Tuesday, December 23, 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!

Freelancers also control every aspect of copywriting. They must effectively sell themselves, meet deadlines, and properly manage their resources and time. They must also learn about their audiences, so many freelancer copywriters do extensive research into their target audience in order to be effective. All this control also means more responsibility, but it's well worth it when you consider all the benefits freelancing offers.

BECOMING A FREELANCE COPYWRITER

There are as many copywriters as there are markets. Some copywriters specialize into a small market like Search Engine Optimization (SEO) copywriting, while others generalize their abilities and write for many different areas of the market.

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.

Here are few ideas on how to get started as a freelancer:

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. If you lack any real experience as a copywriter, you may want to consider doing some work "pro bono." This will give you some helpful experience and help you get a client base for when you start charging for your work.

3. Look into coaching courses. Many successful freelance copywriters offer coaching courses that teach others on how to become a successful copywriter. They also give you first hand experience with a copywriter, which is a valuable resource.

4. Constantly hunt for work. Since there are many copywriters out there, you must look for work constantly in order to stay on top of things. You should keep an eye out for local businesses that may need help with their advertising and you should join freelance Internet marketplaces.

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. - 15634

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