Angela Booth's Writing Blog

Copywriting Tips - Know the Product, Make Sales

Copywriting is sales, so to write copy which sells, you must know your product. Discover four tips which make writing copy easy in this article in Seven Days Copywriting.

Boost your copywriting income

Want to make great money as a copywriter? Get into the newsletter writing business. Custom newsletter copywriting demands both writing skill, and public relations flair.

Although many companies hire public relations firms to produce their own  newsletters, there's plenty of room for freelance copywriters on long term contracts.

Read the rest of the article on Fab Freelance Writing Blog.

Make Money Copywriting: Three Tips for Beginning Copywriters

Copywriting is a highly lucrative career; essentially, it involves writing promotional and general marketing materials for businesses. In this article, we'll discuss three tips which will help you to begin copywriting.

There's no formal training for copywriters. Learning copywriting is very much a matter of experience and practice.

I started my copywriting career by accident several decades ago when I discovered that newspaper display advertising was expensive, and that press releases were not only free, but resulted in great publicity. A little creativity and ingenuity not only won free advertising, but also led to a surge of customers for the business.

The initial editorial attention - newspaper stories - brought the business credibility and even more publicity from other media.

So I learned the benefits and power of copywriting in helping a business to grow. Other businesses asked me to write copy for them, and I began a self-education process in copywriting which continues. A copywriter is always learning new skills and tricks of the trade.

Here are three tips which will help you to begin copywriting.

1. Get a copywriting mentor

The best way to learn copywriting is with the help of a mentor. A mentor can help you not only to learn the basics of writing copy, but will also help you to learn to get clients, work with them, and keep them happy.

The usual way of finding a mentor is to get hired by an advertising agency, and to learn copywriting from the ground up, so to speak. By seeing how copywriters write, you'll develop your own skills.

With the growth of the online world, you can find copywriting mentors online. There are many courses you can take, and some professional copywriters offer mentoring programs. Although these programs may seem expensive, when you consider that they lead to a lucrative career, they're a great investment in yourself and your future.

2. Write samples until you get hired

All writing is both a craft, and a skill. As with any craft, you learn by doing. Initially, the copy you write will be exercises you've devised for yourself, or which someone has given you.

Doing exercises is vital. Not only do the exercises help you to build your skills, but your best exercises will form part of your copywriting portfolio, until you have copy which you've written for others.

Humble though they may be, your copywriting exercises have a powerful effect on your future.

3. Develop a copywriting Web site

My final tip is for you to develop your own Web site, from which you can sell your copywriting services.

A Web site saves you a lot of time and money. Years ago, clients' initial enquiries came to me via the phone. I'd talk to the prospective client, assess his needs, and would then send him my portfolio, which formed a large paper package. I spent a lot of time on the phone, and a lot of money sending clients packages.

A Web site cuts down on the time you spend on the phone. Clients can visit your site, view your portfolio, and can self-select themselves as potential clients. By the time they contact you, nowadays via email, they already know a lot about you and what you can do for them.

So there you have it: three tips which will help you to begin your copywriting career. Welcome to the world of copywriting! :-)

Resources

My copywriting ebook course, Seven Days To Easy Money: Copywriting Success, has been helping new copywriters to launch great careers for five years.

Over that time, I've often been asked to turn the ebook into a full coaching class, so now I have., with the launch of “Copywriting Master Class - Ten Weeks to Copywriting Genius”. This class takes you from beginner to copywriting pro.

Which solution is for you? That depends on how comfortable you are working independently. If you want ongoing motivation, instruction and inspiration; take the class. I look forward to writing with you. :-)

Technorati Tags: copywriting

Copywriting Success - offer several different services

If you've decided to start a copywriting services business, you'll be wondering what kinds of services you can offer your clients.

The services you can offer include writing many different forms of copy, depending on your clients' needs. Because your copy will directly impact your clients' cash flow, you can charge highly for your services.

Although there are many different kinds of copywriting services you can offer, let's look at four kinds:

1. Promotional copy - advertising

Promotional copywriting includes all forms of advertising, as well as other marketing collateral for companies large and small.

So what kinds of advertising could you write? You can write everything from tiny classified ads to 100-page product manuals. If you have a flair for performance writing, consider offering radio and televisions scripts.

2. Lucrative direct response: you're a sales person in words

Direct response means exactly what it says: your words - in a sales letter, whether online or offline - will sell a product or service. Your words must sell. This is specialized copywriting, and highly lucrative, so many copywriters specialize in direct response.

You can practice your direct response copywriting skills writing for small local firms. As your skills grow, you will be hired by larger companies.

3. Writing copy for the Web world - endless opportunities

Web copywriting involves many different forms of copywriting, from simple text ads, to entire Web sites. As a Web copywriter, you'll be tasked with writing material like blogs and ezines, and well as all forms of product advertising.

4. Public Relations copywriting: you're a spin doctor

Public relations copywriters write material like company backgrounders, bios of company principals, and of course press campaigns. A public relations campaign for a company's new offering can take months, so many PR copywriters are on retainer.

Many PR copywriters are specializing in Web promotion, writing press releases and other promotional material for companies. Again, these PR copywriters are usually on retainer, under a yearly contracts.

There are many different forms of copywriting services you can offer. As you progress in your copywriting career, you'll specialize in different forms of copywriting at different times. Copywriting is an easy way to add to your writing income.

Love To Write? You Can Get Started Making A Six-Figure Income As A Copywriter Within ONE Week With This Copywriting Course

Whether you're new to copywriting, or are an experienced pro, you'll LOVE Seven Days To Easy Money: Copywriting Success because it's so easy. It's a complete copywriting course that builds a copywriting services business for you.

Just follow step by step to launch your own successful freelance copywriting business in SEVEN days. Others have done it, and are doing it right now.

Technorati Tags: copywriting

From beginning copywriter to pro: Copywriting Master Class

Enjoy writing? Now you can start your own copywriting services business.

My new class - “Copywriting Master Class - Ten Weeks to Copywriting Genius” takes you by the hand and turns you into a copywriting professional.

Every week, for ten weeks, you receive a new lesson and assignment, and as the weeks go on, just like magic, you'll find yourself the proud owner of a copywriting business.

The class covers copywriting for print, and for the Web, everything from advertisements to press campaigns and Web sales pages.

I created the class for everyone, not just for writers. My copywriting course, Seven Days To Easy Money: Copywriting Success, is essentially for writers. Copywriting Master Class is for everyone, even if you've never written a word for money.

Join me for ten weeks, and start a new life. It's never been a better time to be a copywriter. Every copywriter I know is booked up for months ahead, so clients are easy to come by.

Getting started as a copywriter: building a new career

I receive questions about copywriting every week, so I'm publishing a tips series for new copywriters - it's the simplest way to answer your queries.

Not only do you receive a free report, but you get a new copywriting tip each week, especially for a novice copywriters. Enjoy. :-)

Technorati Tags: copywriting

New - free report "Copywriting Confidential: How To Become A Freelance Copywriter"

Unsure whether YOU can become a freelance copywriter and earn a six-figure income? Subscribe to New Copywriter Tips and receive the 20-page "Copywriting Confidential: How To Become A Freelance Copywriter" report NOW completely free of charge.

Packed with valuable "how to" information on starting your own copywriting services business, this free report shows you how to earn while you learn to become a copywriter.

Get your free report - enjoy. :-)

Technorati Tags: copywriting

How to make money as a writer - become a copywriter

This week I've had several questions about how to make money writing. A couple of readers are in dire circumstances and they need to make money quickly using their writing skills.

I say this over and over - you can make great money as a writer, if you write what people want you to write. Become a copywriter - a commercial wordsmith. You can charge what you like, and you can earn while you learn.

There's a shortage of copywriters, and experienced copywriters are booked up for months in advance.

This is a good time to let you know that I'll soon be withdrawing my seven days copywriting course - it will no longer be available. The course is a  bargain, because you can pay for the course with your first client. The course will then be exclusively available on my new copywriting membership site.

Technorati Tags: copywriting

Copywriting roundup

I've been asked "Where did the copywriting information go?" :-)

Mostly future copywriting posts will be on my  Seven Days To Easy Money Copywriting Blog.

However, there's lots of good copywriting information here already, so here's a roundup of material:

* Freelance copywriting - how to get clients

It's easier than you think: there's so much work out there that most new copywriters build up a thriving practice within three months.

* Copywriting tip: how to fire bad clients

It happens. Don't let their problems become your problems. :-)

* Market your copywriting services with a blog

Blogging works for everyone, especially copywriters. Here's another tip - your "copywriting" blog doesn't have to be about copywriting. Make the topic of your blog news and information for the market segment you want to attract; essentially, blog about anything, and advertise your copywriting services on the blog. ALL businesses need copywriters.

* Build your copywriting practice one client at a time

Your copywriting business is built on referrals, so always be prepared to ask for them.

* Write presentations

I know several copywriters who just write presentations. Since most executives hate developing presentations, this is an excellent niche for any copywriter.

New to copywriting? Build a successful copywriting practice fast with "Seven Days To Easy Money: Copywriting Success, new 2007 edition". My ebook-course has been helping copywriters for five years - and it comes with coaching, so it's a bargain.

Web copywriting and voice overs: make your sales pages sizzle

Over the past year, I've worked on many more campaigns for the Web than I have for print; I know that this is the experience of many copywriting colleagues.

The beauty of writing Web sales pages is that you can jazz up the page with both audio and video, but you need to ensure that the media additions don't overpower the message. As with adding images to a Web page, the media additons have to support and enhance the message.

OK, you want to add audio to your Web sales page, but you don't have the recording equipment to do it. Maybe your client is happy to do it, but he isn't an experienced presenter.

You can hire a voice over artist.

Hiring a voice-over artist - how do you do it?

Hiring a voice over artist is simple: look online. Voice over talent Don Capone for example, offers samples of his voice, with both audio and video. His voice is smooth and professional: quite an asset to any sales page. He's worked for Fortune 500 companies, and has done movie trailer voices, as well as radio and TV spots and commentary.

When you hire a professional, it will lift your campaign, and result in more sales. One tip - don't use streaming audio: give the page visitors the option of listening to the audio or not.

Technorati Tags: copywriting