How to Start Copywriting for Beginners

Copywriting refers to when businesses and online publications hire individuals to write for them. They could request any form of content, such as blog posts or emails, or they may hire them to write their website pages for them. Copywriting, as opposed to simply writing, refers to writing that is designed to sell products or services.

If you are reading this article, I am assuming you know all about the benefits of pursuing a copywriting career and likely the question in your mind now is how to start copywriting?

Well, first off, copywriting is not for everyone.

You have to have impeccable skill with language and the charisma and social confidence to woo potential clients; nevertheless, for those considering copywriting as a career path, I am here to help.

1. Decide how you will present yourself

When considering how to start copywriting, you need to first figure out who you are and the kind of writer you want to be. There are a lot of factors to consider and a lot of questions you need to ask yourself to come to a conclusion.

• Personality

  What kind of personality do you want to bring to your brand? Do you have a brand image in mind?

  
  

• Interests

  What fascinates you so much you can write about it write about it every day?

  
  

• Talents

  What are you good at and what kind of writer are you? Try out different forms of content writing i.e. blog posts, website pages & emails, and see which one you are most successful at.

  
  

• Niche & Specialities

  Which topics will you write about and what kind of content will you produce?

  
  

• Clients you are interested in working with

  Think about brands that fit with the personality of your brand and who you would ideally love to write for.

  
  

• Knowledge

  It is best to pick a niche based on life experience and personal knowledge, however, if you are willing to learn, you can pick any niche as long as you do the research and commit to learning on the job.

2. Decide how you will market yourself

Knowing how to start copywriting is about more than your talent and even your individuality. An aspiring writer can succeed in an oversaturated niche if they market themselves correctly.

You need a way of communicating your value to potential clients. You can showcase your portfolio to clients you manage to direct to your website, (I will cover portfolios in the next step) but you first need to think about how you are going to approach and persuade clients to visit your website and give you a chance.

• Social media

  Creating a social media following can help others to see you for the individual you are and build trust with your clients. You should aim to create posts that are authentic, modest, helpful, and true to your brand.

  
  

• Website

  A well planned website is pretty much essential for anyone looking to start a business or become a freelancer. Of course, you are planning on becoming a writer rather than a designer so your language is still the most important part, however it is still important that you have a clean, navigable design, and if this is too difficult for you, consider hiring a professional to help you with this step.

  
  

• Connections

  If you have contacts within the industry then breaking in will be a lot easier. If you don’t, social media is a great way to make friends and build connections with those you aspire to follow or brands you wish to work with.

  
  

• Advertising

  If you really struggle to build traffic organically, then paying for adverts (as long as you don’t spend too much) can help you get your foot in the door. You could advertise on a social media platform or on Google search to get your name seen.

3. Finding clients

OK. You’ve built up your website and created a personal brand. Now it’s a question of how to start copywriting for real! As in; getting paid to write. This is a huge hurdle to leap over and is where the struggle really begins. Be prepared to battle your way through impossible odds.

Here are a few different ways you can get your first client.

• Cold pitching

  The most direct way to get clients is to reach out and contact said clients via email. This is very time consuming and you may have to send hundreds of cold emails a week. Sadly, for most people, this is the only option there is.

  
  

• Connections

  If you have friends or family, or even social media connections with a publication or business, ask to write for them. This is an easy first step to getting customers and building up a client list.

  
  

• Traditional hiring

  This involves applying to jobs via job listings. This process is a lot more formal, and they may want to see a CV, or ask for an interview. It is a lot harder to get your foot in the door this way, and you are normally bound to a contract for less pay than you deserve.

  
  

• Upwork/Fiverr

  This should be a last resort and only if you are prepared to work long hours for very little pay. Competition is very tough, and each listing normally has thousands of applicants. If, however, you have what it takes to stand out from the competition, you may find this option works for you.

4. Your Portfolio

Clients will want to see your portfolio, and you can use this to showcase the number of clients you have worked with and the quality of your work.

To create a portfolio you will need an accessible website to store all of your completed projects. You will need at least three projects showcasing:

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• The type of work you are looking for

• The personality of your brand

• The quality of your writing

• Any areas of expertise

5. Managing clients

Are you still with me? This road is a long and painful one, but I promise you, we will get there in the end.

Once you have understood how to start copywriting, and you have clients, you need to understand what it takes to keep and please your clients.

• Creating a content calendar

  With all the content you are being expected to produce, you need a way to manage and plan ahead. Google Calendar is a widely available app that can help you schedule your tasks, however, this may not be enough. More complex project management tools to consider include Asana, Trello, and Monday.com. These tools are better suited to complex schedules involving multiple clients and working as part of a team (which you will no doubt have to get used to)

  
  

• Internal Linking

  One key aspect of writing blog posts, for example, if cross-posting and linking to previous blog posts and company pages. For this reason, it is a good idea to keep a spreadsheet documenting previous work you have done for a certain company. Again, a project management software may be able to help you with this.

  
  

• Managing time

  If you ever get to a point in your freelance writing career where your calendar is full to the brim, you know you’ve succeeded, however, you may want to take steps to prevent this from happening. (Burnout is a terrible thing.)

  You can do this by not taking on too many clients at once, and when you first start, slowly building up your rates so that you can work reduced hours instead of taking on too much work just to pay the bills.

As aspiring writers we’ve all been there, staring at a blank screen, wondering how to start copywriting. It’s a common hurdle, but with the right action, you can transform that blank screen into a successful business.

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