Tuesday, December 23, 2008

The World of Freelance Copywriting

By Ray Edwards

Copywriters work in a multitude of markets, such as: television, radio, magazines, brochures, direct mail ad campaigns, and many others. In fact, copywriters probably wrote most of the written content of the ads you see. It has been said that copywriters are merely salesmen behind typewriters; they write the written content of advertisements. Up until this point, copywriters were normally employed by advertising agencies or kept in-house by other companies. Now, with the advent of the Internet, copywriters are able to freelance their services and make more money doing it.

Freelance copywriters can customize their work to their lives. Most of the time you're restricted to a regular work schedule and have to split your profits with your parent company. On the other hand, as a freelancer you are your own boss and completely dictate your work experience. You can determine when you work, how much you work, and the size of your paycheck. You can also work from anywhere in the world that has an Internet connection. That's freedom!

Freelancers take on all the aspects of a copywriting career. They have to effectively sell themselves, meet deadlines, and manage their resources and time. Freelance copywriters must also know their audience, so they do lots of research in order to be the most effective at their job. It may seem like more responsibility, but the benefits of freelancing make it worth it.

HOW TO START BEING A COPYWRITER

There are as many copywriters as there are markets. Some copywriters specialize into a small market like Search Engine Optimization (SEO) copywriting, while others generalize their abilities and write for many different areas of the market.

Today, freelance copywriters are expected to write different kinds of copy and produce great work. Even though it can be a bit demanding, freelance copywriting can be a lot of fun and really rewarding if you have the skill, connections, and the drive to succeed.

Here are few ideas on how to get started as a freelancer:

1. Educate yourself. Good copywriters never believe they have learned "it all." Successful copywriters recognize that there are always new things to learn and see themselves as lifelong students. It?s really important to learn new things and improve your skill set. You can start out by going online and searching for "copywriting tutorials."

2. Do some pro bono work. If you lack any real experience as a copywriter, you may want to consider doing some work "pro bono." This will give you some helpful experience and help you get a client base for when you start charging for your work.

3. Look for coaching courses. You can usually enroll in some sort of coaching course or workshop with successful copywriters. These are great because you get to learn from the best and learn how to mimic their success.

4. Constantly hunt for work. Since there are many copywriters out there, you must look for work constantly in order to stay on top of things. You should keep an eye out for local businesses that may need help with their advertising and you should join freelance Internet marketplaces.

5. Construct a website. Many copywriters do not have a website, so having one can give you an advantage over some of your competition. Your website will function as your shop front window and display your services to potential customers. Therefore it should be neat, organized, and contain examples of your best work.

These were just a few pointers on how to become a freelance copywriter. Freelance copywriting is a great career that offers many benefits and exciting challenges. If freelancing excites you, then you should do some more research to see if this is the right career for you.

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