Saturday, December 27, 2008

The World of Freelance Copywriting

By Ray Edwards

Copywriters write for a wide range of mediums, like: television, radio, magazines, brochures, direct mail, and others. In fact, every word written on advertisement was most likely written by a copywriter. Copywriters are merely salesmen behind a typewriter, they write the written content of an advertisement. Previously copywriters were restricted to working in-house or for a marketing firm, but with the onset of the Internet, independent freelance copywriters are beginning to find a great new career opportunity.

Freelance copywriters can customize their work to their lives. Most of the time you're restricted to a regular work schedule and have to split your profits with your parent company. On the other hand, as a freelancer you are your own boss and completely dictate your work experience. You can determine when you work, how much you work, and the size of your paycheck. You can also work from anywhere in the world that has an Internet connection. That's freedom!

With all its benefits, freelancers also have more responsibility as well. Freelance copywriters have to sell themselves, meet a deadline, and properly budget their resources and time. Freelance copywriters must also know their audience well, so most do research into their target audiences. They also need to be able to effectively and creatively sell a client's product. But this increased level of responsibility is certainly worth it when you consider the freedom you get over your life when you switch to freelancing.

BECOMING A FREELANCE COPYWRITER

There are different kinds of copywriters out there, so first you have to choose what you want to do. Some copywriters specialize into a smaller portion of the market, like Search Engine Optimization (SEO) copywriting, while others write for many different kinds of clients and people.

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. All the successful copywriters see themselves as lifelong students. Therefore you should make an effort, no matter how much you know, to learn more about your field and improve your skill set. Learning is one of the keys to success. You can start by going online and searching for "copywriting tutorials" and go from there. You're bound to find more than enough information.

2. Do some pro bono work. Pro bono work is a great option if you lack any real experience as a copywriter. This way you get to build up your client base, gain more practice, and put your name out into the market.

3. Learn from the best. Most of the successful copywriters offer coaching courses or workshops to help people learn how to be a successful copywriter. These are great opportunities to learn and get first hand experience learning from a successful copywriter.

4. Constantly look for work. There are a lot of copywriters out there, so in order to stay on top of things you need to be vigilant in your hunt for work. Get involved on a freelance Internet marketplace and try to keep up with local businesses that may need your services as well.

5. Construct a website. Many copywriters do not have a website, so having one can give you an advantage over some of your competition. Your website will function as your shop front window and display your services to potential customers. Therefore it should be neat, organized, and contain examples of your best work.

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. - 16755

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