Start Copywriting FAST (8 Steps For Beginners)

Summary

In this video, Alex offers a comprehensive guide for aspiring copywriters to build a successful business from the ground up. Despite having zero experience or a different first language, Alex shares actionable steps, including making a decision to start, finding a mentor, investing in oneself, growing skills, building a portfolio, finding the first client, gaining experience, and ultimately designing one's dream life. The video promises a free 'Confident Copywriter Roadmap' to help viewers on their journey to becoming highly paid and sought-after copywriters.

Takeaways

• 🚀 Start with a decision: The first step to becoming a copywriter is making a conscious choice to pursue it, despite any doubts or fears.
• 👨‍🏫 Find a mentor: Committing to learning from a mentor who has experience in the field can accelerate your progress.
• 💪 Invest in yourself: Believe in your potential and be willing to invest time, energy, and possibly money into your copywriting journey.
• 📈 Grow your skills: Continuously practice and learn to improve your copywriting abilities, accepting that you might not be perfect at the start.
• 📚 Build your portfolio: A portfolio is essential for showcasing your work to potential clients, even if you have to start with mock projects.
• 🤝 Find your first client: Actively seek out and secure your first client, which can be challenging but is crucial for gaining experience.
• 🔁 Gain experience and confidence: Repeat the process of taking on clients, honing your skills, and perfecting your portfolio to build confidence.
• 🌟 Design your life: As you gain experience, you gain the power to shape your career and life on your terms, including the ability to choose clients and set your rates.
• 🎯 Make fast decisions: Successful people make decisions quickly, viewing each decision as a potential win or lesson, rather than a source of fear or hesitation.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the video?

The video focuses on guiding individuals on how to build a copywriting business from scratch and become a highly paid, sought-after copywriter, even with zero experience.

What does the speaker offer at the end of the video?

The speaker offers a free copy of the 'Confident Copywriter Roadmap' at the end of the video.

What is the first step to starting a copywriting career according to the video?

The first step is to make a decision to start, which is considered the most important step as it sets the foundation for all subsequent actions.

Why is finding a mentor recommended in the video?

Finding a mentor is recommended because it can fast-track success by learning from someone who has already achieved what you're aiming for, rather than trying to figure everything out on your own.

How does the video suggest one should approach the fear of starting something new?

The video suggests overcoming the fear of starting something new by making a decision to go for it despite the fear, and focusing on one reason why it could work out rather than many reasons why it might not.

What is the significance of investing in oneself according to the video?

Investing in oneself is significant because it shows commitment and is the first step towards seeing a return on investment (ROI), not just financially but also in terms of time, energy, and effort.

Why is building a portfolio essential for a copywriter as per the video?

Building a portfolio is essential for a copywriter because it showcases one's work to potential clients, which is crucial for getting hired, especially when one lacks formal experience or education in the field.

What strategies does the video suggest for finding the first client as a copywriter?

The video suggests various strategies such as posting about one's learning journey on social media, reaching out to business owners, networking, and applying for jobs to find the first client.

How does the video define success in the context of decision-making?

In the context of decision-making, the video defines success as making fast decisions, even if they turn out to be wrong, because every decision is viewed as either a win or a lesson.

What is the importance of continuous learning and practice in becoming a successful copywriter?

Continuous learning and practice are emphasized as essential for growing skills and improving at copywriting, with the understanding that everyone starts as a beginner and improvement comes with consistent effort.

How does the video encourage viewers to handle the initial challenges of copywriting?

The video encourages viewers to embrace the initial challenges by giving themselves permission to 'suck' at first, understanding that it's a part of the learning process, and to keep practicing and learning to improve.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Starting Your Copywriting Business

The speaker, Alex, introduces the topic of the video, which is about building a copywriting business from scratch. They emphasize that anyone, even those with no experience or a different first language, can become a successful copywriter. The video promises to cover common obstacles, ways to gain experience, earning potential, and an eight-step checklist to achieve success. Alex encourages viewers to subscribe and stay tuned for a free 'Confident Copywriter Roadmap' at the end of the video. The first step to success, according to Alex, is making a decision to start, challenging viewers to choose one reason why they can succeed rather than focusing on reasons why they might fail.

05:02

📚 Finding a Mentor and Investing in Yourself

The second paragraph discusses the importance of finding a mentor to guide and accelerate the learning process in copywriting. It warns against the pitfall of trying to learn from too many sources, which can lead to confusion. The speaker suggests committing to one mentor and one learning path. The next step is to invest in oneself, which includes not only financial investment but also time, energy, and effort. The speaker encourages taking action despite fear and emphasizes that courage comes before confidence, urging viewers to start taking steps towards their goals.

10:03

🌱 Growing Skills and Building a Portfolio

The third paragraph focuses on the necessity of growing one's copywriting skills through practice and continuous learning. It acknowledges the fear of appearing inexperienced but stresses the importance of starting and improving over time. The speaker provides tips for practicing, such as writing daily, studying existing copy, and taking practical copywriting programs. The paragraph then transitions into the importance of building a portfolio, which is essential for showcasing one's work to potential clients. The speaker provides advice on how to create a portfolio, even for those without prior experience, by writing mock copy.

🔎 Finding Your First Client and Gaining Experience

The fourth paragraph emphasizes the importance of finding one's first client as a copywriter. It suggests various methods for doing so, including social media promotion, networking, and cold emailing. The speaker shares stories of students who have successfully landed clients through different approaches. The paragraph highlights that gaining experience and confidence comes from working with clients, honing one's skills, and repeating the process. It also touches on the idea of designing one's life as a copywriter, including the freedom to choose clients, raise rates, and decide on work conditions.

Keywords

💡Copywriting

Copywriting is the art of writing persuasive content, typically for advertising or marketing purposes. In the video, it is the central theme as the speaker discusses how to build a copywriting business from scratch and become a successful copywriter. The speaker shares insights on how to get started, even with no experience, emphasizing that copywriting skills are learnable and can lead to a lucrative career.

💡Portfolio

A portfolio in the context of copywriting refers to a collection of work samples that demonstrate a writer's skills and style. The video stresses the importance of having a portfolio to showcase one's abilities to potential clients or employers. It is mentioned as a crucial step for new copywriters to be considered for jobs in the field.

💡Mentor

A mentor, as discussed in the video, is an experienced individual who guides and supports someone less experienced. The speaker suggests finding a mentor as a way to fast-track one's success in copywriting by learning from someone who has already achieved success in the field.

💡Experience

Experience in the video refers to the practical knowledge and skills gained through involvement in copywriting projects. The speaker outlines the process of gaining experience as a copywriter, which involves continuous practice, taking on clients, and honing one's skills over time.

💡Confidence

Confidence in this context is the self-assurance that comes from gaining experience and mastering one's craft. The video suggests that confidence grows as copywriters take on more projects, improve their skills, and successfully complete work for clients.

💡Decision

Decision is highlighted in the video as the first step towards becoming a copywriter. It implies making a conscious choice to pursue copywriting despite potential doubts or fears. The speaker encourages viewers to decide to start their copywriting journey, emphasizing that readiness is a decision rather than a feeling.

💡Invest

To invest, as used in the video, means to commit resources such as time, money, and effort into developing one's copywriting skills and business. The speaker encourages viewers to invest in themselves by taking courses, practicing, and creating an action plan to advance in their copywriting career.

💡Skillset

A skillset refers to the collection of abilities and proficiencies that a person possesses. In the video, the speaker talks about growing one's skillset in copywriting by learning the craft, practicing regularly, and continuously improving through experience.

💡Client

A client in this context is someone who hires a copywriter to create content for their business or project. The video discusses finding one's first client as a significant milestone in establishing a copywriting business and suggests various strategies for securing client work.

💡Confident Copywriter Roadmap

The Confident Copywriter Roadmap is a resource mentioned in the video that provides a step-by-step guide for aspiring copywriters to build their business and skills. It is offered as a free tool to help viewers navigate the process of becoming successful copywriters.

💡Action Plan

An action plan is a detailed strategy that outlines the steps to achieve a specific goal. In the video, creating an action plan is presented as a critical step for investing in oneself and one's copywriting business, helping to translate decisions into tangible progress.

Highlights

Build your copywriting business from scratch and become a highly paid, sought-after copywriter even with zero experience.

Receive a free Confident Copywriter Roadmap to guide you through the process.

Discover the most common reasons new copywriters get stuck and how to overcome them.

Learn how to gain experience as a new copywriter and make six figures.

Follow an eight-step checklist to become a successful copywriter.

Make a decision to start your copywriting journey; 'ready' is not a feeling, it's a decision.

Find a mentor to fast-track your success in copywriting.

Invest in yourself by dedicating time, energy, and effort into your copywriting skills.

Grow your skills by practicing copywriting daily and studying effective ads and sales pages.

Build your portfolio with mock copy to showcase your abilities to potential clients.

Find your first client by putting yourself out there and networking.

Gain experience and confidence by repeating the cycle of finding clients, honing your skills, and perfecting your portfolio.

Design your ideal life as a copywriter with control over your clients, rates, and work environment.

Learn from real copywriters' experiences of scaling from a thousand dollars a month to six figures within a year.

Get practical tips and resources to start and grow your copywriting business.

Transcripts

Want to get paid to write?

In this video, I'm sharing exactly what it takes

to build your copywriting business from scratch,

and how to become a highly paid, highly sought

after copywriter today.

Yes, even if you have zero experience, a nine to five job,

don't speak English as your first language

or have never even considered yourself to be a writer.

And if you stick around to the end, I will give you a copy

of my Confident Copywriter Roadmap for free.

So keep watching.

Hey Posse, what's up? It's Alex.

I am really, really excited for this video

because there is nothing I love more than helping new

and aspiring copywriters create the lives

and businesses of their dreams.

And hey, you're already here,

which means you are one step closer than you were

just one minute ago.

Over the next few minutes, I'm gonna reveal everything,

and I mean everything you need to get started copywriting.

The most common reasons new copywriters get stuck,

different ways to gain experience as a new copywriter,

what it looks like to make six figures as a copywriter

and the eight-step checklist

you need to follow to get there.

So whether you're just copy-curious,

and you're not really sure if you're ready

to take the leap into a new career just yet,

or you know you're ready to create your dream life

and ignite your copywriting business from scratch,

but you have no idea where to start,

or you're already getting paid to write,

but you're ready to take your skills to the next level

and create a life of full-time freedom, baby,

you are in the right place. Right here on my channel,

I have a ton of videos

to help you make your business dreams a reality from mindset

to marketing to making money and more.

So if that sounds good to you, you know what to do, go ahead

and subscribe to my channel below,

and don't forget to ring that bell

to be notified when my next video goes live.

And if you're already part of the Posse, welcome back.

You know, I like to keep things simple around here

and break everything down into actionable

steps that make sense.

So with that, let's get started with step numero uno.

Make a decision. Yes, you need to choose.

I know it sounds like stupidly simple, and it is,

but it is the most important step

because without it, you will waffle and you will wait

and you will wonder for years,

what if? The number one question I get from aspiring

copywriters is this. Alex, how do I know if I'm ready?

And this is also the number one reason why most people never

get started in the first place.

Starting something new is scary as hell, I know.

And so our brains come up

with like a million reasons why it won't work.

You're not ready, you work full-time, you parent full-time,

you have no experience,

the market is oversaturated, AI is taking over

and on and on it goes.

I always find it funny how much we use our creativity

to create reasons why something won't work rather

than how it could.

So this is my challenge for you right now.

Instead of coming up

with a million reasons why this couldn't work out for you,

you know the ones, the ones you say to yourself over

and over again, come up with just one,

just one reason why it could work out

and then make a decision to go for it.

Because here's a little secret. Ready is not a feeling.

It is a decision. You will never feel ready.

So keep this in mind.

The most successful people in the world are not successful

because they know a secret that you don't.

They are successful

because they make more decisions faster in

their lives and businesses.

So write this down. Successful people make fast decisions

even if they are the wrong ones.

When you view every single decision you make as either a win

or a lesson, you can never lose. I'll walk you

through a powerful mindset shift

for making a radically aligned decision in my

confident copyright roadmap.

And I'll tell you where you can get your hands on that

for free at the end of this video.

All right, now let's move on to step number two.

Find a mentor. Yes, this is when you commit.

So there are two ways

that you can build your dream business.

Number one, you can do it yourself. That's the long way.

Or number two, you can get support from someone

who has been there, done that.

And that is the fast way.

Now, I'm not saying it has to be me,

but commit to learning from someone.

And whatever you do, do not try

to learn from everyone, right?

Newsflash, there is more than one path to success.

And just about every single expert out there is teaching a

different way to accomplish the same end goal.

And one does not negate the other

because you already know this.

If you try to find competing information on the internet,

you will find it.

So if you try to learn all the things from all the experts,

you're just going to confuse yourself.

Trust me. If you listen to one person's path and then stop

and go, oh wait, but that person did it this way,

and then abandon your current path

to go in another direction, you'll end up taking way longer

to get where you wanna go.

Or you may never get there at all

because you're just jumping all over the place

and you feel like you just need more

and more, more, and you're not getting it right.

Now, this is a hard concept for a lot of people to get

behind because I get that we feel like we need

to learn all the things from all the experts in order

to be successful or

before we even start, which means you never will. But nope.

The absolute best thing you can do

to fast track your success is to commit

to learning from one mentor, follow one path

and then go for it.

Stop overthinking it.

And then after you've gotten all the foundational skills

down, that's when you can start to expand your skillset

and learn different topics and

strategies from different people.

So remember, first go deep, then go broad,

and that will set you up for success.

Alright, now on to step number three. Invest in yourself.

And you better believe this takes some courage.

So another little interesting quirk about us humans is

that we tend to overestimate what other people can do,

and we underestimate what we can do, which is ironic

because you can't control what anybody else does.

You can only control you,

and that is why you are the surest asset you have.

Yes, you. Write that down. invest in yourself

and you will see an ROI.

And I don't mean just money.

Invest your time, your energy, your effort.

Put skin in the game, create an action plan

and start taking serious action.

Yes, it will feel scary to invest in that course

or to tell your friends

and family that you're doing something new

or to set that goal that you have never dared dreamed of,

to try something you have absolutely no

experience in, right?

But all it takes is just one moment of courage

to change the trajectory of the rest of your life.

So remember this, courage comes before confidence.

If you wait until you feel confident,

you will be waiting forever.

So stop waiting and just start taking action right now,

even if it's a little step.

Alright, moving on to step number four. Grow your skills.

This is when you start cultivating your skills

and really improving and getting better at what you do.

If you wanna be a copywriter, you have to learn the skill

of copywriting, of course.

I mean, that's pretty obvious.

You have to learn, you have to start somewhere,

and you have to be a beginner before you can be an expert.

So many people never chase their dreams or start a new hobby

or do anything new because they are

terrified of looking stupid.

I can't tell you the number of times I've heard that

and the number of times that I have thought it,

but the hard truth is there is no other way, right?

When you were a baby learning how to walk

for the first time, did you feel stupid

when you stumbled at first?

No, that seems so silly to even say.

Did anyone look at you like you were an idiot?

No, they cheered you on and they rooted for you to succeed.

You cannot, I repeat,

you cannot start something new and be a pro right away.

It takes practice. Lots

of practice depending on what you're learning.

And yes, you will probably suck at first.

Everybody sucks at first. I sucked at first.

Once upon a time, I was a crappy, crappy copywriter

and entrepreneur, right?

So give yourself permission to suck and then get over it.

Continue to show up, learn and practice,

and that is the only way to grow and get better.

So here are some tips for how you can do that.

First, write something every day.

It doesn't have to be just copywriting.

You can write a story or a poem or a slogan, right?

It doesn't really matter. Just get in the habit

of writing daily.

Next, study, the emails, the ads,

the sales pages you see online.

Next, practice writing hooks.

I post practice posts all the time on my Instagram account

where you can come play around

and have some fun with the Posse.

Next, take a practical copywriting program

if that's accessible to you.

I have an eight week copywriter training program

that teaches you everything you need to know

to get started from scratch,

and you can learn more about that in the description box

below. And you'll find a ton more ways for

how you can practice inside my Confident Copywriter Roadmap.

The more time you dedicate to practicing,

and yes, sucking at first, the faster you will get good.

As I always say, the secret to writing good copy is

to step one, write bad copy, and step two, fix it.

Alright, let's move on to step number five.

Build your portfolio.

This is where you really expand your capability.

This is a step that everyone always wants to skip,

but sorry, if you want to be a copywriter,

you need a portfolio.

Don't just take my word for it.

Here's what Nicky Lorenzo, the creative director

and copywriter at Ogilvy, one

of the biggest advertising agencies in the world, had

to say when asked, do you think

that having a portfolio is important for copywriters?

She said, you have to have one. It's not important.

It's like you have to have one. It's not even a question.

If you don't have a portfolio, what are you even doing?

Unless you have a friend who works at the agency

that recommends you, you need a portfolio to get in.

To even get looked at.

Your portfolio is everything

when it comes to copywriting.

You don't need formal education,

you don't need previous writing experience,

you don't need an impressive resume,

you don't even need a massive social presence

or any social presence at all.

But yes, you do need a portfolio,

but hey, that's one thing you need.

And then you can forget the rest.

If you don't have one, you're gonna have a really hard time

finding anyone who is willing

to hire you if they can't see your work.

Brands and businesses wanna see what you've got

before they can give you a shot.

So how do you build your portfolio if you have no prior

writing experience?

Simple. Write mock copy.

I list out tons of ideas to help you do this

inside my free Confident Copywriter Roadmap,

and that'll be all yours at the end of this video.

Alright, moving on to step number six.

Find your first client.

This is when you get to claim what you do.

You could learn all the skills, practice night and day,

and build an awesome portfolio,

but if you don't put yourself out there,

then you aren't gonna get very far, right?

Because I mean, how else is anyone gonna

find you and actually hire you?

So this is really important.

Claiming your new career path does not necessarily mean

you feel confident yet.

It means that you're willing to tell the world

who you are and what you're up to.

Let people know that you've started a copywriting business

or side hustle, or that you're learning the skill

and building your portfolio.

Talk about it on social media.

Reach out to the business owners that you know.

Start networking and building professional connections.

Start conversations and apply for jobs.

I've had students who have landed their first client

before even graduating from my eight week program simply

by posting about what they're learning

on their Instagram stories.

I have also had students land clients by cold emailing

and reaching out directly to business owners

they followed. I've had students whose first client was

their boss at their current nine to five

and heard that they were learning copywriting

and wanted to give them a chance.

I've had students land clients by talking

to their tables at their serving jobs

and countless other ways.

But listen, there is no magic way to find clients

or no magic source where all clients live, except

for maybe the Copy Posse Launch Pad Job Board,

but different things work for different people.

So you should try and test a few of these methods.

Finding your first client is often the hardest

and slowest part of starting your

freelance copywriting business.

But if you follow all of the steps that I've outlined above,

I promise it will be way easier.

And once you get your first one,

it becomes a lot easier to get more.

It takes 80% of a rocket's fuel

to leave the Earth's atmosphere.

So that takes a lot of work.

But once you're there, you're in orbit and you have done it.

Again, if you want a list of all my favorite ways

to find clients, make sure to grab a copy

of my Confident Copywriter Roadmap

because I have them all listed out for you.

Alright, there are only two steps left.

Step number seven. Gain experience and confidence.

So you get a client, you hone your skills,

you perfect your portfolio,

and then you lather, rinse, repeat. Repeat the cycle over

and over and over again.

That is how you gain experience.

That is how your confidence grows.

You gain confidence through experience.

That is the only way. You can't magically download it.

I wish we could, I'd be a

billionaire if I could sell that to you.

You build up your experience and your client roster.

You level up your marketing skills,

you better serve your clients.

You continue learning and growing.

And this process could be as slow or as fast as you want it.

You could choose to go all in

and make freelance copywriting your full-time thing.

You could choose to do it part-time,

like a side hustle while you pursue other passions

or work nine to five or parent.

Or you might decide not to do freelance at all

and instead take on a job with an agency

or be an in-house copywriter as you start your career.

And hey, there is no shame in getting paid

to write full-time as an employee at first.

That is a great way to grow and hone your skills

and get paid for it before you go fully freelance.

Not to mention many of those positions are remote

so you can do them from home.

Now there are plenty of opportunities

and different paths that you can take

to build your experience and gain more confidence.

And that is where the last step, the most exciting step,

finally comes into play.

Step number eight. You consciously design your life.

Yes, you create the life of your dreams.

As your experience grows, your confidence grows,

your referrals grow,

something really amazing starts to happen.

You realize that you actually have complete control over the

way your life looks and feels.

You can say no to clients that don't feel good

or who you don't vibe with.

You can trade up your clients. You can raise your rates.

You can negotiate retainers and commissions.

You get to decide how, when and where you work.

You get to decide which projects you take on

and which projects you'll pass on.

And this is when you get to consciously create

the life you've always wanted.

It doesn't happen overnight, of course not.

And I'm not saying it's a walk in the park.

You have to go through those first seven steps first.

You need to learn the skill, practice it, find clients,

hone your skills, and gain more confidence

before you get to this step.

But I can tell you for a fact

that you can get here very quickly if you're

dedicated to this roadmap.

I have students who have gone from making a thousand dollars

a month to well over six figures in as little as one year.

Think about that for a minute.

I don't know of a single other profession

or skillset on the planet that you can learn

and scale in such a short amount of time.

And it all starts with step number one, a decision to start.

And if you need a little help getting started, make sure

to grab your copy of my Confident Copywriter Roadmap in the

description box below.

And until next time, I'm Alex. Ciao for now. Alright, guys.

If you enjoyed that video, make sure

to check out the next one for me right here,

and you can click right here to get a free gift.

Wanna know the single biggest difference

between a side hustle copywriter who is overworked,

underpaid, and overstretched, versus a six-figure copywriter

who is excelling, thriving,

and absolutely dominating their niche?

Keep watching.