10 Lessons from 10 Months of Freelance Copywriting
1/10
Content writing is not a stepping stone toward copywriting.
You can do either without involving the other discipline.
I wasted a lot of time trying to think there’s more demand for content writers, so let me do that first.
Spoiler alert: It doesn’t work like that.
2/10
Don’t choose copywriting because you want to do less work. It’s neither short-form writing nor requires less research.
True Story: I once researched for 3 hours to find one stat — so I could mold it into a compelling sentence for a script.
You’ve been warned!
3/10
Copywriting is a lot more than just writing & research. Yes, you should know sentence structure, grammar & artistic language so you can break or make the rules, but…
The need to understand consumer psychology is non-negotiable.
4/10
Copywriting is a high-income skill. Sure.
But only for those who increase their client’s revenue. It’s hard to get high-paying clients without showing results.
Clients are willing to pay top dollar only if you make them substantially more.
5/10
If you want to niche down, choose a service rather than an industry. Specialize in a service and charge more.
-Landing Pages
-Ads
-Emails
-Web
-Social Media
Start with one, explore industries & then lock in your money-making method.
6/10
Cliché aside, you never stop learning copywriting. Every time you test copy — it tells you something unique about your audience.
And the longer you work in a specific service in a particular industry, you gain specific knowledge to make your clients more money.
7/10
Learning on the job is the only way to write good copy. Sure, you can read books, blogs, or watch videos — even write in a vacuum, but it’s the real client projects that teach you.
Because that’s when your copy is out in the wild, and you see people’s responses.
8/10
The process of creating that unique angle will never be linear.
You can be:
-Showering
-Talking to a friend
-Watching a movie
Be prepared to take notes. Anytime. Anywhere.
P.S. Save angles in a swipe file so you can use the most successful ones on repeat.
9/10
Copy research is actually full-time customer research.
Be it surveys, interviews, reviews, or testimonials — copy writes itself when you deeply absorb the customer’s perspective.
On a tight deadline? Just dive into customer reviews.
10/10
Think of your client’s journey as a copywriting process.
In one line: It is simple communication.
From your cold emails & inbound content to delivery of work & offboarding — delight your clients.
After all, that’s what copywriting is; simple communication. Isn’t it?
