Ever wonder how people make money copywriting?
A lot of people make money writing for businesses as a side hustle, and it doesn’t take a long time to get started, just a good work ethic.
In this post, I’m going to tell you about freelancing as a business writer and how you can get started on a money-making business.
The best part? Your chance of succeeding is very good.
Are you excited? Let’s take a look at what this is all about…
A Virtual Sea of Gold: The Freelance Writing Business
To put this business into a nutshell, it’s any type of writing that you do for a client who will use it for business purposes.
For example, you could write a sales letter for someone selling a vacuum cleaner. In this case, you’re writing for someone who is trying to sell something.
You could also make money copywriting for businesses that want to:
- Educate
- Sell products
- Motivate
- Persuade
- Inform
Under each of these categories, there are multiple opportunities.
As a freelance copywriter, you can write copy for a butt-load of different venues too, such as:
Social media manager – Writing about products and services on sites like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Direct response – Sending out sales letters by email or snail mail to prospects.
Promotional materials – Brochures, business cards, magazine, and newspaper ads.
Online sales pages – Landing pages where persuasive copy is needed to sell.
Email sales copy – You can write a series of crafted email messages for clients that lead to sales.
The most common way is to write sales copy for businesses that reselling something. The best of these are corporations because they have more money to spend on advertising.
There are other types of clients as well:
- Politicians
- Museums
- Non-profits
- Colleges and universities
- Government agencies
- Fundraisers
- Churches
- Trade associations
This list could go on and on, but you get the drift.
Before you get too excited, here’s one professional copywriter’s take on the business and how to break into it:
Make Money Copywriting: Pros & Cons
Writing for businesses does have quite a few drawbacks.
Drawback #1 – You Are Not Going to be the Next Stephen King
For one thing, freelance copywriting is not a creative venture. A lot of writers want the freedom to write fiction. This is not the case with copywriting; you will have a client and you will have to make sales for them…plain and simple.
It can be tough a tough business because it’s usually driven by your ability to generate sales. The client is spending good money with you because he or she believes you can help them increase sales. Sometimes the client won’t be happy with what you’ve written and you may have to rewrite your material.
Drawback #2 – Clients can be a Pain in the Ass
You need to have clients that want to work with you. I’ve had clients that have contacted me and then they drop off the face of the earth. I’ll ask them for background material from their organization and get silence.
It’s hard to write about a product you know nothing about. If they don’t feed it to you, you’re dead in the water. So, many times you have to keep contacting them and asking them for information, and this can drag on for days.
Drawback #3 – Dealing with a Group of Stake Holders
I run from situations like this, but if you want to stick your head into a hornet’s nest, be my guest!
Another problem that rears its ugly head, is dealing with multiple stakeholders. Sometimes you’ll have to deal with a horde of pain in the ass “geniuses”. I rarely take on assignments where I have to work with too many bosses; it’s usually a no-win situation. Usually, they disagree on a wide range of issues and you’ll have to try to navigate through it. Not only that, but the work can drag on forever because the decision-making process takes a long time.
Drawback #4 – Getting Paid
Getting paid can sometimes drain you. Big companies usually need authorization to payout. This can take up to 3 months. They’re not out to cheat the writer, they just have a procedure to follow. And yes, this is normal for big businesses.
When I work with individuals, I ask for half up-front and the other half when the gig is done.
Drawback #5 – It’s Hard to Have Balance in Your Work
You’ll eventually be balancing several projects at once. I’ve had situations where I’ve had 3 clients; one that needed a resume written, one that needed a monthly blog post, and another that needed a sales letter.
Of course, you’ll have research and revisions to do on all of these projects.
Drawback #6 – You’ll Need to Run Your Business like a Boss
Just like any other business, you’ll have to deal with marketing, accounting, responding to clients, and other business issues. This can be overwhelming at times. You’ll also need to add in some time to exercise and spend time with your family.
However on the “gravy” side of things…
Advantage #1 – Money Flows in Much Easier
Writing for businesses is FAR MORE PROFITABLE than other types of writing.
Writing novels can take forever before you see any success or make any money. Not so with copywriting. You can generate a cash flow much quicker.
Advantage #2 – Freelancing Writing is Not a One-Shot Deal
If you wrote a popular novel, your chances of getting another book deal are slim. However, if you write for clients and you deliver your services like a pro, you’ll have repeat business that can come in for years.
Advantage #3 – You Won’t Get Bored
With this type of writing, there is so much variety. As I pointed out earlier, there are many different categories with a variety of jobs in each one.
Advantage #4 — You Can Ditch Your Clients
Hey, you’re not married them, so if they really give you a hard time, fire them. Don’t be rude, just explain to them that you are not the copywriter for them and that they can find someone much better.
Advantage #5 — You Can Work From Home
If you have a supportive family you can stay at home and work. As nice as all that sounds, you are going to have to have discipline — not just for yourself but your family members. You will have to stay focused on what you’re doing without constant distractions. So you’ll have to come with grit teeth because I can guarantee you someone will want to pull you away from your work.
Advantage #6 — There are a Multitude of Opportunities
Here’s a list of opportunities for you to think about if you want to make money copywriting:
Direct Response:
- Commercials – like the commercials you see on T.V. or hear on the radio
- Direct mail – Sales letters, brochures, postcards
Ghost Writing:
- eBooks
- Whitepapers
- Printed books
- Blog posts
- Manuals
Catalog Copy:
- Product descriptions
- Diagrams
Web Content:
- Landing page copy
- Sales pages
- Blog posts
- About me copy
- infographics
Event Promotions:
- Brochures
- Business cards
- Flyers/ Handouts
- Sign and banner copy
Video:
- Whiteboard
- Explainer videos
- Instructional videos
- Commercials
- Landing page sales videos
And that’s just the main staple of the writing gigs you could be getting because there are many more opportunities.
But I Don’t Know Anything About Copywriting…
Depending on how you want to make money copywriting, you’ll have to spend some time learning the trade.
The good part about this is you can learn to write copy without breaking the bank. There are loads of online resources you can buy that’ll show you how to write copy relatively cheaply. Here are a few of my favorite resources:*Note: The links below are affiliate links, but at no additional cost to you. I might make a few cents on each one for my morning coffee.
Copywriters Handbook by Bob Bly – To date, Bob Bly has written 96 published books. This doesn’t include the courses, eBooks, articles, and other venues he’s written for. This text covers every aspect of writing copy and I can’t imagine anyone that’s serious not having a copy of his book on their shelf.
Secrets of a Freelance Writer by Bob Bly – See? I told you Bob Bly has a lot of good material. This book rips the cover off (no pun intended) on how to make money copywriting with this book. Once again, it’s rather extensive and a great resource that covers a wide range of copywriting.
The Boron Letters by Gary Halbert – Gary Halbert is the “uber copywriter” of direct response. This book is a series of letters he wrote while he was in prison. The best part? He was sending lessons to his son on how to write great sales copy and make money selling information products. Excellent resource!
Carol Tice’s Freelance Writer’s Den Personally, I think this is one of the best resources I’ve ever seen. Carol Tice is an extremely successful copywriter having written a for a wide variety of books and magazines. Her Writer’s Den is a massive repository of courses that teaches everything from h0w to write for different venues, to getting and managing clients. If you have to get one resource, this should be the one.
Conclusion
Yep, there are a lot of opportunities to make money copywriting. However, your success in this business (or any other business, for that matter) will depend on your commitment.
It takes time and patience to get clients and start writing.
But because of the Internet, there are more businesses for you to write for than you can shake a wordprocessor at.
One thing I did learn from reading Gary Halbert’s Boron Letters was, you must have a great attitude.
The reason for this is copywriting is not an easy business. You must be able to display confidence and enthusiasm with your clients because they are spending good money on you. Not only that, but you need to see it in yourself too. If you can’t look yourself in the mirror every day and say, “I’ve got this…” then you may be in the wrong business.
So, maintain a great attitude and you’ll have the seeds of success in copywriting.
Do you have any comments, rants or advice? Please leave it in the comment section below.