Bad copywriting and content writing advice is plentiful. The discipline has somehow made the list of every publication’s “best side hustles” for the last fifteen years or so. If you’ve done any kind of freelance writing or have tried in the past, you know it isn’t as easy as they make it sound.
Before continuing the article, let’s cover some definitions in case you’re new to the idea of copywriting or freelance writing.
Freelance writing is a broad term that covers various sub-disciplines such as copywriting, content writing, and blog/magazine/article writing. Generally, copywriting is writing to sell, and content writing is writing that informs. There’s and article on The Write Life that goes into more detail – click here to read it.
Now that definitions are out of the way, let’s – uh oh, I almost used that super-popular phrase that you’ll find on millions of blog posts – I almost said “let’s dive in” like I’m an AI robot or something. How about an older phrase……let’s get into the nitty-gritty.
So, are copywriting & content writing dead?
Fortunately, all types of freelance writing are alive. Unfortunately, all are not alive and well. For example, writers that specialized in general blog posts have taken a beating. They have a chance to rebound as companies realize that AI-slop isn’t always ideal, but work has dried up for many. Think of this type of work as the “entry level” type of writing.
Upwork and similiar sites were once viable for finding routine work, but many freelancers now say such sites are a race to the bottom. This is not to say you shouldn’t try, but make sure you have the right expectations.
Another industry that has experienced turmoil is publishing, most notably consumer magazines and trade journals. A telling sign was the discontinuation of Writer’s Market, which for many years was regarded as “the freelancer’s bible.”
In summary, “low hanging fruit” or “easy gigs” are no longer as widely available as they once were.
The good news
Fortunately, companies still need actual humans to write sales brochures, web site copy, technical articles, and much more. If you have even a little bit of experience in an industry, you should absolutely tap into it. Even if you were a lower-level employee for a company in an industry, chances are you learned enough to separate yourself from the average person when discussing that industry. And THAT is the key……expertise.
Expertise is a phrase thrown around too much these days, but a little of industry knowledge sets you apart from most.
So now what?
If you are an aspiring copywriter, patience and persistence are your friends. Copywriting is not dead, but it is evolving and new challenges have made it more difficult to break in to the business.
Stay tuned for part 2, where we will cover getting started.