I've written copy for over 3 years.
During that time I've made every mistake under the sun.
I've submitted work with errors.
I've failed to outperform the control.
I've worked with cheap clients.
But three years on I'm consistently hitting my most profitable months yet.
And I owe this success to 3 key lessons I learned during my first year of writing.
So, I'm going to break down these 3 lessons and how you can use them to avoid becoming another stat.
1) Set realistic expectations
Social media glamorizes copywriting.
10k+ months. 4 hour workdays. Working from anywhere in the world.
While these are achievable, they're not going to become your life overnight.
The first year as a copywriter couldn't be more different.
You'll be working with lower value clients to build up your portfolio.
Not only are these a pain to work with but they also pay you less.
You'll be working more than you would in a 9-5.
Once you've completed client work it's time to study for a few hours.
And you'll be at a home desk or co-working space most of the time.
Scaling while on the move is extremely challenging.
And working at the beach? It's an absolute nightmare.
2) Copywriting is just one piece of the puzzle
Copywriting is an extremely valuable skill and one that can be applied to every area of your life.
But it requires complementary skills if you want to be at the top of your game.
Networking
Time management
The ability to keep learning
Understanding marketing funnels
Understanding human psychology
The people at the top are consistently building their skillset.
If you're not willing to do that then copywriting probably isn't for you.
3) You need to focus on the process not the results
Most copywriters set the wrong goals.
The average goal will look something like this:
"I will land 3 clients by the end of the month."
At the end of the month they have 0 clients and then they quit.
So where are they going wrong?
Their goals are focused on a result that's out of their control.
So when they don't achieve it they become demotivated.
Here's what you should do instead.
Your goal should look something like this:
"I will send 10 cold emails, re-write 4 emails & read 10 pages of breakthrough advertising a day"
Each of these goals is in your control.
You can achieve them every day.
And when done for long enough, they will get you the desired result of 3 clients.
You're also focused on the process instead of the results.
Which will keep you motivated when things don't go your way.
These 3 lessons have kept me going every time I wanted to quit.
And hopefully, they will help you on your copywriting journey too.
Copy "don't become another stat" Mav
