Copywriters are a rare breed of freelancer. Not only do we have extensive knowledge of marketing but we geek out on the principles of human psychology, and have a flair for the written word in a way that allows us to sell in a cool and sophisticated way…
And because of that… we tend to sort of be good at… a lot of things? Or at least that’s what your clients probably think.
If you think about it, sometimes the actual role of a copywriter can get a little fuzzy at times. With clients expecting you to act as a copywriter one day, a content writer the next day, and a full-blown marketing strategist the day after that!
So the question is this: where do you draw the line?
As a copywriter, what jobs should you actually be doing?
Well, the great thing about being a freelance copywriter is that you can offer whatever you want… or don’t want to do!
When I started my business I often offered additional services above and beyond copywriting to get my foot in the door. Today, any clients who hire my agency get copy and consulting, that’s it.
So while your goal might be to get to a point where ALL you do is write words in documents and send them over to your clients, it’s entirely possible to expand your job scope to gain experience and build client relationships.
So in this article I’m going to be breaking down the common roles and responsibilities that a copywriter fulfills, BUT I’m also going to share the additional services that you can take on as a copywriter…
To not only better serve your clients, but to also put more of dat money in your pocket!
Hey Posse, it’s Alex! Coming at ya this week with another blog by request!
My DMs are typically full of messages from my community and I often get asked these TWO questions…
The first typically comes from people who haven’t taken the plunge into copywriting just yet, and are wondering what exactly it is that a copywriter does…
And the second comes from relatively new copywriters who are dealing with clients that expect them to be a jack-of-all-trades, and they’re wondering what exactly they should be doing…
So if you fall into one of those two categories… then leave me a comment up below, because this blog is for YOU.
And if you’re new to the crew – WELCOME! I put out a new marketing, copywriting, or mindset blog every single week. So leave your email below to get more articles like this one.
So if you’ve ever wondered what a copywriter actually DOES or what freelancing services you can offer clients as a beginner copywriter, here are 16 ways you can start making more money in your business.
Take out a pen and paper, and get ready to write down the ones you vibe with the most. And if you’re a business owner, looking to hire a copywriter – then I’m going to share you with my Copywriter Job Description—to make your search for a copywriter as easy (and seamless) as possible.
Ok I’ve broken these services down into 3 categories, and the first is, of course…
1. Copywriting Services
Okay, so this first category is the list of services that actually fall under a copywriter’s job description (in my opinion). This is what savvy clients, who actually understand what you do, may expect you to do for them.
Now before you get too overwhelmed with the list I’m about to go over, please keep in mind that this is YOUR copywriting business. And you DO NOT have to offer all of these assets if you don’t want to.
Ads
This can include digital ads like the ones you see on Google, Facebook, and Instagram, video ads like you see right here on YouTube, or even printed ads that you might see in Newspapers and on Flyers.
The main purpose of digital ads, of course, is to get a CLICK. Now with ads (all forms of copywriting actually), it’s very important to remember that your headline, and the first few sentences of text, are the MOST IMPORTANT THING to get right.
Because in the age of ‘the scroll’ you simply have to master the art of crafting compelling hooks. All great ads grab attention with a powerful hook.
Email Marketing
Yep, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Emails sent to a list of subscribers with the sole purpose of marketing something – although great email campaigns should also add a lot of value and focus on building rapport with the list.
So depending on your client’s needs, they may ask you for different types of emails like autoresponders, an indoctrination sequence, sales emails, content emails, affiliate emails or re-engagement emails—as a copywriter you can add all of these to your list of services…
BUT as a copywriter, your job is to only WRITE these emails. You do not need to be the one to load these emails into your client’s email sending software unless you WANT TO. I have never offered this to a client because it’s tedious and technical and you never want to be the one that actually sends an email draft to the entire list.
Landing Pages
It’s like a sales page… but WAY shorter and used for the main purpose of lead generation. So if the #1 job of your ad is to convert eyeballs into clicks, the #1 job of a landing page is to convert more clicks into leads. You want to motivate & inspire a prospect to enter their information (typically first name and email) in exchange for a “Free High-Value Promise” or what is more commonly called a lead magnet.
Sales Pages
And the BIG ONE. This is what I like to call your moneymaker… because not only is this the page that’s going to make your clients the most money and profit in their business…
But it’s the page that’ll get YOU paid the most money to write!
The copywriting magic needed to turn prospects into paying customers is where persuasion, psychology, and major writing swagger come into play.
In my opinion, ALL copywriters need to master this skill—it’s what sets us apart from other content writers.
Now if you’re a copywriter or business owner, looking to write a high-converting Sales Page that will get you paid, and keep clients and prospects coming back to you for more and more…. and more. Then make sure to check out my 5 Day Write & Ignite Challenge, where I teach you the exact proven sales page formula that I personally use in multi-million dollar launches.
Home Pages & Website Copy
This is what I refer to as branding copy or authority copy! While conversions are still important on your main homepage, your brand message is EVERYTHING. Your home page is the first thing that people see when visiting your website so you gotta make a great first impression! The goal of a Homepage is simple: to create trust, build authority, and offer next steps.
About Pages
With more and more audiences seeking out products, coaches, and businesses that share their same values, well-written About Pages are a great opportunity to share a brand’s story, vision, mission, philosophy, and what makes them different.
It’s your way of answering the question – yeah, but who are you… really?
As a copywriter, you can offer this a service to any client that doesn’t already have an About Page OR you can offer to revamp any About Pages that are dull and less than inspiring.
And – in case you were wondering – your job as the copywriter is to simply write these pages (same with landing pages, sales pages, and websites) and not actually BUILD them.
Promotional Videos & Video Sales Letters
Remember what I’ve been saying over and over again to you guys?! VIDEO IS THE FUTURE!
In fact, 87% of video marketers say that video gives them a positive return on investment. So it’s safe to say that… yes. Video marketing is indeed where it’s at! Says the girl who spends HOURS making video content every week.
Promotional videos are used for the purpose of promoting a specific marketing initiative, event, or product. They are typically short, sweet, and to the point. The copy part of promo videos will include the video’s titles, subtitles, any copy that’s used as visual elements throughout the video, and of course the SCRIPT.
And it’s important to remember that although copy is only PART of what makes a great promo video, up to 85% of Facebook videos are watched without sound. So making sure that the copy you have in your video subtitles is essential in boosting your conversions.
Another type of video marketing that requires copywriting skills is VSLs – or video sales letters! Video sales letters are similar to written sales letters except they are written scripts, rather than a written page.
Again, your job as the copywriter is to simply WRITE the video scripts and ancillary copy – not actually produce the videos!
Product Descriptions
Product descriptions refer to that short little blurb of text that describes what a product is, what it does, and WHY someone should buy it. It’s incredibly common in e-commerce stores where copy space for products is limited.
But a common mistake that I see made ALL of the time is a boring product description that just… describes the product. You know, all features and no benefits.
Great product descriptions need to go deeper than the boring left-brain need-to-know stuff.
You want customers to read your product description and think… Wow now that’s cool/interesting/unique/smart/funny! I gotta get it!
Alright that covers the bases of copywriting services. Now let’s move onto a different service package you can consider offering for your clients…
2. Content Writing
As a professional copywriter, you’ll find that A LOT of businesses will ask you to do some content writing for them as well…
And just like picking and choosing your copywriting services, you can and should use your own discretion on whether or not you will offer content writing for your clients as well.
While copywriting is the art of crafting words for the sole purpose of conversion… Content writing focuses more on engagement, education, and brand awareness.
And there are various forms of content writing that you can choose to include in your services, but I’m just going to cover the 5 big ones that will be most beneficial to your clients…
Social Media Captions
Social Media is a HUGE part of most brands and businesses’ marketing strategies these days, and if it’s not already, then it definitely should be.
Because Social Media is where the majority of the population is hanging out on a day-to-day basis.
Globally, over 3.6 billion people use social media… and that number is expected to increase to 4.4 billion by the year 2025.
And handling your client’s social media captions and content is a great way to get your foot in the door with a client that you really want to work with. Just remember that the main purpose of social media is to connect and engage with the audience… So you should always be providing value in the form of either education, entertainment, or inspiration.
Blog Posts
I mean come on… everyone knows the power of blogging. Blogs are one of the best ways to get ranked in Google searches and optimize your SEO. But the thing is… most busy business owners just don’t have the time (or energy ) to pump out blog posts on a consistent basis.
And that’s where YOU can step up and offer your services. As a minimum, you could offer at least 1 blog post a week, and of course, go up from there!
Newsletters
These are the weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly emails that get sent out to a list of subscribers. The purpose isn’t to sell or promote anything directly, but rather to build rapport, trust, and credibility. And most importantly, CREATE A SENSE OF COMMUNITY.
Because one thing is for certain in this day-and-age… customers don’t stick around with brands that they don’t feel connected to on some level. So if your clients don’t already send out consistent content-rich newsletters to their mailing list, then they are missing out on a huge opportunity to cultivate a loyal following – and BOOM – guess who can help them out with that?….
Content Videos
Content videos are a MASSIVE way to build a loyal following and brand. I know because I grew my entire business with content videos!
And yes, like promotional videos, all content videos start out as a script or, at the very least, a loose outline! Because even though they are personal and conversational, you still want to make sure your content videos are informative and valuable and follow a framework!
Not to mention the need to craft compelling headlines and convince viewers to watch, like, and subscribe.
So as a copywriter, you can absolutely offer content video scripts to your list of services!
SEO
Aka search engine optimization. Essentially, SEO is focused on improving the visibility of your website by getting it to rank higher in search engines.
Now, this is something that I get asked ALL of the time… Alex, do I NEED to know SEO as a conversion copywriter?
And the answer is no…
I mean I straight-up tell my clients that I’m not an expert in SEO. I literally know nothing about it except the general basics of how it works. And it’s not something that interests me enough to study and become a master at.
So I always recommend that my clients work with an SEO specialist if they are looking to optimize their websites in that way.
But, but BUT… that doesn’t mean you can’t add SEO to your list of services if you know what you’re doing!
SEO copywriting is common in particular industries and niches so do your research and find out if it’s something you WANT to consider mastering.
I mean, killer SEO strategies with high-converting copy sounds like a winning combination if you ask me.
So if you want to take things one step further and add SEO onto your list of services that you offer to clients, you definitely can.
But you’ll want to make sure that you know more than “just the basics” if you’re calling yourself an SEO specialist.
The good news is, the best SEO secret in the world is to write copy and content that is valuable, creates authority, and gets people to stay and engage with your page or website – which as a copywriter you’ll already know how to do. Alright, now the 3rd category of services you could offer is…
3. Marketing Support
If you REALLY want to beef up your packages (and the money you have coming in), you may want to consider offering marketing services to your clients as well.
Offering additional marketing support can make you invaluable to your clients because they’re basically getting a unicorn – someone who can write, strategize and implement.
Of course, there’s a whole slew of services that you could offer under this category… but let’s just cover the basic 3 that most copywriters could easily transition into offering.
Community Management
A major part of writing in business comes down to communicating with followers, subscribers, and customers via email, membership sites and social media. Customer support was the first role I had at Mindvalley so if you’re looking to get your foot in the door with a brand you’d LOVE to write copy for, why not offer community management as a service to showcase your writing ability?
Funnel-Building
If you have a more technical flair and you’re familiar with online tools like GrooveFunnels, ClickFunnels, Kajabi, or others, you can add funnel-building to your list of services! This is essentially CREATING the pages and sales funnels you are writing. This can be a highly valuable service that will save your clients from having to hire someone else OR spend hours doing it themselves.
Marketing Consulting
This is something you might start to offer after you’ve been in the game for a while, and have developed a pretty solid understanding of the world of marketing.
A marketing consultant is an advisor and strategies who works with companies to create and design marketing campaigns.
As a marketing consultant, you could help to create detailed marketing plans, determine a business’s marketing message, and identify the right marketing mix to most effectively get your client’s message out to the masses.
Remember, as a copywriter, you really are the best of both worlds… word nerd meets marketing master.
So pick and choose the services that resonate the most with you.
And never forget the value you bring to the table.
The post What Services Should I Offer As a Copywriter? appeared first on DigitalMarketer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the five most important motivators for entrepreneurs?
Motivation is key to success. Without it, nothing could happen. In fact, it would be impossible to exist without it.
Motivational psychology is the study of how humans behave when motivated. We do amazing things when we are motivated. However, motivation is not unlimited.
The five most important motivating factors are:
- Autonomy - The freedom to choose
- Mastery is the ability or capability to master certain skills
- Purpose – The sense of purpose
- Relatedness – The feeling that you are part of something larger
- Reciprocity is the willingness to give back
These motivators may seem like they could be used to motivate your business. Each perspective offers a different view of why people behave the way they do.
For example, an individual might seek autonomy because he wants to live his way. Perhaps he seeks mastery in order to excel at his job.
So on. These are just a few of the possible motivations. There are many others. There are many others. But which ones are most relevant to your specific situation? It all depends on you.
To find out, I recommend that you write down three words that describe your ideal workplace environment. These words can then be applied to your current working environment.
If you have trouble coming up with ideas, then simply ask yourself: "Why am I doing this?" Your goals will be identified when you have an answer.
Once you know your goals and objectives, you can determine where you stand now. And this knowledge can help to decide whether you should make changes.
If you don’t want to make any changes, it's time to assess your options.
If you want to make changes, you need to think of ways to motivate you.
Which of the motivators listed above will prove to be most effective for you? It's difficult to say. Instead of focusing only on one factor, consider all five.
This will allow you to achieve your ultimate goal, becoming a successful entrepreneur.
What are the 3 motivators of an entrepreneur
Entrepreneurs have three major motivations: money, freedom, and knowledge.
- Freedom means being able to do what you like whenever you like. This is why entrepreneurs can be free from the constraints of our job or current life.
- Because we cannot start a business without money, it is equally important that we have enough money. Although we can survive without food and water, we cannot live without money.
- The third motivation is knowledge. Entrepreneurship requires that you continue learning. We read books, attend seminars, take courses online, and learn how products and services are created.
This is what drives us to succeed and achieve goals. It gives us purpose and meaning.
These are the three main reasons we started our business. They are our main driving force that keeps us going day in and day out.
We might consider packing up and moving home if these three essentials are not available. We won't be truly happy if we don't have the three things we need.
What are the benefits to being entrepreneurial?
Entrepreneurship has many advantages. The first is your ability to be self-reliant. You can no longer depend on others.
This makes you independent and free to pursue your dreams. You can also build relationships with other entrepreneurs, as you share the same challenges and interests.
You gain confidence. You learn new things as an entrepreneur. This gives you the ability to adapt quickly and be flexible. Thinking outside the box means you won't get stuck in a rut.
When we all start our businesses, we're no longer bound by the rules and regulations placed upon us by society. We can choose what we want and how we want it to go.
We have two options: follow the crowd, or fight it. We have the option to choose success or failure. We have the option to either fail or win.
The freedom is exhilarating. You also have to take responsibility. You are responsible for everything that happens in your business once you take on this role.
If you want to be successful, you need to learn how to manage risk. Try new things. You can reach your goal if your willingness to learn from past mistakes
When you start your journey, remember these important lessons.
Remember:
- Entrepreneurship is a lifestyle choice.
- If you manage your own business, you are the boss.
- Be careful of following fashion trends.
- Not success is measured in money, but in freedom.
- You must balance your personal and work life.
- Set clear expectations.
- Always be sincere with your team.
- Do something about it if you want things to happen.
How to Motivate Yourself as an Entrepreneur?
The best way to motivate yourself is to find someone else who is motivated to do what you are trying to do. Ask someone who is working hard to achieve his goals how he did it.
Ask for help, listen, learn, and most importantly, keep it coming. You can emulate someone who has succeeded if you find them.
Do whatever it takes to become that person. Take their advice. Take notes. Follow their example.
Keep moving. Keep moving. Never stop learning. Never give up.
Never listen to anyone telling you that you're not capable. Never let anyone tell or suggest that there's no path.
Failure doesn't automatically mean that you are a failure. Failure can be an opportunity to learn and grow. To learn more. To push harder.
Failure is just another step along the road to success.
Get started today! Get started today and you will be closer to your goals.
You don't have to wait!
What are the six most important questions entrepreneurs should ask?
Motivation is the main ingredient of any business. You can't motivate yourself to get out of bed each and every day. You'll have trouble completing projects without motivation. Motivation is essential for reaching your goals. How do you find your motivation?
You might ask, "What motivates you?" It might surprise you to find out the answer. This question might be one you've asked yourself for years. This question is one of life's most rewarding rewards. It allows you to uncover your motivation.
Nothing is more motivating than knowing why you exist. It's then that you will finally understand what drives and motivates you. Your purpose becomes clearer. What makes you care? You'll be more motivated if you can figure this out.
Finding your motivation starts with looking within. Ask yourself these questions:
- What are my passions?
- What makes my heart beat more quickly?
- What is it that lights me up?
- What gives me butterflies inside my stomach?
- What makes me feel alive
- What keeps you coming back to your projects again and again?
Once you know your answers you'll be in a position to identify your true motivations.
You can find your motivation to get through tough times. It will give you strength when you need it. It will inspire you to work harder. It will inspire you to be successful.
And if you're like me, you'll never stop wanting to know what your motivation is.
Consider what drives you today. You just might be surprised at what you find.
Which is your most motivating thing in life?
You're interested in my greatest motivation? Let me tell, you. It is the best motivator in my life to make people feel better. To help them see that they are extraordinary, because they are. They are worthy of love because they are.
They do deserve happiness.
I am here to remind everyone that it is more important to feel good about yourself. Nothing. I'm willing to do whatever it takes for our world to be better.
Being happy with ourselves makes us more open-minded and compassionate towards our fellow humans. You stop judging people based only on their superficiality. Instead of judging them, you start to see the person within. This is really cool.
The most powerful way to motivate someone is to show them that they already have everything they need within themselves.
Although they may not be aware of it, that is why they have been struggling with something so much. Because deep down inside they knew they had the power to heal themselves.
They just needed the right environment, support system and mindset. They somehow forgot that.
Why did they lose sight? Because they were too busy trying figure out what the problem was. They were too busy trying to fix the problem, when they realized that they had all of the tools needed to solve it.
They also forgot to mention that the main reason they couldn’t solve it was because the answer wasn’t in their heads.
I'm here to remind that you have the power and ability to create a whole new world. All you have do is tap into your inner genius.
Everything will come together once you do this. It's easy to make your dreams come true.
You see, every person has their unique superpower.
It is up to us to master its use.
Statistics
- Invest at least 30% managing those with authority over you and 15% managing your peers.” (americanexpress.com)
- I shifted my motivational point from something huge (and undefined) to improve by just 1% each day. (carolroth.com)
- That means for $150,000, you could have bought 10 percent of Airbnb." (entrepreneur.com)
- “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” (oberlo.com)
- "If you improve by just 1% every single day, in several months, you will have improved by 100%. (carolroth.com)
External Links
due.com
oberlo.com
cnbc.com
- This is Jeff Bezos's inspirational quote that he keeps on his fridge
- Richard Branson, a Billionaire: These are my top 10 secrets to success
kabbage.com
How To
Here are 10 ways to motivate employees
Motivating employees can be one of the most challenging things you'll ever have to do. It takes patience, perseverance and sacrifice. You must understand how to motivate people and make them want to work hard.
You won't be able motivate someone if you don't understand what motivates them. If you don't know why someone wants to do something, you won't be able to help them. This article will teach you how to motivate employees through a variety methods.
1. Encourage Your Employees to Feel Important - One of the best ways for motivating your employees is to make them feel important. You are telling them that they are valuable and unique when you create this feeling. They should be able to believe that their efforts are being recognized and appreciated.
2. Recognize them - People like to be acknowledged. People are more happy if they are given recognition. Recognize your employees from time to again if you want them to be motivated.
3. Respect Your Partner - Respect is an essential part of any relationship. Respecting another person is essential to motivating them. Respecting others will show them that they are important too.
4. Be Open With Them -Openness is another great way to motivate people. Sharing information with employees encourages them to learn new things. Learning new things makes them happy and proud.
5. Reward people for doing good work. This encourages them and motivates them to continue working hard. However, before rewarding someone, be sure to assess if they did an excellent job.
6. Setting clear goals - Giving your employees something to strive for will help them be more motivated. They will be more productive if they have a goal.
7. Tell Them What's Going On -You may think telling your employees about the company's plans would waste their precious time. However, it's a very effective method to motivate them. The company's plans will help them determine what their next focus should be.
8. Giving feedback is a great way of boosting employee morale. It's time-consuming, but it is worth it.
9. Make sure they know their boss - This is a powerful way to motivate your employees. If they are aware of their boss, they will know where to find them if they have any questions.
10. Ask For Help - Finally, asking for help is yet another way to motivate your employees. You tell your employees that they can trust you when you ask for their help. They know you care about them, and they trust you.
