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Professional view: who is really hiding under the guise of a copywriter? The path from beginner to pro: advice for a beginning copywriter What you need to know to work as a copywriter.

Working as a copywriter is one way to gain independence, become a creative person and start traveling. Many people have heard about people who travel and work on the Internet - approximately 10% of these people are copywriters. It’s like the modern movement of writers who don’t write one book, but instead publish thousands of articles on various topics.

What does it take to become a copywriter?

Desire is an integral and main criterion for starting work and, in principle, it is already enough, but at the same time it is better to prepare yourself in advance for a new job. This list shows what personality traits can develop while working as a copywriter, but are not mandatory a priori:

Perseverance.
Great imagination.
Confidence.
Focus.
Independence.

You will get all this as a copywriter, but not right away, because there is still a long way to become one.
Before you lower your knee to the starting line, it is necessary to determine your current level of training.

Every copywriter knows for sure that when fulfilling various orders, he operates with certain skills that are the turtles of the writing world.

The first turtle is your literacy, without which even the beginning cannot take place. You can check your level of preparation on the Gramota.Ru website, where there are special dictations that determine your level of preparation. Don’t strive to be a perfectly competent scribe, this will come with time, but you must know the basics of the Russian language.
The second turtle is your imagination, without which you will also not be able to swim far in the raging ocean of copywriting, where everyone has their own original raft, and sometimes even a ship. The fact is that the articles you write will definitely be checked for uniqueness, for example, through the Advego Plagiatus program, and if you write dryly and without imagination, then most likely your text has already been written before you. You can develop this skill in a short time if you start writing a short text every day on any proposed topic. Try to describe the object in your stories from a completely unusual side and an understanding of the essence of “fantasy” will definitely come to you.
The third turtle is your responsibility. Remember that copywriting is a job for yourself, that you will not be watched and if you do not complete the work, you will simply be refused. To improve your responsibility, you will have to thoroughly prioritize your priorities.

How to become a copywriter from scratch

The lack of any experience does not mean anything, except that you should not immediately burn all your bridges. If you work somewhere, then try to allocate a few hours a day for writing work for now, while continuing to do your job.

You have two ways to get an additional job as a copywriter:

1. Through an interview.

2. Via the Internet.

The first method is used less frequently, but is still effective. All you need to do is send a well-prepared resume to information companies and wait for a response. Most likely, your task in such work will be a certain amount of work that you will be required to complete within a given time frame.

How to become a copywriter on the Internet

An effective start can be achieved right now via the Internet. To do this, you don’t need any certificates, diplomas or other junk, just access to the network and a fresh mind. There are several variations of interaction with customers:

1. Through freelance and copywriting exchanges.

I recommend that you start by mastering the first option - this is a faster start, which, even if it doesn’t bring you much income, will definitely give you experience. There are now a lot of freelance exchanges on the Internet where orders for writers are gathering dust, but it’s better to go there as a last resort because of frequent cases of fraud.

Beginners give preference to copywriting exchanges, where through an intermediary (exchange) you will be provided with orders on various topics. The most popular exchanges: Advego, Etxt.

Direct cooperation is always more profitable, since you do not have to pay a commission to the exchange (10%) and the payment is usually much higher. But do not start looking for such employers until you have compiled a portfolio, that is, a list of works in a certain area (medicine, construction, etc.). The reason exchanges are good is that you can create a whole folder of different portfolios, providing yourself with access to different resources in the future.

How to become a copywriter in Russia

In principle, there are no special differences in employment as a copywriter in the Russian Federation or in any other country. It can be noticeable only if you send your resume straight to the company you are interested in. Otherwise, copywriting in Russia is the same as in the rest of the world. As for prices, the average price for 1000 characters ranges from 1 to 3-4 dollars.

How to become a copywriter in Ukraine

Working as a copywriter in this country is more than promising if you evaluate the average income of citizens. Products in Ukraine are cheap, as are government workers, so writing is the best alternative to fully support yourself.

Employment as a copywriter is also carried out mainly via the Internet, because in Ukrainian institutions the cost of payment is not very high and it is much more profitable and convenient to work on a copywriting exchange than in an office for the same money. As for the language, it is better for Ukrainians to learn Russian, since there are many times fewer orders in Ukrainian.

Irina Davydova

Reading time: 12 minutes

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The word “copywriter” is familiar to each of us. True, not everyone knows about its meaning, and many completely confuse copywriting (creating original texts for specific purposes to order) with copyright (the copyright symbol, known to everyone - ©). What is the essence of the work of a copywriter, is it possible to become one, and where to look for work?

Let's figure it out...

Is being a copywriter right for you – its pros and cons

Copywriters are most in demand today among owners of Internet resources and customers of unique content for the development of their websites. Although, this same work can be attributed creation of advertising articles, news, etc. .

Moreover, this work, as a rule, remote . And its popularity is growing daily, thanks to certain advantages.

Positive points:

Remote work. That is, you can write while lying on your cozy sofa or even under a palm tree on the beach. If only there was Internet access, a laptop and customers.
Free schedule. It all depends on you (and customer requirements, of course). You can work for an hour a day with tea and buns, and devote the rest of the time to relaxation, or write texts around the clock. Copywriting (if it is remote) can easily be combined with the main job, shifted to “later”, postponed for a couple of days when you urgently need to go fishing. If the order “does not work” and you have not been given clear deadlines, everything is in your hands.
Saves nerves. No one stands over your soul, your bosses don’t call you on the carpet, and your colleagues don’t gossip behind your back. Because you only have customers with whom you, in most cases, work remotely. And there is no need to think, or an arrogant boss.
There is no need for a solid diploma. And you don’t need to have any special qualities either. A desire to write, a well-spoken speech, the ability to clearly and correctly express thoughts, and literacy are enough. That is, you must be a “humanist.” It’s another matter if you get a salary job as a copywriter in any company - you will need both a diploma and your all-round talents.
Convenience for those who cannot “go” to work. For example, for people with disabilities, for students or pensioners.
The salary depends on you. If you work an hour a day, you will receive pocket money. If you work 8-9 hours a day, you can live quite decently (if, of course, your typing speed is at least at the “good” level).
Saving money. On what? First of all, on public transport and lunches. Because you don’t need to travel far - you get out of bed and are already at work. And instead of snacks - a full meal from the refrigerator. You're at home.
Save time. On average, every statistical Russian takes 1-1.5 hours to get to work there and the same amount back. This is if there are no traffic jams. That is, 2-3 (or even 4) hours of life are wasted. By working from home, you spend that time improving your well-being.
Development and expansion of horizons. As a rule, a copywriter receives orders in a variety of areas of life - from psychology and sports to medicine and mechanical engineering. Of course, you have a choice - what to write and what orders to take, but that comes later - when it’s not you looking for customers, but them looking for you. In the meantime, you are a beginner - you grab onto any job, sometimes studying areas of life that you didn’t even know about. Yes, here your personal “rating” is also of great importance. The more competent, responsible and efficient you are, the more you are appreciated.
If you don’t want to look for orders and write what they require, you can write what you like. And then put these texts up for sale on the appropriate exchanges. But it’s not a fact that they will be bought. Analyze demand and only then prepare offers.

Flaws

We've released a new book, Social Media Content Marketing: How to Get Inside Your Followers' Heads and Make Them Fall in Love with Your Brand.

Often on the Internet you can find this profession in the list of easy and quick earnings for everyone. This is true if we are talking about part-time work with low pay. In fact, becoming a sought-after specialist is not so easy. This type of work is not suitable for everyone.

It requires a lot of commitment, constant learning and dedication. How do you know if you can learn this skill? We invite you to read our article to get an idea of what awaits you and take the first steps in the chosen direction.

Where to start as a novice copywriter

The first thing to do is to get rid of the main illusion of beginners that this is a creative profession. In most cases this is not true. Especially at the beginning of your career. It is important to have, rather, not literary talent, but logical thinking. Other skills are honed through practice.

Second, do not agree to jobs that require you to make some kind of contribution. This is a lie. You can apply for office vacancies or collaborate with companies remotely. The second option is more suitable for beginners, since it will be difficult to find a web studio that will hire you without experience. If you don't know anything, you'll dive into SEO copywriting first. These are texts for sites in which certain words are entered. They are called keys. Thanks to them, people find the article in search.

It goes something like this. Imagine that you are writing a description of a sofa for a furniture company. You will be asked to add phrases to it: “buy a corner sofa”, “book sofa Moscow”. When a person looking for such a model enters one of the phrases into Google, he will be taken to the online store on a page with the product he needs.

You will write such articles according to technical specifications (TOR). It specifies all the requirements that must be met. Where to look for such customers?

Where to start as a novice copywriter: searching for orders

You can find a job anywhere. But the easiest way for beginners is to register on exchanges. They have a lot of offers even for people without experience. The downside is low prices. From 20 to 50/70 rubles per thousand characters. They also offer more expensive offers, but they are for regular performers or those who have already received a rating. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

You register in the system. In some cases, you need to pass a test on your knowledge of the rules of the Russian language.
Fill out information about yourself in detail. This is important because customers pay attention to the profile.
Find an interesting order, carefully read the terms, leave a response and wait for the author to choose the artist he likes.
If this is you, you will receive a notification. The terms and cost are indicated in the statement of work, there is a form of communication with the administration of the exchange and with the person for whom you are writing.

The most famous sites

Etxt. A large number of tasks for people with any level of knowledge.
Text.ru. There are also tasks that are suitable for beginners.
Advego. It is possible to immediately start applying for a suitable proposal using the “Get Started” button (there is no need to wait for the application to be approved).
Contentmonster. There is a blog for beginners, where the basic concepts and rules of copywriting are described in detail.
Textbroker. The minimum order value is 75/1,000 characters. Maximum – 750/1,000. Impeccable literacy and portfolio required.

There are several other freelance sites that often post tasks for web writers.

We advise you to leave many applications, as not all of them will receive a response. Write a competent, short, but succinct message. Please read the proposed terms and conditions carefully. Write about why you are interested in this proposal (for example, you are familiar with the topic), the reasons why you should be chosen.

Don't stay too long on low earnings. Consider the first month as an internship. Once you are comfortable with the basic concepts, get good feedback, start moving on and looking for new orders outside the exchange. After all, your goal is to achieve success, which means higher qualifications and income.

Useful tips for beginners

Set up your workspace and remove all distractions. You should be comfortable.
Take breaks and days off. At first, enthusiasm helps you complete tasks 10-12 hours a day. You can’t do this – burnout will occur.
From the very beginning, read professional literature and thematic sites.

List of sources

"Webwriter's Handbook". Anastasia Orlovskaya.
Blog of the Textbroker exchange by Daniil Shardakov.
"Copywriter's Handbook." Elina Slobodyanyuk.
“SEO copywriting. A practical guide to creating the right texts." Kirill Khrapovitsky.

How to become a good, successful copywriter

At this stage, it is important to learn how to create other types of texts and find customers on your own. By this time, you will already have reviews and some examples of work on the stock exchange. Include all this in your resume. If for some reason you are unhappy with the quality of those articles, write new ones. You can fill out your portfolio in several other ways:

Come up with a project, a task and complete it. Design the page in PDF or in the free designer. For example, in Tilda.
Start blogging. An account or community on any social network will do.
Publish on other sites for free or for a small price. Find a resource with topics that interest you and offer your services.
Find a mentor. This could be a famous copywriter or web studio.

How to learn to write good articles

Daily practice is important. Create an account on Twitter or any other social network and write at least a small post to it every day. Learn to cut out unnecessary things and express thoughts clearly. The Glavred service will help with this. It highlights what can be improved. Don't follow his instructions blindly! The main thing is the task assigned to you. Use this program as a guide.

Watch other authors, think about the reader (will he be interested). Collect feedback from the client – whether you brought him any benefit, whether there was a response to the texts (conversion, likes, etc.). Don't be afraid to ask for criticism. This is a mistake many authors make. Some of your customers will definitely not like your articles. And this will happen more than once. This doesn't mean you can't do anything. Consider edits as a learning experience, not a failure.

How to offer your services as a copywriter

Good examples of work are not enough; you need to respond to vacancies correctly. Even if you submit a completed resume to sites like , include a cover letter with it. What should it contain:

Your skills and projects you have been involved in.
Links to the best texts with short explanations for them.
If the ad contains questions, be sure to answer them.
Message subject. This applies to correspondence by email.

Divide your response into meaningful paragraphs and check it for errors. You can use the Spelling service. Read the vacancy itself carefully so as not to ask questions that have already been answered. Be polite and don't use the same template for all resumes.

Where can a copywriter look for work?

Register accounts on FL.RU, Freelansim, Avito, Superjob, Rabota.ru. Another way is to create and promote a website or groups/publics on social networks. There are communities on VK and FB where customers and contractors can find each other. Here is a list of them.

This article wouldn't exist. Because the topic is hackneyed and I already wrote an article - “”. If you haven’t read it yet and came to my site for the first time, then it’s better to start with it. Because this article will be difficult if you don’t read that one.

The reason for writing this article was this request from Anna. By the way, you can also ask your question about the profession or suggest a topic for an article. This can be done in my VK group or comments on the site.

Anna, thank you!

I won't beat around the bush. How do articles in the top do it? Now there you can find texts “test with a glass of water” or an article with a referral link to one of the exchanges. Some statements in such materials are hilariously funny.

What I'm talking about:

Let's rephrase. Copywriting should be understood as writing advertising. Absolutely any advertising:

We wrote the text of an advertisement on Avito (article,) to give away a kitten - this is copywriting;
We made an SEO article that shows that this site has useful information - copywriting;
We created text for an advertising leaflet + prototype (marking the place for pictures and graphics) - worked as a copywriter;
We built a sales funnel: text and prototype of the landing page, marketing kit, copywriting;

We wrote a selling text with SEO optimization for the main page of the site, collected a USP for the company, brought a new product to the market, helped an unknown SPA salon stand out in its niche - this is also work for a copywriter.

Now that the magnitude of the task has become more clear, we can begin to answer the question: how to become a copywriter?

Becoming a copywriter or “work” is the basis of everything

Copywriting is a mini-business. Because it’s impossible without investments. You will have to invest a huge amount of money.

For reference. An hour of your life has a price. YOU install it! But sometimes you stupidly sell for 150 - 200 rubles per hour. This is what a salesman or loader and engineer earn in the province.

What I'm talking about. You don’t know how to make websites or draw designs. But there are guys who can do it. They have the right to demand as much money as their personal time and skill is worth. But all this needs to be supported by the results of your work. Because otherwise you won’t be able to find a customer.

There are no brilliant copywriters who weren't newbies

The more serious the tasks and more complex the projects, the more you need to know and be able to do. To create a turnkey landing page you need: a copywriter, designer, layout designer and advertising specialist. Therefore, this pie is for everyone, not just for you.

HOW to achieve your goal - to become a copywriter. Learn to solve problems that clients will set for you

1. Get a regular job, where you will receive maximum money for a minimum of time or have the opportunity to do your own thing (at least 50% of the working day).

This is necessary for training. First you need to learn how to transfer your thoughts onto a blank sheet of paper. Some people, most of them, have problems with this. Because they didn’t write anything from their university days. The maximum is a monthly report.

Therefore, I advise you to register on some “copywriting” exchange or on a freelance site and write a couple of texts (). This is necessary to learn how to make words from letters, and from words to form sentences that will be combined into a meaningful text.

A typical day at the content exchange

What happens if you immediately make copywriting your main income? There will be a person - a stock exchange machine (a slave of the stock exchange) who does not develop. Because any loss of a client means hungry children and bread as the first and second. And you will have to lose customers when you start raising prices.

2.Exploring the simplest service to date– writing articles for those interested in content marketing. Your clients will be: webmasters and resellers (from 10 to 50 rubles per 1000 characters), SEO optimizers (from 50 to 250 rubles per 1000 characters), marketers and content managers of companies (depending on their budget, your skills and the ability to sell your services).

How to become a copywriter - your own website, blog, social networks, books, webinars, etc.

I wrote the article “” a long time ago. As a result, I came to the conclusion that a website was needed. This is a virtual office on the Internet. It is not necessary to order a website from Artemy Lebedev. Because it's expensive. You can make a simple but functional website on WordPress, and when you have money, order a professional resource from the studio.

A website is definitely needed. But create it when you already know all the intricacies of SEO, so as not to mess things up. You can also drive traffic to the site from advertising, which will provide an additional source of orders.

Where can a copywriter look for clients? I have two large articles: “”, “”. This is without exchanges and freelance sites.

It is better to attach a blog to the site. Even if you publish your cases and several articles a month there, it will serve you well.

Creating a group on a social network is a necessity. Posting articles on social media is good for SEO. In addition, this way you will quickly boost your website and become part of the copywriting crowd. True, very soon there will be no time left for a party.

Copywriting is work, not life with a laptop on the beach

Webinars is one way to sell your expertise, which is what many trainers do. But it’s better, in my opinion, to make video content and engage in content marketing on your website.

Writing a book- another way to show yourself. But there is no need to create a book that will not contain new information. When you have practical experience, your own techniques and successes, then you can think about the book.

How to become a good copywriter? Many Internet users are thinking about this today. A motivated person who devotes 2-3 hours of time every day to studying this craft can become a successful article author.

What services do copywriters provide?

Copywriter (English copywriter from copy - text; writer - author) is a specialist who knows how to create competent texts to solve various problems.

The main goal of copywriting is to motivate the reader to action. In addition to writing selling and informational articles, copywriters perform the following types of work:

copywriting, rewriting;
editing and proofreading;
creating SEO-optimized texts;
naming – preparation of headlines and slogans;
publication of articles on the website, design, selection of images.

Simple rewriting is the presentation of a text while preserving its meaning based on the finished source material. Deep rewriting involves serious work with the text. The writer studies several information sources and writes a higher-quality article than on competitor sites.

Copywriting – this is the creation of original content without elements of rewriting, for example, articles in highly specialized areas. SEO copywriting involves optimizing texts for key user queries. Thanks to “keywords”, an article can get to the first positions in search engine results.

Selling articles are tools for promoting goods and services. They require special knowledge in the field of creating such texts. The copywriter, using knowledge of psychology, marketing, etc., encourages the reader to make a transaction or offers a solution to a problem.

What are the requirements for articles?

In-demand copywriters write competent, interesting, understandable articles that are read to the end. The texts reflect the specifics of remote sales of a particular company, bring in thousands of buyers, create a desire to purchase the product and benefit the readers. Any text must meet several requirements.

General requirements

Technical indicators

informativeness (availability of useful information, facts, absence of clichés);
readability is the simplicity and accessibility of presentation;
consistency - the presence of connections between thoughts;
brevity;
meeting the needs of the audience.

98-100% uniqueness is a mandatory requirement for website promotion (checked by special services);
the spam indicator reflects the semantic load of the text (the copywriter uses the optimal number of keywords and replaces them with synonyms);
nausea - the number of times each word is used;
water content - the percentage of words and phrases that do not carry a semantic load, for example, prepositions, introductory words.

There are other criteria. Customers indicate specific requirements in the technical specifications (specifications) for the contractor.

How to become a copywriter from scratch? Step-by-step instruction

Experienced copywriters recommend that beginners start their career step by step according to an individual plan. There are no bosses in the freelancing industry, so you will have to independently motivate yourself to “upgrade” your skills, find clients and manage them. Professional development will take years.

A beginner can use the following plan as a basis.

Introduction to the theoretical basis

The following recommendations will help you take your first steps in the profession:

studying terminology, areas of copywriting, types and examples of good articles;
increase in printing speed;
increasing literacy, improving stylistics and speech culture;
registration of subscriptions to blogs of experienced copywriters (Petr Panda, Dmitry Kot, Denis Shardakov and others);
training at trainings (Staff-online, 1PS, Yulia Volkodav, Netology);
reading useful literature on copywriting, marketing, psychology (there are dozens of free books on this topic on the Internet).

Gaining practical skills

maintaining your own blog, website, preparing articles for selling your goods and services;
independent access to customers through forums, projects, specialized sites;
employment in a copywriting agency;
registration on freelance and copywriting exchanges, for example, Etxt, Advego, Text, Freelance, Kwork.

It is easy for beginners to get started with copywriting exchanges, but the disadvantage of resources is dumping. Payment for services is low, it is necessary to gradually raise the price bar.

Creating a portfolio

The portfolio is used to demonstrate the best work and your professional capabilities to customers. It demonstrates the level of literacy, understanding of the topic, the author’s style, and the ability to work with technical specifications.

Articles can be presented on a blog, website, personal exchange page, cloud, etc. The performer chooses the form of a text document, presentation, e-book, or screenshot for the portfolio. In the process of negotiations with customers and when submitting applications, it is necessary to supplement, demonstrate the portfolio, and provide a link to it.

Direct access to customers

Many writers linger on exchanges and work for years for low pay. If a beginner plans to increase his income, then he will have to constantly improve his professionalism and independently look for expensive customers. To expand the client base, active and passive methods are used:

direct offers to webmasters, copywriting studios, SEO specialists (this will allow you to work at prices of up to 150 rubles per 1000 characters, contacts must be sought on specialized forums);
sending out “cold” commercial offers (the least effective method);
contacting businessmen and specialists in the information business (contacts are on forums and social networks), to work at this level you will have to create your own website, register an individual entrepreneur, and labor prices will rise 10 times;
preparation of “warm” commercial offers (sending letters to project managers to obtain contact information of site owners, calls to found contacts);
the use of “selling criticism”, for example, expressing an expert opinion about texts in sections for criticism on forums. A copywriter can find low-quality texts, then call customers, offer to correct errors, and increase conversion.

Meetings of businessmen, trainings, seminars are a great way to find customers. For this you will need flyers, business cards, and a portfolio. The second option is to search for sites with mediocre texts from shops, organizations and businessmen in your city, and organize personal meetings with company executives.

Prospects

If a copywriter doesn’t know where to start or doesn’t plan to continue working on content exchanges, then he can find himself in related professions:

copywriting in the advertising field (setting up advertising campaigns, creating slogans, promoting goods and services);
Internet marketing, selection of quality content, social media marketing;
working with texts, preparing newsletters, articles for blogs, creating texts for social networks;
editorial work (drawing technical specifications for copywriters and organizing other specialists working on websites);
opening your own studio, information business, training, promoting your own books and courses, conducting trainings.

Beginning specialists get jobs in online magazines, copywriting agencies, training centers, news portals, author’s blogs, and communities on social networks.

Copywriters are helped to develop professionally by the desire for personal growth, continuous learning, the ability to negotiate, offer their services and raise the price tag. From rewriting you need to move on to selling texts, landing pages, opinion articles, naming, and high-quality SEO copywriting.

Conclusion

To become a professional copywriter from scratch, you need to practice, improve, and analyze your articles every day. The author must take criticism constructively. Thematic communities, copywriting exchanges, courses, books, webinars, and conferences will help a copywriter develop.

You can increase your earnings by “getting out of your comfort zone”: completing complex tasks, blogging, creating a business card website, and directly and actively searching for customers.

Read also: Freelancing how to make money for a beginner: best sites 2018 11 ratings, average: 5,00 out of 5)