For almost everyone, starting a freelance copywriting business can be difficult. And for me, it was an unexpected move.
Indeed, I’ve always enjoyed writing on several topics. And I wanted to launch my business so badly because I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I never, ever found my place in corporations. I had a hard time accepting to be submitted to people who were sometimes more stupid than I was – not all of my bosses and colleagues were like that, fortunately!
That’s why I wanted to write this article today to show you what I needed to have the courage to launch my business platform. You’ll see that I didn’t need to be very special to land my first projects. I could start building my own portfolio, even if I didn’t have lots of experience.
Are you ready to share my experience and see some copywriting myths debunked? Let’s go!
Myth #1: You need a lot of money to launch your freelance copywriting business
False. I didn’t need a lot of money to launch my business. Honestly, I just needed to build my website. So the only thing I am paying right now is my hosting fees.
Moreover, I also pay for memberships in freelance networks because I need to find clients and to contantly learn. But I didn’t need a whole lot of money to start my website. I might need to have an advertising budget in the future. Nevertheless, I haven’t used this opportunity yet.
Myth #2: You need a specific college degree to become a freelance copywriter
False. I didn’t need a journalism, English or literature degree. Indeed, I have a MSc in Finance and it didn’t prevent me from becoming a freelance copywriter. However, I did follow a dedicated training offered by the American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI) called Advanced Copywriting.
I do believe that this is one of the best copywriting training in the market right now.
Myth #3: You need to be a master of English language (or French, in my case)
False. I do work in French and English, as I am fluent in both languages. I never thought that I needed to be the next Charles Dickens or Honoré de Balzac.
However, my writing style must convince my audience to take action. It could be to subscribe to a service, to book a seat, or to buy a product. This is why my clients are paying for my services.
Myth #4: You need to have extensive IT skills
False. Personally, I’ve never been a computer nerd. Of course, like many people who used to work in banking and advisory services, I have some skills (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel). Nevertheless, I’ve never had to show extensive IT skills.
Myth #5: You need to be a creative genius
True and false. In my own experience, I noticed that I needed to have some creativity on a specific assignment. For instance, one of my clients wanted an ad for the local magazine to present its activity. Though the client told me what he wanted, I had to come up with my own vision and my own words.
However, most of the time, I take ideas from the clients and from my research on the specific topic I am working on.
Well, that’s for this article! What have you thought about my experience and about the copywriting myths that I debunked? Do you see other myths that I should have talked about?
Feel free to share in the comments section!
Also, check my Copywriting and Content Marketing Services or my Contact page if you need more information about my trade.
Very informative article. I never considered the idea of being a copywriter. I was trained in technical writing for Lockheed but did not enjoy it as much as you seem to enjoy doing freelance copywriting. You indeed debunked a lot of myths that I still had about copywriting. I think someone else in Wealthy Affiliates mentioned the training program American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI) called Advanced Copywriting. This sounds like a very good progrm. Since content is still King on the Internet. I wish you the best in your chosen field. You sound enthusiastic and very knowledgeable about this area. Good information and informative.
Thanks for your message and your encouragement ! It léans a lot to me
Hello! Thank you for debunking all these myths. I was particularly happy when I read about not needing extensive IT skills. I have never been a computer nerd either. And this was holding me back from getting started with a Freelance Copywriting Business. Thank you very much for this clarification and for the encouragement. I will give it a try!
Thanks for your comment!
Thank you so much for sharing 5 Myths About Freelance Copywriting Business Debunked!
The one I’ve heard the most is Myth #1: You need a lot of money to launch your freelance copywriting business.
You actually don’t need a lot of money to start.
You just need creative ideas as a copywriter!
I started back in 2016 and didn’t spend anything!
Same here !
Thanks for this article! Of all the myths you listed, I think the 5th is the most common misconception among people thinking about what they might do online. Whenever I tell someone who knows English at least at an intermediate level that they could write articles, i.e., blogs, they think they have to be who knows how good writers to do that.
And the point in all of this is to make the articles as if you were talking to a friend about that topic. The other four myths are also total nonsense. Times changed a lot. Today you need a degree if you want to be a doctor or a lawyer, but for any digital positions, universities lag behind a lot.
Exactly !
Great article about copywriting. I always thought you needed a qualification or needed to be especially skilled in writing to be able to do this. You have given me some great ideas and I wanted to thank you. Thanks for personalizing it and dispelling the myths. Did it take you long to start finding clients to work for.?
Thanks
Stephen
No, it didn’t take long for me to find my first clients. I started having my first clients within the first month of my activity. What is the most difficult is to keep them; but you do it when you do a great job. Hope that it helps!
Hello, Elodie. Your website is charming. Once I started at the beginning with “Meet Elodie” and worked my way through to the end, “Blog”, my initial confusion cleared. It always helps to start at the beginning. I discovered a website put together in a logical and progressive manner in a friendly and professional tone.
I followed a lot of links and they all worked and they all produced a logical, interesting, and productive end-point. My journey included a trip to France, where Google kindly translated your portfolio into English. I wonder if you have considered Fiverr or Upwork, especially Upwork, to build your portfolio and authority.
I am a member of AWAI also and have several of their courses sitting on my bookshelf. That was a good link, although if you want to use them as an authority link, maybe link to their homepage instead of their sales page. If they are an affiliate of yours, work up to the sale a little more. I think AWAI would make for a good review blog article. Maybe, if you ask them as a former student, they would give you a backlink.
Onto the blog: It was a very good first post. Your layout was easy to follow and your information, as far as it went, answered the 5 questions, or myths, that you proposed. Now we await many more like that. With practice, you will know exactly what to write about.
In the comments section, there is a way to replace the name admin with your own. I can’t think of how right now, but someone at Wealthy Affiliate will.
I think you have picked an excellent niche. Freelance writers are in demand these days. Perhaps clarify, do you want to be a writer, a blogger with the intent to monetize your website, or both? And how will you monetize your website?
I like your style. Best wishes and carry-on.
Yours, Donna (aka deelilah)
Thank you for your encouragements Donna! It’s very important for me!