4 Things I Absolutely Love About Being an Online Copywriter
By Nick Usborne

When I get up each morning, there are a number of things I feel grateful for.

Most of those things revolve around family and friends. The people I love most.

But, I’m also super-grateful for being able to make my living as a copywriter.

I've already celebrated my 40^th anniversary as a professional copywriter, and I’m still loving it.

That’s not too bad, when you think about how rarely people get to stick with a single job for their entire career.

Better still, it’s a job I have always enjoyed.

And as the Web grows and evolves, I find myself enjoying my work as an online copywriter more and more.

I could probably come up with a dozen or more reasons why I love being an online copywriter.

But let me share four big ones …

#1. You can make a great income with a very low cost of entry

I know many freelance online copywriters who make a six-figure income.

And, I know many others who have transformed their lives, and the lives of their families, with a solid five-figure income.

What does it cost to get started?

A few hundred dollars.

That’s extraordinary. Crazy even.

Other high-five or six-figure earners are people like lawyers and doctors … all of whom spent years in training and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars just to become qualified.

So yes, I’m super-grateful for that. I earn as much as a doctor or lawyer, but I never had to spend more than a few hundred dollars on training or re-training.

#2. You have boundless choices as a writer

In any regular job, I’d probably be crawling up the walls in frustration by now.

I’m someone who gets bored really, really easily. Give me the same old thing to do again and again and I’d go insane.

In other words, 99% of regular jobs would drive me insane!

But as a copywriter online, I’m spoiled. I have this endless buffet of writing opportunities.

Like … writing website homepages, or emails, or e-newsletters, or sales pages, or blog posts, or case studies, or video scripts, or social media updates, or buyers’ guides, or product descriptions … and so on.

Some of those tasks are really well suited for writers who are into direct sales copywriting. Others are a perfect match for writers who are more into writing editorial content.

The point being, whatever your strengths and preferences as a writer, you’ll find a good fit online.

And, even once you’ve found your best writing niche, you’ll still find plenty of variety.

#3. It’s easy to look impressive to your clients

Over the years, I’ve talked to literally hundreds of freelance copywriters who have worried about how they’ll look to their prospects and clients.

Copywriters who have just launched their business are particularly susceptible to that feeling that they’re not “good enough.” They worry that they’re not ready yet, and that prospective clients will “see through them.”

Relax. Seriously.

Online copywriting is a very particular and very valuable skill. It’s not a skill most marketers possess.

In fact, over the course of a 40-year career as a copywriter, I can think of only two clients who knew more about copywriting than I did. And in both cases, they were generous enough to share their expertise with me.

In addition to being a rare and valuable skill, copywriting is a fast-evolving skill. This is particularly true today.

• Just 10 years ago, writing for social media wasn’t a thing. It is now.
• 5 years ago, writing for mobile marketing wasn’t a thing. It is now.
• A year ago, writing scripts for AI-powered chatbots wasn’t a thing. It is now.

There’s no way your clients can keep up with this pace of change. But you can.

In fact, it’s the pace of change that makes this career so appealing and interesting! And as a student of that change, you’ll always look impressive to your clients and your prospective clients.

Staying ahead of the curve makes you super-valuable!

#4. Enjoy total independence in a scary and fast-changing world

One look at the corporate world today kicks my feelings of gratitude into high gear.

It used to be that working for a large corporation was considered safe. You kept your job for life and retired with a gold watch.

Not anymore.

These days, you can lose that “safe job” in the blink of an eye … downsized, outsourced, or replaced by an AI-powered robot.

No jobs are safe.

Unless … you enjoy the total independence that comes with being a freelance copywriter.

Hey … I’m not claiming that a career as a freelance online copywriter comes with a protective layer of fairy dust.

I’ve had some tough months and some tough years along the way.

But here I am, four decades later, still standing and still smiling.

Sure, I might lose a client every now and again. But that’s why I’m always on the lookout for new clients. I always have a safety net. I can never “lose” my job. And nobody can ever fire me.

Look at the news these days and you’ll see that very few people can make the same claim.

Wrapping it up …

I just said that being an online copywriter doesn’t come with a protective layer of fairy dust.

I take that back.

It does.

And here’s why … in two parts.

One — You can’t sell anything without using words. And no business on earth can survive without selling stuff.

Think about that. No business can even exist, let alone prosper, without tapping into the power of copywriting.

Two — There are very, very few places where you can get professional-grade, in-depth training as an online copywriter.

And, therein lies the fairy dust …

Online copywriting is an essential skill in which few people have formal training.

That’s why freelance copywriters will always be in demand.

That’s why I’m still standing after 40 years … and still making a great living.

And now it’s YOUR turn to step up, join me … and enjoy!

Do you have any questions about getting started in this exciting, enjoyable industry? Please share in the comments below to let us know.