How To Become A Copywriter & Earn Well In 2022

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• What is copywriting?
• Who is a copywriter?
• What are the different types of copywriters?
• How to become a successful copywriter and earn a six-figure salary in 2021?
• Why is it important to learn the key skills for being a copywriter?
• How much do copywriters earn in India?
• How do you know if copywriting is the right field for you?
• How can copywriters find work and what should they keep in mind?
• How to become a copywriter in 5 simple steps?
• What are the key takeaways to becoming a copywriter & FAQs?

A headline can either make or break your story and it depends on creativity, your understanding of the service, targeted audience, and language skills. Copywriting is now running the industry on a global scale. In this article, you will gain perspective on how to earn with copywriting and how to become a freelance copywriter.

Copywriting, in simple words, coaxes a reader or a consumer to take action like signing up for a newsletter, buying a product at a discount, registering for an event or becoming a member of a club. It works on the simple concept of writing copies to market your content. 

Copywriters understand how Google Ads work and how efficiently they can be used to market your product or service. They also have the expertise to write business email newsletters. They have an understanding of social media copywriting as well. They have a better understanding of the target audience and solve complex marketing problems. Copywriting requires market research and one needs to analyze behavioral patterns of the targeted consumers. 

Copywriting is a skilled industry where one can establish themselves as a brand. Freelance copywriting is a flexible opportunity for many copywriters. It helps them to concentrate on certain projects and gets them an edge over what competitors are producing. Copywriting requires a certain level of experience and understanding along with technique and language. In this article, we will discuss who a copywriter is, what are the different fields of copywriting, how to make money copywriting, and what details should a copywriter keep in mind when they are looking for work. 

What is Copywriting?

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If you are still wondering if copyrighting and copywriting are the same things, then they are not. While the former is a legal right that guarantees you to publish a book or piece of work art or literary work under your name, the former is written to make a business profitable. 

Copywriting is different from content writing as it serves a business motive. It is written to sell your product or services. For example, we all have food delivery applications installed on our mobile phones. These food delivery applications usually send personalized push notifications while you are working on your mobile phone or scrolling through social media applications. You then read this message and end up ordering something for yourself. That’s how strong copywriting is. 

It is one of the strongest elements of marketing and advertising your product and services. Copywriting can be both online and offline. It is persuasive and personalized. 

It is everywhere if you are paying attention. It is on an attractive billboard, an advertisement in a leading magazine, a creative and thought-provoking advertisement on the television, and an announcement made for a social cause via a radio station.  

Who is a Copywriter?

Just like a craftsman, a copywriter does wonders for products and services by writing a creative copy of an advertisement. Writing thought-provoking, seamless and creative content is not everybody’s job. Copywriters are trained and skilled to think and write from a creative headspace. 

Trained copywriters have a better understanding of the market. They also have the technical knowledge and can write specific headlines and subheadings which are SEO-friendly. These copywriters understand how to place relevant keywords which do not look redundant. 

A copywriter is responsible for drafting a successful strategy to sell a brand. For example, e-commerce websites use email marketing to remind customers of their abandoned shopping cart. Also, food delivery platforms use social media and push notifications to remind customers to purchase food. 

There are different ways to attract an audience and it is under the purview of a copywriter to study the target audience and create a marketing strategy on what will and will not work. A copywriter can produce different types of content, be it a blog, an article, an email, a poster, a billboard, or a social media post. 

A copywriter then decides the motive of the advertisement – raise brand awareness, inform about a new product or push for a sale. It is a copywriter’s job to inform and educate consumers to make the purchase. Once written, they have to edit and proofread the document thoroughly to make the copy error-free in terms of grammar, punctuation, and tone. 

Copywriters are hired by several businesses like marketing agencies, tech startups, news organizations, e-commerce companies, or non-governmental organizations. 

Copywriters may not necessarily have formal training but they need to have a thorough understanding of brands, marketing, and creative content writing. Copywriting is usually about having a great portfolio and work experience where you have created commendable copies for brands. However, if you have a knack for creative writing, you can always start small.

What are the Different Types of Copywriters?

Today, in the age of social media, different types of copywriters exist. They include:

• We now have a marketing copywriter who focuses on creating attractive business campaigns and advertisements via different mediums. This copywriter is responsible for creating online paid advertisements that have a clear goal of trying to push purchases.
• We have an SEO copywriter who has to carefully create content to attract a certain set of audiences. They have a detailed understanding of how the internet works and how they are going to segment their audience.

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• We have a sales copywriter who creates in-depth sales copies which work for problem-solving.
• We also have a creative copywriter who creates carefully crafted, attention-grabbing articles or copies which are SEO-friendly as well as creative. These copies are usually made for advertisements. 
• Since social media is a marketplace for all businesses, we now have social media copywriters who create creative copies for desired platforms that speak directly to the audience. 
• If a company needs to emphasize its brand, they hire a brand copywriter who specializes in writing pieces that directly connect the brand to the desired targeted consumers. The content can vary based on the type of brand. The copywriter can create jingles, phrases, or social media content to create brand awareness.
• Technical copywriting is a specialized field where copywriters are expected to have an understanding of tech-related topics. It can either be a technical product or a technical service that the company offers. 
• Email copywriting has now become a prominent method to reach directly to your customers. A great marketing email consists of a creative subject line, an attractive preview, thought-provoking body and a call to action along with a URL that seems compelling. The main idea behind writing a creative email is to ensure a customer opens it. A few companies share newsletters via emails offering discounts on their products and services if the customer signs up for their newsletter. Companies can share important details like a sale announcement, new product launch, etc. via newsletters or emails.

Top Skills Required to Become a Trained Copywriter

1. Top-notch writing skills

When it is all about standing out, nothing else matters. If you want to be a successful copywriter, it is important to write carefully, make sure your copy looks clean and error-free. Different media landscapes have different writing styles. A copywriter should make sure that they practice writing skills daily which will eventually improve after learning and unlearning your mistakes. You should learn how to frame an SEO-friendly headline, a subheading, and how to add relevant keywords. One should know how to write persuasive emails and an efficient advertisement.

2. Attention to details

If a copywriter is writing an advertisement copy, it is the copywriter’s job to pay attention to intricate details. Subliminal advertising goes a long way and will be remembered by customers forever. Scanning the environment around us gives new and improved ideas for a unique copy that gets picked up on the internet. Your copy should be objective and crisp. Long-form articles have a different target group hence they may not interest a large section of the audience.

3. Creativity

Copywriting is all about creativity, uniqueness, and thinking from a different perspective. How can your copy be different from your competitor brands? How can your copy be shared by the audience over the internet? How can you create engaging content which attracts not just your clients but people on the Internet? The key is to generate ideas and research. To appeal to a specific segment of the audience, one needs to think from their perspective.

4. Research skills

Writing a copy does not mean that one has to just be unique, one should also be efficient in researching and analyzing the consumer behavior and the target audience. Research goes on to be the base for your particular product or service.

Create an outline of your article before and after researching your topic. For this particular outline, work on the number of words, subheadings and headings. The writing style that you will be following and the goal or deadline that you will set for yourself.

5. Practice, practice and then practice more

Working on drafts and giving them a better finish is the job of a copywriter. How can you add wit to a copy advertisement? How can you make a web notification sound personal? It is important to work on practice projects that help you in improving your writing style and take your feedback very seriously. Oh and yes! Keep asking questions.

6. Technical knowledge

You should have a great understanding of CMS, HTML, and WordPress platforms which are important mediums of communication. You may not necessarily have tech-related knowledge about the same but you can have little understanding of how content is published digitally and what is required for it to be a little more relevant than the rest. You can find different online tutorials available that will guide you to be a better copywriter.

Tips to Follow to Become a Successful Copywriter

Copywriting is a growing field. To cater to a client’s needs, every company now has a copywriter who thinks from a different perspective for the growth of the company. If you are all about generating creative and engaging content on the internet, then here are some tips that will be necessary to follow if you want to be a copywriter.

1. Working on your creative communication skills: To be a copywriter, there is no particular academic qualification that is needed. You can be from the media, or marketing, English or social studies background but you have to think from a creative perspective. It is important to work on your communication skills which are not limited to writing texts but also social media, research, marketing and analytics. Reading and writing exercises daily is an important task for a copywriter.

2. Work on your portfolio: Copywriting is a job that is directly related to your work experience. If you have produced new and improved copies for your employer, there is a high chance that other companies might contact you for your services. If you have maintained a good track record concerning your services, you should work on creating a portfolio. This portfolio would contain all your work samples that help in identifying you. You can add your ideas and generate work samples here. Make sure you pick the relevant ideas here and keep updating based on the needs of the employer. When they say ‘let your work do the talking, it is all about your work portfolio.

3. Create your brand on social media: It is 2021 and social media is the key ingredient to any sales pitch. If it is on social media, it sells. But if it is on social media, it will have different options both positive and negative ones. Social media in turn would help you in networking with your clients and researching what is trending currently. It will also help you in gaining exposure concerning your services and finding out new and better opportunities.

4. Choose your employer: It is important to figure out your niche interest market. Do you want to be a copywriter for the news industry, e-commerce, marketing and advertising or social media? Once you figure out your niche market, you can then work on building your portfolio and skills based on the niche interest. You need to figure out if you want to work under a brand name or if you want to freelance. Different brands have openings for permanent copywriters or on a freelance basis and their requirements depend on different circumstances. If you want to work under a brand you can pick and choose and work accordingly. If you are in for freelancing, then your services will be based on different factors. Refine the process for your freelancing business and create a smooth network for yourself once you are established. Your portfolio will speak for yourself and you can charge an amount based on your kind of work. You can build a brand name for yourself.

How Much do Copywriters Earn in India

Copywriters in India, on average, make INR 3,00,000-4,00,000 a year which is determined on whether you are applying for an entry-level or senior-level job. It also depends on years of experience and how efficient you are with your work. If you are applying for an executive position your pay would be according to market standards. 

Businesses are now hiring copywriters for every department, there is a technology department that has technology copywriters! As copies can be written in different forms-websites, emails, presentations, or brochures, there is flexibility on both the employee and employer’s side on which medium would be attractive and creative to sell the product or service. 

Higher pay is generally specified for copywriters with specialized experience. For freelancing, a copywriter can have specific clients who pay a higher amount for their services.

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How Do You Know if Copywriting is the Right Field for You?

When it comes to choosing the right career path for you, there are different adventures that one can explore. If you have a creative interest in content writing, you can explore copywriting which is a unique field. Copywriting may not require a definite career path, as one can be a copywriter directly if they have a creative interest. 

If one needs to create a successful career in copywriting, you should work on building a career with a marketing agency, a copywriting agency or you can freelance and create your brand name. You can carve your adventure and choose your field of interest, it can be content marketing, email marketing, writing copies for news organizations or creating attractive marketing and advertising campaigns. 

Due to the COVID pandemic, many have now shifted to copywriting as their career since most copywriting jobs are now available remotely that one can do working from home. Not everybody directly ends up becoming a copywriter. Many pave their way out of their ongoing career paths and realize that they have an interest in creating engaging content. Some students directly choose a copywriting job, some students undergo formal training when they have to go for a copywriting job, and some students do not undergo any formal training apart from writing training and directly end up working with a copywriting agency. 

Indeed, copywriting is one such field where people from different backgrounds can lead to one only if they have a knack for creating engaging content. When an employer is looking to hire a copywriting professional, they may not necessarily focus on their degree but how efficient they are with their words and how they can create business for their organization. 

The employers usually focus on people who either have worked as a copywriter previously or have creative content creation skills. Having copywriting work experience gives you an upper hand, but not always. If you are changing your field of interest or if you are going in a different domain, the expectations of the company can be different. 

Many copywriters have worked as content writers since the early beginning of their careers. There are different domains for a content writer to work in but their agenda stands different. For a copywriter, one has to create content to make a sales pitch. There will always be a high demand for good and experienced copywriters as they are well aware of the objective of the company and to make a difference. It is on the copywriter as to how they work efficiently to become a successful copywriter.

How can Copywriters Find Work and What Should They Keep in Mind?

If you are an entry-level copywriter, you should be in the habit of maintaining contacts with brands, organizations, startups, or agencies. If you have understood the intricacies of becoming a learned copywriter, you should now look for job opportunities. 

Sometimes organizations directly share their requirements on their company website under the career section. They share a comprehensive job description that explains what kind of an employee they are looking for. If you are looking for a job as a copywriter, you should be aware of your niche interest. 

Let’s say you have an interest in writing about fashion but not a lifestyle, both are two different topics and they would require different kinds of expertise. You should research what works best for you so you can look for the job description that suits you. If a job requirement is not available on the company website, it will likely be available on job profile sites like monster.com, naukari.com, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, indeed, flex jobs, Nexxt, ZipRecruiter etc. Hundreds of websites host job openings and you can filter out the one that fits you best. 

If you are looking for work, you should connect yourself with HRs from different organizations. Sometimes, rather than posting a requirement on the company page, HRs share a social media post either in a write-up format or an image mentioning their requirements. 

You can add yourself to copywriting groups on social media websites like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter etc. Some groups share job requirements for copywriters and you can share your request if you are looking for a job yourself. There are different ways to look for a job on the internet and networking works as one the best ways.

If you want to be a successful copywriter, you have to stand different from the crowd. Think differently, creative content, it is important to tilt your thinking. If you are working as a copywriter, make sure you work on your networking skills. Networking with different organizations and copywriters goes a long way in building your personality. Before writing a piece of content, make sure you define the objective and make sure the objective is linear with the idea of the brand. It is important to bring clarity to your content because if it is blurred for you, it may not be understood by all. If you have a creative advertisement, you should create a blueprint for it as a visual representation since visualization makes it a lot clearer when it comes to presentation. 

Always keep your portfolio up to date. Keep adding your recent work to your portfolio to make it exclusive. A copywriter should have a technical understanding of copywriting. Since it is different from content writing, learn about Google Ads and how the algorithm works to create efficient content.

How to Become a Successful Copywriter in 5 Easy steps?

There are no objective ways to become a copywriter but if you have a creative passion, you can follow footsteps (or you can create them) to learn daily. No one can be creative in a day, no one can pursue a particular degree only to be creative. You cannot master creative skills in a day. Rather, it takes months, sometimes years and a lot of practice. 

Since growth is never a linear process, so is a graph for creativity. On some days, we feel creative and on some days we feel dull. It is important to observe our surroundings. If you want to make relevant content, you have to observe what the audience is interested in. Nowadays, memes have become an important medium to express things. So much so that we now receive news via memes. 

If there is a major event that happens, copywriters are ready with meme templates that bombard the internet. This is not a one day job but it requires planning and research which results in carefully crafted memes. But how do we acknowledge all of it? Under this subsection, we will discuss how one can work on becoming a better version of themselves when it comes to copywriting.

1. Create a habit of reading and observing: If you want to be a copywriter, one of the most important tasks is to read. It is when we read, we understand emotions, we observe our surroundings, we then write them down for others to feel the same emotions that we are feeling. Good copywriting always comes with a personal touch. Copywriting does not necessarily require experience but it requires a certain level of expertise in the field. To write relevant and sharp content, one must be in the habit of reading. It not only gives you ideas and different perspectives, but it also improves the language you are comfortable in writing. You learn about the tone of the sentences and what format would likely work on the targeted audience. You end up absorbing content to produce even better. It is important to work on your writing skills as well. The headline becomes a selling point of your product or service. The texts, images or caricatures used have to be appealing enough for consumers to share them on social media. Some wit can go a long way.
2. Understand the customer market: When you are selling a brand, product or service, a copywriter needs to research the targeted audience. Are you as a copywriter focusing on the male audience, or female audience, or gender-neutral audience, is your product or service for youth, or older age group, is your product for audience from North India or South India, is your product for the rural customer base or urban customer base, is your product for school going kids or college going kids, is your product for the lower middle class, upper-middle-class, or upper class? It is important to understand the customer market and research helps you to define your target audience. Once you have a targeted audience, it is easier to understand the medium they would prefer, or what kind of language they would prefer, the writing style, font, or even colours they would like the content to be in. You can target your audience based on age group, specific locations, economic status, gender, education, etc.
3. Brand knowledge: Knowing your brand is important. Some copywriters work according to their niche market and some copywriters work according to opportunities. To gain expertise about the product or service you are showcasing, it is important to have a thorough knowledge of it, and who are the consumers who will buy the product or service eventually. Let’s say you work as a copywriter with Spotify, it is expected of you to keep up with the latest music trends, classic music, and what pleases your audience.
4. Create an FAQ for yourself when you are pitching the story: Once you are done with research about the product or service and you are going to create the pitch for the same. Communicate the same pitch to yourself. Would you be interested in buying the product or service that you are offering? Would you be interested in knowing if the product or service being offered comes with a discount? It will help you in understanding and creating a more personalised pitch because copywriting is all about being persuasive and convincing somebody to buy your product or service. This FAQ list will help you in building all the questions that your supposed customers would have. Once you have all the doubts related to your product or service, you can work on an efficient design or idea which simplifies the complexity of your idea.
5. Brand yourself: Since copywriting is all about having expertise, if you are rendering great service to companies, you will create goodwill for yourself and you can use the same to create your brand. This brand will help you in getting better opportunities at your personalised rates. You should also be aware of the market standard rates. You can offer to work as a freelancer where you will not work under a specific employer but under your name and you will be paid for your services. Since you are getting paid to write creative content, your brand value depends on your deliverables. The market will remember you for what you bring to the table and not how you came there, so it is okay if you fail at first, get up, and perform better.

Key Takeaways

Creativity is an art but if you want to excel at it, you can bring certain changes to your schedule. Copywriting can go a long way in creating a brand image for yourself. If you are a trusted employee, there is a high possibility that people will want to work with you for your crisp content that is delivered on time. If you want to become a copywriter, you should be ready to see the growth that is not linear. 

There will be days when you will fail and your employer might reject your idea, but the criticism should never be taken personally. Rather, you should take out the time to research and understand what you are good at and where you lack. There will be situations that lower down your morale but all of it will teach you one thing, whether you are going to make it or not. 

If you know you have a knack for creativity, make sure you work on your skills, you will have endless opportunities where you can show this talent so it is important to believe in yourself.

FAQs