As someone who has been in the copywriting business for a little over seven years now, I’ve picked up some valuable lessons and endured challenging hurdles along my journey, and the job is far from finished. Because of the internet and shows like Mad Men, copywriting has become much more widespread for those looking to get into marketing but are unsure of what lane to pursue. I’ve also had people ask me how to get into professional copywriting and how I got started as a once 21-year-old college grad with no experience and no portfolio.
Without sounding like a gatekeeper (can’t stand those types) copywriting is not for everyone. I’ve been seeing a lot of Tik Toks and blogs lately about how anyone can make extra money writing copy on the side like it’s just that simple. Sorry to burst your bubble, but it’s not. Like anything else, copywriting requires hard work and diligence with just a bit of natural talent. But most importantly, you must be serious about it. There are days that are going to frustrate you and make you want to bang your head against your keyboard, and trust me, those come around more often than the ones when the words fly out and it all sounds like sweet music.
But if you are serious about getting into copywriting and really developing your craft, I’m going to do you a solid. I’ll tell you how I got into copywriting along with three tips to get you started and things to look out for along your travels.
If you had asked the college freshman version of myself what I wanted to be when I graduated, copywriter wouldn’t even have been in my top 100. That’s because I didn’t know the profession even existed. As a first-year marketing student, I knew nothing about the field other than I found the idea of making commercials cool.
Of course, I understood the four P’s and whatnot, but marketing is such a macro concept, it took my entire undergrad before finally landing on marketing communications. Not like getting a grasp on that was any easier. Good MarCom moves like a well-oiled machine, only working if all the cogs are moving in sync with one another. That leads me to my first tip.
Tip #1: Learn everything you can about marketing as a whole
Copywriting is a function of marketing, which means whatever you’re writing only works if it serves a marketing purpose. At the end of the day, you must be promoting something, whether it be a business, product, or just some good advice (i.e., this post). It’s also important to have at least a basic understanding of every other function as well.
No one is saying be an expert (though it wouldn’t hurt) but familiarize yourself with the responsibilities of project managers, creative directors, designers, UX architects, and any other role related to your work. Once you really get writing, these are the people who are going to be reaching out to you for work, and it’s best to know what they’re jobs are so that you can effectively do yours.
For me, I’m thankful for my time on my university’s ad team as this not only introduced me to copywriting but showed me who’d I be working with as a writer. It also taught me my toughest lesson and probably my most valuable tip.
Tip # 2: Prepare for criticism…and lots of it
The life of a writer is a life of constant criticism from every direction. It’d be easy for me to say “don’t take it personal” but how could I? Besides, you’ve worked hard to pull ideas from the dark recesses of your mind and put them on paper. Not everyone can do what you do, and they should be appreciative of your efforts if not eternally grateful. But that’s not how life works.
As you start writing, the edits, comments, and critiques are going to come in, and you’re going to have to take them in stride. Some notes might be harsher than others and you need to ready yourself for that. Even the greatest writers have editors.
This isn’t the movies where you can storm out of a boardroom because a client didn’t like your work. There’s a thin line between confidence and arrogance. It’s okay to think your work is good, and you should, but remember that it can always be better. Be open to the thoughts and opinions of others, especially when you’re starting out. It just might be what you need to get the best work possible.
So, after struggling on ad team and eventually leaving for personal reasons, I found myself graduating with still no clue of what I really wanted to do. I floated for a few months, going on interviews for various positions until boredom started to set in. And so, I started writing for myself on things that interested me.
I made a blog, showcasing that I had the ability to communicate ideas and creating something of a portfolio. Then I started writing scripts, nothing Hollywood worthy, but again translating what was going on in my head into words. And this was all while working as an unpaid intern under the looming threat of student debt repayment. This leads me to my final tip to getting started as a copywriter.
Tip #3: Write like someone’s paying you even if no one is
It might sound generic but write as if you’re a professional even if you’re not. I remember reading movie scripts and music reviews and attempting to emulate their structure in a voice and style of my own. In my mind, I was Roger Ebert when I wrote a movie review, Quentin Tarantino when I wrote a script, and Don Draper when I wrote copy.
Remember what I said about confidence and arrogance. Believe your writing is good but can be better. Especially starting off, jobs like the see the potential and raw talent. They want you to be their discovery, but to do that you got to give them something worth showing off.
Your portfolio is your professional currency. The more jobs you work, the more it’ll expand, but in the beginning, start small. Write a blog a day or copy for imaginary ads. It doesn’t matter what you’re writing, just that you’re getting it done. It’s the only way you’ll get better and before long an opportunity or two will be at your door just like the one that knocked on mine.
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