What is Copywriting?

If you have been hearing about Copywriting, but are not sure what copywriting is … Then worry not!

In this article, I’ll tell you what copywriting is, and most importantly, I’ll tell you how you can become a freelance copywriter and acquire this high-paying skill using my 3-Step Formula.

But before I do that, let me tell you a little bit about me.

My name is Karan Dharamsi. I’m the highest-paid Direct Response Copywriter in India. But till a few years back, I had no clue what copywriting was.

Sometime in 2011, after completing my Engineering, I was planning to start something of my own. Like starting an online business. But I was clueless. I had no idea what to do.

That’s when I came across an Online Ad Campaign … The ad said something on the lines of – Get freelance Copywriting jobs and make $2000 working from home.

When I read that, I thought, WOW! $2000! OMG! That’s a lot of money.

I was making Rs. 10,000 per month. So, $2000 was like a pot of gold for me back then.

I became really excited about getting these freelance copywriting jobs. But there was only one problem, I did not know what Copywriting was …

So, I hopped onto the PC and typed – ‘What Is Copywriting’ in the search engine.

Oh, and if you want to read more about my journey and how I went from working as a software engineer to becoming the highest-paid professional copywriter in India, read the full story here.

What is Copywriting?

You may already know the dictionary definition of copywriting, so I won’t go about explaining that.  

But, here is how I define copywriting.

To me, “Copywriting is the art and science of persuading your readers to take a specific action using the power of the written words.”

Let me give you a few examples so it’s easier for you to understand what Copywriting really means.

EXAMPLE #1:

If you watch the news, I’m sure you must have seen sensational headlines …

Headlines such as: “Breaking News …” Or “SHOCKING Viral Video of Actor ABC … “

The sensational news, the headline, the story, etc is nothing but content (read copy) written by a content writer, or a professional copywriter to grab the readers’ and viewers’ attention.

Let me share more copywriting examples, so you understand what copywriting is all about.

EXAMPLE #2:

If you have ever seen or clicked on a Facebook marketing campaign or a Facebook ad campaign and signed up for something like a Free eBook – that’s copywriting for you.

The Facebook ad content (copy) persuaded you to take action. The persuasive copy was written by a copywriter.

EXAMPLE #3:

Here’s another example:

If you ever go to a landing page on a website and sign up for something or buy something after reading the effective copy (content) on the page, that’s copywriting for you.

So, you see, copywriters write persuasive copy (content) that compels the reader to take an action. So, simply put, copywriting is selling with words.

Now that you know what copywriting is all about, you must be wondering who hires copywriters, but, before I talk about that, let’s talk about:

How to Become A Good Copywriter In Flat 30 Days:

Watch this video to get a step-by-step plan on how to become a good copywriter in as little as 30 days.

Who hires Copywriters?

Every business today needs a creative copywriter to write an Advertising or a Marketing Campaign.

All companies need copywriters to engage and interact with their existing and prospective clients and customers.

Be it a company in the health niche, or finance niche, an NGO or an NPO, an e-commerce store or a book publisher, a service provider or a doctor, a retailer or a wholesaler (and every niche/ every company in between) … They all need skilled copywriters to engage with their audience.

Since good copywriting can boost the conversion and ROI of any business, a good copywriter gets paid really well. Some of the highest-paid people in the world are copywriters.

How Fast is the Copywriting Industry Growing?

The Copywriting industry is growing at an unprecedented pace. In fact, we witnessed an enormous change, a massive transformation that took place in 2020.

2020 presented an unparalleled opportunity for copywriters – something that we never saw in history until 2020. Due to the COVID pandemic in the year 2020, more and more companies (big and small) started reaching out to their customers through various digital platforms – they ran online ads, posted engaging posts on social media, used email marketing, used videos, etc.

They discovered that their investments in the digital platforms were paying off – way better than the traditional forms of marketing.

And so, these businesses continued to explore more digital platforms using effective copy to connect with their existing customers and prospective customers using different digital platforms they never explored in the pre-lockdown times.

With the help of skilled digital marketers and people with effective copywriting skills, they started posting engaging and fun social media posts and memes, inspiring, funny videos, and newsletters that gave hope and optimism during those trying times, and more.

Guess what else happened?

• Those businesses that multiplied their investments in the digital platforms during the lockdowns (and continued for the rest of 2020 and beyond) saw that their customers engaged with their digital content, they responded to their emails, they expressed their thoughts.
• Not just that, the “investment in digital content” not only helped their businesses survive but thrive.

So what does it tell you about your bright future as a copywriter?

It proves that even when things get back to normal (way after the pandemic disappears from our lives), businesses will no longer be able to quit investing in these digital channels. Why? Because digital platforms not only assure them more customer engagement but also guarantee them “reduced costs” compared to traditional marketing …

Companies have realized that:

• They simply cannot ignore digital marketing,
• They cannot afford to not interact with their customers on social media,
• They would be leaving huge piles of money on the table if they do not adapt to the new normal of “digital interactions” with their customers!

That’s why, as Gartner reported 78% of B2C firms and 69% of B2B firms plan to invest way more in digital marketing and advertising in 2021 than they spent in 2020.

Here’s another fun fact …

In 2020, companies spent $332 billion in digital marketing worldwide.

Spending $332 billion in 2020 was in itself a huge number that too during the start of COVID-19. But wait till you read the future projections.

Ready?

Okay, brace your seatbelts before you read the future projection.

According to Statista, companies are projected to spend $526 billion in 2024 on digital marketing worldwide. Whoa!

That’s huge. And the growth trajectory is super FAST.

This presents so many opportunities for you if you plan to learn copywriting skills professionally. The future of the copywriting world is extremely bright if you acquire copywriting skills.

If you’re a digital marketer, you must certainly learn the skill of copywriting so that you can multiply your earnings by offering add-on copywriting services. And if you’re a writer, now is the best time to jump on this bandwagon, while companies are still testing things in the post-COVID-19 times and are desperately looking for professional copywriters who can help them using the power of the written word.

To reach their customers through digital platforms, they need people with writing skills who can write good content. Not just any writing skills. But the skill of professional copywriting. Copywriters who have experience and expertise in writing good copy that persuades their target audience to love, like, and engage with their digital content (and ultimately buy from them).

Like I told you a moment ago if you’re a skilled copywriter, companies are desperately looking for you to help them write their sales copy and take care of their content marketing to engage with their customers digitally.

That’s where you are the ray of hope for these companies that are eagerly waiting to pay you well for your content. So if you were worried about your future as a copywriter, worry not! Copywriting is one field (career), which is going to grow by leaps and bounds in the coming years. 

Many professionals from different industries who bore the brunt of the COVID pandemic not just in terms of being locked down in their homes but having their salaries cut by half or having lost their stable jobs altogether – realized that learning copywriting online helped them not just survive but thrive. All this by working from the comfort of their homes.

Companies need great copy to survive the competition, connect with their target audience, and ultimately thrive. This is why the copywriting industry is growing at an unprecedented speed, and a skilled freelance copywriter earns well.

If you’re willing to learn the principles of copywriting, you’ll always be able to cherry-pick the kind of clients you want to work with, and the kind of topics you want to write on – while earning a high income as a skilled copywriter.

Types of Copywriting Services You Can Offer

You have a huge buffet of services you can choose to offer. And I’ll probably write a long blog post enlisting all of them. But for now, here’s are some of them:

• Long-form sales letter.
• Landing page copy.

• Compelling copy for their emails so that the companies can connect with their customers daily/bi-weekly…
• Good content for engaging and fun social media posts and memes (most companies prefer daily content which means consistent work for you).
• Quality content for inspiring and funny videos that not just educate but entertain too (edutainment). Writing content for these videos is so much fun.
• Regular content for their blog posts.
• Copy to occasionally promote their products and services during festivals, events, and holiday promotions…

And so much more.

How much will it be if you add it all up for millions of companies looking for writers? Did you do the math? That will be billions of writing assignments per year! Who’s going to fulfill that demand? Well, you can!

You see, your options and opportunities as a copywriter are unlimited.

How much to charge for your Copywriting services

If you want to know how much to charge for your Copywriting services, I explain it in detail in this video.

So, as you’ll see in the video, and as I shared with you in this blog post, Copywriting is the ONE skill that can empower you to make money especially in these times when companies in every field desperately need writers. As a copywriter, you can work from anywhere in the world you like.

Now if you want to become a Copywriter and learn this high-paying skill, follow my 3-Step Copywriting Formula to become a Copywriter.

Step 1) Learn the Foundational Psychology Principles

A good copywriter uses a lot of hidden psychological principles and strategies to influence the readers to take action. So, if you don’t understand the basic psychological principles, it’s going to be difficult for you to become a compelling copywriter.

But here is the good part. You can learn these principles if you put in the time. I had no background in Psychology. But, I was able to learn the different principles in a few months of putting in the work.

Here is where you can get started.

Read books on Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Strategic Intervention, Milton Model, Hypnosis, etc. Watch this video full a list of all the books I recommend you read to become a good copywriter. 

Step 2) Read Examples of Successful Copy Written by Good Copywriters

To find examples of successful copy, go to Swiped.co and you will find a ton of great resources for FREE.

You can even check out Clickbank.com to find some really good sales letters and examples of good direct response copywriting.

Your job here is to go through the entire sales page and analyze why the copywriter structured it the way s/he did … Analyze and specify the emotions s/he was trying to hit? How was s/he trying to persuade the reader to take action?

Read, analyze, ask questions, and repeat.

You should be reading the same sales letter at least 30 times so you slowly start to understand the hidden structure of an effective successful copy.

You should dedicate at least an hour a day to read examples of good sales copy.

Step 3) Write

Once you read a successful copy, the next step is about writing copy. Yes, write it on a sheet of paper, word-to-word at least 10 times per day.

The whole idea here is to learn the secret structure of the copy and make sure the secret structure becomes a part of your subconscious mind.

When you write it, your retention becomes way higher.

This process will help you learn the structure of a good copy.

Oh, and I have a bonus tip for you.

Read good books on Copywriting

Click here for the list of good books to read to become a creative copywriter.

I really hope you found this blog post helpful.

The demand for Copywriters is going off the roof, especially after COVID-19. And, if you are serious about launching your career as a copywriter, I have a great resource for you. It’s my 11 Week Online Copywriting Course. The course goes into the details of Human Psychology and it goes on to help you grasp every aspect of becoming a good copywriter. You’ll find all the details about my 11 Week Online Copywriting Course here.