Here’s the thing with copywriting: it’s easy to get started and there’s a lot of money involved.
That might seem extremely confusing to you. After all, the basic laws of economics dictate that the rarer the product, the more expensive it should be.
Fortunately for you, these rules don’t strictly apply to copywriting.
As we’ve seen over the past decades, copywriting remains to be the best high-income skill to learn, especially in the age of digitalization. What makes it the best, you ask? One word: accessibility. Copywriting is the best high-income skill because no matter your educational background, heritage, or location, you can learn and earn through copywriting.
But with thousands of people looking to become copywriters, will this trend continue? Will the average joe continue to earn upwards of six figures every year through copywriting?
Let’s find out.
Why The Laws of Economics Don’t Apply To Copywriting
Despite the droves of freshly-minted copywriters from around the world looking to enter the market, copywriting continues to be one of the more lucrative career options out there.
Why?
Because good copywriting is hard to come by.
It’s easy to take a course and market yourself as a copywriter. You might even land some 5-figure projects if you’re really lucky and talented.
Yet, the fact of the matter is that becoming a good/great copywriter is a skill that takes time to cultivate and grow.
A good copywriter, in my opinion, is one who can manage to do all three following things at a high level:
- Adapt – A copywriter who is adaptable is someone who can research and understand insider industry concepts at a high level. They’re able to communicate this information to the regular man in such a manner that it remains complete yet understandable.
- Organize – A copywriter who is organized has a strict creative process that they are able to adhere to. In times of turmoil and turbulence, they could just as easily step back from a project, make a few tweaks, and jump back in without a drop in quality.
- Defend – Above all, a copywriter should be able to defend their creative decisions and the words they write. The best copywriters write based on facts and theory. Every word they choose should have meaning behind and the amount of time and research that went into your choice of words should reflect in your defence.
(note: this is not to say that everything you write is perfect. Keep an open mind when clients critique your work.)
How I Started Copywriting
I had always been a freelance writer.
I started when I was in my first year of college and, over the next half-decade, continued to learn more about the intricacies of writing web content as well as the difficulties of running an online freelance business.
That said, it wasn’t until 2 years in that I was introduced to copywriting when a client asked me to write ads for his business, alongside the blog content that I already do.
I was skeptical at first as I had no idea about marketing psychology and the components of a good ad.
But because they paid a lot, I just had to say yes.
When you’re first starting out, you can’t really afford to say no to many clients. It’s best to take on the job and learn as you go, especially if you’re being paid well.
So I picked up a book on copywriting, learned about basic principles and formats, and got to work.
The fact that I’m still writing copy today proves just how rewarding taking on an unexpected opportunity could be.
I immediately fell in love with the process.
It felt like a superpower to be able to move people to commit to certain actions through the power of words. It never dawned on me just how simple but effective an ad could be. Just the process of planting sentence seedlings that would someday turn a reader into a loyal customer is enough to convince me to continue writing copy for the rest of my life.
Above all, I believe the most addicting part of copywriting is the selling aspect.
As a content writer, I never thought of my profession as part of marketing. Sure, I was building brand trust but I never connected brand loyalty and awareness to making sales.
Now that I’ve been introduced to copy, I can almost immediately see the positive impact of my writing and it’s extremely gratifying.
Another major selling point of copywriting is that it’s extremely transferable to other industries. Just because you started out as a copywriter for a cookbook doesn’t mean that you’re only a recipe copywriter. You could just as easily switch over to SaaS copywriting or Financial copywriting and the principles would be more or less the same.
But no matter what industry you ultimately choose, know that the salary ceiling remains relatively the same – and that’s what makes copywriting the greatest high-income skill out there.
Can Anyone Be Successful In Copywriting?
Fear is the most common gatekeeper of any aspiring copywriter.
It stops us from applying to jobs, getting a project, and developing our skill
There’s a saying in copywriting: “Good copy isn’t created, it’s assembled.”
This means that you don’t have to be particularly skilled in writing to become a copywriter.
People are afraid that because they didn’t spend their entire lifetime writing, that they’re incapable of writing good copy.
What they don’t realize is that good copy doesn’t require high prose. If you’ve ever been sold to by a salesman, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
I didn’t graduate with a degree in Creative Writing, Journalism, or anything related to the English language. I graduated with a degree in Business and Data Analytics.
It wasn’t even until I got to college that I started writing seriously.
Everything I learned about the literary world was absorbed in the last 5 years.
Reading back on the articles I’ve published on this blog in the past week, you’ll find that I still have a lot to learn.
Yet here I am, making a living off of copywriting.
And, I believe, so can you.
