This article explains the ins and outs of copywriting. What is involved in copywriting, and what exactly is copywriting? Will I make money in this field? These questions are answered in this article.

There are many would-be successful writers who miss out on great opportunities, and copywriting is just one of them. For freelance writers and even full-time job seekers, writing copy may be the perfect gig.

What is Copywriting?

Copywriting, or writing copy, is the art of marketing. Most copy is intended to sell a product of service, from diet supplements to car insurance. But with the ever-growing presence of the web, the world of copywriting has expanded. Nowadays, you can write copy for websites to boost readership or membership, ranging from attractive web content, ad writing, frequently-asked-questions pages, and entire marketing campaigns.

Copywriting can be a very rewarding profession, especially for the talented. Just like writing a novel or short story, copywriting is both challenging and exciting.

Understand Good Copy

Skilled masters of copywriting know the art of persuasion. As a copywriter, your job is to persuade and convince readers to buy a service or good. How can you tell the difference between good and bad copy?

Your copywriting career starts right in the heart of junk mail. From now on, save every piece of unsolicited mail and read them. Everything from credit card offers to subscription offers will serve as part of your research.

As you read your mail, you will begin to understand the power of writing good copy. Pay close attention to copy that really catches your attention, especially the ones that make you want to get what’s being offered. The ones that were bland and boring are also just as important. Ask yourself why it was ineffective and what your inner copywriter can do to make it better. Soon, you will know what makes good copy.

Just a word of caution – Skip the ones you have zero interest in and save them for later. You might make the mistake of calling the copy “bad”, when in fact it is excellent.

Learning is Key

When you know good copy from bad, you are half-way there. You got a taste of what the business is like, and you still want to shoot for it. This is a good place to be for anyone interested in copywriting.

Here comes the tough part. You already have the passion, and now is a great time to start learning. Read books and articles to hone your skills, and it’s a good idea to take courses in persuasive writing or copywriting. If this isn’t an option for you, keep reading your junk mail and practice writing copy. Pick a company or a product, and pretend that you were asked to write copy for them. You want to know certain things about your fake audience. How old are they, and what is their level of education? Where do they live, and what is their average income?

Be tough on yourself – critique and evaluate everything you write. It’s nice to have an honest friend who will tell you what they thought of your work. Writing pretend copy is a great way to enhance your writing skills and prepare you for the real thing.

Whatever you do, keep yourself educated through courses, books, articles, journals, and the internet. There is always a way to learn, even with a limited amount of money or time.

Open For Business

When you feel confident in your skills, start your business today! Business cards are all you need to start. It will probably cost you about $15. List yourself in free directories at Yahoo or Excite. A website is also a must-have. Through a website, you can suggest all your services and have writing examples available. You can get free web hosting almost anywhere nowadays. Many provide templates to build your site.

Market yourself to potential clients. It’s a good idea to perform free work for friends and family who owns businesses or a website of any sort. Have them spread the word about your new service. Don’t limit your potential – find every avenue for writing copy. Send emails and letters out to business owners and suggest your services. These people may have never heard of copywriting, or perhaps they didn’t know how helpful it could be for them. Make suggestions in your marketing letter that is specific to their business.

Don’t stop there – the possibilities are endless. Here is just a short list of what you can offer as a professional:

Ad writing
Sales letters
Reminder notices
Debt & late payment letters
Email marketing
eBay and auction sales writing
Web content (to draw more readers / customers)
Opening pages for websites and newsletters
Slogans
Brochures and Pamphlets

Keep learning and improving every step of the way. Good luck!

About the author:
In addition to operating the Write Spot, Helene is a freelance writer whose projects include copywriting, ad writing, and content writing for various websites. She is also in the process of writing her first genre novel. Helene is currently working on completing a B.S. in Communications and Applied Technology. Most recently, she has been awarded the position of Chief Content Manager for http://seaisle.org, which is scheduled to debut next spring.