If you have a natural gift for writing and are willing to put in the time and work to learn a profitable skill, copywriting is for you! Copywriting is marketing-based writing where one writes for brands and businesses. You will be writing their advertisements, social media posts, emails, web pages, blog posts, and so forth. Any aspect of their marketing that needs writing, you will be writing.
In the past few years, thanks to social media, copywriting has really blown up in popularity. Many people are trying the hustle, but only a few are making it long term.
As a copywriter myself who has worked with a variety of clients, I am always asked, "Is copywriting oversaturated?"
The simple answer to that is yes. But the more detailed answer is no. Allow me to explain.
Think of the world of copywriting as a pyramid. At the bottom you have all the new copywriters, people aspiring to get into copywriting, and powerful AI tools that some businesses are opting for instead of copywriters. At the very top of the pyramid are indispensable copywriters who are skilled, have honed their craft, and have provided their clients with valuable gains.
Copywriting is saturated in the sense that many people try to break into it. Copywriting is less saturated as you gain more skills and build up a loyal clientele. There are roughly 334 million businesses in the world! Yes, 334 million! Most of those businesses will have some type of writer contributing to their marketing scheme. This means there is a lot of opportunity out there for copywriters. It is just tough to access those opportunities.
As a copywriter you only need a few high-paying clients to make a full time salary and live comfortably. If you do not want freelance and build your own business, you can always build up a portfolio and resume to apply for in-house copywriting positions in major companies in your area.
Whether you go the freelance route or whether your go the standard job route, both pathways are extremely competitive.
I have personally observed many top copywriters pivoting to becoming "copywriting coaches" after years of being a copywriter. That may just be the next business move for them. However, it does raise some red flags when many top writers pivot to selling courses and becoming coaches.
It simply means that the field is definitely getting tougher in terms of getting a breakthrough, however it is not impossible. Many people are still becoming copywriters and are thriving in their careers. So it is safe to say, that as long as there is marketing, there is inevitably going to be copywriting.
How Can You Grow And Standout As A Copywriter?
There are a few simple tips to start growing and differentiating yourself from the crowd. I can make an entire post covering this separately as well. But here are a few tips:
- Build up a professional portfolio showcasing your copywriting skills. It can be hard to land those first few projects. You can do some projects for friends and family to build up your portfolio. You can also sign up for sites like Fiverr to get a few beginner projects. You will likely be working for very minimal pay. The main goal is to build that portfolio and then up your prices.
- Collect testimonials and reviews from everyone you work for and include those in your portfolio as well for social proof.
- Create a Linkedin account and engage with the copywriting niche on Linkedin. There are many business owners and founders on Linkedin as well as fellow copywriters. You will learn a lot about the niche and connect with others in the community. Post about your work and engage with others to build up your Linkedin profile.
- Keep networking and building connections, both online and in real life.
- Post about your services all over your socials consistently and build a community by posting copywriting content.
- Define your USP (unique selling point) and what skills you are particularly well-versed in. Basically, always publicize what sets you apart from other writers.
- Your branding should be on point. Create a logo, social media banners, graphics for your posts, and keep a consistent theme. All of this can be done with Canva.
- Finally, remain consistent and give it time. You won't be able to quit your current job or career instantly. It can take a year or two before you really get established and noticed as a copywriter. This is where that pyramid principle comes in. It is a game of perseverance.
Copywriting Is Not Saturated
Just like in any other field or career, the first few entry levels are saturated. The more experience you get, the more you build your profile, and the more clients you work for, you will naturally up level and enter ranks where it is less saturated.
Gaining in-demand skills and collecting social proof of tangible results will drive your progress to the top even faster.
If you are a copywriter, or looking to become one...how has your journey been so far?
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