Copywriting for clients or for your own products — which is right for you?
August 31st, 2018 by Bob Bly
Ben Settle and I had a brief email exchange last week on the
fact that there are two types of copywriters today:
“Traditional” copywriters write copy on a contract basis for
clients.
“Alt” copywriters write copy to sell their own information
products.
So which do I recommend for you — the first? The second? Both?
I recommend you either become a traditional copywriter or do both
… but do NOT limit yourself to being an alt-copywriter only.
Today, I am primarily a full-time traditional copywriter earning
a six-figure active income stream from writing copy for clients.
I have a second, spare-time, passive income stream writing copy
to sell my own line of information products and at one site,
merchandise.
I like this set-up because I think it’s beneficial for writers to
have multiple streams of income.
I have several including contract copywriting, info marketing,
writing books, professional speaking, and consulting.
Ideally, strive to have two six-figure income streams, one active
and one passive.
This is the surest path to financial stability and even security
for freelance writers.
Now, while I love info marketing, I think that, if you want to
develop into an A-level copywriter, you cannot limit yourself to
writing for your own products only.
Reason: An essential skill to become an A-level copywriter is the
ability to rapidly understand all sorts of products and markets,
and to write copy to sell those varied products to those
different markets successfully.
In other words, you must be a quick study. Here — yours free — is
my “discovery process” for rapidly getting up to speed on
different products and markets:
https://www.bly.com/newsite/Pages/documents/HTPFAC.html
But if the only products you write copy for are your own —
products you created and sell to an audience which you know well
— you will not master the discovery process, which in turn will
hold you back from being the best copywriter you can be.
And if your product line is strictly about marketing and
copywriting, you’ll be even more limited and less well-rounded as
a copywriter.
I always tell my subscribers that if the only thing an author of
expensive courses in copywriting and marketing has sold is
courses in copywriting and marketing, save your money and run in
the opposite direction.
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