Can You Be A Copywriter?

Article 4 of 5 in series "Setting Your Goal of Becoming A Copywriter"

Do you have what it takes to learn copywriting and become a good copywriter?

The copywriting field is easy to stumble into. Every sales piece we hear, see, and read was developed by a copywriter. Some are great enough to keep us awake at night, thinking about the product and how we must get one. Others leave us bewildered, wondering what in the world the ad was selling in the first place, like a bad cartoon we don't understand.

Those are your study materials for becoming a copywriter. Study them. See what works, what doesn't. Look for each technique and part of the sales piece as you learn about them throughout your training. Why did those great pieces keep you awake at night? Why did the others not work, and how can they be improved upon? The more you attempt to find the techniques, sales components, and methods you learn about, the quicker you'll find yourself learning to write them yourself.

Now, I'll cover what you'll need from the inside of you to make it into copywriting.

1. You must be willing to invest in yourself. Don't just dive into being a copywriter without taking the time to learn what being a good copywriter means. You'll still get jobs without learning the secrets of the field, but you won't gain the reputation of a good copywriter who produces results. And you want results. Not only can you make money up front writing a piece, but you can eventually earn royalties on direct mail pieces that are used in future mailings.

Investing in yourself does cost money. The course you'll choose will cost a penny or two. Every book or program you purchase will cost you. Trust that you are worth investing in and do it.

I'm not saying to go out there and buy every program that promises to teach you copywriting. Heavens no! There are some really worthless programs that will lead you down the wrong path, or nowhere at all. I recommend starting with AWAI's courses. I am not an affiliate with them, but I am a student with them, probably for life. I seem to move from one of their courses to another. Their copywriting courses even have convenient monthly programs for those of us with limited finances.

When you do have a buck or two to invest in yourself, do so. But study those who have proven their integrity and results. I will include a starter list of current master copywriters and specialists to check out online.

Don't forget to willingly invest in yourself with something that doesn't cost money. Time. Make your study and self-improvement time a priority in your life. Until you can get the money to invest in those things that cost, find ways to study that are free ... newsletters, seminars, youtube presentations, audio clips, etc. Borrow books at library or through the inter-library loan system.

2. You must be willing to set daily goals for yourself and stick to them, no matter what happens in life. If you determine that you're going to set aside an hour a night to studying, then do it. You may find that you have to take a night or two off. If you make it one hour a night, for a total of six hours a week, you've allowed for a night off. If you get sidetracked and lose a few nights or even a week, just do 1 ½ hours a night until you're caught up. But you must develop the discipline to stick with your training because life is rough - there's always something that will happen to stop you, if you let it. Decide right at the start to not let anything stop you.

3. With number 2 you must adopt the ability to forgive yourself when you do deter from your daily goal. Don't give up on yourself. Just pick yourself up and get back to it. Even if something really discouraged you and derailed you for a long time. I took a year break because I let life get to me and derail me. But I forgave myself for that and set my mind to making it happen, and never looked back. Everyone deserves a second chance. That includes you.

4. Recognize your worth as a copywriter from the beginning. Set out to be a professional from the start, not a "beginner" or "aspiring" copywriter. Once you get through your initial training, you must present yourself as a Professional Copywriter. You will not "beg" for jobs. You will market yourself as a professional. Nor will you accept "measly payments" for the jobs you market yourself for. Your time and expertise is valuable.

Being a copywriter is an ever-growing process. You will never stop learning in this field. Every day you will learn something new about yourself, your writing, and about subjects you write about that will help you make your next sales material even better. This does not mean that you don't become a professional until a certain level. Rather, it means that you are a Professional Copywriter who is always on the lookout for ways to improve your client's sales response.

5. Understand that you also must become a marketer. A copywriter is not only a writer, but a marketer. When you put together sales material for your client, you are writing that piece so that it fits into your client's marketing plan. You need to understand how that piece is marketed, what other pieces will be used with it, and what other methods of marketing are available for your client to use with that piece, and others.

You will have to learn how to market yourself. Somehow you need to let potential clients know you are available, and that you know how to help them increase their sales results.

Think about what I said. Enjoy! Tomorrow's closing post will introduce the B.I.G. attitude that will make you succeed.