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How to Become a Copywriter_AshlynWrites_FeatureImage

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Date:
August 5, 2022

Author:
Ashlyn Carter

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Hey! Ashlyn here, OG copywriter for creatives—reporting for duty. 

Let's get you a message so tight you can bounce a quarter off of it. Around here, we serve up science-based storytelling strategies the creative set.  Even while raking in more than 1.26M in agency work since I've been at it, I firmly believe working from a place of rest (not hustle) IS possible—and I want the same for you. Words matter. Best be sure they work (and oui, with math) ... and know how to party while they're at it. 

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Reading time: 7 min.

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It’s one of the questions I get asked ALL.THE.TIME: “Ashlyn, how do I become a freelance copywriter?” And, while there’s no one process on how to be a copywriter, there are some principles I’ve found that can help you carve out your own successes—after honing your actual skills as a writer, that is. 

How to Become a Copywriter_AshlynWrites_Pinnable

Whether you already have your own copywriting business or want to get paid as a writer with a steady stream of clients, I’m diving into some behind-the-scenes of my own business and my journey starting out as a freelance copywriter today.

I’ve built a half-million dollar copywriting business and brought in more than 7 figures in revenue using these strategies, and I’m going to use myself as a bit of a case study to show you the actual, tactical steps you need to take in order to guarantee business as a paid copywriter.

Alright, now step away from the freelance copywriting mills and marketplaces—here we go!



The most important principle for success with freelance copywriting? Niches.

We’re going to start right at the beginning of my business. I can remember exactly where I was — turning onto Piedmont Street in Atlanta — when I was listening to a business podcast, and the speaker said the most successful businesses work with very specific clients. 

Now, I gave him a little mental pat-pat on the head and thought to myself: “That’s cute, but I’m doing pretty good writing for anyone and everyone who’ll cut me a check.”

TL:DR — he was right: the more I niched down, the more my business grew. 

Nowadays, niching down is the first thing I tell students in my courses and clients who hire me for strategy … and now, YOU. 

You want to make sure that when people land on your website they know exactly who you write for and who you don’t. Take a dose of your own medicine — as a marketing writer, this is the kind of stuff you know is true, flip that around and shine the mirror on yourself. 

Are you being clear about what you write? Can people easily find you on Google? Pinterest? Can you clearly state what you write and who you write it for? If not, it’s time to start brainstorming, my friend! 

Here’s a quick reason WHY I think niching is so important: 

I recently asked on my Instagram Stories for writers to raise their hands and tell me who they were so I could build a list of people to recommend to clients who inquire about services I don’t provide. I can’t tell you how vague some of the responses were!

Bud, if you’re telling me you write content and sales copy and website copy and emails, and you’re pretty much serving three or more different industries—that’s not serving you. Instead, the responses that got me really excited? The ones I can actually use to recommend out? They were specific. 

I was all emoji-heart-eyes over messages that read like: 

“I write blogs and submissions for wedding photographers,” 

“social media copy for beauty brands” 

“Amazon listings and Amazon brand content.” 

True story: Those are 3 writers who actually responded to my post. (Shoutout to my ladies if you’re reading this.)

So how can you be the go-to guy or girl to solve a specific problem? 

Like so many things in life, just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Just because we could write #AllTheThings doesn’t mean we should. 

When it comes to types of copywriters and entrepreneurship in general, I truly believe you’ll get much further by being a specialist, not a generalist. 

I recommend creating a horizontal niche first. Decide what type of copy you want to write that reaches a wide array of individuals, regardless of industry. 

There are SO many types of copywriting and writing needs — Do you want to work in direct mail? Print copy? Website copy? Ad copy? Email copy? You get the idea. 

Again, to use my business as an example, we focus on a few specific things. I’m JUST interested in conversion copy —brand messaging, website copy, email copy, and launch copy needs (ads, funnels, sales pages, landing pages).

There are a lot of things I don’t write, like content marketing pieces, no script writing, and I never touch social media copy—aside from ads for launches.

How to Build a Copywriting Business_AshlynWrites_TimUrbanQuote

Now choose your audience

After you pick a horizontal niche, choose a vertical niche, serving a specific audience and their set of needs. 

This is where I see a lot of copywriters and entrepreneurs resist niching down. I’ll concede, you don’t have to do this to be successful, I’m just telling you pretty much what I say when people ask how I grew so fast. Become the go-to girl for a specific group of people. (My Day 1 for this biz was in 2016.)

For example, I picked creative entrepreneurs (which typically includes creative types like artists, photographers, designers, makers, wedding pros, and visually-obsessed small business owners). I always say come on in…these are my kinda people. 

Though my professional background is in agency and corporate marketing for industries like airlines, banking, and restaurants, I did wedding calligraphy on the side for years for fun. I knew what it was like to book and work with brides. I knew what it was like to create art and try to sell it. I know what it’s like to have to sell the pretty and market in a visually-driven marketplace. So when it came to niching, I knew that market well. 

Find the “you-sized” hole in the market, and go fill it. 

Be okay with not working for everyone. I know it’s hard, I’ve resisted niching, too — I didn’t even want to say I write launch copy, because I felt that was too specific! And, yes, I did fear that the market would run dry if I niched down too far. 

Guess what? It hasn’t yet.


“Obsess over figuring out the funnest, most exciting, most natural shape of yourself as a writer and start doing that. There are a LOT of people on the internet … so even if only one in every thousand of them happens to match that, that amounts to over a million people who will absolutely love what you’re doing.” – Tim Urban


Don’t call yourself a freelancer

The minute I quit looking at myself as a freelance writer and more as a business owner, I became more profitable. Period. 

There are SO many writing mills out there primed and ready for freelancers to grab jobs they wouldn’t have otherwise found, but pricing in a marketplace platform becomes arbitrary, and you’re unable to explain the value you bring to the table. 

This is a mindset thing. When you see yourself as a business owner, you step into a greater responsibility of things you need to be handling—things like client experience, budget overhead and expenses, marketing and client acquisition or prospecting, managing your time, and building a brand.

Packaging and pricing your services is a heckuvalot easier here if you master this mindset shift, too. Putting together packages to service clients—written from a place of what I offer, instead of what they need—was an easier way to bundle and explain the value of all the research I put into my writing services. 

Investing in a CRM is KEY here, and I’ve turned to HoneyBook since year one in business. If you’re interested in learning how to craft a perfect proposal, head over there. (Plus, I’ve got a handful of tutorials on my Youtube channel for how I use Honeybook in my business.) 


Be your own teacher

When you’re an entrepreneur, you’ve got to be self-educating. 

What does that mean? Welp, there’s no textbook or predetermined curriculum on all this stuff! Instead, you’re gonna find yourself using a mix of direct practice combined with working through a list of recommended books or a specific educational resource (here’s one!).

A few easy tips here? 

Pick a goal, estimate time required, select your materials, set deadlines, and get to it. Adjust during the weeks as to how you’re doing. Adjust during different seasons of your life. It’ll make a difference. 

For example, over the last couple of months, practically all of my time was devoted to hiring — reviewing applications, interviews, praying, the whole 9 yards. When I got back to writing, it took me a bit longer to get back into my normal flow and get things done. 

But staying on top of your craft and investing in education can prevent readjustment periods like the one I had from becoming overwhelming. 

When it comes to selecting materials, I’ve found that though you DO need a mix of digital and online courses, it’s books that are a better rival to any online education out there. So I’d recommend starting there. 

If your heart doesn’t race reading about the basics of direct response or sales, then maybe conversion copywriting specifically isn’t the right writing business for you. There are so many types! 

(Pssst: If you want some book recommendations for your continued education, I have all my favorites here.)

It can be a little tough to set a benchmark here for learning copywriting skills, so try to get as specific as possible with a concrete level of action. Write 100 headlines every day like my friend Justin. Use the 750 words challenge online.

Whatever you do, bake it into your schedule and treat it like going to the gym. You have to keep that muscle strong. 


Niche down with your email list

Before you run off and start niching down for your biz — and deleting your freelancer accounts — I have a free checklist that explains 28 email templates you need to have for your small business. It includes a list of templates you need to have ready to operate like a professional writing business.

Grab it here and let’s roll!

 

Reading Time: 7 Minutes Reading time: 7 min. * This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission if you purchase this tool, but it will not cost you anything additional. It’s one of the questions I get asked ALL.THE.TIME: “Ashlyn, how do I become a freelance copywriter?” And, while there’s no one process on how to be […]

8/05/22

comments +

  1. Reese says:

    Thank you for this thoughtful and thorough post, Ashlyn! The action steps for finding clarity around one’s niche are helpful along with your advice about The Freelancer mindset. I had several a-ha moments!

  2. Leslie says:

    Ashlyn,

    Thank you so much for your content. I’m helping a friend with her business website and your information has been super helpful! One question I have: how would you recommend finding out what kind of niche writing you would like and/or be good at? You mentioned Skyword. But for someone who has some aptitude for writing, but no experience as a paid writer, where you you begin?

    • Hey Leslie — I think of it as a Venn Diagram. Your skill for writing needs to overlap the things you are naturally interested in and therefore skilled in communicating about. Using my business as an example: I’m a born creative, and I love all forms of art — so it’s a natural fit for me to write for other creative entrepreneurs. If you loved fitness, it would work to write for health/wellness/fitness brands (if you study the restrictions!), or if you loved technology or finance, same there. You can’t be all things to all people—so it’s best to find a niche and stay in your lane! Hope that helps! xx. Ash

  3. Kondwani says:

    Thank you for these tips Ashlyn. Website copy for creatives is what am honing into but none the less your copywriting tips are true gems..by the way… I will be looking into the book that you have recommended too.

  4. chellymc76 says:

    thank you for sharing this information!! I am working on changing some things for my business — this REALLY helped a lot!

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