If you’re wondering about careers with an English degree. Or want a writing career and heard about copywriting jobs, technical writer jobs, and remote writing jobs but just can’t figure it all out. This article will help you decide if a copywriting job is right for you!
Are you languishing in a career you don’t love? Do you drag yourself to your 9-5 even though you don’t feel fulfilled? Do you wish you had a flexible schedule that YOU were in charge of and allowed time for you to write?
Or maybe you like your job but could use some extra money. Well, copywriting might be the best solution, too!
There are writers out there who’ve taken control of their lives and write for a living! Many are even making MORE money than they were in their traditional careers. Not only that, you can get started with just a few clients and earn some money on the side. How would you feel if your bank account had a few hundred or even a few thousand dollars more?
What is copywriting? What does a copywriter do?
A copywriter is a person tasked with writing the text found in marketing and promotional materials. It’s not the same as creative writing. And there are some rules you need to know if you want to get started. However, if you can break in, you’ll likely find there’s a lot of businesses out there that need your services.
Copywriters are tasked with getting consumers to take some kind of action. For most clients, that action is a purchase. But business owners aren’t always great at figuring out how to promote their products or services. That’s where copywriters come in.
If you want a quick look at copywriting, then just look around! Copywriters write Facebook ads, print ads, menus, websites. Oh, those emails you get from your favorite stores? Probably written by copywriters. Copywriting is everywhere!
That’s why it’s such a great field to enter. There are so many opportunities out there to make money.
But it’s not all about making money. I wanted to get into copywriting because of the small businesses in my area. I chose a course (more on which course I chose and why below) that helped me to identify small businesses that could use my services. I didn’t want to spam people. I wanted to connect businesses with their clients. It’s a win-win for everyone!
Why copywriting?
Like many people, I felt unfulfilled in my career. For a few years I’ve been looking for a path out of my current job. But I’d been in this field for nearly 10 years. I figured it was too late. That’s when I heard about copywriting.
I know I’m not the only one who feels stuck in a career. But that’s why copywriting is great. You don’t have to jump in all at once. You can take a course, take on a client or two, make your money back on the cost of the course while deciding if you enjoy the work. Then, when you have enough clients, or if you want to go into the corporate copywriting world for more stability, you can feel confident in your skills.
That’s what really drew me to copywriting. It has the flexibility to be a side hustle with the possibility to grow a corporate career if I want one. For me, the draw to be location and time independent makes my stomach flutter.
If you’re a writer who feels unfulfilled in life and you’re just not where you want to be, then you need to check out copywriting as a career.
What does a copywriters life look like?
Imagine working the hours you wanted to work. What if you could write whenever you wanted and from wherever you wanted. And even better, what if that kind of lifestyle paid you better than whatever you’re making right now?
- Want to stay home so you don’t miss out on time with your kids?
- Want to stop trading your time for money and instead use your expertise to fund your life?
- Want to stop spending 90% of your waking hours at a job that you don’t love and runs you down so much that all you can do is sit on your couch at the end of the day?
If any of these sound like you, a copywriter’s life could be your ticket to the lifestyle you want!
These are the things that attracted me to copywriting. It isn’t a gimmick or a get rich quick scheme. It’s a real, professional career that is in need of great writers like you. If you want more time to write but have a job with strict hours, it means you’ll need to give up writing time. You’ll have to trade those precious hours for a job you’re not passionate about.
If you continue to go to that job you hate or live the life you’re unhappy with, you’re never going to feel fulfilled. Instead, you’re going to continue to drag yourself to your day job over and over. Or if you avoid looking at your bank account because it’s a number you’re not proud of, then consider copywriting!
Why consider becoming a copywriter?
Some of the links below are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission from some sites if you make a purchase. Please know that I have experience with this service. I only recommend them because I know they will be helpful in launching a copywriting career. By using these affiliate links you’re helping me to keep my blog up and running. Thanks!
Copywriting is such a dynamic solution to your writerly woes for a few reasons:
- It’s a skill writers can learn quickly
- It’s a job that can be done part time or full time
- There are freelance options or stable corporate career options
- It’s writing!
1. It’s a skill writers can learn quickly
The one barrier to entry is that it is a skill that needs to be learned. In my experience, writers seem to pick it up quickly. However, it’s not something that is intuitive. And honestly, that’s great news!
Because if you need to learn how to do it, that means businesses need your expertise. A business owner can’t just call their uncle who is a decent writer and have him churn out the kind of copy you can. They need your skill set, and you get to charge accordingly.
It doesn’t have to be impossible to break into copywriting. You just need the skills. And as a writer, you’re already ahead of the game!
The reason I decided to invest in learning copywriting was because it seemed so compelling. I’ve always liked working with words and copywriting is just a different style of writing.
Now that I’m taking copywriting more seriously, I’ve started to see areas where I’m able to improve copy because of my background in writing!
2. It’s a job that can be done part time or full time
This was one of the most attractive aspects of this career for me. I knew it wasn’t something that had to be done full time. If I found a few clients that I enjoyed working with, I could do it on the side to supplement my current income.
In that way, it didn’t feel like an all-or-nothing proposition. Instead, I could dip my toe into the water to see if I liked it. Then, if I enjoyed it, I could decide to transition to copywriting full time. At the very least, I knew I’d make some money and I wouldn’t have to wonder any more if it was the right career for me.
3. There are freelance options or stable corporate career options
In the back of my mind, I knew I might never be able to make the full leap into the freelance world. There’s a fair amount of uncertainty out there and with a wife, a child, and a mortgage payment, it all feels like something complex and unstable to figure out. However, I will say that the course I took (more information below) did an amazing job of outlining how to make the jump to freelance.
But like I said, the freelance world makes me nervous. Which is why there’s always the corporate environment if you end up loving it. Here’s some information about what it looks like to be On-staff vs. Freelance. It might help you see the differences and identify where your interests are.
4. It’s writing!
Anytime we, as writers, get to write, it’s a good day. Since taking this amazing copywriting course I’ve actually seen my own writing improve drastically. Some of the skills you’ll learn in copywriting will crossover into whatever other writing you do.
Learning how to structure a piece of writing to optimize reader engagement is a powerful writing skill for anyone to learn. In that way, learning copywriting has been totally worth it.
How can you get started copywriting?
To get started in copywriting, my suggestion is to watch this FREE webinar. It’s run by a really successful copywriter who outlines what copywriting is and how to get started.
At the very least, it will let you know if it sounds like something you might be interested in. If it seems like your kind of thing, then go for it like I did!
If you’re looking for more information about who runs the course, you can learn more about Niki here. She’s so helpful and does an amazing job of breaking everything down. Even if you’re brand new to copywriting (like me) I was able to easily understand the concepts and processes she was explaining.
Side Note: The Facebook community you get access to is so supportive and every question I’ve asked received multiple helpful responses within hours.
If you’re looking for some other testimonials/success stories. Check these out!
- This teacher replaced her income in 6 weeks
- $8,500/month in 3 months (interview)
- Video testimonials.
Conclusion
If you’re a talented writer who just isn’t’ satisfied with your current career. Or you’re a writer who needs some extra cash. You don’t have to feel the frustration you do right now.
Copywriting can be a great solution.
Here are some other resources if you want to know more about copywriting!
Some of the links on this blog are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission from some sites if you make a purchase. Please know that I have experience with all of these companies and services. I only recommend them because I know they will be helpful in launching a writing career. By using these affiliate links you’re helping me to keep my blog up and running. Thanks!
Thanks David for this great article!