Navigating the copywriting world can be a little overwhelming when you're getting started.
Blog articles are telling you one thing, gurus are telling you another.
Unfortunately, many of these people are giving advice to sell you something.
Whether that be a course, subscription, or group, there's usually something in it for them.
So I thought I'd help you out by giving you 5 tips I wish I knew when I first got started in copywriting, no strings attached.
1. Never Charge Per Word Or Time
The concept of charging per word or time has been popularized by freelancing sites & content writers who have never written real copy.
This was a big mistake I made when starting out.
The issue of charging per word/ time is that it doesn't incentivize results.
You end up writing extra words or taking longer to write just to get a bigger paycheck.
Both of these are bad writing habits that will come back to bite you down the line.
2. Avoid Working With Startups
Startups can be fun to work with.
However there are two issues when working with them.
The first is that owners can be extremely controlling.
The startup is their "baby" as such, and therefore they want full control of everything you write.
This can lead to micromanagement and frustrating edits.
This leads to the second problem.
Some startup owners will blame you for results even when they've edited your writing.
I've personally experienced this a few times.
Owners who've micromanaged my work to the point where results start to go downhill.
Save yourself the headache and work with brands who are already making 5 to 6 figures a month.
These brands will also be willing to pay you more.
Early in my copywriting career I was desperate to work with anyone.
I just wanted to gain experience.
As a result on several occasions I worked with brand owners I had a bad feeling about.
They were often pushy, rude, or I just got a bad vibe from them.
And every time this happened my gut feeling was correct.
They always ended up being a nightmare to work with.
If you get a bad feeling about a business owner just politely decline their offer.
While you'll lose money, no amount of money is worth your mental health.
And now you can spend the time conducting outreach to land a better client.
4. Research Will Take More Time Than Writing
A lot of new copywriters make the mistake of over-emphasizing the importance of writing and under-emphasizing the importance of research.
When you're writing, research should take up at least 50% of your time.
You need to understand who you're writing for, their pain points and how your product/ service solves it.
This process can take up more time than writing, which is another reason you should never charge per word.
5. You Don't Need To be A Top 1% Copywriter, Just Better Than Your Client
I used to think I needed to know everything about copywriting before working with a client.
But the reality is, you just need to know more than your client.
They're not expecting the next Eugeine Schwarts.
In fact, most business owners won't even know who that is.
If you can write copy that generates more revenue than their in-house team then you're the expert.
Of course, the more you bring to the table the better.
But don't think you need to know everything before you land a client.
Each job will give you the chance to learn more.
While there's always more to learn, these tips can help you avoid many of the obstacles I encountered when I first started writing.
They would have saved me many headaches, sleepless nights and bad projects.
Apply them today & quickly level up your copywriting game.
