into practical side of the sphere. While this practice you should level up in these skills:
- Literacy and grammar. Well, if you slip some mistakes in places, it is OK but an illegible text will not be read by educated people. However, there is Grammarly, which comes at handy)
- Ability to write interesting and understandable. So that people read the text to the end, do not leave the webpage and understand what you want to tell them.
- Marketing and advertising. You will learn how to sell, how to advertise, what is important for buyers, how to identify the company’s advantages over competitors. Even if you write articles, not advertisements, they should form a certain positive image of the company; make its services more pleasant than others. The objective is to draw the attention of the audience.
- Ability to negotiate and sell your services. You need clients, right? On the exchanges, you leave a request and that’s it – the negotiations are over. Then everything will be more interesting and more complicated once you have customers, who ask for your services directly.
What is more, you will reduce fear to contact with customers and take up new article requests. After you feel confident enough, or believe, that you have grown a bit in copywriting do not hesitate to follow the next step and leave the exchange market.
STEP 2: Look for a job
You learned the basics and are ready to get started? If you want to get your first “serious” orders from significant clients, you have to convince the customer that you can get the job done. It doesn’t hurt to forearm yourself with a portfolio, create a resume, fill out social media profiles.
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Compel your portfolio
You should collect sample texts, compel them into a folder or, much better, a website with your online portfolio so that it is convenient to show them to potential customers. You are unlikely to get a website right away, but you can post your work in your profile on any exchange or collect links in a Google document.
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Create a resume
CVs are not so important for clients, but they help you find a job on websites or show your background. Moreover, if you want to be hired by a large company, you can create a profound CV on Jooble. This way, you will be within a reach of your potential job. Over 7 000 vacancies are there.
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Develop profile in social media
Most company’s recruiters and clients look for the applicants’ accounts on social media before inviting them to the interview. So, make sure your Facebook, VKontakte, Twitter profiles present you in a positive way. After all, sign up and explore LinkedIn — social media to find employers and customers.
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Job searching websites(optional)
Many copywriters start a career in copywriting browsing job websites. If you want to be attached to a highly-paid, developing company, you need to send your CVV, portfolio and pass a job interview. Or embark on career in an IT company, if you know the basics of programming – you can become a technical writer.
STEP3: STUDY
Content marketing is growing by leaps. You should answer to its pace and stay competitive on the labor market: follow to latest trends, find hot topics. You need to develop and self-educate in the dynamic sphere. So you should attend lectures, conferences, read examples of successful copywriters. There are plenty of quality copywriting materials of high quality – books, blogs, channels, courses. Do not be too greedy to spend time and money on your future career, as soon as you realize it lies in copywriting.
MISTAKES of juniors:
- Write long texts as well as short ones, provided their topics are relevant and amusing for your target audience. To do so, evaluate your target audience and consider its interests. These will impact your style of writing and the information you provide. Besides, you will ensure your article is sought for on the web and your text will promote your company’s website.
- Do not be afraid of high payment. Copywriters are like salespeople – they talk directly to the customer. Their endeavour to interest an exacting client right on the spot, before he switches to another website. Successful copywriters should be done justice to with high payment.
- Copywriters are expected to be able not only to select pictures from the first rows of Google’s research line but also to process them beautifully, create collages and memes. Therefore, the skill of working in Photoshop or other functional graphic editors is a must-have for any author who wants to earn decent money. It will be beneficial to master the services for building charts, diagrams, infographics. It will not take much time, but then there will be no problems with illustrating articles.
Embark on this challenging and interesting job by accomplishing these steps. Copywriting will provide personal benefits as well. Remember, that someone, who possesses the knowledge, can draw the attention of the audience, can analyze and build speculations about the future. These are crucial life skills.