What is a Freelance Copywriter?
Freelance Copywriter is anyone who writes words (or ‘copy’) for commercial use on a contract basis.
Freelance copywriters can work directly with clients, or through intermediaries such as agencies or online work exchanges.
The text produced by a freelance copywriter can be used in advertisements, websites and digital media, printed marketing or anywhere else, but it always has some sort of practical aim, whether it’s persuading people to buy a product or just giving them information.
In the advertising industry, ‘copywriter’ is used specifically to mean people who come up with concepts and copy for advertisements (see below). In marketing more widely, it denotes anybody who writes commercially, or produces content for online use. So there are situations where it’s important to know what someone means when they say Freelance ‘copywriter’.
How to Get Started as a Copywriter
Luckily, Freelance do not have to invest too much in equipment. Mainly all you need is a computer, internet access, and Microsoft Word.
You may think you have a knack for catchy taglines but “Got Milk?” wasn’t built in a day.
Just like any other job, you have to gain experience in order to become better. The main difference for freelancers is that you have to seek out these opportunities. With the surplus of blogs, magazines and pretty much anything on the internet, inspiration is easy to find.
1. Read!
One of the best things you can do to become a better writer is to become a better reader. Find blogs, websites, and magazines that you love and subscribe to them. Find out what makes them so compelling to you and try writing this way.
2. Get Organized
As a freelancer, you will have to make your own schedule. I know, this is awesome, but it can also be overwhelming without any strategy. There are a few ways to go about this depending on your work style. You can go classic day planner route or try a free organization app. It’s good to become familiar with these programs now because it’s likely that one of your clients will use them to organize their writing assignments.
A great tool freelancers use is Asana – this can help you organize tasks, set deadlines and attach files.
3. Get Experience
I advise to not take on a paid project without developing a writing portfolio. Most jobs you apply for will require you to send writing samples. They also want to see that you have published work online or in print. If you’re just starting out, you can build your portfolio by starting your own blog, taking unpaid gigs for friends and family and contributing to websites.
4. Research
At its core, copywriting requires you to be a skilled writer.
However, there are many other trends to keep up with depending on the type of jobs you take. If you run a company’s blog, for instance, you need to know how to optimize your article for search engines. Sometimes it’s not enough to create captivating social media posts. Platforms are constantly changing their algorithms which affect how much your post will be seen.
Who can be a Freelance Copywriter?
The short answer is ‘anyone’. The copywriting industry is unregulated, and you don’t need any qualifications or certification to work in it. If you call yourself a copywriter, and clients pay you for copywriting, you’re a copywriter.
Read also:5 Best Freelance Graphic Designers For Hire In Kanpur
