Thursday, December 25, 2008

The Freelance Copywriting World

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 copywriting allows you to better control your work. In a regularly employed job, you are restricted to a set schedule and have to split your earnings with an advertising agency. But freelance copywriters are their own bosses. This way you can determine when you work, how much you work, and how much money you make. It's all in your hands. You can also work from anywhere in the world that has an Internet connection.

Freelancers also control every aspect of copywriting. They must effectively sell themselves, meet deadlines, and properly manage their resources and time. They must also learn about their audiences, so many freelancer copywriters do extensive research into their target audience in order to be effective. All this control also means more responsibility, but it's well worth it when you consider all the benefits freelancing offers.

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.

Freelance copywriters are expected to write great copy in all different arenas. It can be a bit demanding, but that's just part of the fun of having an extremely flexible and rewarding career such as freelance copywriting.

If you want to become a freelance copywriter, here are some tips to help you succeed:

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 work for free. This is a great option if you lack any real experience as a copywriter. Doing some initial work for free allows you to build a client base and get your name out there.

3. Look into coaching courses. Many successful freelance copywriters offer coaching courses that teach others on how to become a successful copywriter. They also give you first hand experience with a copywriter, which is a valuable resource.

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. Have a website. This will give you a great advantage over the many copywriters who do not have websites. Your website should allow your clients and customers to easily browse through examples of your work and credentials. It will help you win projects. Therefore it should be neat, well organized, and professional looking.

These were just a few pointers to help you see how to get started as a freelance copywriter. Freelance copywriting is a very rewarding and flexible career. If you're interested in pursuing it as a career, you should definitely do some more research into this exciting career opportunity.

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