No-Hassle Products Of Copy - Some Thoughts
From EjWiki
If you're thinking about utilizing a copywriter (or becoming one), it is critical to realise that there is several type of copywriting and more than one kind of copywriter.
Different writing tasks require different skills, and writers evolve different skillsets, whether deliberately or simply as the organic consequence of their functioning experience. So the conditions 'copywriting' and 'copywriter', although simple-sounding, in fact encompass a variety of specialisations and features. This post lists some of the most common types of copywriting and copywriters.
Note that some of these copywriting disciplines have parallel job titles/descriptions, and others don't. For instance, while 'SEO copywriter' is now a recognised work title, I've never noticed anyone describe themselves as a 'long-duplicate copywriter'. Also, remember that a few of these labels are versatile - while there are different strands within copywriting, the distinctions between them aren't always so clear-cut as my headings imply, and people could use these terms in various ways.
The freelance copywriter
The freelance copywriter writes in virtually any medium directly for clients, usually operating as a sole trader or one-person company.
Businesses and organisations require a broad range of points written: websites, brochures, case studies, product descriptions, consumer manuals, pr announcements, presentations, internal documents and more. While many will simply use internal resource to find the writing completed, many switch to a freelance copywriter to help them out.
Freelance copywriting is usually managed on an ad hoc, job-by-job basis, although some clients do strike retainer plans or create longer agreements with freelances. Typically, the freelancer provides a cost or proposal, will the task, revises the copy in response to feedback, and submits their invoice on acceptance.
Freelance copywriting typically requires 'broad but shallow' copywriting skills. For example, throughout writing a business website, the copywriter might find themselves writing lengthy copy for info pages, snappy selling duplicate for high-profile pages and journalistic copy for news pages. At the same time, they might toss in a business tagline and perhaps name something range or two - in some instances, without even being asked, because the client may not possess realised that they also need these things.
As a result of working for many different customers, the freelance copywriter also tends to develop broad but shallow understanding of different business sectors, allowing them to control new customers' requirements rapidly. That is one region where older freelancers can regularly outdo their young counterparts - experience can't be faked, nor bought.
Conversely, several freelances specialise on paper for a particular sector or sector - pharmaceuticals, charity and so on. This can be because they previously kept a salaried placement for the reason that sector. It may be a deliberate choice, or it may just emerge consequently of the jobs and referrals that come along.
