Looking for a course – or two – that will teach you what you need to know to make it as a copywriter? With so many courses out there, it can be hard to differentiate the good from the not-so-good and what deserves your investment.

But with some simple research you can find the program that is not just of the highest quality but is the best fit for you.

Start by asking yourself the following three questions:

1. Is the organization offering the course a reputable one?

First, you want to know how long the organization has been in business. Going with one that has been around 10 years, for instance, should tell you that they know what they’re doing. But it’s no use if the organization has been around that long and is still using the same old materials. Times and technology evolve, so should a course. Make sure they update regularly.

Second, you want to know how many people who’ve gone through the program have actually made a career of copywriting. It doesn’t make sense to invest your hard earned money in an organization that can’t name well known “graduates.” You also want to know what kinds of companies are hiring them. If the companies are ones you would want to work with, you’re on the right track.

Third, is the organization supportive of their students? Can they be contacted easily if you have questions? Most importantly, do you get a response whether you contact them by phone or email in a timely manner? If you wait a week before hearing back from an organization, that’s not a good sign.

2. Are the instructors top-notch copywriters themselves?

In the ever-evolving copywriting field, you want to make sure that the instructors and creators of the course actually know what they’re teaching. They should be successful copywriters themselves that have actually tried and test what they’re writing about.

For instance, can the author boast about writing sales letters that have brought in millions for his clients? And can the author teach you to do the same?

If the instructors have no experience in the “real world”, how are you going to learn to be the best?

Lastly, do the authors keep up with – and in some instances foresee – trends when it comes to copywriting? Technology is changing at a rapid rate. You need to be able to keep up with it.

3. What kinds of copywriting courses does the organization offer?

Copywriting is a field where you can specialize in different niches and types of copy. Specializing puts you in the expert category. It will have clients come to you instead of a general copywriter.

For example, if a company needs their website’s landing page written, they would enlist the help of a copywriter who specializes in writing content for the web. The company knows that the web copywriter understands the “web world” and what it takes to write for it – as opposed to a catalog copywriter.

Does the organization just offer one basic copywriting course? Or does it offer a variety, such as:

• Business to business (Writing print or online materials for companies that sell to other companies.)
• Catalog
• E-mail autoresponders (5-7 email series that promote a product or service and send readers to the company’s website.)
• Financial
• Fundraising
• Grant writing
• Search engine optimization (Creating quality content for a web page using keywords that a prospect might type in Google, for instance.)
• Web content
• Video (Short scripts promoting a product or service that would be included on a website.)
• Just to name a few…

An Organization Worth a Closer Look

American Writers and Artists Inc. (AWAI) passes this three-question test with flying colors. Let’s take a closer look at its flagship Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting.

This course was written by the best copywriters around, including Michael Masterson, Don Mahoney, Paul Hollingshead, and Kieran Doherty.  Other contributors are Bob Bly, John Forde, and Ted Nicholas just to name a few. If you know anything about copywriting, you already know these are pioneers in the copywriting world. Each of them has earned well over $100,000 per year in their careers.

With the Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting, you get to practice what you learn – as you learn. AWAI encourages students to write a sales letter for the course itself. It’s a contest actually. If your sales letter gets chosen as the winner you get $10,000. What can be better than that?

The good thing about AWAI courses is that if there are any updates or if a course is revamped, you get the upgraded version free. They charge only once.

The American Writers and Artists Inc. (AWAI) have been in the business of teaching ordinary people how to write successful copy for over 13 years. Their mission is to help people develop skills to acquire financial security, independence, and freedom.

So what do people that have taken the Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting program say?

“AWAI, I never imagined my life could change so fast! Within 12 months of signing up for your program, I deposited $103,783 in the bank working from home as a copywriter. Thank you for totally changing life for me and my family!” – J. Boswell

AWAI’s Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting allowed me to develop the skills I needed to transition away from a six-figure sales career and into a six-figure copywriting business. After completing the course, I started as a moonlighting freelancer. It wasn’t easy. It took lots of work, persistence and dedication. But 27 months later, I resigned from my full-time job. And in my first full year as a freelance copywriter, I earned $163,481. – E. Gandia

“AWAI’s Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting was everything I hoped it would be! It was easy for me to walk away from an 18-year engineering career shortly after I finished the program. I had all the work I could handle. I feel like I’m finally leading the life I was meant to live. I can’t thank you enough!” – K. Jones

Your challenge: compare AWAI (http://www.awaionline.com/) and their Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting course with the others out there. And decide for yourself.

Life is getting more expensive everyday.

Gas prices are going up. Groceries too. Nest eggs keep shrinking. The stock market is erratic. Experts say the housing market may not come back anytime soon. Credit card debt and student loans can drag you down.

Can you relate? I could. I felt like a hamster on a wheel running on empty, working every day just to pay my bills. I was stuck in a bad dream—trying to run forward, only I couldn’t get ahead.

Retirement savings? What a joke!

Then I discovered American Writers & Artists Inc. (AWAI) and the world of copywriting. A copywriter’s job is to help you envision how much better your life can be when you sign up for an investment advice service, purchase life insurance, subscribe to a news magazine, or buy a self-development program.

You don’t need any special qualifications, certifications, or degrees to be a copywriter. If you have the ability to write a simple letter to a friend you have the power to enter into the world of copywriting.

Think about it. Everyday you talk to your friends and family about shoes you love to buy, places you love to go, and books you love to read. Copywriters get paid a six-figure income to do this.

AWAI can show you how. The AWAI website offers all kinds of online training programs that offer step-by-step instruction about copywriting. Go to www.awaionline.com to find out more about their programs and career options.

I started with the Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting—a fantastic introduction to the secrets of copywriting. Go to http://www.awaionline.com/copywriting/p/ and check it out.

Today I am a paid freelance copywriter, and I have AWAI to thank for pushing me to the front of the line for financial freedom in 2012! I am working on a paid project as we speak. I love writing about products that I am passionate about and I love getting paid well to do it.  Make your retirement a reality.

If I can do it, YOU CAN TOO. Take control of your financial freedom and go to www.awaionline.com now to find out more about their copywriting programs, career options, and job opportunities. Here’s to your success!

As a copywriter you can work for an advertising agency, a corporate marketing department or you can freelance.

No matter which route you take, what you do – your job description – is the same.

However, there is a difference in how much you earn. When working for someone else, your employer pretty much determines your salary. When freelancing, you have total control of your earnings.

We’ll get into that in a moment. But first, what exactly does a copywriter do?

Job Description

Simply put, a copywriter’s main responsibility is to put words together persuasively (copy) in order to sell a product or service.

The copy can be for any media such as:

• Printed materials (sales letters, brochures, newsletters, etc.)
• Websites
• Social media
• E-mail
• Video
• Etc. …

The copywriter can specialize in one or more areas such as:

• Business to business (Writing print or online materials for companies that sell medical equipment, corporate training, IT services, etc.)
• Catalog
• E-mail autoresponders (5-7 email series that promote a product or service and sends readers to the company’s website.)
• Financial
• Fundraising
• Grant writing
• Search engine optimization (Researching keywords that a prospect might type in Google, for instance, and creating quality content that includes them.)
• Web content
• Video (Short scripts promoting a product or service that would be included on a website.)
• And more…

The freelance copywriter can also get involved in desktop publishing and graphic design when working on a promotion. But it’s not a requirement.

Requirements

1. Can you have a conversation with a friend? If so, you can write copy.

The most effective copy is always written in simple language. The easier your writing is to read, the more effective it is. Combine that clear language with other persuasive writing techniques and your prospect he will most likely take the action, whether that’s buying a product or service, signing up for a webinar, or anything else.

As one copywriter put it: “You don’t need to be a perfect writer to become a copywriter… All you have to do is speak to your reader like you would with a friend.” – Rasheed A.

1. Doing research on the product or service before you start writing is key. Much of this information will be supplied by the client. But it’s a good idea to do your own research as well.

Some things you’ll need to know before you start writing are:

• Target audience
• Technical data
• Testimonials
• Statistics
• Study results
• And anything else the client may have on the product or service

1. Then there are deadlines. They must be met no matter what. If they’re not, you’ll lose your client’s trust and their business. Not to mention gain a bad reputation.

1. Last but not least, you need to write every day. It can be on anything. The purpose of writing every day is to keep your writing skills sharp and creativity flowing.

Potential Income

Your salary depends on who your boss is – so wouldn’t you rather be your own boss?

As a freelance copywriter you have control of your income because you can…

• Choose which clients to work with
• Charge a fee range per project (not hour!)
• Set your own work schedule

Freelance copywriter Pam F. says it best: “I’ll make more money this year than I ever did as a staff employee!”

Education

You don’t need a PhD, MD, or any other acronym after your name. You don’t even need to have a college degree.

You could take writing courses at your local community college or online. But you won’t learn to write effective copy in those courses.

There is one good program you can look into that teaches the fundamentals as well as the secrets of successful copywriting. That’s American Writers & Artists Inc.’s (AWAI’s) Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting. It’s a self-paced program that allows you to put what you’ve learned into practice by writing a promotion for them.

Another part of your ongoing education is a swipe file. This is where you collect successful copywriting samples. The purpose is to study what made the particular promotion successful to help you generate ideas when you’re stuck on a project.

Experience

No experience is necessary to break into the copywriting world.

When starting out, a few spec assignments, think of it as a try out for a client, will help you get into the door. Doing a spec assignment does not guarantee payment. However, there are positives to doing spec assignments such as:

• Building a portfolio to show potential clients
• Practice with meeting deadlines
• Having the spec turn into regular work from the client you’re doing it for

Kathleen C. started her copywriting career with a spec assignment. She says: “I landed an assignment as a result of a spec assignment at 2007 Job Fair with the Healthy Back Institute.”

Travel/location

The only traveling you’ll do as a freelance copywriter is if you MUST meet with your client face-to-face. This is very rare.

As a freelancer, all you need is your laptop or the good old pen and paper so location options are endless. You can work at home, your local library, corner café, favorite park, the beach or anywhere in the world.

J. Daryl T. says it best: “I now have the freedom to work at home, or at any place in the world, as long as I have a laptop and Internet connection. And, not having to battle the brutal Houston traffic each day is a huge plus!”

What can be better than that?

Training

Training is always happening “on the job.” But it’s important to study your craft and keep up with trends in your industry or niche. Writing every day is very important, even if it’s not copy for a client.

Going to writing conferences where you learn about new trends in the area you’re specializing in is always an option. You can also go to your specific niche’s conferences and trade shows. What’s great about these events is that you can gain new clients as you’re learning.

Benefits

Here are a few of the advantages of being a freelance copywriter:

• You’re the boss
• You make your own hours
• You help clients increase profits
• You don’t have to commute
• You give yourself raises
• You work only with clients you like

Here are what some copywriters say about the benefits…

“I worry less because my career is in my own hands. I’m more relaxed, have more free time, eat healthier and workout more” – Christina G.

“I don’t have to leave home. I don’t have to answer to a boss. I just walk into my home office and write.” – Joshua B.

“The ability to pay my bills no longer worries me, even in these rough times. I know I can always market my skills to an endless list of potential clients and keep enough copywriting projects rolling in.” – Cheryl M.

How can you beat those benefits?

Getting Started

The hardest part in getting started is the decision to get started.

The copywriter job description can be fulfilled by anyone who has the desire and drive to make it happen.

Make the decision to start. You won’t regret it…

Anyone who is interested in copywriting and SEO writing needs to understand the similarities and differences between the two. While SEO writing is just another form of copywriting, it is a unique form of writing that requires a greater amount of control and thought. When you know the differences you can truly become strong in both copywriting and SEO.

General Copywriting

General copywriting is an important part of the general SEO Experience, as any of the words that you may write for an article, advertisement, or pamphlet are considered copywriting. The purpose of general copywriting is twofold: to engage the reader and to get across important information. The goal of a copywriter is to manage to do both as succinctly as possible.

SEO

Search Engine Optimization, also known as SEO, works to catch the attention of search engines through writing. Websites will use SEO writing in both regular web copy and articles that are placed on blogs. SEO revolves around the keywords that people use to search the things they are looking for. If someone is searching for high heeled shoes, websites that explicitly work that key phrase into their copy will rank higher on search engine result lists.

Copywriting simply provides a base for SEO writing, making SEO writing more difficult than basic writing. Individuals who write for SEO must be able to work key words and key phrases into their copy while still staying both informative and engaging.

When an individual can manage to find this connection between copywriting and SEO writing, the results are both positive and powerful. Users are brought into the website through the power of the SEO writing, and are then engaged and hooked through the general copy. This is the perfect mix for websites who are looking to both increase new traffic and hold onto repeat traffic. Websites that manage to blend copywriting and SEO writing will be the most successful sites on the web.

I hate to use the moniker “Copywriter” because it can be so confusing to others. You’ve got to answer that inevitable question, “What is a copywriter?”

Explaining the difference between Copywriter and Copyrighter to a non-writer can be a monotonous task. But it’s really very simple when the definition is explained.

Copyrighting is the process of provable creative ownership of intellectual material, for example, an article or a book, that assigns a legal penalty for profiting from another’s work. In other words, it is a protection, by law, from plagiarism or stealing another’s creative work.

Now, on the other hand, a “Copywriter” is one who writes or edits copy or written content for a living, usually of sales generating or marketing nature.

Copywriters develop written content for websites, sales letters, articles, books, and the production of other verbiage for information, entertainment, education or any other outlet known to man. The products from copywriters touch our lives constantly.

I would rather be referred to as a freelance commercial writer. Commercial writers or copywriters have been around since the world became literate. You can find copywriters or commercial writers in advertising, radio and TV, as well as the written media. Schools and educational institutions rely on the products from copywriters.

Although we generally refer to people who write books as authors, they still write copy and in the truest sense of the word, are indeed copywriters, too. Today, though, most commercial writers write copy projects much smaller than the time-consuming and disciplined genre of books.

Freelance commercial writers and freelance copywriters are entrepreneurs writing generally any type of copy to make money. On the other hand, there are copywriters who work on staff with companies and larger corporations. They are referred to as Staff Copywriters.

Communicating by the written word can be a most effective way one can transfer detailed and concise information from a source to another individual without misunderstanding. It is also provable and provides evidence of what the information transferred contained. How many times have you heard the saying “If it isn’t in writing, it isn’t so?”

Last, but not least, copywriting can be a lucrative career, if one protects his product with a copyright!

Source – http://freelancewrite.about.com/od/marketsandgenres/a/Copywriter.htm

There are two different types of copywriting jobs that you can find out in the job market today. While some are going to be looking for full time copywriting jobs, others are going to look to become freelance copywriters. Both copywriting jobs styles offer plenty of opportunities for those who are looking to write for a living.

Full-time copywriting jobs can be found in a variety of mediums. Some will work for one specific company, handling all of the copywriting that they need for their company. This generally includes both internal and external materials.

Others will find work with an advertising agency or marketing agency, handling a wide variety of jobs for the company. These are salaried employees who enjoy the fast-paced, ever-changing world of freelancing copywriting. They will enjoy the security of the that full time job, but will be constantly given new and different projects that help to keep them on their toes.

Freelancers are going to get into the job market in a different way, taking on various projects as they come in. These individuals must have an entrepreneurial spirit, working for themselves and handling their own business. These individuals must go out and find the different copywriting projects and jobs that are out there. They must manage themselves and must budget their time. These individuals can make as much money as those with salary jobs – they must simply work a little harder to be able to work from home instead of working from an office.

There are plenty of different copywriting job opportunities available to those who are looking for work. If you have a passion for writing and are willing to take on freelance work, you can enjoy working from home while working on your passion.

For more information about, visit the site from co-founder Katie Yeakle

Whether you are completely new to copywriting or an old pro, everyone is looking for a good reliable source for work.  AWAI has been considered one of the top copywriting schools since 1997 and comes very highly recommended.  Find out more information today:

More information on what a copywriter does:

Copywriting Definition

Source: Wikipedia

Interested in working as a copywriter from home?  Check out some of the available jobs in copywriting!