‘So…do you make money from that?’
It’s surprising how often people take the ‘free’ in freelance quite literally and assume that, if you’re writing for a living, it must be:
A) A hobby
B) Poorly-paid.
Now, I’m not here to tell you what I earn, but what I will say is this: writing for a living is less about drowning in scrunched up paper, rewriting pitches to editors and having novels rejected and more about actually being paid for doing what you love. At least for me it is.
Who hires copywriters, then - and what actually is copywriting?
Copy means ‘text’ and, well, copywriting is the practice of writing of said text.
The ‘who hires copywriters?’ question should actually be: ‘who doesn’t hire a copywriter?’ - because, if you have a business - particularly if said business has a website - you too will probably benefit from the services of a copywriter.
A copywriter can write anything that need writing. Think of a copywriter as an extension of your team. He or she can do the following:
* Write your company newsletter - the one you send to your staff, or the one you send to your clients or suppliers
*Craft the content for your website - from your ‘About Us’ page to your blog posts
* Come up with some catchy text for your printed marketing materials - from flyers and brochures to freestanding banners for events (events…er what are those?! ha)
*Help you come up with a slogan for your business - to use across your site, your business card, and even on your company car
Basically, a copywriter can pretty much write anything for you - and he or she will keep your customers in mind when they do.
Who uses copywriters then? Anyone from a restaurateur (who may need some tantalisingly tasty-sounding menu descriptions) to an electrician wanting to add some spark-le (sorry, couldn’t help it - love a pun!) to their website content, or even an author who wants a fresh pair of eyes to liven up or edit the synopsis of their new novel.
The fact is, there are no bounds to who needs content - and why.
To give you an idea, here are a few examples of what I’ve been working on lately. ‘Diverse’ is an understatement.
Editing and rewriting the content for an online course on mental wellbeing in the workplace - with a focus on how people are coping during the lockdown
Product descriptions destined for the packaging of a natural skincare brand
Lengthy, 1000-word+ articles for an independent group of hospitals, who want to reassure patients ahead of their visit by providing guides about various treatments
Adding some extra pizazz to some journalistic-style articles for a 150-year commemorative book all about motorbikes
Short, fun bursts of content for the Instagram and Facebook pages of an online clothes shop
A slogan for a food company
Informative blog posts for an Islamic charity which provides overseas aid to those in need
An e-brochure for a chain of pubs - who will soon be throwing open their doors for those in need of a pint (all of us, then?!)
Can I help you market your services to your customers? Get in touch to find out if you can benefit from hiring a Yorkshire copywriter - and how I can help.
Until next time…