How to become a copywriter from scratch

The profession of copywriter is becoming more and more popular. To get started, you do not need investments, expensive equipment or training, special education. But a newbie in this business needs information that will help you figure out where to start and how to become a copywriter from scratch.

Who is a copywriter and what is required for work

A copywriter is a person who makes money by writing text content: articles for websites, and posts for social networks. If you know how to write well, it’s definitely worth trying to become a copywriter. The main tools of a copywriter are the ability to competently, consistently, and without unnecessary words express their thoughts, reveal the topic, and convey the necessary information to the reader in an accessible form. Well, and, of course, the Internet, PC, tablet, or laptop.

Does a copywriter need special education?

A philological education for a copywriter will be a nice bonus, but not at all necessary: ​​as practice shows, top copywriters, without a diploma in philology, have become real pros in Internet copywriting.

Something else is much more important:

• good syllable;
• grammatically correct speech;
• captivating presentation;
• the ability to quickly find and process reliable and fresh information on the topic;
• understanding what the customer wants.

These qualities can be developed and constantly honed in the process of a copywriter’s work. You can learn all the basics on your own, or take special copywriter training courses and this will help save time searching for and systematizing knowledge in the field of copywriting.

A step-by-step plan for how to start a newbie copywriter?

The first thing a beginner copywriter with no experience needs to do is to find and study basic information about the profession, and outline the first steps. For starters, it’s good to get acquainted with the reviews of copywriters about work, educational articles, tips, read thematic forums, blogs of people who have already taken place in the profession in order to have an idea of ​​​​the essence, possible problems and difficulties of writing texts to order. For example, you can read the blogs of Petr Panda, Daniil Shardakov, Daria But and other copywriting specialists.

Step 1 Learning the basics of copywriting and content

This includes a dictionary of professional terms used by copywriters, the most elementary writing and formatting skills, and services for checking the finished text. This is the basic knowledge that is needed to complete the first order.

Step 2 Popular books about copywriting

Many successful copywriters share their secrets in their books. The best books for a copywriter contain all the information that is useful for a beginner: motivation to work, learning the basics of the profession, secrets, and tricks of craftsmanship related directly to writing and formatting texts, finding customers, and raising prices for services. In beginners’ handbooks, there are answers to questions about how a copywriter can start working at home without experience, and how to grow in the profession and achieve good earnings.

What should I read for a newbie in copywriting?

• M. Ilyakhov, L. Sarycheva “Write, shorten. How to create strong text
• D. Shardakov “Copywriting from scratch”
• D. Kaplunov “Content, marketing and rock and roll”, “Copywriting of mass destruction”, “Neurocopywriting”
• P. Panda “Copywriter, grow up”
• D. Kot “Copywriting. How not to eat a dog
• N. Kononov “Author, scissors, paper”
• E. Slobodyanyuk “Handbook copywriter”
• I. Pereverzev “How to turn letters into money? What is copywriting?
• S. Karepina “We write convincingly. My own copywriter

Step 3 Basic copywriting course

There are training programs for beginner copywriters that provide starting knowledge and skills. They are held both online and offline in the format of training, courses, and seminars. During their passage, students are given homework assignments, which are then checked by the mentor, and if necessary, work on the mistakes is carried out. Training allows you to answer the question of how to become a good copywriter, write good texts, get only the most necessary information and consolidate it in practice. Undoubtedly, the completed course gives an advantage over the same beginners, but not over masters with vast experience. But this step is not mandatory at all – you can skip it, independently finding answers to questions and gaining experience already in the process.

Step 4 Overview of copywriting exchanges

There are many copywriting exchanges where customers and performers register. Through these services, the contractor receives orders and guaranteed payment from the customer, which is guaranteed by the exchange, which receives a percentage of the order. To begin with, it is useful to study the possibilities of such exchanges – the interface, conditions, prices, to understand the essence of “how it all works.” Moreover, at first it is quite difficult to search for orders on your own, without really understanding the principles of work. Each site for copywriters offers its own rules (rates, conditions for accessing orders, the amount and currency of the minimum withdrawal, etc.). You can register on several services at once, or on one and start working.

The most popular copywriting exchanges today:

• Etxt
• advego
• Text.ru
• TextSale
• Turbotex

• ContentMonster

• CopyLancer
• Miratext

How to get started as a copywriter

So, you have carefully studied the theory, registered on the exchange for copywriters and decided to get down to business. How to get started as a copywriter?

Business card

First of all, you need to fill out your profile in your personal account – this is a business card, the “face” of the artist on the copywriting exchange. You need to make the most attractive personal description – your professional qualities, indicate your profession, and additional courses. Many customers, before deciding on the choice of an artist, study exactly the information about themselves in the profile – it is important to convince a potential client that he will receive the text that he needs from you.

First orders for writing texts

After filling out the profile, you can start searching for the first orders. To begin with, it is better to choose well-known topics for writing texts that will not be difficult to reveal, and if necessary, quickly find reliable information. Or topics for texts that are interesting and there is a great desire to understand the details and write an excellent article. The tasks at the first stage are to try the theory of copywriting in practice, “get your hand in writing texts” and develop a portfolio. Therefore, the first orders can be inexpensive. It is better to focus not on the cost of writing, but on a familiar topic and loyal customer requirements.

Copywriting portfolio development

The main goal of a copywriter is to collect a good portfolio: this is the best confirmation of professional skills. After the first orders for writing texts are successfully completed, you need to select the most successful ones and place them in the portfolio in the form of text or a link to the resource on which they are published. As a rule, before this, it is necessary to obtain permission from the customer to demonstrate the work. The more work a novice copywriter has in stock, the better. It’s great if they are on different topics and written in different styles.

Search for orders for writing texts

With the fulfillment of each new order for writing texts, experience, speed and understanding of the intricacies of the work will grow, and with it, the skills and abilities of a copywriter. Over time, having mastered and improved skills, you can move on to more expensive orders. You can search for orders both on exchanges and on your own – in thematic communities, forums, groups, post ads on job search sites, write directly to site owners that you can write good texts for them.

Tips for newbie copywriters

After a copywriter is trained and gets to work, he is faced with many pitfalls and a lot of new information. A few tips for beginner copywriters will help you navigate and understand how to work effectively and develop in your chosen business:

1. Professional training (books, courses, training information on various resources) is best combined with practice. Firstly, the theory is better absorbed in practice, and secondly, you can simultaneously start earning, albeit small money, a reputation.
2. Get ready for the fact that the first time there will be no good earnings. As in any other profession, you first need to work for experience, which will then work for you.
3. The main condition for the professional growth of a copywriter is experience and experience again. Skill will increase with the number of completed orders for writing texts, but not of the same type, but with different requirements.
4. Don’t be afraid to try and learn something new. So you will quickly understand what you are doing better and what needs to be tightened up. Well, what is great is to hone and improve. Subsequently, you can specialize in a narrow topic or activity, but be a real pro in it.
5. Earn a good rating. Each exchange has an internal efficiency of the performer, calculated in points – it grows to depend on the number of completed orders for writing texts, and their cost. Rating or reputation is an indicator of experience, and many potential customers are guided by these figures. In order to raise the rating in a short time, you need to fulfill as many orders for writing texts as possible without breaking deadlines.
6. Raise your rates gradually. One of the conditions for successful work is to increase the prices for their writing services: from minimal to higher. This should be done gradually, with the growth of skill, rating, and portfolio filling – to announce new prices or look for more expensive customers.
7. Sell ​​your articles. Some exchanges have article stores where you can post your work for sale, setting the price yourself (Etxt, Text.ru, TextSale, Advego). The advantage of the store is that you can write at any time, on any topic, filling the time free from orders. The downside is the expectation of buyers, depending on the subject, the price may have to be set lower due to great competition.
8. Look for regular customers. The ideal option is “dear” customers who constantly provide work. To find one or more of these employers, monitor the text writing order feed more often, advertise on exchanges, submit ads yourself, offering copywriting services.