Many wonder what it’s like to have writing as a job. Some of these people are avid readers, excellent in English, or have a passion to write. Still, they worry they won’t be able to make a living as a copywriter or editor. It’s understandable if you feel the same.

But if you take a look around you, you’ll notice there are magazines, letters, websites, social media profiles, reports, newspapers and other kinds of printed materials. Someone has to write all of them and get paid to do it.

Why can’t that somebody be you?

Why become a copywriter?

There are plenty of advantages to pursuing this field. These include:

Lots of work

Small businesses, big corporations – everybody needs the written word. Most entrepreneurs are too busy, too disinterested, or too unskilled to write well. This is why they outsource to a copywriter.

Lots of variety

Depending on where you work, your daily tasks could vary from scripts to e-books to newsletters to emails to product descriptions. You may be writing about tourist destinations, health care, or even paranormal activities.

Lots of creativity

Even mundane projects can be fun if you love writing. If you’re somebody who wants the chance to stretch your imagination and exercise your creative freedom, writing is a recommended career.

Lots of flexibility

The beauty of writing is that it opens doors for a successful freelance career, if that’s the path you want to tread. You can work from home and maybe choose your own schedule.

Lots of learning

It’s the type of role that constantly evolves and progresses so you’re always with a new challenge. You’ll end up researching topics you’ve never heard of, using new platforms and formats, and updating your skill-set often.

Now that you know what you’ll stand to gain from writing, let’s delve further.

What’s a copywriter?

It’s someone paid to write content used for marketing products and/or services. This includes things like:

• Case studies
• Social media posts
• Landing pages
• Email funnels
• Blog articles
• White papers
• Video scripts

Regardless what kind of copy you like to make, you may choose from 2 main paths: in-house and freelance. Both have their own pros and cons.

What is in-house copywriting?

This is when you’re employed by a marketing agency or any other company.

Advantages

• Getting stable income and benefits
• Learning under experienced writers
• Working in projects for big brands
• Honing skills more quickly

Disadvantages

• Dealing with office life, even when remote
• Writing for topics you’re not passionate about
• Needing to work a lot to meet deadlines
• Receiving minimum for exemplary work

What is freelance copywriting?

This is when you’re self-employed.

Advantages

• Being your own boss
• Choosing your own hours, projects, and rates
• Working from home or anywhere else with internet
• Getting to hustle on the side

Disadvantages

• Having an unstable copywriter salary
• Going mad from cabin fever
• Struggling with staying motivated without supervision
• Facing a steeper learning curve on your own

It’s up to you whichever path you take. We do recommend the latter since it offers better work-life balance.

What are the steps to take to become a copywriter?

1 – Defining your niche

Before putting pen to paper, determine the specific audience and area you want to target. Choosing a specialization gets you more work and enables you to charge more. This is because you’ll know who your clients are and will be able to offer a clearer goal.

Begin with picking the role you want to own, be it search engine optimization (SEO), social media, emails and so on. Go for what’s interesting to you then change later if it’s not the right fit.

Next, niche down your target audience. Ask yourself what industry they’re in, what their services are, and how they’re using copy. Doing all of this teaches you how to approach your hustle in a way that appeals better to them.

2 – Improving your skills

Try searching on Google about the skills you need to become a copywriter in the Philippines or elsewhere. Of course, you need a high level of English language proficiency which you probably have yet need some polishing.

You’ll have to be good at researching topics, even those that you’re not familiar with. Finding compelling information and crafting fact-based insights are key when creating copy, after all.

If you don’t already know how to, look up how to use WordPress and do SEO. There are plenty of tutorials on the internet for free. There also are online courses that charge a reasonable fee to learn more advanced skills or techniques.

3 – Building your portfolio

It’s hard to position yourself in front of potential clients when you don’t have relevant experiences to sell yourself to them. So, think of ways you can build up your experience. An example is to create samples of different types of copy.

Given the opportunity, offer to write an article for a local business to post on their website for free. In exchange, ask that your name be displayed as the author. You may also create content for popular websites like Buzzfeed or Gizmodo.

Creating a WordPress blog is free too. You can write about topics you care about without worrying about sticking to guidelines. Added to that, you get to craft a description about you that highlights your strengths and skills.

4 – Deciding your rates

This stage is where most freelance workers trip up as there’s no official rate for services. As mentioned, you might have to work for free if you’re building your portfolio or your network. Both of these give you more power when you start charging actual money.

Base your copywriter salary off of the following pricing models common in the field.

• Hourly – You set an hourly rate and your client pays you by the hour. This stops the clients from piling on tasks and forcing you to work overtime without paying you.
  
  
• Project-based – You get paid for an entire project, according to concrete deliverables set. This method allows you to part ways with a client once you’re done.
  
  
• Retainer – You’re paid a set amount per month. This gives your employer access to you at any given time during that month.
  
  
• Commission – You receive a bonus when you reach certain milestones in the other pricing models discussed. Example: your client promises you a PHP 1,000 bonus for acquiring 100 leads with your copy.

We suggest you charge hourly when you’re starting out as most clients aren’t convinced that you’re able to do a good job yet. It’s smart to research the average rates for workers in your location as well. For instance, if you’re a copywriter in the Philippines, Google what PH copywriters are charging.

5 – Optimizing your profiles

See to it that your online profiles are searchable by inserting keywords that prospective clients might be using in their hunt for a writer. These might be “WordPress” or “marketing” or “SEO” but be careful that you don’t exaggerate your skills.

Check that your job title matches with your description, experiences, and skills so that you express a clear message. For instance, don’t mention graphics design when your only knowledge about it is what you’ve researched for an article before.

Remove any unnecessary paragraphs that are irrelevant to your chosen niche or audience. If you’d rather not do social media content, for example, you shouldn’t include it in your profile then.

6 – Finding your clients

Landing your first gig is daunting, especially when you’re new. The good news is that you slowly get the hang of it. Plus, clients are more likely to refer you to their network, resulting in less effort required in the future.

Make use of different platforms to hunt for opportunities. One of the most popular is Upwork where you can create a profile and start applying for projects on their website.

Don’t rely on job sites, though. Go to where potential clients are, such as forums and message boards as well. Visit groups catering to your niche to find business leaders who need your specific services.

7 – Scaling your hustle

The best way to grow your writing hustle and land more clients is by referrals. These are valuable for a number of reasons.

1. It raises your prices as the client who referred you automatically added value to your work.
2. It gets you better clients as charging more attracts higher-quality people who can afford you.
3. It doubles your income as you might go from charging PHP 50/hour to PHP 100/hour or more.

As for how you ask for referrals, keep your message simple and direct. State only facts, including how much they’ve enjoyed your output and how grateful you’d be if they passed on your details to others.

Jump-start your copywriting career

There you have it! The basics of what you need to know if you want to be a copywriter. We hope you had a lot of takeaways from this blog post and that you’ll apply it in your journey.

If you need help with step 6 in finding clients, why don’t you turn to Remote Workmate for guidance? Being that we’re an offshore staffing agency with connections to employers from around the globe, we know a thing or two about it.