About This Idea
Master the art of persuasive writing that sells products, builds brands, and influences decisions. Copywriting is the words in ads, websites, emails, landing pages, and social media that convince people to take action. Unlike content writing (educating) or creative writing (entertaining), copywriting sells.
Great copywriters are invaluable—freelancers earn $75-200/hour, in-house positions pay $55K-95K, and top freelancers make $200K+ annually. Every business needs copy but most write terrible, boring content. You don't need a degree—just understand human psychology and practice relentlessly.
In 3-4 weeks you'll understand frameworks and write better than 80% of business owners; in 2-3 months you can land paying clients. This skill compounds: the better you write, the more you earn, regardless of industry.
#copywriting#writing#marketing#sales#persuasion#content-marketing#email-marketing#landing-pages#advertising#freelancing#psychology#conversion-optimization#direct-response#storytelling
Progress Milestones
Track your progress with these key achievements:
1
Week 1
Understand copywriting fundamentals and formulas (AIDA, PAS)
2
Week 2
Wrote 50+ practice headlines using proven formulas
3
Week 3
Created first complete email sequence and landing page copy
4
Week 4
Built portfolio with 3-5 spec projects showing diverse formats
5
Month 2
Landed first paying client ($100-500 project)
6
Month 3
Completed 3-5 paid projects, collecting testimonials, raising rates
7
Month 6
Consistent client work at $75-150/hour or $1,000+ per project
Common Challenges & Solutions
Every beginner faces obstacles. Here's how to overcome them:
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Copy sounds too salesy or pushy, not authentic
Solution: Write like talking to friend over coffee. Read aloud—does it sound natural? Remove hype words ('amazing,' 'incredible'). Focus on helping, not selling. Show you understand their problem deeply. Empathy > enthusiasm. Study brands you trust—how do they communicate?
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Struggle with writer's block or starting blank page
Solution: Start with swipe file—adapt proven templates. Use formulas as scaffolding. Write terrible first draft fast (15 minutes), then edit ruthlessly. Research exhaustively before writing—easier to write when you know everything about product/customer. Outline first, then fill in.
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Don't know how to price services or what to charge
Solution: Start lower to build portfolio ($50-100 per project). Once you have 3-5 testimonials, raise to $250-500. With proven results, charge $100-150/hour or 5% of project revenue. Hourly for small jobs, project/retainer for large. Never work for free after first 3-5 portfolio pieces.
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Clients don't know what they want or give terrible feedback
Solution: Use creative brief template—get clarity upfront on goals, audience, tone, key messages, success metrics. Ask: 'What action should reader take?' 'What objections do they have?' Educate client on why certain copy works. Control process or work with better clients.
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Imposter syndrome—feel like not good enough to charge money
Solution: You don't need to be world's best—just better than client's current copy (usually terrible). First clients pay for your fresh perspective. Focus on results: if your copy converts 2% better = thousands in revenue. You're solving business problem. Everyone started somewhere.
Share Your Progress
Celebrate your achievements and inspire others:
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Share before/after copy rewrites on LinkedIn showing improvements—attracts clients
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Post copywriting tips on Twitter/LinkedIn building audience and authority—consistency matters
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Create free resource (headline templates, email swipe file) in exchange for email list
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Write case study showing how your copy improved conversions—quantify results
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Contribute guest posts to marketing blogs (Copyblogger, MarketingProfs)—builds credibility
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Offer free copy audits to businesses you admire—some convert to paying clients
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Share client testimonials and results on portfolio site—social proof sells you