Interested in sales copywriting?
If so, I’ve got terrific news for you…
Sales copywriting pays a fortune and will ALWAYS be in red-hot demand (even during the “AI takeover”)
Here’s why:
Companies will ALWAYS need help converting more customers and selling their products/services.
If you can help them do this, then the sky’s the limit to your success.
In this post…
I’m going to cover what sales copywriting is, what a sales copywriter does, how much you can earn in 2024 and 5 simple steps to become a successful sales copywriter… in the shortest amount of time possible.
What is Sales Copywriting?
Sales copywriting is the process of creating written content, known as sales copy, with the primary goal of persuading readers to take a specific action (usually to purchase a product).
Good sales copy is engaging, persuasive and interesting to its TARGET AUDIENCE. Plus, it highlights the emotional benefits of using a product, handles potential objections, creates a sense of urgency, and establishes a deep connection with readers.
Sales copy can be found in various forms, including website content, product descriptions, email campaigns, advertisements, and landing pages.
What Does a Sales Copywriter Do?
As a sales copywriter, your main goal is to drive results for your clients.
You’ll spend the majority of your time researching, writing sales copy and collaborating with marketers, sales teams and graphic designers.
The primary responsibilities of a sales copywriter include:
1. Understanding your target audience
To write effective copy, you MUST gain a deep understanding of your target audience. You want to focus on emotional and psychological aspects like, their needs, wants, desires, interests, pain points, fears, etc. This knowledge helps you create persuasive copy that resonates with your audience and motivates them to take desired actions.
2. Research
Research plays a BIG role in a copywriter’s life. In fact, it’s the MOST important step in the writing process. Good copywriters spend 80% of their time researching, and only a small chunk writing. Everything you’ll need to write killer copy is found during the research phase. You’ll research things like: the company you’re writing for, their customers, competition, USP, brand voice and so on.
Writing persuasive copy
Your main task is to write sales copy that persuades and convinces your readers to take a specific action, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or requesting more information. To learn the nitty gritty on how to write copy that sells, see this blog post.
Highlighting Benefits
One of the most important aspects of copywriting is to highlight the emotional benefits of your product/service. You want to discover what benefits your prospects care about most and what these benefits will DO for them (I.E. how their lives will improve, what problems they’ll overcome, etc.). Then, emphasize these benefits in the most attractive and persuasive way.
Creating a Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
Identifying and highlighting what makes your product or service unique compared to competitors is essential to your success as a sales copywriter. This helps you make your offer compelling and gives your readers a reason why they should choose it over all the other options available.
Building Emotional Connection
Successful sales copy appeals to your reader’s core emotions. You sell by tapping your readers’ emotions. Sales copywriters use language that connects with the emotions of their audience, making their message more memorable and persuasive.
Addressing Objections
Anticipating and addressing common objections or concerns that your readers have is crucial. This helps you build trust, bypass skepticism and overcome barriers to conversion.
Implementing SEO Strategies
For online copy, you’ll need to incorporate search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to ensure that your content is discoverable by search engines. Read this post to write SEO-optimized copy like a true pro.
Creating Various Types of Content
Sales copywriters work on different types of content, including website copy, promotional emails, social media advertisements, sales pages and much more. While your message remains the same – copywriting 101 – you’ll need to follow each platform’s unique rules, regulations and best practices. However, it’s usually very quick to learn and apply best practices once you understand how to craft persuasive messages.
Testing and Optimization
Copywriting is results-driven. Running tests is the only way to tell if your copy was successful or not. You’ll spend time running A/B split tests and analyzing performance metrics to determine the effectiveness of your copy. Then, optimize your writing based off what the data tells you.
Staying Updated on Industry Trends
To be an effective sales copywriter, you’ll need to stay informed about industry trends, consumer behavior, and changes in marketing strategies.
How Much Does a Sales Copywriter Make? (2024 Sales Copywriter Salary)
According to salary.com…
In-house sales copywriters (working for a company) take home around $40,000 to $55,000 per year as an entry-level copywriter.
For senior sales copywriters?
Around $85,000+ per year.
BUTTTT…
Salary averages for sales copywriters are misleading.
Why?
There is virtually NO LIMIT to how much a sales copywriter can earn… as long as they meet these 2 requirements….
- You’re a freelance sales copywriter
- You can turn words into sales
As long as you run your own freelance business and can get desirable results for your clients, you can earn as much money as your big heart desires.
If you constantly work on improving your sales copywriting skills, you will always be in demand and be able to charge top-tier rates.
How to Become a Sales Copywriter in the Shortest Amount of Time Possible (5 Simple Steps)
I've put together an in-depth crash course outlining the path to becoming a successful freelance sales copywriter in 2024.
This comprehensive guide delves into the specific steps I took to quickly launch my copywriting career and score hundreds of freelance clients.
You can read it here:
How to Become a Successful Freelance Copywriter in 2024 (Ultimate Guide for Beginners)
However, here are the key 5 steps you should consider:
1. Master the Fundamentals
Start your copywriting journey by reading these 10 sales copywriting books:
- The Boron Letters by Gary Halbert
- The Adweek Copywriting Handbook by Joseph Sugarman
- How to Write a Good Advertisement by Victor O. Schwab
- Scientific Advertising By Claude Hopkins
- The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy
- Ogilvy on Advertising By David Ogilvy
- Tested Advertising Methods By John Caples
- Cashvertising By Drew Eric Whitman
- The Copywriter’s Handbook By Bob Bly
- Kick-Ass Copywriting Secrets of a Marketing Rebel By John Carlton
Besides reading these books, practice your copywriting skills by following this guide – How to Practice Copywriting for Free (5 Exercises to Improve Your Skills TODAY).
I invested three months in this learning phase before taking on client projects.
I recommend dedicating at least a month to this phase.
Why?
It's all about delivering value.
Gaining a good grasp of the copywriting basics and feeling confident in your skills allows you to offer significant value to your clients.
This is the true key to amassing wealth as a sales copywriter.
The better results you can achieve for clients, the more they'll be willing to pay for your services.
2. Secure Clients
After learning the basics and practicing your skills, it’s time to get paid to write.
Finding sales copywriting clients online can be overwhelming for beginners.
So...
Let me simplify it for you…
I've compiled an ultimate guide for beginners looking to land their first set of clients: "How to Get Copywriting Clients in 2024 With No Experience (Get New Clients TODAY)"
In this post, I uncover my top ten methods for securing freelance sales copywriting clients.
IMPORTANT:
As a beginner, aim to gain rapid-fire experience by writing for various clients, niches, and different types of copy (emails, social media, ads, etc.)—as you'll leverage this swift experience in the following 3 steps…
3. Select a Niche
Once you've collected real-world experience and accumulated numerous samples & testimonials, it's time to choose a niche.
Why?
You'll earn significantly more as a niche sales copywriter (specialists are always compensated more than generalists).
My comprehensive guide, "The 10 Highest-Paying Copywriting Niches in 2024 (How to Pick the Best One for YOU)," offers step-by-step instructions on selecting a sales copywriting niche you'll enjoy.
You can specialize within sales copywriting.
For instance:
You can become the go-to sales copywriter for health brands.
The possibilities are limitless.
And so is your earning potential when you become the expert for an underserved, high-paying copywriting niche.
4. Develop an Outstanding Portfolio
Before attracting high-paying niche clients, you'll need an impressive portfolio filled with sales copywriting testimonials & samples.
Create a portfolio within 10 minutes by following this detailed blog post: How to Create a Copywriting Portfolio with NO Experience (In 10 minutes or Less)
5. Expand Your Sales Copywriting Business to New Heights
This blog post unveils the top 3 methods to grow your freelance sales copywriting business, allowing you to surpass "6-figures" as smoothly as possible: "3 Fastest Ways to Grow Your Freelance Copywriting Business in 2024 (Make 6-figures This Year)"
Read it when you're ready to scale your freelance business.
Conclusion
Sales copywriting is one of the highest-paying and most in-demand skills you can gain.
Follow the tips in this post (and the accompanying guides) to quickly launch your sales copywriting career.
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