Copywriting: A guide to monetizing language skills

If you've ever wondered how to make money from freelancing, you've definitely thought about copywriting. You have seen that the position of a copywriter is often glimpsed in the market. You may have even decided to become a copywriter, and then your acquaintance told you how much they earn - and you were reluctant. Is it true? Far from it.

Why copywriters are needed

Copywriters are needed to create content that drives consumers to take action. Think about how often you see ads on the subway or on the streets - a copywriter wrote the text for them. Think about news stories - copywriters write them too.

If you follow brands, coffee shops or music artists, you read texts by copywriters. They create your email newsletter, look at you from flyers and billboards, and are heard in presidential speeches.

Today, almost all texts are written to order by specialists.

Language skills

To be a successful copywriter, you need to have a good command of language. You must master grammar, have a large vocabulary and be able to adapt your style to different audiences.

Your text will depend on the identity and tone of the brand or company you represent. Plus, you will most likely be writing texts for different needs. Knowing the language is good, but it's more important to be able to adapt the text.

Your portfolio

Budding copywriters should focus on building a portfolio. It shouldn't just show your skills, it should scream: "I've worked with all fields and written texts in all formats - and it's brought companies clients".

Ideally, an experienced copywriter's portfolio includes sample articles for blogs, social media content and email newsletters. To build a portfolio, it's best to work on small, individual projects first.

It's easier to start than it seems: go through your instagram followings and offer your services to all the small brands or establishments you follow. Very often their texts are severely lame.

Freelancing opportunities

Freelancing for copywriters is one of the most popular ways to monetize skills. Sites like Upwork, Fiverr and Freelancer give copywriters the opportunity to take part in different projects and build a client base. If you want to earn well in this field, gain a client base on these platforms.

Agencies

If you're not comfortable with freelancing, you can hire an SMM agency or start making content for websites. These are two very different paths, but both will bring you experience and the opportunity to build up a portfolio. Plus, you won't have to find clients on your own.

This is an industry that is often said to be not very profitable - this applies primarily to SMM agencies. Web content is often paid much higher. Nevertheless, it all depends on what you like more: running social networks or writing blogs.

Continuous improvement of skills

Fortunately, you can find quite a few copywriting courses online. The main thing is to know what to look for. Actually, quality courses for copywriters hide behind the acronym SMM. Looking for courses in allied spheres with copywriting is a good way to get practical knowledge at once. You can also look for copywriting courses for SEO and digital marketing. On the Coursera platform, you can find a couple of them from Google and Meta - the owner of Facebook and Instagram.

Conclusion

A career as a copywriter is not the easiest, but it's an interesting and quite lucrative way to make money. Copywriting specialists have quite a few opportunities: from freelancing to full-time work in large companies. Everyone knows the language. Some better and some worse, but they do. So, you don't need to learn a new skill, you need to improve the one you have already had for a long time. Think about choosing this profession if you want to really influence what is going on around you.