Love writing? Copywriting Could Be A Perfect Fit

Are you a teacher who loves writing, rhetoric, or communication? In this episode, join Kristin and Hillary as they unpack what copywriting is and who is a good fit to start a copywriting business.

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Transcript

Hillary: 0:32

Welcome to this episode of Teachers Make the Leap. Now, in this episode, Kristen and I are so excited to talk about something that we actually don't talk about as much as I think We thought we would, which is copywriting. interested and curious learn about how you can take your love of writing into freelance business, we're going to share everything we know about that today.

Kristin: 0:55

And I think a really good place for us to start this episode is to actually talk about what copywriting is, because there's tons of misconceptions out there, Um, it's almost copywriter world that when you talk about copywriting, folks always assume that it's the legal type of copywriting, but in reality, copywriting has nothing to do with that legal, you know, see with the circle in it that comes to mind when we say copywriting. So, essentially, copywriting is helping businesses communicate with their potential customers or clients or buyers. So anything you see out in the wild that was put out by a business to chat with folks who might actually. Um, for example, all the writing on their website, or if you have any emails in your email inbox from a brand that you've bought from before, or something you've signed up for, all of that qualifies and counts as copy. Now, one of the cool things about the copywriting space, and about copywriting in general, is If you have a knack for writing, or you actually like writing, like you're a teacher who writes all the time, and you find that piece of your work enjoyable, or you find that you're good at communicating your thoughts in writing, you know, a lot of us are taught that writing is a skill that has no skill. like real practical, valuable application in the work, world, right? It's always like, oh, you like writing, what are you going to do with that? You know, like, oh, oh, you were an English major or, oh, you like communicating and thinking about rhetoric or like emotional appeals or like, you know, how to put a speech together and those types of things, what are you going to do with that? And I was so, so delighted as somebody who really likes writing, to find out that there is a really marketable space for writing and for my writing skills. And that was to take it into copywriting and use what I'm good at and passionate about to help businesses communicate with their potential clients and customers by writing things like websites. Or emails or blog posts or social media posts, right? Any type of, communication you see out there that was put out by a business qualifies as copy. And another cool thing about copywriting is once you discover what it is, you realize it is everywhere. It is everywhere. It is the billboards you see when you're driving. It is the brochures you pick up, you know, at the dentist's office. It is every website you're on. it is every advertisement you come across. and That just goes to show you that there is quite a demand for skilled writers who can help businesses communicate with their ideal clients with copy.

Hillary: 3:35

yeah, and, I mean, we all come into contact with copy multiple times a day, every single day, um, in our email inboxes, anytime we get an email from a business whose email lists we may have. subscribed to, right? Anytime we look something up on Google and we're reading a blog post about something nine times out of 10, that's going to be copy, Anytime you download something for free off the internet, You exchange your email address and you download something that is going to help you, learn something or solve a problem that is all copy, And so again, it's. It's just this testament that this skill is so in demand and because it helps businesses make sales and connect with their audiences and their customers and their clients. It is well paid. Businesses are, are wanting to, pay expert writers to create these kind of assets for their business. And so my experience with copywriting, as I know yours and many, many other copywriters that we are friends with and connected to, we are not. Starving writers out there trying to apply our trade. Right? our skills are highly in demand. Now, that's not to say that there aren't, you know, freelancers and copywriters out there who aren't earning what they would like to be earning. And I think we've kind of talked about. There are lots of reasons for that. And, there are ways to make sure that that that's not the kind of copywriter that you become. because there is absolutely lots of opportunity out there. Now, one thing that was tough for me in the beginning, Kristen was when I had never thought about myself as being in the business world or being a sales person by any means, or being interested in this idea of sales whatsoever. And so there was this aspect of when You know, I was learning about what copywriting was that was a little bit fearful of, like, am I going to be like a slimy car salesman? Like, is that the kind of things that I'm going to write? Um, because that I was not interested in, in the slightest. So I would love to hear you talk about that a little bit.

Kristin: 5:40

Yeah, this was absolutely something that came up for me in the beginning when I was thinking about using my writing skills to help businesses connect with clients and customers, by writing copy for them. I, I said to myself, Hmm. I want to make sure that I'm not using my writing skills to help businesses. you know, dupe people into buying things that they don't want or don't need. And that was a huge kind of limiting belief and very, like a really big misconception that I had in the beginning, that I, you know, didn't want to be using my writing skills to help businesses, market products that I didn't believe in. And lo and behold, I was so excited to kind of discover in the freelance world. When you are your own boss, you get to decide who you work with. So, on the flip side, how fun is it to help businesses you do really believe in sell products that have maybe even changed your own life, to other people

Hillary: 6:37

yeah. had the same experience, of, Realizing that there are businesses out there that I would love to write for. And so one question that somebody asked me when I was kind of dealing with this early on in my copywriting career was, well, have you ever written like a positive review for a business? And like, why did you do that? Right. And so of course, for me, what comes to mind is like, yes, I've written positive reviews on Google reviews for restaurants because I just had a great experience. And I want everyone who looks at this restaurant to like also go and enjoy the amazing food and like. Experience the atmosphere and whatever it was. And so then I was able to answer that question with like a. Yes. And then that led me to, think about all the other products and services that I have bought that I love and that have helped me in my life. And that make my life better. and 1 example that comes to mind is this journal subscription that I belong to that. I saw a Facebook ad for, um, and it's a wellness journal subscription. You get a journal every month. And there's kind of a different theme for the journal with different journal prompts. And it's, it's basically a journal. Bullet journal, like a prebuilt bullet journal for people who don't have the time or the skills to create their own bullet journals. Like me, I'm raising my hand right here. Um, but who still love the idea of like journaling and something that's really pretty and designed and, and, you know, that kind of thing. And this is a product that I have used for several years and I will just continue to shout from the rooftops, like how much it has helped me do more like journaling discovery and helped me with mindset and just kind of like. Help me build habits that I've always wanted to build. Um, and so I, I was able to kind of internalize this well, if there are businesses that I would love to write for, then this could be a career path. That would be really, really exciting for me. Right. And then, so what are the businesses that I would love to write for? And that kind of helped me, overcome, like you said, this limiting belief that I had that, Marketing writing had to be like salesy and slimy and, basically like turning myself into a sellout.

Kristin: 8:38

Yeah, I have my own two examples to share here that just came to mind when you were talking. because at first when you think to yourself like, Huh, what do I use every day? Or what's something I bought that I really love? First, it's like you kind of have this blank mind of like, Huh, I don't really know. And then you think about it for a minute and you're like, Wait, I love this thing and this thing and this thing and this thing. and you tell your friends about it, right? And when you tell your friends about it. you're sharing your experience and encouraging folks to like, you know, pointing them in the right direction, if they want to solve the same problem you solved. So one example I wanted to share two clients that I've worked with this year, that I'm so excited about and just like love. Uh, and I'm so proud to be able to help them sell what they sell, and get more customers. And the first one that comes to mind is, this is a client of mine. Um, she is a French pastry chef and she grew up in Texas and then she went to France and became a French pastry chef and she lives in Paris. And during the pandemic, she started creating some, content online, teaching people how to bake French pastries from home. Uh, because everybody was kind of stuck home and looking for hobbies and things to do. and, uh, She just gained this kind of massive following because she's just, she's sweet as a button, she's so talented and she takes these really complex topics and she makes them super easy to follow and understand, like, she'll teach folks how to make macarons from scratch and croissants in their own kitchen and like, it's just so fun. Anyway, when I connected with this particular client, she was really excited about teaching more folks who want to bake at home how to make these things in their own kitchens. And I helped her, you know, connect with folks online, um, and sell a membership that she has for folks who want to make amazing French pastries, like, in their own kitchens. How cool is that? I am so, so on board and I couldn't be more excited to help her like spread the word and and connect with more people who would just find so much fun and joy in baking. Another example, very quickly, that comes to mind is, and this is a client I just recently worked with, this, this client, it's actually a pair of, nurse practitioners in Australia And they run a clinic for mastitis. So women who are pre and post pregnancy who are experiencing breast health conditions, um, like mastitis or blocked ducts or engorgement, and they really are kind of at a dead end on how to deal with those sometimes very painful, conditions. And Katie and Elise have taken their time. clinical experience of helping women with breast health conditions, and they've packaged it up into an online course so that new moms can, you know, buy this very amazing, educational course on how to, deal with and kind of, treat and cure their mastitis So that was also a product where I was like, Raising my hand like, yes, please. I would love to help you help more moms, you know, um, deal with these things. and so I share those two examples, and I know Hilary, you shared your examples, really just to help you see if you're interested in using your love of writing to help businesses connect with more customers online. You can help businesses that you are so stoked about and like, just very excited about spread the word about what they're doing and help more people. You absolutely do not have to use your writing skills to help any particular business that comes along. you are the boss, right? You get to pick who you work with. And that is another really cool and rewarding piece of the copywriting business journey.

Hillary: 12:19

Yeah, think one thing we have to mention about copywriting, when you are thinking about becoming a copywriter, one of the ways to make that really lucrative, really fast and really fun for yourself is to identify a very specific, particular niche that you want to work in and that you want to serve. for me, as many of our listeners know, this has been the financial services industry. And the reason that I want to talk about this right now is because. I 100 percent have fully thrown myself into this belief that you don't have to work with businesses that you don't believe in and that you don't want to work with. And it's funny to be in financial services because there are many, many, many bad actors in financial services. There are financial advisors out there who will take advantage of people and who, who, who way overcharge people for their services and sell them things that they don't need and things like that. And it has just been so empowering for me. To kind of figure out like, well, what are the financial services folks that I really, really believe in? And who are the financial services folks that I really don't believe in and really make it clear from the get go and all of the marketing and online conversations that I have with people of like, I don't work with these kinds of businesses. So they don't even come to me and ask me for, for services anymore. Right. I, I make it very clear from the get go who I love to work with. And those are the people who come to me. And so I really just, I, I love what you brought up that you are the business owner. You are in control of who you work with. You can, you know, to some extent, have control over who you attract that you work with. Right? Um, and you absolutely have control over who you reach out to, and so again, my vision of marketing for me has morphed from, you know, this thing that is kind of like icky, but necessary that businesses need to do into this thing of like, I'm actually spreading good in the world because I'm helping more businesses that I really believe in, that I know the value that they offer. connect with more people that that need them. So I just that's been a huge reframe for me. And I hope that that's kind of helpful for anyone who is maybe just hearing about copywriting and feeling like. I love writing, don't love marketing.

Kristin: 14:29

Yeah. And I want to throw in one other kind of nerdy in the weeds piece here, but if you like, like we were saying, writing, communication, human psychology, all of those pieces are. Wrapped up in copywriting. So it's not only about using your writing skills. It's about taking into consideration who you're writing to and writing for a particular audience and using, different types of audience appeals, to connect with somebody on the other side of the screen. I love that piece about copywriting, and I know there are so many teachers out there who can absolutely, get, excited about things like rhetoric and, you know, choosing how we speak to people and why do we make those choices, you know, and, um, what's the most effective way to, ask somebody to take an action. If you're excited about writing, most of this stuff is like, some, you've come across it somewhere in your education, on your journey to becoming a teacher, and if those things excited you back then, those pieces of copywriting are really alive and present, and what you'll be thinking through a lot, so, if you love to get nerdy about that kind of stuff, human psychology, rhetoric, um, communication, writing, audience appeals, that is all wrapped up. in copywriting.

Hillary: 15:52

So Kristen, before we wrap up this conversation, I think we should touch briefly on what can somebody do who's interested in copywriting, but maybe today was the first time they heard an actual definition of copywriting. What should they do next?

Kristin: 16:06

Okay, so I actually think the very, very first step, if you're interested in copywriting or your ears perked up in some way in this conversation, and you want to see if this is an avenue that you might actually really enjoy, um, My first tip is to just simply start paying attention. So, I have a little assignment for you, like a little, a little to do. go into your email inbox. And find an email from a business or a brand that you have bought something from before that you really love. Very small example for you, very quickly. Just about like two weeks ago, I needed new pillows. I have no idea where to get new pillows. I haven't bought new pillows for years. I'm like, should I go to Macy's? Macy's is like defunct. Like there is no Macy's around anymore. Should I buy something off Amazon? But you know, like I just had no idea where to turn. Through a few recommendations, I ended up buying two pillows from a company called Coop. C O O P. Get them in the mail. I am In love with them. They are perfect pillows. every day that I lay down on them, I'm like, Oh my gosh, this, this is an amazing pillow. I told my mom about it. My mom bought coop pillows. Um, you know, I bought a set of sheets from them just like yesterday. Anyway, I'm fully bought in like this brand. I'm like, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for existing. And I look forward to getting emails from them. Like I literally yesterday was like, I wonder what, you know, their latest sale is. so go into your email inbox, find an email from a brand that you really love. And think about what that email is doing. Observe, right? You should be in consumption mode, when you're very curious. So go poke around and find some examples of copy. And think about them. What are they doing? Why are they effective? You know, what about that email might capture your attention? what about it makes you want to click the button over to see what the sale is or, buy, uh, you know, another product from them. This is where curiosity is really born is in just, just asking questions and observing. So that is the very first piece and, something you can do today.

Hillary: 18:24

I love that so much. And I just cannot finish this conversation without sharing my own products, but I absolutely love to open their emails. So before I had Finley. Ever since I was in high school, I am obsessed with Burt's Bees. Like, I will go into TJ Maxx just to see if I can get Burt's Bees products for cheap, you know, because Burt's Bees is not necessarily the cheapest brand, but I just go wild over Burt's Bees. And so then I was shopping in, I think, Marshalls one day when I was pregnant with Finley, and I was just like kind of perusing. The, newborn clothes. And I was so delighted to see that Burt's Bees has an entire baby line and they had these adorable little baby pajamas. And so I signed up for Burt's Bees baby, like text messages. I sign up for their email list and I open their texts and their emails all the time. And every time they have a sale, I'm like filling my cart up with like more Burt's Bees stuff for Finley. Um, and so that's just my example of like, When they send me a text message, it does not annoy me, right? Like, I am delighted to open the text message and see what's inside. Um, and so I just wanted to share that for people to see another example of like, what's a brand that you enjoy hearing from and that you love and you would just like, shout it from the rooftops, pay attention to what they're doing. because they're clearly doing something right. So this was a really fun conversation, Kristen, and thank you so much to all of our listeners who joined us and we will catch you next time on the next episode of teachers. Make the leap.