Why do you want to become a copywriter?
My guess is that if you’re researching how to become a copywriter, it’s because you’ve already read about this profession’s plethora of perks.
I’m guessing you’ve recently found out that copywriting is one of the most lucrative jobs out there, and that it doesn’t require a college degree.
It doesn’t even require much experience. Many high income copywriters started closing big-ticket offers when they were first starting out, with little or no experience.
Perhaps you’ve also discovered that this job allows you to work from anywhere and be your own boss.
Maybe you recently learned that many copywriters earn a six-figure income, even working only part-time hours.
Or, maybe you’ve found out that copywriting is a skill that’s in high demand, so it won’t be too hard to get clients – even without experience.
All of these things are true about copywriting.
What I’ve just mentioned are some of the many perks that come with a career in copywriting. That’s why it’s such a smart idea to learn how to become a copywriter.
But how do you become a copywriter with no experience?
You’ll need a knowledgeable mentor, coach, or consultant who is a skilled copywriter. It’s important to find someone who has found success in copywriting, to transfer their knowledge and skills to you.
You don’t need a college degreeor formal education to become a copywriter. However, it’s a good idea to look into taking a short course, or getting yourself a mentor.
Below are some more of my top tips on how to become a copywriter:
Choose One Niche Market To Start With
If you want to know how to become a copywriter, the first step is choosing your niche.
Your potential clients will want to know what your expertise is, and what you specialize in.
Why? Because they’re looking to hire someone who specializes in their specific industry. When you focus on copywriting for one niche industry, you’ll get to know your target market that much better, and you’ll become that much better at your job.
What do you know a lot about?
Narrow it down, then choose one thing. It’s best to focus on one industry, niche, or sector of the marketplace. Choose an industry that you’re passionate about, and knowledgeable in.
For example, the fitness industry might be a good niche for you if you already know a lot about health and fitness, and love exercising.
If you choose the fitness niche, you’ll know exactly who your potential clients are, and who to pitch your services to.
Maybe you’ll look at some different gym’s websites. Perhaps you’ll see that the copy on their website isn’t well-worded.
You might think to yourself,Who would be interested in this gym after reading this poorly-written copy?
Maybe you’ll see a call-to-action on their website to sign up and become a member, but it’s not a very persuasive call-to-action.
Another benefit of choosing one niche market has to do with your testimonials.
Imagine that a gym in Texas gives you a great testimonial about how many new members they got after you re-wrote their website copy. And another gym in Los Angeles writes a testimonial about how sign-ups significantly increased after you fixed their tagline.
What happens then? Other gyms will be interested in hiring you, too. But if these gyms saw testimonials from completely unrelated industries, they’d be less interested in hiring you.
Don’t Get Distracted By What Other Copywriters Are Doing
Once you’ve figured out which niche industry you’ll be focusing on, stay focused. Don’t get distracted by other potential industries you could work with, at least not too soon. I
f you have little or no experience as a copywriter, then just stay focused on your niche so that you can position yourself as an expert within it.
You also want to stay focused on the specific type of copywriting you seem to excel at the most.
Perhaps you excel at improving landing page conversion rates by improving landing page copy. (This is what’s referred to as direct-response copywriting, because the customer buys immediately after reading the copy.)
Or, maybe you excel at writing compelling email newsletters that successfully drive traffic to your client’s website.
Either way, focus on your niche, and on the types of copywriting you’re best at, without getting distracted.
Don’t get caught up in what other copywriters are doing. I believe that if you try to do everything, you’ll get worse at everything.
David Allen hit the nail on the head when he said,You can do anything, but not everything.
When it comes to personal productivity, David Allen is one of the most influential speakers. I often see this simple yet profound quote, framed on the wall in fellow entrepreneurs’ offices. That’s because it holds such truth and wisdom in its concise 7 words.
By prioritizing your niche and staying laser-focused on it, you’ll be more productive. Going back to our example of fitness: You’ll get more clients as copywriter who specializes in fitness, than you will as a copywriter who claims they can write anything.
So maintain your focus, become an expert at one thing, and go from there. Never lose sight of where your true skills lie by getting distracted looking at everything else.
Make Your Prospects An Offer They Can’t Refuse
Make it easy for your prospects to say “Yes” by making them an offer they can’t refuse.
Ensure that your offer is very simple. Don’t complicate your offer or confuse prospects. What’s the best way to make it easy for your prospects to say yes? Explain the value of your copywriting services in simple words they’ll understand.
Say something that shows them you understand their brand, and have done your due diligence.
You could say, “I took at look at your landing page. The product you’re offering is great, but how are sales? I saw some areas of improvement on your page. If I re-worded some things, I could potentially double your conversion rate, and double your sales.”
Nothing about that sounds complicated or confusing. It simply sounds like if they hire you to re-write some copy, their revenue could double.
Another great way to make it easy for your prospects to say yes, even if you have no experience, is to take the pressure off of them.
Try saying, “How about I re-write your landing page copy, and if you don’t like it, you don’t have to pay me. You only have to pay me if you like what I create, and you use it.” Doesn’t that sound like an offer they can’t refuse?
It’s easy for your prospects to agree to an offer like this, because they aren’t being pushed into hiring you.
They get a free look at your services, without having to promise to pay. And, since it doesn’t take that long to rewrite a landing page, it’s okay if they say no to you. You needed the practice anyway, because it’s beneficial to practice your skill.
But believe in your skills. Believe that they will say yes, and consider this a chance to prove yourself.
Earn While You Learn
Copywriting is a skill you learn by doing.
You don’t have to wait until you’re a highly skilled copywriter to start pitching clients. You might surprise yourself with your natural abilities.
Your very first client might surprise you by telling you that thanks to the copy you wrote, their sales tripled.
You just never know.
So if you’re wondering how to become a copywriter, remember to earn while you learn. You’ll learn by writing. You’ll learn by working with different clients. And you’ll learn by getting client feedback.
Decide That You Want To Master This Skill, No Matter What
Make a decision today that you are committed to mastering the skill of copywriting.
When you’re learning how to become a copywriter, the key is tolearn. Any negative feedback from a client is you learning what doesn’t work.
Positive feedback from clients is you learning what does work. The continual trial-and-error part of learning copywriting is the key to mastering the skill.
Bill Gates famously said,Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.
If you decide today that you want to master this skill, no matter what, that means you’re promising yourself something.
You’re promising yourself that you won’t get discouraged. You’re deciding that you won’t view failures as negative experiences, but rather as positive learning experiences.
Essentially, you’re promising yourself that you won’t give up.
This is a skill that anyone can learn, which is why you shouldn’t give up. When I say anyone can learn it, I really do believe that. You don’t even have to be a great writer to become a successful copywriter.
I flunked English, but I still became a successful copywriter.
With help from a great mentor, I simply learned the skill of copywriting. Then, I practiced the skill, and I ultimately mastered it. I was soon earning over $10,000 per month as a copywriter with very little experience.
How To Become a Copywriter: You Need Skills Training, Not a College Degree
To become a successful, high income copywriter, you need skills training – not a college education.
Copywriting is one of the most lucrative freelance jobs you could learn how to do. 2018’sFreelancing in Americasurvey found that the majority of today’s freelancers acknowledge that skills training is more valuable than a college degree.
81% of freelancers stated that they find skill-related training valuable.
