Q1. How can someone improve their grammar and writing ability?
All I can really tell you about improving grammar and writing style is to write a lot and read a lot. I found early on that the writers who can do this full time are the ones who have a real affection for words. Maybe marketing copywriters aren’t putting out best sellers or writing poetry or anything, but we are working with words, and if words bore you, then there’s no way you’re going to be able to write smoothly, effectively and accurately.
In fact, when I’ve taken on copy editing duties, I’ve always found, without fail, that the people whose work needs the most rewriting are the people who never read anything for pleasure. There’s a question of how anyone is going to even be able to recognize proper grammar, quality writing and effective style when they don’t care about any of that stuff in the first place, and another question of why they would want to.
So for me, it’s always been about a real love of words. I am first and foremost a salesman and not an artist when writing ad copy, but nevertheless, if I wasn’t able to find some way to express myself through this work, there are plenty of other jobs out there.
Q2. How did you get your start in this industry?
I got started working for a freelance agent that a friend recommended me to, but that ended with me being taken for a ride. I later found out that she was taking 50, 75 percent out of each job I was doing for her. I learned the ropes there but ultimately found that I could make more money and had a lot more freedom working on my own.
Additionally, respect and self respect in particular were a major issue. When I was only getting a quarter of every dollar I earned, it said to me that I wasn’t worth much to my employer. One December she sent us an email reading “Christmas bonuses are cancelled this year because there just isn’t enough money in the budget, and here are some photos of the new Aston Martin I just bought!”
That was when I decided that I’d rather go broke going it alone than spend one more minute of my life making other people rich while I scraped away for pennies. I’ve never looked back, and I wish I had taken to freelancing on my own much, much earlier.
Q3. What have you learn while working in your industry?
One of the great things about marketing copy is that you learn your industries. When I first started, I had no idea what made one kitchen blender different from another, for instance. Today I can tell you five of the top manufacturers and ten of the top models off the top of my head. A few years ago I didn’t know much about car insurance, today I can tell you all about student discounts and how GEICO got started to help government employees get health coverage.
At the start of my career, I had to do a lot of research as the first step in writing a piece of ad copy. Now it’s more like fact-checking: I wing it and then check my facts whenever I’m not sure of something or I’m discussing a fact that might have changed since I last checked. I try to take work in industries I know because they require very little research for me. Today I can tell most of my clients more about their product than even they know.
As for the actual writing part of marketing copy creation, it’s a pretty straightforward process for me. Some people use a more complex system than this, but all I do is look at a product or service, ask myself what I like about it and write around that, using emotionally gripping language where applicable. If I can’t see why someone would buy something, I don’t take the assignment.
I usually start writing in the morning and do that for about five hours, then I’ll check around here and there for new clients, send out queries and mess around with my various online profiles. It’s a pretty loose structure but I do find that my energy and focus are at their peak in the morning, so that’s when I do most of the actual writing.
Q4. Do you have any other advice for those hoping to enter the Marketing field?
It’s important to keep money coming in through more than one source when you’re a freelance writer. There’s usually not as much work in the winter time, for instance, and that’s when you’re going to be relying on the trickle of income you’re making through your eBay store or your blog or somewhere. The way I see it is that I’m not really a marketing copy writer, but writing marketing copy is something I do.
This is a true story as told to DiversityJobs Street Smarts. It is one of many professional interviews and job search advice articles, including helpful words from a Journalistand a Marketing Professional. Visit DiversityJobs Street Smarts to find an interview from someone with a career in your desired industry.
Recent Comments