“I’m a freelance writer, but I don’t know anything about copywriting.”  

I recently had a conversation with a down-sized corporate administrative assistant who was trying her hand at freelance writing. She told me that, although she was a freelance writer, she didn’t know anything about copywriting. (I take that back. She did know one thing about copywriting: it paid a LOT better than her current assignments.)

That’s when I showed her how her odd freelance writing jobs and personal communications experience had given her the tools she needs to enter the more financially lucrative world of B2B or even B2C copywriting. She just needed the vision to tweak her talent to fit the corporate mindset. 

From Freelance Writer to Marketing Copywriter 

To illustrate how different types of freelance writing translate into copywriting, here are five ways your experience can pay off in the corporate world: 

1. If you write print magazine articles, then you have the experience to be a corporate ghostwriter of trade magazine articles and advertorials.  
2. If you write fictional short stories, you have the experience to write case studies (truthful storytelling with liberal customer quotes and a marketing twist). 
3. If you write content for article marketing purposes, you have the experience to write content for a corporate blog, internal employee newsletter or external client newsletter. 
4. If you write technical documents or manuals, you have the experience to write marketing white papers.  
5. If you have social media expertise, you have the experience to set up and manage a company’s Facebook page and Twitter account.

Before making the leap from freelance writer to copywriter, you might want to study the type of content that relates to your experience. A wide variety of case studies, trade magazines, white papers and newsletters can easily be found with a quick Google search. 

Copywriter Confession: Years ago I used to write 750 word feature articles for Better Nutrition magazine. My ego loved getting a byline, but the pay was really low. Ghostwriting 750 word articles for construction trade magazines may not be as inspiring as natural health, but the pay is a whole lot higher!

In business, the Lunch and Learn is a good way to teach employees something valuable without cutting into their main productivity time. Let’s say a company recently upgraded their software. It might host a Lunch and Learn to demonstrate all the new features to its employees. The company plans the training session and buys the employees lunch. In turn, the employees forfeit their lunch break to sit in a conference room, eat free pizza and learn all about the new software version. 

If you’re a freelance copywriter that works from home, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. And if you’re like me, you tend to work through the noon hour while nibbling at your desk anyway. But that doesn’t mean you can’t initiate your own version of the Lunch and Learn – the freelance version. 

Free Lunch and Learn Reading Material 

One of the best ways to become a better copywriter is to consistently read really good copy. But if you want that copy to qualify as Lunch and Learn material, it also needs to teach you something valuable. 

I’ve chosen three documents (in no apparent order) that I think qualify for the freelance version of the Lunch and Learn. Each one can be read start to finish in an hour or less.  And they are all free to download (no registration required). 

So grab your lunch and get ready to learn!  

1. 279 Days to Overnight Success

 This engaging manifesto by Chris Guillebeau is touted as:

 ”11,000 words of free advice on how to create your own success with your own project.”

 2. A Human’s Guide to Freelance Living

 This easy and entertaining read by Charlie Pabst is also touted to be a manifesto:

“It features tips on finding ideas, staying organized, getting clients and ultimately making money doing what you love.”

 3. The Death of the Salesletter

Michel Fortin’s report on Web 2.0 and Its Impact on the Future of Internet Copy is insightful and educational. Michel says: 

“I want as many people, copywriters, marketers and buyers alike, to get this information, because, as a copywriter for many of the web’s top marketers, I’m seeing a significant transformation occurring that simply cannot be ignored.”

Copywriter Confession: When I take a break at my desk to eat, I tend to surf the web and read online news. Bad idea. The news is so depressing, but for me it’s like a train wreck: I can’t help but watch. So do as I say, not as I do. Stay away from the news and spend your learning learning something useful.

According to Webster’s dictionary, alliteration is “the repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables (as wild and woolly, threatening throngs).” 

Alliteration takes dull dictation and turns it into melodic music. I use alliteration fairly frequently in my writing. But writer beware: slipping too many similar sounding words into a document can turn your copy into corporate crap. 

(When my daughter was 10, she learned about alliteration in her 4^th grade language arts studies. She took a fancy to the word for a while, repeating it often, because she liked the way it rolled off her tongue. She still talks tirelessly.) 

Examples of Alliteration in Real Writing

I rarely make a conscious choice to use alliteration when writing. (This post is one major, over-exaggerated exception). But this writing element frequently makes an appearance in my copy anyway. (Maybe a bit too frequently. I once had a client ask me to dial down my rhyming in her copy!)

For example, in my recent post about the importance of copywriting clients, I used this phrase: focus on finding. And in another post on choosing a copywriting niche, I used this one: sell your services. (I stopped checking after these two examples because, well, I think I proved my point.)

With Alliteration, Less is More

When used sparingly, alliteration is a great resource for a copywriter to call upon. As Andrea Goulet, personal blogger and Senior Copywriter at Capital One, puts it:

“It should be noted that alliteration is an effective, yet potent copywriting tool. Like an essential oil, just a little goes a long way. Overusing alliteration can make you sound amateur, but the right blend can make you sound brilliant.”

Copywriter Confession: If you’re wondering why I chose an ooey, gooey pizza as the visual to accompany this post, here’s why: Like the pizza in the picture, alliteration in copywriting is tasty and tempting!

When I quit my job as the marketing manager for a software development company to launch my freelance B2B marketing copywriting business, I had no idea how liberating (and scary!) self-employment would be. Nearly five years later, I still love going to “work” each day. After all, what’s not to love about a 10-step commute in bedroom slippers and one of the most fulfilling careers imaginable? 

My journey hasn’t been without its ups and downs. Sometimes, a slow month would leave me scrambling to pay the bills. Other times, there’s been so much work on my plate that I’ve had to outsource projects to other writers. But despite the peaks and valleys, nothing would entice me to trade what I’ve built for another corporate day job. 

What You’ll Learn if You Stick Around 

One of the most important things you’ll learn here is the simple three-step formula I used to successfully launch my business in just 90 days. You’ll also learn freelance business basics, and how to avoid the mistakes I’ve made. Marketing and copywriting how-to posts will make regular appearances, too. 

Plus, at the end of many posts, I will add my very own Copywriter Confession (CC). These juicy insider secrets will give you glimpses into my world – and help you thrive as a freelance B2B marketing copywriter!

Who Should Read this Blog?

Although this blog is mainly geared toward writers that are interested in learning how to establish or grow their freelance B2B marketing copywriting business, much of the content will appeal to other types readers as well. Here is a partial list of professional writers and non-writers who will benefit if they stick around:

• Marketing copywriters (B2B or B2C) that are struggling to find enough business
• Downsized journalists that are interested in entering the freelance writing world
• Writers that earn poverty pay writing content articles on revenue-sharing sites
• Magazine and e-zine writers that want to create a new, higher paying revenue stream
• Corporate professionals that want to improve their copywriting or communication abilities
•  Freelance designers and consultants that want to improve their communcations skills 
• Any web site owner that can’t afford to pay a copywriter to create their site content 
•  Internet (and traditional) business owners that not only want to improve their copywriting skills, but also learn marketing basics 

 

Well, that’s about it for this initial post. Oh, and if you’re even mildly interested in seeing how this site develops, enter your email address above to subscribe to my feed (you can also get my feed via RSS using the “SUBSCRIBE” button at the top right).