I have some questions for you. 🤔
Do you want to earn a great living while working online and being your own boss?
Do you want to be free to work from anywhere and at any time?
Do you want to have a fulfilling career and live a life of childlike freedom?
Cool. Then copywriting might just be up your alley.
I’ve been copywriting for 8+ years, worked with hundreds of clients, and coached just as many students.
This has given me personal insight into what it takes to be a successful copywriter.
Here’s how to know if copywriting is right for you. 👇
1. You enjoy writing, obviously
I’m a firm believer that you should enjoy what you do everyday.
That extends from work to family, friends, and hobbies.
If you’re spending eight hours every day working on a business or career, you better damn love it!
Otherwise you’re droning alone and everything becomes the means to an end.
So, before anything, sit down and think, “Do I really love writing or am I just trying to make a fat stack of cash?”
Because, trust me. Money alone isn’t worth it.
You should already be writing every day. You should be reading books on writing.
You should be studying the best writers like Ogilvy, Halbert, Kennedy, and others.
Here’s a great video you need to watch from Gary Vaynerchuk on self awareness. It’s a skill everybody can and should develop to live a happy life.
That brings me to my next point.
2. You want to learn a high-income skill
Copywriting is deadly-effective at generating income.
Don’t believe me?
Consider for a moment that some of the world’s top copywriters generate $1,000,000 annually.
But I know what you’re thinking. “That’s unrealistic! I can’t do that.”
Nonsense.
Many writers generate $50,000–100,000 per year as you can see from the above graph.
I’ve taught students how to create this kind of income and lifestyle inside my course WiseCopy for example.
You just require the business knowledge, steps, and mentorship.
If you’re interested in earning a great living online, then copywriting is meant for you. (Check out these freelance websites to find work while you’re at it.)
Let’s be honest too. We’re in tough times. 😰
People are losing jobs, not able to make ends meet, and struggling to stay afloat.
Learning a high-income skill like copywriting empowers you to be recession proof.
I’m serious. My business is growing more than ever.
You see, being self-employed is a bit different when economic times like this happen.
You don’t just lose a job and that’s it. Rather, if set up correctly, new opportunities will constantly come to you and clients will be knocking at your door.
This is because they are looking for new ways to grow and require a professional like you to help them get there.
Watch my video on how to make money writing online to learn more.
3. You want to directly impact businesses and clients growth
Here’s the cool part about copywriting: it directly impacts a company’s bottomline.
I’ve worked with copywriting clients where I literally saved them.
Whether it was writing ads, sales letters, or rebuilding their content funnel, I was able to significantly increase their leads, revenue, and other KPIs.
Copywriting isn’t about writing a few words and cashing fat cheques (Okay, that’s a part of it but stay with me.)
You seriously have the ability to change the direction of a client’s business forever.
But here’s the thing…
Sales copy alone won’t always do the trick.
For instance, I also offer SEO, marketing consulting, among other services to my clients for a full stack experience.
Understanding these practices along with lead generation, funnels, and others allows me to be a triple threat.
I can boost their rankings, conversions, inbound leads; you name it.
That’s why I recommend studying other areas of business and marketing because it’s the secondary skills that often lend to generating ROI for clients.
4. You’re willing to hustle and put in the sweat equity
Hey, I’m not here to tell you it’s easy.
Far from it.
I’ve been copywriting and growing online businesses for 8+ years.
I can tell you that it requires a lot of hard work, patience, failing, and learning.
Hence why I summarize my findings and strategies in my courses like WiseCopy and Sell Like Hell.
It’s not a conscience that the average age of a successful startup founder is 45!
Yeah, seriously.
Don’t kick yourself if you’re young and don’t know what you want to do yet or haven’t found a profitable path.
It’s also a proven fact that it takes up to 10,000 hours to master any skill.
I’m not going to B.S. you and claim you won’t make progress or see results before then, of course you will!
However, don’t expect to create a six-figure business or become a widely successful writer overnight.
You need to be patient. Enjoy the journey and every step of the process.
There might be 1,000 steps taking you to where you’d like to be but the only step that matters is the one you’re at now. 🙏
5. You enjoy and understand the importance of research
The first phase of every copywriting project for me is diving into research.
That means analyzing whitepapers … case studies … product details … testimonials … and anything else I can get my hands on.
I use this information to learn about the product, client, industry, and product. That helps me write the most effective sales copy possible.
You know copywriting is for you if research and analysis are fun.
There’s something about having papers and reports sprawled across my desk like a private detective that’s too cool for words.
Enroll in my free copywriting masterclass to learn more about how to research projects effectively.
6. You can harness emotion and put it into words
Copywriting is sales in written form.
That means you need to be able to capture customers’ emotions.
…Know what makes them tick.
…What keeps them up at night.
After all, people don’t buy things logically or rationally. The complete opposite, actually—they purchase products emotionally.
Think about it.
If a consumer wants to buy something, it’s probably because they are experiencing a problem and need it solved. That is going to have experiences, situations, and emotions attached to it.
Hence why talented copywriters are naturally empathetic or can learn how to be so. Writers must be able to step into the customer’s shoes and see the world from their lens.
Being able to connect with the customer’s emotions, situation, and pain points allows you to create advertisements that harmonize with them.
7. You love learning and reading
You’re never too good to keep learning.
Heck, I read every single day, watch YouTube videos, listen to podcasts, and invest in courses. Copycademy is a great choice.
There’s always something you don’t know and someone that does.
Firstly, go ahead and read the staple copywriting books. If you’ve read them, read them again. There will be strategies and theories you missed or didn’t resonate with you originally.
Here are some of my personal recommendations:
- The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy
- The Boron Letters by Gary Halbert
- Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy
- Confessions of an Advertising Man by David Ogilvy
- Breakthrough Advertising by Eugene Schwartz
- Breakthrough Copywriting by David Garfinkel
- The Copywriter’s Handbook by Bob Bly
- The Adweek’s Copywriter’s Handbook by Joseph Sugarman
Make sure to apply what you learn.
Don’t simply read the books and kick your feet up. Apply the techniques and ideas to current or mock projects.
That’s the real way to learn.
Secondly, indulge in some YouTube channels. You can watch videos on copywriting, making money writing, and similar topics.
A few of my favorite channels are:
Podcasts are great. Check out my copywriting and marketing podcast if you need new audio content. 👇
They’re great because you can listen to them while working, hitting the gym, commuting, etc.
I once read a book called The Millionaire Fastlane and it had the principle of mobile university.
This meant to always use downtime for learning through audiobooks and podcasts.
For example, think about the amount of hours you spend driving, walking, and so on every year.
Now imagine if you were educating yourself during these times instead of l listening to music or doing nothing.
You could have Ph. D. knowledge on copywriting!
Last but not least, don’t be afraid to invest in copywriting courses. These compress years to decades of knowledge into weeks.
Check out my courses to learn about creating a profitable writing business, learning the secrets of copywriting, and more.
Courses are also great because they can include free mentorship and critique like mine. This helps you quickly develop your skills and fast-track to success.
Final thoughts on how to know if copywriting is right for you
You may have thought, “Is copywriting for me?” at some point.
Let’s recap on what I touched on in this article to determine that.
Firstly, do you love writing? No, I mean really love it.
You do it every day … can’t stop thinking about it … enjoyed it since childhood.
Secondly, are you serious about increasing your income and learning a profitable lifelong skill?
Copywriting can easily land you a high-paying career or be built into a great business.
It’s also a good sign if you’re passionate about helping others and specifically other companies. You will have a direct impact on sales, conversions, and other KPIs.
Copywriters know that it also takes hard work no matter what. Sure, reading, courses, and mentorship will help but you need to roll up your sleeves either way.
Being a non-stop learner is also critical. You must be willing to constantly pick up new books, videos, podcasts, and courses to sharpen the axe.
Finally, if you can research like a pro and harness the power of emotion, copywriting is for you.
Reach out to me if you need copywriting services or check out my courses to learn more about writing online.
