Projects, Rates, and Daily Life as a Copywriter
“Copywriter”… If you’re here, maybe you’re wondering what copywriters do?
Maybe you came across the term in a Facebook ad because the algorithms know that you’re looking for a career change or work from home situation. Or maybe you’re like me and figured out that you were actually already copywriting without knowing it was a “thing.”
Because, funny story… I was already a freelance copywriter before I realized it. Years ago, an editor introduced me to the word. And from that moment, everything changed.
I needed to know all about this world of copywriting and the potential there was for me as a freelancer.
Everything you need to know about what copywriters do
So what do copywriters do? In a nutshell: We sell things.
But it’s more than that.
Copywriters attract people → to products, businesses, brands, and ideas.
They inspire action → follow, like, subscribe, make a purchase, book a call, change your life, do the thing.
And copywriters create emotional reactions in human beings… I know that sounds scary, but it’s actually really cool. And it’s definitely not a skill to take lightly.
But isn’t that just marketing?
Yes, copywriting is a specific area within marketing. But that’s not all it is.
Not every good marketer is going to be a good copywriter. On the other hand, good copywriters have a strong understanding of marketing principles.
Copywriters need to have an understanding of multiple areas of discipline.
- Research and data analysis
- Buyers psychology
- Decision making
- Sales training
- Brand messaging
- And so much more!
A copywriter is like wrapping all of these skills up into one superpowered person who knows the exact words to say in order to drive sales (or actions) for a brand.
What kind of projects do copywriters do?
Copywriters can take on all kinds of projects. It depends on who you’re talking to, their interests, their experience, and their skill level.
Some copywriters won’t touch social media content. Others are all about it.
Some copywriters only want to write long-form content, like sales pages and email marketing campaigns. Others couldn’t be paid enough to write a few-thousand word sales page.
Other copywriting projects include:
- Brand messaging and brand strategy
- Website copywriting
- Email campaigns
- Product descriptions
- Blog content
- Funnel copywriting
- Sales video scripts
- Print marketing materials
Most copywriters who are solopreneurs or freelancers stick to just writing the above. Others who have a larger capacity (or maybe a team) venture into management, implementation, and more.
For example, you could just write the sales funnel copy. Or maybe you have a designer you collaborate with and the overall strategic understanding and capacity to also build the funnel for your client. That’s a value-add some use to differentiate their services from other copywriters.
What does a copywriter do on a daily basis?
If you’re thinking about a career change to become a copywriter, you might be wondering: What does a copywriter do on a daily basis?
That depends on how you set up your freelance business. Are you hoping to be a solopreneur and stick to writing copy? You can probably fill your time with billable client work and do mostly that. There will be some business-related activities like marketing and admin involved, but you can keep this minimal.
Maybe you want to build an agency and offer more of the management and implementation services as well—then your days will look a lot different.
In the beginning, my days were full of writing client words. From the moment I clocked in, I was writing, outlining, researching, editing, or interviewing clients. I wrote every single day of the week.
These days, things look a lot different. I spend more of my time running the business—leading the team, meeting with clients, strategizing next steps—than I do writing. It’s a different kind of lifestyle, but this is how I wanted to grow my copywriting business.
What’s the difference between what copywriters do and what content writers do?
Copywriters are typically focused on any words that are directly related to sales. Anything that’s going to drive an action.
Content writers are focused on building relationships. They’re storytellers first, but not salespeople. They might educate, inspire, and connect with the reader… But there’s no real pitch. It’s all about organic content creation.
Copywriters can educate, inspire, and connect too. They can tell stories just like content writers… But it’s with the goal of the sale as an extra layer.
As a copywriter, there are so many possibilities.
Every day, I’m so thankful that I chose to go in this direction years ago—that I chose to start freelancing as a copywriter. My life has changed entirely from when I first started, and my business has grown in ways that I couldn’t even imagine at first.
How can you get started? There’s tons of ways! This blog is a valuable resource. You could also hop on freelancer platforms like Fiverr and Upwork, but I never recommend doing that. These channels breed low rates and not-so-great clients.
If you learn how to sell your services well, you could make upwards of $2k per day as a copywriter.
While this all might sound pretty great, I get that it can be overwhelming when you’re first starting out. That’s why I created my free course, 4 Steps to Profit. This course teaches you how to get started setting goals for and positioning your freelance business, so you can sell your services.
