Complete Beginner's Guide To Copywriting: When You Know Absolutely Nothing, But You Need Answers Now
- Kelin Sorger
- Jun 13, 2021
- 6 min read
Updated: Mar 13, 2022
The things I wish I knew when starting my freelance copywriting business, in one easy place.
It's time to switch on and start your copywriting business today.
There you are with an ability to write probably working a job you wished was more fulfilling and wondering whatever should you do? Writing seems like an artist's career. One where the people that sacrifice to provide much desired creative content are not properly rewarded. Artist lifestyle, artists wages. It isn't always that way.
Copywriting can not only be a rewarding career but a profitable one. Whether working for an agency or freelancing, copywriting is, well, a different animal in the writing world. Today I will be discussing how you can start your own freelance copywriting business.
When I first started I had no idea where to begin and it felt like I couldn't find a single article or online resource to help me the way I needed, as I didn't yet have my seafaring legs.
With your writing skills, the right knowledge, and the appropriate documents you too can start your own freelance copywriting business and take charge of your career, time, and money. What do you have to lose?
What is copywriting and when is it needed?
Copywriting is simply the act of persuading readers to ingest whatever it is you are presenting to them. What do I mean? My motto is that:
- "Copy sells projects, products, and personalities."
You as the copywriter should be able to go to whichever business or company that needs your help, figure out what parts of their content they hate or think can be better, and fix it for them. Simple enough?
When I first started, I felt like I was trying to learn rocket science in a very short period of time - instead, I was learning sales language.
None of this would have been possible if it were not for my love of writing, and that's where you need to begin now that you understand what copy is on a basic level.
To be a writer one must have passion or else it becomes automatism.
Copywriting is the path you have chosen, but let me guess, you wonder if you need to be the best writer? The short answer is no. The long answer is that you need to have a passion for writing and continually improving your writing skills.
You also need to have a desire to help clients fix their content issues so they can stay in business. As well as some basic knowledge of sales writing, SEO and interpersonal communication.
Back to the writing. You don't need a degree, to have had past experience, or any other special qualifications to start helping clients with copywriting. As long as you have strong writing skills and can fix issues your clients will present, you are marketable. Although, if you have trouble writing basic emails, creating social media posts, or typing your own content I would recommend learning more about writing before you begin your journey into copywriting.
Once you have identified your passion it's time to talk about the basics.
There are some basic tools you need to deliver copy your clients and their customers will love.
Good job on making it this far in your new dream career of copywriting. You know what copy is and you have a passion and basic skill set to create content, now let's go over what you'll need to know before landing your first client. These are things I wish someone told me when I was first starting out. I was able to figure out that I really wanted to do copywriting but for the life of me I couldn't find the appropriate guides or websites that could help me get my ducks in a row.
Get your pen and paper out because this is the good stuff. Here are some basic copy ideas. These are the types of things businesses need help with most and you should focus on a few to begin with:
Social media
Blog posts
Marketing
Landing pages
Webpages
Emails
Creative branding
Public relations
Technical
E-commerce
Thought leadership
Brochures
Event material
Tag lines
Scriptwriting
Ebooks
White papers
Speech writing
Press release and media kits
And the list could go on forever, but this is a good start. I would recommend picking a few of the more simple forms of copy like e-commerce, emails, or anything near the top of the list. From there I would create a template for the few forms of copy you choose. There are plenty of online templates you can utilize for free now that you know what you need to look for.
I recently downloaded these 6 totally FREE no gimmick blog post templates from HubSpot,
here's the link: Free blog post templates from the angels at HubSpot. Thanks, HS.
Speaking of templates, you need to create a portfolio yesterday. Start now and come back to finish reading this article, start soon, but don't wait any longer.
I recommend you start with these quantities for your portfolio:
3 social media ads (this can be between Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I recommend Facebook to start as almost every brand has a Facebook page).
3 blog posts. Choose three diverse subjects and write 1,000 to 1,500 word copies (using the awesome templates from HubSpot) just like the blog you are reading. 😉
1 webpage. I recommend using Figma to simulate what your copy will actually look like. This will allow your clients to get an idea of what you can provide.
Now that you have your portfolio on lock, let's move on to the other elements you need to land your first client!
There are a few more documents you'll need handy to streamline your client interactions.
You will need to develop some computer files with documents you will use regularly to pitch to customers, share portfolio samples, and onboard new projects.
These essentials I could not find in one place on the internet. I've done the digging for you.
Client onboarding checklist (make sure you have these sorted to make handling your first client a breeze):
Portfolio Google doc that is password protected that you can share with clients. If you are doing a lot of in-person pitches, have a sleek laminated portfolio. You can create this pretty cheaply in one trip to Office Depot or Staples. I love it as it adds a personal old-school touch that has worked for me.
Have a proposal template to start. This should be one that you can apply to your niche at first but should not be kept the same for each client. Individualize it based on what your client is looking for.
The proposal is different from your copywriting business contract. The contract will state what work you will provide to the client, deadlines, payment terms, changes and revisions, canceling clauses, legal liability, and most importantly project details. This is important to have a signed copy of in case your client tries to pull a fast one.
Find and save a free SEO tool at first. You need to learn the basics, do this from Google and Youtube. Neil Patel has this fantastic article on SEO linked here.
Awesome, that wasn't so bad, was it? When I started out I had to practically read every article I could find to gather these few basic bits of information. But now you have them easily at your fingertips. Hopefully, you visit this site often and share it in the beginning. Wow, that was a lot of work! For me at least, but this was necessary for all my new copywriting peeps just trying to get off the ground. Hopefully, this is the most comprehensive and practical guide you have read about beginning your business from absolute 0-60 in a matter of minutes.
Stay tuned in my next post I'll be running you through how to snag, pitch, and onboard your first lead.
Go out there and get 'em, don't forget - you have got this!
*********
Don't forget to let me know you want more content like this by clicking the 'Subscribe For Updates' button below and entering your email. You'll be joining a quickly growing group of modern copywriting enthusiasts who know exactly when my articles hit.
Check out my article How to Handle Job Loss Like a Boss and Rise like a Phoenix from Your Ashes about COVID era job loss and how to overcome it with grace.
If you enjoyed this article I can help you create similar content. Below is a link to my contact page.
Comments