Eighteen years ago I wasn’t a copywriter. Now I’m one of the busy copywriters in Gloucestershire. On the way from marketing management to successful freelance copywriter, I’ve used a variety of techniques to refine my skills and increase my value to clients as diverse as design agencies, SEO consultants, website designers and a wide variety of businesses in Gloucestershire and across the UK. Here’s what has worked for me.

• Learn from experienced copywriters
• Challenge your skills with a variety of copywriting work
• Work for businesses that are used to commissioning copywriters
• Copy good copywriting
• Write every day

 

Learn from experienced copywriters

Learning from experienced copywriters encompasses a range of techniques such as studying the copywriting technique of established writers, attending copywriting courses, reading good books on copywriting and gleaning copywriting knowledge online. I’ve used all of these as I’ve built my career as a Gloucestershire copywriter.

Challenge your skills with a variety of copywriting work

Try something new and watch your copywriting skills improve; you may surprise yourself. I remember the first time I tackled SEO copywriting and my delight when the project was successful. I learned lots on the way; it was knowledge that I immediately ploughed back into the next assignment. Suddenly, my SEO page content, article writing and e-commerce text blocks were being complemented by experienced SEO consultants. Without taking on the challenge of something new I’d never have discovered this latent writing skill.

Work for businesses that are used to commissioning copywriters

Design agencies are used to commissioning copywriters: they know what they want, they know good copywriting and they know what copywriters should be paid. When I started writing with agencies in Gloucestershire, Bristol and London I quickly learned to trust their expertise. I listened to their feedback on my copywriting, picked the brains of creative directors and absorbed everything that was useful to me. I also asked them about budgets and timings for projects and got valuable guidance. Was I ripped off? No way! (Of course, I’d also done some research to make sure I was pitching at the right level.) Several years on, I’ve learned lots from my agency clients. It all goes back into the mix and helps me write better for other clients.

Copy good copywriting

I learned this one from my interest in writing fiction. Find examples of great writing, and then copy them (either with a word processor or, better still, in long-hand). As you write you will subconsciously absorb the techniques that went into the original writing. In my experience this technique really works and it’s a great way to complement other skills improvement techniques. One warning: never copy work and use it as your own. That’s plagiarism and it isn’t a good thing.

Write every day

My fifth technique is the discipline of writing every single day. Once you have live projects to work on this is easy. But even if you don’t have fee-earning work on your books, an important technique to master is daily writing practice.

As I look back over my journey through in-house writing, agency PR and into freelance copywriting as one of the leading copywriters in Gloucestershire, UK, it never ceases to amaze me how these techniques have helped my professional growth. Try them yourself and watch your copywriting skills improve.

Your business could harness the skills that these techniques have helped to develop. As one of the leading copywriters in Gloucestershire, Al Hidden brings more than 25 years’ experience in technical sales, marketing, PR, technical writing and creative copywriting to businesses facing writing challenges like yours.