Copywriting pros and cons. The work of a copywriter: the pros and cons of the profession. In reality

Writing articles on various topics is very popular among website owners. Every day, hundreds of websites and blogs are created on the Internet, the filling of which with content must be done intensively both at the stages of promotion and during the rest of the time. However, not every owner of his web page on the world wide web can boast of good literacy and knowledge of his native language from a written point of view, which means that writing unique articles for him can be a very significant problem. Therefore, such people become customers on copywriting exchanges, receiving unique, well-written articles on the required topic for a relatively small payment, which makes it possible for performers to earn money, i.e. - copywriters.

Today most popular copywriting exchanges have a large number of employees involved in creating unique content for customers, of whom there are also a considerable number. You can start making money on the Internet right now, just register, find an order and start working. But, as always, there will be pros and cons to working as a copywriter.

So, the user registered on the article exchange as a performer, with the main and only goal - to earn money. What advantages and disadvantages will he encounter while working?

What are the advantages of being a copywriter?

1. No investment and quick start

A notable advantage of earning money is the lack of investments. Copywriting exchanges require investment of funds only from the customer to pay for and purchase articles. For the performer, in this regard, there are no restrictions; it is enough to go through a short registration and start working in a few minutes.

2. Good earnings

The opinion that copywriting is not possible earn a lot, partly wrong. Of course, if you work at a rate of 5 rubles per 1000 characters, then when writing 25,000 characters without spaces daily, the income may not please the copywriter - 3,750 rubles per month. However, there are also more expensive orders on the exchange - from 35-50 rubles per 1000 characters (which, under the above conditions of earning money from texts, will allow you to receive about 20,000 rubles monthly) and even higher. This aspect also has its disadvantages in the work of copywriters, which will be discussed later.

3. Competition on text exchanges

Among copywriting newcomers, there is an opinion that the level of competition on article exchanges is very high, through which it is almost impossible to break through. In fact, competition is indeed present, but it is not a significant problem. This is explained by the fact that the number of orders, most often, is equal to or even exceeds the number of active workers, and the customers themselves often provide beginners with a lot of tasks, allowing them to receive positive reviews, ratings and first earnings, which is an excellent start. And some customers provide newcomers with work on a permanent basis, i.e. uninterrupted flow of orders exclusively for one copywriter.

4. Variety of work

Customers provide work of different categories, which include:

Copywriting(writing articles by independently searching for the source)
rewriting(rewriting already prepared and provided content to make it unique)
Translation(translation of articles from one language to another)
SEO copywriting (writing articles with the correct use of keys in them).

This also includes the fact that the performer can not only write articles to order, but also create his own articles and sell them on the stock exchange. Thus, there is diversity on the exchange.

5. Developed rating system and portfolio

The contractor receives a portfolio in which he can exhibit his work as a demonstration of his skills in writing articles for the customer. One of the advantages of copywriting is the rating system , which allows the copywriter to become more in demand and receive payment for work higher than at the beginning.

6. Minimum commissions

Copywriting exchanges charge a commission for the withdrawal and transfer of funds from the customer to the contractor, but the commission amounts are insignificant.

7. Interest

With all the above-mentioned advantages of working on the stock exchange, it is worth adding interest in the work. Most copywriters, both experienced and beginners, note that writing custom articles reveals new and interesting information to them, allows them to expand their vocabulary and improve their overall knowledge of grammar and spelling.

What are the disadvantages of being a copywriter?

1. Lack of passive income

Earning money on the article exchange is based, first of all, on writing competent and unique articles, which only a living person is capable of. No automatic scripts, programs or bots can write the required texts, which, of course, requires manual work from the copywriter. If there is no activity at work, there will be no income. In part, it’s even difficult to consider this a disadvantage at all.

2. Difficulties in making money

Despite the advantages, at the beginning of work a copywriter may encounter such a factor as low pay. Customers for articles for beginners usually pay no more than 10 rubles per 1000 characters, excluding spaces. But this minus mainly affects only beginners on the stock exchange.

3. Perseverance

Obviously, copywriting is a persistent Job at the computer, constant interaction with the keyboard, which requires patience and perseverance. It is not surprising that some workers sooner or later get bored with writing articles, while others, on the contrary, like these conditions for making money from texts.

Work on the stock exchange Copywriting is interesting in its own way and can generate good income if you work actively. Writing articles can give you new knowledge and the ability to write beautiful text.

Overall, working on an article exchange can provide many positive benefits, all while requiring relatively little effort.

Copywriting is a modern profession accessible to everyone. Where to start without experience and how to reach a high level of stable income.

Due to the spread of remote work, freelance professions have become increasingly popular. A distinctive feature of the modern era is the opportunity to receive a stable income while sitting at a computer. The class of people with conservative views on work activity treats freelancing with obvious skepticism.
But there are many different professions that do not require separation from home:

Programmer, web developer, system administrator, website designer
Marketer, PR manager, SMM specialist
Copywriter, SEO copywriter, editor, content manager
Graphic designer, motion designer, illustrator

This is only a small part of the specialties that provide remote work. Among them, there are professions that arose at the stage of computerization, and others that have switched from the usual format to a remote one. In this article we will look at the modern profession of a copywriter, what are its advantages and disadvantages, and at what stage the experience of a copywriter allows one to achieve a consistently high level of income.

Who is a copywriter and what does he do: introduction to the profession

Various sources answer the question “Who is a copywriter and what does he do?” in their own way, most of them view copywriting as a side hustle. On exchanges and forums on the Internet, copywriting is considered to be writing any text for various purposes. But this definition does not reflect the essence and hides the creative component of this work.
Copywriting is a type of creative professional activity that consists of composing advertising, informational and selling texts aimed at different audiences.
The history of this profession dates back to the 18th century, when experienced entrepreneurs began to study consumer behavior and attract specialists to influence demand with advertising texts. These were only rare cases and there was no systematic approach to the development of selling texts. If in the era of the birth of the profession, copywriters could afford not to go through every written letter, now even beginning text writers are required to have a high level of literacy.

Where to start your own path as a copywriter

There is huge competition in the copywriting market. Despite the simplicity of the work, a beginner should have the basics for a successful start. You have decided to become a copywriter, and where to start this path depends on your hard work and perseverance.
There are 2 options:

Start with low-paying orders, gain natural advantages and gradually reach a sufficient level of income
Observe the work from the outside, complete copywriting courses, practice writing texts, read articles and specialized literature, and create a portfolio. By the time you acquire certain skills and abilities, reach customers with lucrative offers to implement the acquired knowledge

You can take a mixed path to becoming an advanced copywriter - study and practice your knowledge in action at the same time. You just need to be patient and go through all the difficulties with enthusiasm.

Advice. Avoid extremes - you shouldn’t spend months reading literature, studying SEO management, the basics of HTML, but not putting all this into practice, for fear of missing out. In the same way, there is no point in looking for high-paying orders on the forums, and in the end giving out “solid water” with a low uniqueness index, thereby knocking down the rating and ending up on the black list of customers. It's important to find a balance.

Copywriter as a full-time profession, or a part-time option

Copywriting can become a full-fledged profession and generate high income with the proper perseverance and serious attitude. At the same time, this is an excellent part-time job option for students, housewives, and office workers who can devote a couple of hours a day to writing texts.
Only a few factors are important:

Literacy. Yes, there are many services for checking spelling, punctuation, stylistic errors and even “nausea” of the text. But the customer will not confuse an original, competent approach with anything else.
Basic concepts of psychology. A copywriter must understand his reader and be able to go through the text through his eyes
Possession of the Internet. The Internet is the main information resource, the level of its understanding is important for creating unique content

Part-time work as a copywriter does not require a lot of time, effort and professional skills. That is why exchanges and forums are filled with low-quality text writers who do not strive to develop their skills. To reach a new level of earnings, you need to work on your reputation and rating.

How to competently create a portfolio for a copywriter

Creating a competent portfolio is one of the most important stages on the path of a copywriter. If you have some basic skills and a desire to write, then there is an opportunity to gain material on copywriting exchanges. The largest of them are Etxt.ru, Copylancer.ru and Text.ru. On exchanges you can find orders that interest you, fulfill them, thereby increasing your rating, and also find your audience of regular customers.
The portfolio allows the customer to immediately assess the level of the performer. Therefore, it is necessary to select the most interesting and competent texts for the portfolio, preferably on different topics.

What does a copywriter's earnings depend on?

An important point is the ability to competently control earnings. At the initial level, you can earn approximately 10-30 rubles per 1000 characters, and if you write about 10,000 characters per day, you can count on 10,000 rubles per month.
The work of experienced copywriters is estimated at an average of 100-1000 rubles per 1000 characters. At this level, they work directly with clients, develop a reputation and a constant flow of customers. The amount of work depends on the speed of composing the text and the amount of time the performer devotes to his work.

Rating of books for a copywriter

Books have a double benefit: firstly, it is a source of necessary knowledge, and secondly, the very fact of reading books increases the level of literacy.
Here is a small selection of must-read books:

“How to Write for Trust” by Kenneth Rowman, Joel Raphaelson - the book talks about a lot: from speechwriting to an effective resume
“Copywriting: how not to eat the dog”, Dmitry Kot - the author shares marketing knowledge for applying it in the preparation of selling texts
“Words that changed the world” is a treasure trove of wise and vital quotes that a copywriter can turn to for some zest in the text
“Author, scissors, paper”, Nikolai Kononov – 14 useful lessons that will teach you how to write
“Effective commercial proposal”, Denis Kaplunov - on the rules of working with text to increase sales
“The art of creating advertising messages. The Distinguished American Copywriter's Guide by Joseph Sugarman
“Selling texts. How to turn a reader into a buyer", Sergey Bernadsky

Pros and cons of working as a copywriter. One of the most common professions on the Internet is a copywriter. Advertising texts, writing press releases, presentations, filling websites with content taking into account search engine optimization are the main tasks of copywriting.

As in any other field of activity, there are pros and cons. This can be compared to the movie "The Matrix". In this work there is also a dual reality and an ambivalent attitude towards what is happening.

Illusory reality for a copywriter:

Flexible work schedule– you can work whenever you want, regardless of the office mode and direct superiors, you have the opportunity to successfully exhibit your work on already promoted text exchanges, find customers on your own, or carry out orders at your own will and command.

Free earnings– money and orders flow in a continuous stream, filling your computer and online wallet without any restrictions.

Freedom of creativity– the writing of each text is associated with individual creativity, self-expression and complete self-realization.

Freedom of Glory– under each text you can put your name, start your own blog, which will bring fame and new customers. It’s not far from writing a series of electronic books, from which you can receive royalties for life and subsequently offers from the world’s leading publishers. What can we say about writing and selling scripts that will be used to make films or TV series - there’s both Teffi and an Oscar at once.

If Neo wanted to work as a copywriter and chose the blue pill, he would remain in the fabulous euphoria of dreams and hopes. However, Morpheus’s glasses also reflected the red pill, which, by taking it, can give you a different perspective on the same situation.

In reality:

Unregulated work schedule– sometimes you have to work both day and night, without vacations or social packages. Complete dependence on the customer, his requirements, deadlines and whims.

Earnings are meager prices for the number of characters are low. You have to work hard to meet your minimum living expenses. On average, a copywriter earns the same monthly salary as an employee without special education.

The scope of creative self-expression is very limited, especially if you write texts related to keywords. The style of presentation is often required to be cold, without emotions and lyrical digressions.

You need to know the basics of marketing well to promote your name and sell yourself profitably.

So Neo chose the red pill. He didn't become a copywriter, he decided to save the world. Why? Because everyone has their own mission. Did he know about the difficulties of his enterprise? Of course I did. So the person who decides on such a mission as writing texts will have to take full responsibility on himself.

There is another factor that does not depend on analysis and criticism - this is love for the profession. If you love, you see the main thing. The main thing for a copywriter is to be useful, to help people tell the world about their ideas and activities. In addition, this work teaches self-discipline and organization, tones and broadens one’s horizons. A monotonous sleep mode of life will not work here. And, of course, such work involves constant communication. You can meet unique, interesting people of different professions, views and interests. Well, everyone draws their own conclusions. It remains only to remind you that under any circumstances there is always freedom of choice.

Tens of thousands of people are interested in working on the Internet. Some people are smart enough to immediately understand that making money on clicks, installing applications, sending emails or attracting referrals is a waste of time, while others need to see this for themselves.

And so, having scored a few bumps, a person comes to the conclusion that without special knowledge (for example, skills in Photoshop or HTML layout), you can make money on the Internet only by becoming a copywriter - the conclusion is logical. And if at school you freely expressed your thoughts on paper, producing simply mind-blowing essays against the background of your classmates, you feel confident in your abilities; mastering the craft of a “freelance writer” does not seem like an unbearable burden.

But is it worth devoting your time and energy to this profession? If not, why not? For whom will working as a copywriter be a joy, and for whom will it bring unnecessary stress and disappointment? And most importantly, what tips will help you quickly master the profession of a copywriter?

The main thing I learned while working as a copywriter

Let's assume you do NOT consider copyrighting as your main form of income. You have several hours of free time a day, unlimited Internet and the desire earn extra money Is it possible in this case to combine copyrighting with your main job?

Is it easy to combine physical and mental work?

A more appropriate question would be “Would you like to combine them?” Yes, a change of activity in itself serves as relaxation and gives strength for further work, but this is not always the case. I will illustrate the idea with my own example.

I work as a disinfectant at a factory. I spend most of the day outside, breathing fresh air, actively running around the plant and having time to immerse myself in thought. And fresh air “works wonders”, because at work my brain comes up with great articles, sometimes formulating entire paragraphs. By the end of the day, I'm so excited and inspired that I'm eager to sit down and write the next article.

The same plant. Sunflower oil is made here

But along with inspiration comes fatigue. Therefore, having returned home, taken a shower, had dinner and spent time with my family, I sit down at the computer with different thoughts. The desire to have a well-deserved rest and relaxation brings me to YouTube or the VK news feed.

Something similar will happen to you. And here you should honestly answer yourself, do you need such a part-time job? Combine physical work with mental work Maybe, But want do you do this when faced with reality?

Disadvantages of working from home

Think about how your evening or weekend is going, think about the moments that distract you at home or even irritate you: these could be children, neighbors’ protracted renovations, the need to fix the kettle, the noise of the TV on, etc. Will you be able to immerse yourself in hard mental work in such an atmosphere?

It's good to work from home!

If taking a break from your main job is more valuable to you than additional part-time work on the computer, you should seriously think about the feasibility of earning extra money like copywriting.

But, in addition to having free time, you need to honestly analyze your attitude towards this venture.

What do you want?

So, what do you need: a little extra income, easy money or a new profession? If you decide to become a professional, you will have to perceive this craft as a full-time job, and not as an easy part-time job with quick money. Because a frivolous approach to business will play a cruel joke on you; you will be stuck at the level of simple articles (yes, we are self-critical), for which you will be paid pennies and whose practical benefits will not be appreciated even by a dozen reposts.

If you're happy with that, great. Then, even after a hard day at work, instead of communicating with your children or spouse, instead of the Champions League or a good movie, you can “cook up” another useless post, getting a hundred for beer for it. It seems impossible to achieve more while combining two jobs.

Incredible, but true: you will have to work at any job

If the quality of your articles is below average (plus you make a lot of grammatical and punctuation errors), and you are so tired after work that you can’t concentrate while staring at the monitor, I would advise you to abandon the idea of becoming a copywriter. It’s better to spend time with your family or family, which will not drain you so emotionally.

But if you feel that creative activity, on the contrary, helps you relax and unwind after work; if you want to reach a high professional level and create high-quality content for popular sites, then I will be happy to help with advice.

Copywriters are not born, but made.

You don't need a special gift to write texts. As in any other business, you need dedication and hard work. Many talented guys gave up after the first unsuccessful attempt, and it would seem that not the best “writers”, solely due to desire, managed to achieve success in this area. This is quite logical - after all, we are not talking about creating artistic masterpieces. We will be required to compose simple and informative texts on a given topic. What is needed for this?

Start with training

You will have to come to terms with the idea that it will take some time to study. Judging by my own and other people’s experience, you won’t be able to make much money for the first 3-6 months. You will have to read a lot and try to put what you read into practice. There are plenty of articles about writing texts online, just Google it "copyright basics" or something similar.

Finally got the opportunity to show off this book :)

Among the avalanche of advisers, I liked the blog of Maxim Ilyakhov and.

True, his site is not designed for learning from scratch: there is no gradual introduction from the basics to the “higher matter”. But the manner of presentation is so simple and clear that his advice will be of interest to both an experienced copywriter and a beginner.

This is what the Chief Editor's Directory looks like

It doesn’t hurt to acquire the professional habit of paying attention to the design of the text in articles and books that catch your eye. Which text is easy to read and which is not; when it’s interesting and when it’s not so much; how many sentences are in paragraphs, how many subheadings. If you liked an article, try to understand why. This way you will have your own standard of beauty - your own understanding of what an ideal text should be.

Where can I take orders?

Orders are taken from labor exchanges for freelancers. You can easily find them by googling the phrase "freelance exchange".

How does the exchange work? The customer leaves a request:

“I need a fascinating article about the production of PVC windows in Voronezh. Payment is 50 rubles for 1000 characters.”

The problem is that it is difficult for a beginner to make it against the background of “masters” with a cool portfolio and extensive work experience. I was once helped out by a site called. In addition to regular orders that work according to the described principle, there is cheap work for beginners: anyone who clicks on the application first can take it. You won’t make much money on such orders, but you will gain invaluable experience that will help you get a better job and improve your skills.

This is CopyLancer. The first person to click on the order marked with the orange icon will have the opportunity to write a fascinating article about Ohm's law for a closed circuit

The topics that you will have to write about on such exchanges will be endlessly boring in 99% of cases.

Information can be freely taken on the Internet from various sources and “retelled” in your own words. Good copywriters carefully check the information and try to research the issue at hand. The result should be a unique text. You can check this on special resources, for example, text.ru.

When you have some experience, you can try to write to the owners of sites that seem “close in spirit” to you - perhaps they are looking for authors. This will allow you to forget about PVC windows and start writing on more interesting topics. For example, about how to become a copywriter :)