“I don’t know how to write.”
Above is one big reason why a lot of people are yet to start making money from writing.
If you can narrate a story…
Tekedia Mini-MBA edition 14 (June 3 – Sept 2, 2024) begins registrations; get massive discounts with early registration here.
Tekedia AI in Business Masterclass opens registrations here.
Join Tekedia Capital Syndicate and invest in Africa’s finest startups here.
If you can post on social media…
If you can send an email…
Then you can write. Nobody was born with the ability to write.
They all learnt and mastered it.
You don’t need a degree or anything.
People who hire writers need someone who writes quality articles.
All it takes is a constant practice, creativity, determination and a positive mindset.
You don’t have to overthink it. Just get started!
Advantage of Writing
If you decide to choose writing as a career, there are numerous advantages.
Imagine being able to work from the comfort of your home or anywhere you like.
Imagine what it would feel like to be your own boss and select clients you’d like to work with.
This is called FREELANCE WRITING.
Many people do this as a full-time career and make more money than they can spend.
As a freelance writer, you’d encounter different forms of writing such as
- Article writing
- Copywriting
- Product descriptions
- Email newsletters
- Website copy
- Ghostwriting
- And lots more
You can specialize in any one of them.
But this article talks about COPYWRITING.
In the end, you’ll discover what copywriting is and 7 proven ways to kickstart your copywriting career fast.
Let’s dive right in.
What is Copywriting?
Copywriting is the art and science of strategically crafting and publishing targeted, reader-focused words (“copy”) online that get people to take some form of action
In layman terms, it’s using words to get people to take IMMEDIATELY take a specific action such as making a purchase, signing up for a free trial, attending an event etc.
It’s also about
- Persuading people to buy your products or services.
- Leaving them intrigued by your personal story.
- Building long-lasting connections with your customers.
- Getting your prospects to like you, trust you, and believe your product – and only your product – offers the perfect solution to their problem.
Why Copywriting?
You want to put your product in front of customers and get them to nod their heads, say yes and bring out their wallets to pay.
You want to convince them your product is the best solution to their problems e.g. weight loss, big tummy, low sexual performance, bad debt etc.
You want to make them believe your product is the perfect way to ensure they get to leave their dream live – buying cars, going on vacations, building houses etc.
But more importantly, you want them to bring out their money and say hey! Give me your solution and take my money.
The goal of any business – is to make money.
How will you make money if your prospects are not interested in what you have to offer?
Small, medium and large companies know the importance of copywriting.
This is why they pay guys like you and me thousands of dollars to write copy that converts strangers into customers.
Copy such as website content, sales copy, product descriptions, email newsletters, video sales letter, Facebook/Instagram ads caption and so on.
This is where you come in.
Many people don’t have time to learn it and that’s why there is a HUGE demand for people who have skills (and they are ready to pay big money as long as it’s profitable to them).
Do you now understand why copywriting is important? Great!
7 Proven Ways to kickstart your Copywriting Career Quickly
1. Start reading & learning
I actually started out by reading a lot.
From blog posts to books (never liked reading books), subscribed to copywriting newsletters, downloaded eBooks, watched YouTube videos, read anything that would add to my knowledge and make me better.
I even paid for a course (something I had never done before) just to get more knowledge.
And trust me, I still have a lot of learning to do.
You can never stop reading and learning no matter how good you are!
2. Networking
I call this an “Indirect-Mentorship’.
They say the best way to learn something is to study people who are damn good at it right?
This is where networking comes in.
If you follow people on social media who have nothing to offer, now is time to unfollow them and start following copywriters.
There are lots of them especially on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Don’t just follow them but engage with their posts and offer value.
This way, they’ll notice you.
Also, you can slide into their DM and send a message.
Tell them you are a newbie and you need advice.
Ask questions, schedule a time to call. Be proactive.
They will indirectly be your mentor.
Trust me, it works.
3. Go on forums
Forums like Quora, Medium, Reddit are essential places you can get copywriting knowledge.
Go there and spend a couple of hours each day reading anything and everything you can on copywriting.
You can never go wrong with this.
4. Brush up your copywriting skills
Another thing you can do that can fast track your learning process is by writing legendary copywriting ads hand by hand.
Here’s what you do:
- Visit http://Swiped.co
- Look for a piece that has “control” on it.
- Re-write the copy by hand and assess the various elements that grabbed your attention.
- It takes about 30 minutes per piece.
Do 1, 2, 3 each day for the next 30 days.
You’ll see the difference.
This will rewire your brain when writing copies.
5. Practice Practice Practice!!!
What shall it profit you to read and read if you don’t practice?
Imagine reading how to drive a car without practising it.
Now take that car to the express. You know how that will end.
After like a week of intense practising, write a sales letter, email newsletter, product description or anything for business.
If you don’t have a business, fine. You can write for your friends or family members or you can even use an imaginary business.
After reading for another week.
Come back to the sales letter and see what you can do to improve it.
After 4 weeks, you’ll see how better you’ve become.
Do this! Practice. It is as important as the air we breathe.
6. Join groups
Another surefire way is to join groups especially on Facebook and LinkedIn.
There are tons of copywriting groups you can join.
You only need to search for them.
Once you join, follow the group religiously.
You’ll definitely learn a thing or two from the gurus there.
7. Choose a niche
I deliberately saved this one for last because you need to first learn how to write copies before you choose a speciality.
You may not know where your interests lie but as you constantly practice, you’ll figure out what you like to write on the most.
Then focus solely on it.
It’s easier to identify as a travel copywriter, an IT/tech copywriter, a finance copywriter or a health copywriter than a general copywriter.
Remember, Specificity > Generality.
Wrapping it all up
There you have it! 7 proven ways to help you kickstart your copywriting career.
Contrary to what you may have heard, copywriting is easy to learn.
If you do a simple Google search, you’ll see a lot more resources on how to improve your copywriting skills.
But one thing is certain. The more you practice, the better you become.
Imagine what it would feel like if you could live the life you dream of.
Copywriting may just be the key to achieving it.