Copywriting is a mix of psychology and writing. They form the foundation of the modern advertisement industry. Your words need to leave an impact on your target audience. It needs to be catchy, attractive, and easy to read. Most importantly, it should be repeatable.
If you’ve been in the writing industry for some time now, copywriting may be an avenue to diversify your skillset. While copywriting can be lucrative, finding a high paying copywriting job can take time and effort.
Fortunately for us, copywriters today are well respected and are often handsomely paid. This article will examine how we can land copywriting jobs that pay well. But first, let’s understand what it takes to be a copywriter.
What Does It Take To Be A Good Copywriter?
Whether fresh out of college or are a few months into your career, bagging a high-paying job can only be a few steps away. To become a good copywriter, you should know a few things.
1. Learn To Write Persuasive Content
Copywriting is all about persuading your audience to carry out an action. It may involve selling a brand, a commodity or even an idea. Your words need to be catchy and repeatable.
For example, Nike’s slogan “Just do it” has nothing to do with what it does as a company. The tagline is simple, catchy, and easy to remember. But above all, it is persuasive. It has managed to link its products with motivation and performance.
2. Have A Portfolio Ready
If you’re new to the game, the best way to show your credibility is through a portfolio. A portfolio needn’t be previously published copies. It can simply be something you’ve been working on to land a job.
A portfolio can land you a high-paying job.
3. Land Your First Client
Your first few jobs will probably be low paying. But you can use this as an opportunity to build your portfolio. This way, you can gain credibility and organic growth through referrals.
As a remote copywriter, here are a few ways you can get your first client:
Your first client will have the potential to teach a lot of tricks of the trade that you’d miss out on in a book or an online tutorial.
4. Know The Different Types Of Copywriting
Writing for adverts is only one part of copywriting. It’s best if you have a few copywriting skills under your belt before you apply for jobs as a copywriter. Here are some that you should know:
- Headline copywriting
- Value Proposition copywriting
- Landing Page copywriting
- Email copywriting
- Ad copywriting
- Video script copywriting
You can learn all six copywriting techniques. But it’s best if you know 2-3 of them.
Once you have the skills to stand out as the creme de la creme of copywriters, you should find ways to land copywriting jobs that pay well. To help out, we’ve made a (non-exhaustive) list of ways to land a high-paying copywriting job.
6 Ways To Land High-Paying Copywriting Jobs
1. Cold Emails
Cold emails may be old-school. But it still is one of the most effective ways to land a job. Remember that you must have a clear, concise, persuasive pitch. Above all, do your research before you pitch anything.
What should your cold email look like?
- Try to personalize it by adding a few things you notice on their website.
- List out how you can add value to their brand. Support your argument with examples and a portfolio.
- If you have previous experience, mention how you generated leads for your last company.
- The subject line should create curiosity and should get them to open it.
2. Social Media
LinkedIn is one of many places you’ll find connections. Even sites like Instagram, Reddit, and Twitter can give you a good networking opportunity.
You can use the networking potential of these sites by announcing that you’re looking for copywriting jobs. Ensure your post includes valid details about why you can do a good job.
Alternatively, you can also follow and respond to brands, entrepreneurs, and editors to have their attention. Instagram DMs and Reddit threads can be helpful tools to approach a person personally and let them know how you can add value to their business.
3. Job Boards
Job boards can be the best way to look for opportunities. There are dedicated job boards like Problogger or writerswanted where you can be sure to find great copywriting opportunities. Since these are big-name job boards, chances are that a thousand others are applying for the same job. So how do you stand out?
While most resumes may look alike, cover letters and sample works can differ. The trick is to make your cover letters and samples unique and persuasive.
4. Friends And Family Can Be Your Social Capital
“Network is net worth!”
We are busy making connections online and offline. While we’re at it, we often forget the social capital of our family and friends.
In meet-ups and events, try to talk about your career. Sometimes you might get leads from the most unexpected places.
5. Advert Agencies
Ad agencies are where all the copywriters are! These places value quality talent and often take up people who understand user psychology and writing well. Among other ways to approach them, sending cold emails can be the best.
Please introduce yourself and tell them about your experience. Give details about your niche. Make sure to point out how you can be an asset to the company.
6. Web Design Agencies
Web design agencies need someone to write copy on their websites. You can reach out to them via social media or email. Make sure to send in your portfolio and resume along with it. You can land a high-paying job in a web design agency if you’re convincing enough.
What Are The Highest Paying Copywriting Jobs?
1. Sales Focused Copywriting
Sales copies are written to persuade the consumer in a particular direction. It is much like your usual sales pitch. It needs to be short, witty, and engaging. In a world where attention is scarce, your sales copy should manage to gain the attention of your targets.
A good sales copy needn’t be specific about the product you’re trying to sell. But it should relate your product to human emotion and activity—for example, diamonds to love and T-shirts to sports. Essentially, you need to be a jack in both psychology and writing.
If you’re good at writing intelligent, persuasive copy, then sales-focused copywriting is for you.
2. Landing Page Copywriting
Landing pages are sales focused. It needs to be clear, concise, and engaging. It must capture people’s imagination the first time they are on it. Working on landing pages usually involves collaborating with UX/UI and graphic designers.
Above all, your landing pages should be able to build trust in the first instance. It creates a beautiful first impression. And often, first impressions are the last impression; hence it better be the best.
This job is for you if you’re interested in collaborating with designers and developing persuasive landing pages.
3. Scriptwriting
Video content is fast becoming the most consumed across all platforms. With the coming of short-form video content like Instagram reels, Youtube Shorts, and TikTok, video-based advertising is fast becoming popular. A skilled copywriter can make compelling videos with high click-through rates and increase leads for the company.
4. Long-Form Content
Long-form content can be exhaustive guides, frequently asked questions, an explainer document, or other forms of blog posts. Contrary to popular perception, many people still consume long-form articles. If you’re interested in designing 1000-word documents and structuring them in a consumer-friendly way, long-form content writing is for you.
Final Thoughts On Finding Copywriting Jobs That Pay Well
Copywriting is a lucrative career option as much as it is significant in the marketing and advertising world today. The best way to land a high-paying copywriting job is by being good at what you do. A good portfolio can go a long way in getting a high-paying job.
FAQs About Copywriting Jobs
Yes, good copywriters can land six-figure salaries. While it may not be popularly known, copywriters are the cornerstone of the advertisement industry. As “attention” slowly becomes the new world currency, copywriters possess the ability to gain and control it.
While copywriters are needed everywhere, from web design to video making, the advertisement and marketing industry hires the most copywriters.
Success is a mental construct. However, there are a few if we’re gauging success by their impact on the market. Mary Frances Gerety- the woman behind “A diamond is forever,” and Dan Wieden- the man behind Nike’s “Just Do It” could be the most successful copywriters in history.
All copywriting jobs are for both beginners and veterans. However, a beginner should focus on building a good portfolio before s/he can land a high-paying role.
Yes, copywriting is best done remotely. Why? Well, copywriting is a creative job. You can do it at a time and place you deem fit. Only some people can work in the confines of an office space.
Yes, numerous job boards like Problogger and writers wanted are dedicated to copywriters and content writers.
