How You Can Become A Copywriter & Earn Six Figures+ In 2021

Copywriting is a tailor-made career for 2021.

 Businesses are hiring copywriters like crazy.
 Good copywriters can easily earn six figures.
 Most copywriters today work remotely.
 Copywriters don’t need formal training or education.

In this guide, I’m going to teach you, step by step, how to become a copywriter

and earn six figures and beyond.
I’ve been a freelance copywriter since 2013. I went full time in 2016 and earned
around $80k. I netted around $130k the following year and $220k in 2018.
I’m certainly not the best, the fastest, or the smartest. I know copywriters who hit
six figures in their first year and were well past $300k by year three.
But unlike many people who succeed for one reason or another, I have a very good
understanding of WHY I was able to hit my goals and grow my business.
As a result, in this guide, you aren’t just going to learn how I become a six figure
copywriter. You are going to learn how you can become one as well.
Let’s get started.

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Here’s a copywriting example from my website. It’s actually a popup

that displays after a reader has been on the page for a few minutes: 

Notice how it’s short, to the point. There’s no fluff; instead, it focuses
on the benefits and the next action users should take.  

How Does Copywriting Differ from Content Marketing? 

Copywriting is content directly aimed at making sales. Content
marketing can have different goals (which might include making
sales), but focuses on less direct goals, like educating, amusing, or
building brand awareness. 
 Here’s a copywriting example from my website. It’s actually a popup
that displays after a reader has been on the page for a few minutes: 

Notice how it’s short, to the point. There’s no fluff; instead, it focuses
on the benefits and the next action users should take.  

How Does Copywriting Differ from Content Marketing? 

Copywriting is content directly aimed at making sales. Content
marketing can have different goals (which might include making
sales), but focuses on less direct goals, like educating, amusing, or
building brand awareness. 

What Is A Copywriter?
A copywriter is someone who is paid to write “copy” – words designed to
prompt action. 
Copywriting is always connected to the act of promoting or selling a business,
organization, brand, product, or service, which makes it, by definition, a form of
marketing.
Copywriting can take a wide variety of forms:
 Advertising
 Websites
 Emails
 Blog posts
 Landing pages
 Brochures
 Presentations
 Video scripts
 Headlines
 Product descriptions
 Lead magnets
 White papers
 Etc, etc, etc

What makes it “copy” is that it’s intended to drive an action.

Sometimes, you want to drive an action immediately. This type of copywriting is
referred to as “direct response copywriting”.
Examples of direct response copywriting include:
 A Twitter ad designed to get an ad click
 A billboard designed to make you turn at the next exit and visit the
establishment
 A landing page designed to get an email signup
 An email designed to get a message in “reply”
 A product description designed to drive an “Add to Cart” click

Sometimes, immediate action isn’t the goal. The reader might not be in the position
to take immediate action when they see your copy, or having them take immediate
action might not be the priority. This type of copy doesn’t have a snappy name, but
the concept of marketing now for results down the road is essentially branding.
Examples of branding-focused copywriting include:
 A magazine ad designed to expose readers to the brand
 A blog post designed to educate and connect with the reader
 A white paper designed to establish the brand’s authority

These types of copywriting want an action at some point:

 The magazine ad wants the reader to think about the brand and buy down
the road.
 The blog post wants the reader to recommend the blog to others, signup, or
buy at some point.
 The white paper wants the reader to purchase from the brand or refer a
purchase down the road.

The difference is that this type of copywriting isn’t designed to drive an immediate
action, and that’s important, because attempting to drive an immediate action is
counterproductive in many marketing scenarios.
Imagine if every blog post you read tried to get you to buy something immediately.
Imagine if every blog post was so focused on getting your email signup that it cut
off the article’s key conclusion and made you signup to read it.
Both branding scenarios and direct response scenarios make up an important part
of the marketing process.

The 3 Types of Copywriting Jobs

If you want to tap into all that copywriting demand, there are three main ways to
do it:
1. Work as a staff copywriter at an agency
2. Work as a copywriter for an in-house marketing team
3. Become a freelance copywriter
 If you want a deep look into how much each of these roles can earn, check out
my guide to copywriter salaries.
Here’s the TLDR:
 Agency copywriters start at an average of $47k and work up to an average
of $88k.
 In-house copywriters start at an average $48k and work up to an average of
$84k.
 Freelance copywriters are all over the place, but more than 20% are doing
$100k+.

Landing an entry-level copywriting job is just a matter of drafting a good resume

and acing your interview… you know… typical job stuff.
And if you live in a larger city or just get lucky with a copywriting job opening up
near you, I would definitely recommend going for it and trying to spend around 2-3
years there. In an entry level position, you are essentially getting paid to be
trained. Click here to find local and remote copywriting jobs.
That said, this article isn’t about “how to become a copywriter and make $80k after
10 years”.
I promised you six figures, and if you want to hit that $100k mark in the next
calendar year, there is only one viable option for you as a copywriter…