Copywriters are a rare breed of freelancer. Not only do we have extensive knowledge of marketing but we geek out on the principles of human psychology, and have a flair for the written word in a way that allows us to sell in a cool and sophisticated way…
And because of that… we tend to sort of be good at… a lot of things? Or at least that’s what your clients probably think.
If you think about it, sometimes the actual role of a copywriter can get a little fuzzy at times. With clients expecting you to act as a copywriter one day, a content writer the next day, and a full-blown marketing strategist the day after that!
So the question is this: where do you draw the line?
As a copywriter, what jobs should you actually be doing?
Well, the great thing about being a freelance copywriter is that you can offer whatever you want… or don’t want to do!
When I started my business I often offered additional services above and beyond copywriting to get my foot in the door. Today, any clients who hire my agency get copy and consulting, that’s it.
So while your goal might be to get to a point where ALL you do is write words in documents and send them over to your clients, it’s entirely possible to expand your job scope to gain experience and build client relationships.
So in this article I’m going to be breaking down the common roles and responsibilities that a copywriter fulfills, BUT I’m also going to share the additional services that you can take on as a copywriter…
To not only better serve your clients, but to also put more of dat money in your pocket!
Hey Posse, it’s Alex! Coming at ya this week with another blog by request!
My DMs are typically full of messages from my community and I often get asked these TWO questions…
The first typically comes from people who haven’t taken the plunge into copywriting just yet, and are wondering what exactly it is that a copywriter does…
And the second comes from relatively new copywriters who are dealing with clients that expect them to be a jack-of-all-trades, and they’re wondering what exactly they should be doing…
So if you fall into one of those two categories… then leave me a comment up below, because this blog is for YOU.
And if you’re new to the crew – WELCOME! I put out a new marketing, copywriting, or mindset blog every single week. So leave your email below to get more articles like this one.
So if you’ve ever wondered what a copywriter actually DOES or what freelancing services you can offer clients as a beginner copywriter, here are 16 ways you can start making more money in your business.
Take out a pen and paper, and get ready to write down the ones you vibe with the most. And if you’re a business owner, looking to hire a copywriter – then I’m going to share you with my Copywriter Job Description—to make your search for a copywriter as easy (and seamless) as possible.
Ok I’ve broken these services down into 3 categories, and the first is, of course…
1. Copywriting Services
Okay, so this first category is the list of services that actually fall under a copywriter’s job description (in my opinion). This is what savvy clients, who actually understand what you do, may expect you to do for them.
Now before you get too overwhelmed with the list I’m about to go over, please keep in mind that this is YOUR copywriting business. And you DO NOT have to offer all of these assets if you don’t want to.
Ads
This can include digital ads like the ones you see on Google, Facebook, and Instagram, video ads like you see right here on YouTube, or even printed ads that you might see in Newspapers and on Flyers.
The main purpose of digital ads, of course, is to get a CLICK. Now with ads (all forms of copywriting actually), it’s very important to remember that your headline, and the first few sentences of text, are the MOST IMPORTANT THING to get right.
Because in the age of ‘the scroll’ you simply have to master the art of crafting compelling hooks. All great ads grab attention with a powerful hook.
Email Marketing
Yep, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Emails sent to a list of subscribers with the sole purpose of marketing something – although great email campaigns should also add a lot of value and focus on building rapport with the list.
So depending on your client’s needs, they may ask you for different types of emails like autoresponders, an indoctrination sequence, sales emails, content emails, affiliate emails or re-engagement emails—as a copywriter you can add all of these to your list of services…
BUT as a copywriter, your job is to only WRITE these emails. You do not need to be the one to load these emails into your client’s email sending software unless you WANT TO. I have never offered this to a client because it’s tedious and technical and you never want to be the one that actually sends an email draft to the entire list.
Landing Pages
It’s like a sales page… but WAY shorter and used for the main purpose of lead generation. So if the #1 job of your ad is to convert eyeballs into clicks, the #1 job of a landing page is to convert more clicks into leads. You want to motivate & inspire a prospect to enter their information (typically first name and email) in exchange for a “Free High-Value Promise” or what is more commonly called a lead magnet.
Sales Pages
And the BIG ONE. This is what I like to call your moneymaker… because not only is this the page that’s going to make your clients the most money and profit in their business…
But it’s the page that’ll get YOU paid the most money to write!
The copywriting magic needed to turn prospects into paying customers is where persuasion, psychology, and major writing swagger come into play.
In my opinion, ALL copywriters need to master this skill—it’s what sets us apart from other content writers.
Now if you’re a copywriter or business owner, looking to write a high-converting Sales Page that will get you paid, and keep clients and prospects coming back to you for more and more…. and more. Then make sure to check out my 5 Day Write & Ignite Challenge, where I teach you the exact proven sales page formula that I personally use in multi-million dollar launches.
Home Pages & Website Copy
This is what I refer to as branding copy or authority copy! While conversions are still important on your main homepage, your brand message is EVERYTHING. Your home page is the first thing that people see when visiting your website so you gotta make a great first impression! The goal of a Homepage is simple: to create trust, build authority, and offer next steps.
About Pages
With more and more audiences seeking out products, coaches, and businesses that share their same values, well-written About Pages are a great opportunity to share a brand’s story, vision, mission, philosophy, and what makes them different.
It’s your way of answering the question – yeah, but who are you… really?
As a copywriter, you can offer this a service to any client that doesn’t already have an About Page OR you can offer to revamp any About Pages that are dull and less than inspiring.
And – in case you were wondering – your job as the copywriter is to simply write these pages (same with landing pages, sales pages, and websites) and not actually BUILD them.
Promotional Videos & Video Sales Letters
Remember what I’ve been saying over and over again to you guys?! VIDEO IS THE FUTURE!
In fact, 87% of video marketers say that video gives them a positive return on investment. So it’s safe to say that… yes. Video marketing is indeed where it’s at! Says the girl who spends HOURS making video content every week.
Promotional videos are used for the purpose of promoting a specific marketing initiative, event, or product. They are typically short, sweet, and to the point. The copy part of promo videos will include the video’s titles, subtitles, any copy that’s used as visual elements throughout the video, and of course the SCRIPT.
And it’s important to remember that although copy is only PART of what makes a great promo video, up to 85% of Facebook videos are watched without sound. So making sure that the copy you have in your video subtitles is essential in boosting your conversions.
Another type of video marketing that requires copywriting skills is VSLs – or video sales letters! Video sales letters are similar to written sales letters except they are written scripts, rather than a written page.
Again, your job as the copywriter is to simply WRITE the video scripts and ancillary copy – not actually produce the videos!
Product Descriptions
Product descriptions refer to that short little blurb of text that describes what a product is, what it does, and WHY someone should buy it. It’s incredibly common in e-commerce stores where copy space for products is limited.
But a common mistake that I see made ALL of the time is a boring product description that just… describes the product. You know, all features and no benefits.
Great product descriptions need to go deeper than the boring left-brain need-to-know stuff.
You want customers to read your product description and think… Wow now that’s cool/interesting/unique/smart/funny! I gotta get it!
Alright that covers the bases of copywriting services. Now let’s move onto a different service package you can consider offering for your clients…
2. Content Writing
As a professional copywriter, you’ll find that A LOT of businesses will ask you to do some content writing for them as well…
And just like picking and choosing your copywriting services, you can and should use your own discretion on whether or not you will offer content writing for your clients as well.
While copywriting is the art of crafting words for the sole purpose of conversion… Content writing focuses more on engagement, education, and brand awareness.
And there are various forms of content writing that you can choose to include in your services, but I’m just going to cover the 5 big ones that will be most beneficial to your clients…
Social Media Captions
Social Media is a HUGE part of most brands and businesses’ marketing strategies these days, and if it’s not already, then it definitely should be.
Because Social Media is where the majority of the population is hanging out on a day-to-day basis.
Globally, over 3.6 billion people use social media… and that number is expected to increase to 4.4 billion by the year 2025.
And handling your client’s social media captions and content is a great way to get your foot in the door with a client that you really want to work with. Just remember that the main purpose of social media is to connect and engage with the audience… So you should always be providing value in the form of either education, entertainment, or inspiration.
Blog Posts
I mean come on… everyone knows the power of blogging. Blogs are one of the best ways to get ranked in Google searches and optimize your SEO. But the thing is… most busy business owners just don’t have the time (or energy ) to pump out blog posts on a consistent basis.
And that’s where YOU can step up and offer your services. As a minimum, you could offer at least 1 blog post a week, and of course, go up from there!
Newsletters
These are the weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly emails that get sent out to a list of subscribers. The purpose isn’t to sell or promote anything directly, but rather to build rapport, trust, and credibility. And most importantly, CREATE A SENSE OF COMMUNITY.
Because one thing is for certain in this day-and-age… customers don’t stick around with brands that they don’t feel connected to on some level. So if your clients don’t already send out consistent content-rich newsletters to their mailing list, then they are missing out on a huge opportunity to cultivate a loyal following – and BOOM – guess who can help them out with that?….
Content Videos
Content videos are a MASSIVE way to build a loyal following and brand. I know because I grew my entire business with content videos!
And yes, like promotional videos, all content videos start out as a script or, at the very least, a loose outline! Because even though they are personal and conversational, you still want to make sure your content videos are informative and valuable and follow a framework!
Not to mention the need to craft compelling headlines and convince viewers to watch, like, and subscribe.
So as a copywriter, you can absolutely offer content video scripts to your list of services!
SEO
Aka search engine optimization. Essentially, SEO is focused on improving the visibility of your website by getting it to rank higher in search engines.
Now, this is something that I get asked ALL of the time… Alex, do I NEED to know SEO as a conversion copywriter?
And the answer is no…
I mean I straight-up tell my clients that I’m not an expert in SEO. I literally know nothing about it except the general basics of how it works. And it’s not something that interests me enough to study and become a master at.
So I always recommend that my clients work with an SEO specialist if they are looking to optimize their websites in that way.
But, but BUT… that doesn’t mean you can’t add SEO to your list of services if you know what you’re doing!
SEO copywriting is common in particular industries and niches so do your research and find out if it’s something you WANT to consider mastering.
I mean, killer SEO strategies with high-converting copy sounds like a winning combination if you ask me.
So if you want to take things one step further and add SEO onto your list of services that you offer to clients, you definitely can.
But you’ll want to make sure that you know more than “just the basics” if you’re calling yourself an SEO specialist.
The good news is, the best SEO secret in the world is to write copy and content that is valuable, creates authority, and gets people to stay and engage with your page or website – which as a copywriter you’ll already know how to do. Alright, now the 3rd category of services you could offer is…
3. Marketing Support
If you REALLY want to beef up your packages (and the money you have coming in), you may want to consider offering marketing services to your clients as well.
Offering additional marketing support can make you invaluable to your clients because they’re basically getting a unicorn – someone who can write, strategize and implement.
Of course, there’s a whole slew of services that you could offer under this category… but let’s just cover the basic 3 that most copywriters could easily transition into offering.
Community Management
A major part of writing in business comes down to communicating with followers, subscribers, and customers via email, membership sites and social media. Customer support was the first role I had at Mindvalley so if you’re looking to get your foot in the door with a brand you’d LOVE to write copy for, why not offer community management as a service to showcase your writing ability?
Funnel-Building
If you have a more technical flair and you’re familiar with online tools like GrooveFunnels, ClickFunnels, Kajabi, or others, you can add funnel-building to your list of services! This is essentially CREATING the pages and sales funnels you are writing. This can be a highly valuable service that will save your clients from having to hire someone else OR spend hours doing it themselves.
Marketing Consulting
This is something you might start to offer after you’ve been in the game for a while, and have developed a pretty solid understanding of the world of marketing.
A marketing consultant is an advisor and strategies who works with companies to create and design marketing campaigns.
As a marketing consultant, you could help to create detailed marketing plans, determine a business’s marketing message, and identify the right marketing mix to most effectively get your client’s message out to the masses.
Remember, as a copywriter, you really are the best of both worlds… word nerd meets marketing master.
So pick and choose the services that resonate the most with you.
And never forget the value you bring to the table.
