Even Dummies Can Copywrite

 Oh, hey?  Are you looking at me right now?

Oh wow, you are! Hi, then!  I’m Kay P, and I’m just a girl learning how to copywrite and market.  That’s right!  Copywrite, not copyright.  I know if you say them out loud, they sound exactly the same, but I am talking specifically about copywriting today.  So let's talk about it a bit more!

Copywriters are the people responsible for writing anything that you see ON a product or ABOUT a product.  Our job is to persuade the audience to want to buy whatever product we are selling.  There is no right way to be a copywriter.  i can write just like this :), and that counts as copywriting. I can also write an exceedingly detailed and well-researched paper about my product, and that counts as copywriting, too!  

Two cool examples of copywriting:

https://marketingexamples.com/creative/barilla

https://swipefile.com/funny-liquid-death-mountain-water-ad

Maybe now, you’re interested in copywriting, too, or maybe you’re just like, “Kay, why the hell would your dumbass want to be a copywriter? Especially since you went and got a degree in psychology and anthropology?” That is a fair and valid question to ask and one that I often ask myself. 

 

To preface, in college, what I wanted to be pretty much changed each academic year.  It’s hard to decide what you want to be when you’ve only worked as a cashier at the hardware store. I collected interests and majors like Pokémon because it is TOO hard to just pick one.   While I would love to be a forensic anthropologist, an archeologist, or a therapist, it would take a minimum of two more years of college for me to get any of those positions. So, besides not wanting to go back to school (because I’m broke), I can give you a few reasons I ended up going down the copywriting path:

1. I was always a decent writer in the technical sense.

2. I loved creative writing in high school (by creative writing, I mean writing fanfiction).

3. I got a certificate in digital marketing after I graduated from college.

4. You don’t need a degree in writing to get started (it does help, though).

5. Most importantly, a Word Tonic free intro popped up on Instagram, so of course, I went. 

Now listen, this is not meant to be a blog about Word Tonic, but I will say that Word Tonic has had the biggest influence on my career path.  The introduction video I signed up for was an hour long with the creator, Carolyn. NO cameras on, NO icebreakers, NO pressure.  It was simply an introduction to Carolyn’s journey as a copywriter. At the end, I signed up to join the official Word Tonic community, and then, I ended up winning the Become a Copywriter course for free.  Obviously, I can’t claim that this course has made me an amazing, famous copywriter, as I am still very much new in this career path, but I can say that Word Tonic has connected me with plenty of good copywriting resources and opportunities.  

I have been using Word Tonic to create my portfolio, but guess what the craziest part is?  All of my portfolio is this thing called spec work.  Spec work is basically like fan art for a company or just practice for copywriters.  I thought spec work was silly at first, but it is an amazing way to beef up your portfolio when no one will hire you, especially as a baby copywriter.  

But your portfolio is not the only thing you need to get hired.  You also need to network, and this is coming from someone who despises networking and putting herself out there.

 

Connect with fellow copywriters, marketers, and graphic designers on LinkedIn.  Send out a bunch of cold emails and messages offering your work for free or very cheap.  And yes, it may take a couple of months or even longer to start making a profit.  The copywriting journey is different for everybody.

Getting into the copywriting field can be difficult simply because it is so self-driven.  But at the same time, success is not guaranteed by hard work, and it also is not instantaneous, as much as I wish it could be.  All you can do is continue to put in good work every day and hope that your moment will come.

Every day, I put in at least an hour or two of extra work towards copywriting.  I’m also working two part-time jobs currently, so I can never put in as much time as I’d like to towards my copywriting journey.  I wish that I could just snap my fingers and become a successful copywriter overnight or, at the bare minimum, have a nice, beefy portfolio, long LinkedIn connection list, and JUICY, VOLUMPTIOUS CV.  Things take time, though!  Stay connected to your writing community and remember the passion for the craft that got you into this field. You got this, kings, queens, and monarchs!!!