12 Essential Skills To Be A Copywriter 2024
Learning the skills to be a copywriter, could earn you more money in 2024..
We live in a world where certain skills are more highly-paid than others.
Copywriting is the ultimate high income skill. By leveraging the power of words, you can magically increase sales for your own marketing or your clients.
Did you know the average copywriter makes $59,149/Per Year, and that most copywriters work from the comfort of their home? Freelancers can make a whole heck of a lot more! Payscale data
Do You Want To Be A Copywriter?
Most copywriting skills are learned, there are no formal qualifications or certifications so to speak needed for being a copywriter.
Anybody can become an good copywriter, learning this skill is not dependent upon your background, education or previous marketing experience.
However, having some of the basic copywriting skills listed in this article will make it much easier for you to learn how to produce successful persuasive copy and master the craft.
We will also point out in this article why it is important to know the best skills to be a copywriter.
Before we run through the skills required, did you know that we run a FREE course where we can teach you (from our many years of experience) how to build passive income, write engaging blog posts, do email marketing and build a website?
Want to crush it with a full turnkey business? Just pop in your details, and you’ll hear from us shortly to start YOUR journey!
12 Key Skills To Be A Copywriter
Copywriting is a craft that requires creativity, precision and skill in order to effectively communicate a message to an audience. These 12 key skills are integral for success as a copywriter in 2023.
1. English Language Skills
A high level of English language skills are an absolute must.
Clients will require and expect copy that is grammatically correct and uses the proper sentence structure, word choices, punctuation and so on.
Anyone wanting to be a good copywriter should pay particular attention to the following areas:
- Grammar
- Punctuation
- Spelling
- Synonyms and antonyms – don’t know what these are click here
There are online writing tools that can aide you in the process, such as Grammarly.
2. An Eye For Detail
Next, to go along with English language skills you’ll need the ability to spot errors in your own work, which is one of the essential skills to be a copywriter.
You’ll have to be your own proofreader and copy editor.
All copy should be as error free as possible before being sent to a client, or used yourself.
Many people think that all copywriters merely do is write text, but there’s a lot more to it than that.
Copywriters need to be creative, analytical, and persuasive.
They need to be able to come up with the content for any project quickly and efficiently, be able to identify key messages, and put them in their best order.
This job not only requires you to know how to write good content, but also how to deliver it in an appealing way.
Taking good copywriting courses will help you learn much faster.
There are many writers who have honed their copywriting skills so much that they literally get paid tens of thousands of dollars for one piece of great content.
Anyone can benefit from learning copywriting skills.
3. A Broad Vocabulary
A broad vocabulary is extremely helpful. It’s great to have a wide variety of words to choose from, instead of the same old favorites.
However, in some instances it is wise to stick to the tried-and-true time tested words – when wishing to achieve a powerful headline for instance.
Sometimes big, not so often used words can only confuse people.
Copywriting is more than just writing sentences – it requires the ability to use words that are clear, concise, and persuasive to persuade customers to buy a product or service.
One of the best ways to discover new words or phrases, and expand your vocabulary, is through reading more.
Your brain will naturally pick up new words and phrases without you even realizing it.
It happens to us all of the time.
We have been marketing online for many years now, and read a lot because of our profession.
And as we write new pieces of marketing content, and we compare it to things we wrote similar in the past, we can easily spot the the difference in our writing style and the words we now use.
It is a night and day difference..
So if you want to write better copy, read more books, articles, and other content. From there, as your brain picks up new writing techniques and words, your copywriting skills will improve automatically with little extra effort.
You can also learn from copywriting masters through different courses or download educational resources.
This way, you power up your copywriting techniques and become better at it each time you write new copy.
Learning how to write correctly and making good use of vocabulary is one of the many skills to be a copywriter that we would recommend learning.
4. Handles Feedback Well
A seasoned copywriter knows they should not take feedback personally.
They know that the feedback they receive is important to improving their writing skills and delivering what the client wants.
Plus, once they receive feedback, they know how to apply it effectively and create a more compelling copy that delivers results.
Handling feedback, both negative and positive, is one of many skills to be a copywriter.
5. Maintains Curiosity
In order to write highly convincing copy, you’ll have to dive into more information about the product or service you’re selling.
This means discovering its features, benefits and unique selling proposition.
As well, if you want to approach the campaign from a new angle, the more you know about the product or service the easier it’ll be to find one.
As we live in a digital age, copywriters also need to have an understanding of online advertising methods in order to meet the goals of the clients they represent.
You want to write content for yourself or for your clients that gives enough detail, but yet maintains curiosity to get potential customers to take the next step.
6. The Ability To See Different Points of View
As a copywriter it’s vital to be able to put yourself in the shoes of the consumer (buyer).
You must be able to persuade the customer that the product or service you are writing copy for is going to benefit them and solve their problems.
People always buy stuff because of the solution the product or service solves.
As an example: A person who is looking to buy a new TV, wants a new TV because theirs is too small, or the picture is not clear enough, etc.
They are not looking to buy a new TV just for the heck of it, there is always a problem they see with their old TV, hence why they are looking to buy a new one.
You write copy to provide the solution. That solution either eliminates pain in their life or gives them more pleasure.
Good copy should be benefits driven.
Have you ever seen a Folgers coffee commercial? Well the copywriter who wrote the lyrics to their jingle nailed it!
Here is the main line of their jingle in case you don’t know it. (It has been stuck in my head for years)
“Oh the best part of waking up Is Folgers in your cup”
See, they are selling the benefit, a feeling. They are not selling the features of the product, like the ingredients, how much it cost, etc.
7. Research Skills
Knowing how to carry out proper research will be extremely advantageous.
Being able to use the internet for research will make that process faster and easier. Having excellent research skills also applies to your communications with your clients.
Asking the right questions will allow you to understand the product or service inside and out, which is vital if you want to get your clients good results from your ad copy.
In a list of skills to be a copywriter – good research would be right up there as one of the most important.
8. Works Good Under Pressure
In many cases, you might have a short deadline, and need to complete a project very quickly.
This could be for a slide show presentation, a sales page, an email newsletter, press release, or other written content.
A skilled copywriter can write good copy when needed and prioritize it to be completed on time.
They have this sense of urgency, so they’ll produce a copy whenever a client requests it.
Plus, they will always ensure quality, even when under pressure.
9. Great Listening Skills
It is crucial that you are able to listen to your clients and provide what they need and want.
They will provide a brief and they expect you to follow it.
These skills will also help when carrying out your product research and finding the best angle to write your copy from.
Always remember when dealing with clients to listen and pay attention for what they are asking for, you don’t want to end up going down a rabbit hole.
Often overlooked as one of the most key skills to be a copywriter, and a good one at that!
10. Collaborates With Others
A good copywriter can work independently.
They might compose a copy based on projects by themselves. However, a skilled copywriter knows when to ask for help and when to be a team player.
As some clients projects will require collaboration with other writers or designers to get the job done.
Not all copywriting assignments will be a one person job.
Collaborating with others will really enhance your skills to be a copywriter.
11. Understands Branding
Whether the client is a new business, a big corporation or an individual marketer, understanding their brand is imperative for the copy you write.
Great copy comes from thinking about what they stand for, their values and goals. This sets the tone and style of writing.
For example: writing for a Real Estate Agency will be very different in style and content from that of a woman’s clothing company or fishing shop.
Each business has a personality and uniqueness to their business branding. It is a copywriter’s job to bring that out and use it to build rapport and trust with their target audience.
12. Basic Understanding OF SEO
Since most businesses have now transitioned into digital marketing, a copywriter should have at least a basic knowledge of search engine optimization (SEO).
Any content published on websites or blogs will require a copywriter to have a basic understanding of SEO and how to optimize the copy for search engines and for visitors.
However, you don’t need to be an SEO specialist, or have extensive knowledge about search engines, or have great technical skills to write effective copy for the web.
It comes down to understanding the basics of SEO, and writing quality persuasive content that the website visitors find useful and valuable.
Two Types of Copywriting
The process of copywriting is often divided into two main stages: creative and technical.
Creative copywriters come up with the ideas for advertisements, direct mailings, brochures, and other marketing collateral.
Technical copywriters are responsible for translating these ideas into words that will be readable by the target audience.
Copywriters may also specialize in one or both of these phases – essential skills to be a copywriter.
Did you know that we offer basic copywriter skills in our free course?
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Could You Be A Copywriter?
There is always going to be a huge demand for skilled copywriters.
Billions of dollars are spent each year by online businesses looking to attract customers and clients, and to do this they use many advertising methods including – online marketing, direct mail, calling centers, clothing, magazines, TV/radio commercials and more.
Earning your share of money as a copywriter can be incredibly fulfilling and extremely profitable!
And Yes, you can become a professional copywriter!
We use copywriting skills we have learned in our own digital marketing every single day. We have also sold our copywriting skills to clients and have been paid handsomely for it.
There is no shortage of ways you can apply copywriting skills to help you earn more money, especially with online marketing, whether for your own campaigns, or in taking on clients.
Copywriting is a money making skill that once mastered, will never let you down.
The best way to get really good at copywriting and master it, is to learn from someone who already has mastered it, make sense?
Best Copywriting Courses
Here are some top copywriting courses for you to take to learn these valuable skills faster.
1. Alan Sharpe’s Copywriting Masterclass
2. Copywriting Secrets by Len Smith And Sean Kaye
3. Write To Sell Like A Pro by Rob Percival
4. Ultimate Copywriting Formula by Robert Hawkins
Copywriting Job Sites
Here are 7 recommended sites to find copywriting jobs and connect with clients:
- Contena – A comprehensive platform that offers a wide array of writing job listings and resources for starting a freelance business.
- SolidGigs – Curates top freelance writing opportunities and provides additional courses and resources.
- FlexJobs – Offers flexible job opportunities, including part-time, freelance, and full-time positions, specifically tailored for different needs.
- ProBlogger – Primarily for bloggers but occasionally features copywriting opportunities.
- ClearVoice – A full-service marketing platform with a range of writing jobs, including copywriting.
- GetCopywritingJobs.com – Focused solely on connecting copywriters with relevant opportunities.
- Fiverr – Here you can sell copywriting services, and if you have any other skills and digital services, you can sell those as well.
We really hope our article gave you some real insights into the essential skills to be a copywriter.
If you ever have any questions, don’t hesitate to post them in the comments section below or just say hello.
Sincerely,
Your Friends And Partners
Richard And John Weberg
