Tip 1: Copywriter's school: how to begin a new career on the copywriting exchange

Work and Career

Tip 1: Copywriter's school: how to begin a new career on the copywriting exchange - a universal recipe

To beginners in any place are wary. Copywriting exchanges are not exceptions. Even if you are a guru of copywriting and somewhere once "lit up", then on the new exchange you will have to prove your professional worthiness again. However, usually, if there is experience and skills, this is easy to do. But how to act to those who just stepped on the thorny path of the copywriter?

The first thing that should be taken care of on a newexchange, - about reputation. Carefully read the user agreement, find out the rating system. You must know the rules of the exchange and not violate them in any way. Set up virtual purses to which you will withdraw money, or specify the credit card or account number. The second step is the initial stage. Fill in the details about yourself. Think of a nickname. It should be readable, unique. No need to be called sergey777, it will show that you are one of many. Do not use an arbitrary combination of letters. This is also considered a bad form. One of the variants of the nickname is part of your name or surname or a combination of both. Your nickname in the future should become a brand. An additional nifu about yourself is better filled to the maximum - customers prefer to work with real people. Choose a suitable avatar or photo. This will also be an element of your brand. If there is an option, then perform the test tasks. On many exchanges, they are. For this, a rating is assigned, which you need at the initial stage, like air. And some exchanges, for example, on Text.ru, do not take any entrance exams at all. The third step to success is a portfolio. Properly designed portfolio can significantly raise you in the eyes of the customer. And this means a greater level of trust in you. Therefore, it is necessary to create a portfolio for successful work on the stock exchange. On different stock exchanges, the approach to compiling portfolios is different. On some there is a special section where you can throw off your unique articles or links to already published ones. For example, on Textile there is a section "Portfolio" and there is a section "Free Publication". On some of your portfolio you can put in the form of a topic on the forum, for example, on Advego. And, for example, on Text.ru in the questionnaire there is a section "About me", where you can entertain information about yourself and show examples of work. In general, how many exchanges, so many options. Find out how you can imagine the portfolio, and make it up! By orders. Do I need to say that all orders are fulfilled on time, in strict accordance with the requirements of the customer, with the maximum uniqueness? All this goes without saying. Your goal, as a beginner, is not only to unwind, but also to find regular customers. Do not be afraid to contact the customers to whom you did the work and who paid for it. You can ask if your services are not required. You can even offer him a discount. If the customer needs a lot of similar texts, and you all did well, he usually takes you as a permanent performer. At first you will not get the most "delicious" orders. But they do not have to wait! Regularly throw off 3-4 articles in the store on the most popular topics, or on the topic in which you understand. A little trick - so that your nickname more often "flashed" in the store, fill in the articles not at once, but at intervals of 1-2 hours. You "become accustomed" and you will have a higher level of trust. Seek to communicate on forums with customers. It happens that customers are looking for beginners to entrust them to work at a lower price than professional performers. Do not shy away from such work, especially, at first. This will help you gain credibility and weight on the stock exchange. Ask customers for positive feedback. For feedback, you can give them discounts or bonuses, for example, free pictures or the 5th text as a gift. Communicate with the customer on an equal footing. Remember - you are not a slave or an employee. You help your customer earn money, and he shares with you a profit. You are on an equal footing, not in a subordinate relationship. In personal communication, one should not only discuss purely business matters, but also communicate in a purely human way. For example, to share the results of a football match or opinions about the recent premiere. Then the customer will perceive you as a real person, not an employee with a keyboard. So, it will be possible to count on good orders and interesting work. Sometimes it happens that the customer asks you to modify the order. Do not be afraid, this is normal. If the customer's requirements are adequate and you miss something through your fault - fix it. But if you think that the customer requires too much, that is, what was not discussed in the creative task, feel free to apply to arbitration. Arbitration in 90% of cases acts on the side of the copywriter. So, moving with perseverance, without giving up and not upset about the refusals or improvements, you will make your career on the stock exchange. The key question: how much can you earn on the copywriting exchange? Many, very many. But at first the amount will not be very impressive. If you work regularly, taking 3-4 orders a day, it's real to earn about 8-10 thousand rubles in the first month. Further more. Good luck!

Tip 2: School copywriter: How to communicate with customers

Communication with customers is a whole science. Our word is our weapon. Therefore, when communicating, the customer evaluates how effective it is. For some reason, many copywriters forget about this. In articles they are the top of literacy, and when communicating through ICQ or through social networks, they make annoying mistakes. Or they frighten off the customer by their snobbery - this also happens.

Correct handling of the customer, always inall. Appeal necessarily on you, you can with a small letter. Do not panic and joke about inappropriate jokes. Remember - you have a purely business relationship with the customer, nothing personal. As for the sense of humor - before inserting witty comments, note whether there is any customer's sense of humor. Otherwise, your jokes may not like him, you run the risk of breaking off the communication. If you want to lighten the situation slightly, then use the magnificent invention of Internet communication - emoticons. Smiles are a great opportunity even for a serious business conversation to make a little more soulful. Without dependence on the way of communication with the customer, it is inadmissible to make grammatical, punctuation and stylistic errors. The customer can afford it. You, as a copywriter, can afford only misprints or intentional AshiPki, which you can select in the text so that it is clear that it was done specially. Read the texts of the TOR (creative task) carefully, ask clarifying questions, especially if you work for the first time. For example, on what site it will go, for what audience is calculated, whether there will be pictures, etc., everything that you find fit. The more you have such information, the better you write the text. Set aside the snobbery. Even if you are a super-copywriter, and the customer is a green newbie, and you "cut" the topic a hundred times better. Remember: who pays, he orders music. Therefore, it is better to carefully read the requirements and if you think that it's better to do something differently (pick up other keywords or suggest a different text structure), calmly and unobtrusively suggest this to the customer. Be sure to argue why it's best done. "My experience / intuition / inner voice / grandmother at the entrance / another steep copywriter" tells me so - no arguments. Not an argument and a phrase: "Everybody does that." Maybe your customer just wants to do it, not like everyone else. Generally, hints to the customer are not so much a copywriter as an optimizer. Therefore, to show their professionalism should be different. Do not tell the customer, but gently advise, for example: "I would do so", "And I, as a user, it seems, should write like this" ... And be careful with the advice. If the customer follows your advice, and he will succeed, his gratitude will not know the boundaries. And if on the contrary, then blame yourself. The price of the issue is better agreed in advance. Decide whether this price is for 1000 characters or for the whole text. It happens that there is a misunderstanding if the customer specifies, for example, a price of 60 rubles for the entire text of 2000 characters in length, and the copywriter thinks that for 1000 characters. If you think that your work is paid low, or raise the price for all customers, then be prepared that the customer will leave you. If he does not want to leave or can not, and pay more for him while there is no possibility, you can make him a temporary relief. Just see that the temporary does not become permanent. If the customer asks you to redo the order, carefully compare its requirements with the text of the original TK. If you yourself are wrong somewhere, then, gritting your teeth, correct. If the customer requires something that was not originally agreed upon, then ask for an additional fee. If you break deadlines, then do not lead an "ostrich policy". It is better to immediately admit to the customer that you do not have time. As compensation, you can throw off the cost of the service a little, so that the customer does not leave you to another copywriter. Bear in mind that honesty is the best quality in explanations with the customer.

Tip 3: 10 Deadly Sins of the Copywriter

Copywriter - the individual is strange and special. And his life is also special. And so it is necessary to orient yourself in it in a special way. And to help copywriters or those who they are going to become, I give a list of 10 deadly sins of a copywriter. We must avoid them, otherwise, before the overthrow to hell near!

Instructions

Laziness The most terrible sin of a copywriter is unwillingnessdo something. Often the copywriter, instead of working, is distracted by various trifles: check mail, go "Vkontakte", "tweet" a new idea, see how things are in Ukraine ... You look - and the hour is missed, the work is not started, and the fatigue is already accumulated. So if you sit down to work, work.

Increased self-esteem, or prideorder? Or a new star on Textseil? Do not flatter yourself, you are not master. Perfection has no limit, especially in the profession of a copywriter, where requirements change almost every day. If you fall into pride, you risk remaining at the same level, considering that customers will run to you. This is not true. Do not be proud.

Discouragement This is the reverse case of pride. In the life of any copywriter, there are ups and downs. It happens that the client brings or "throws" the customer, or money disappears from the wallet, or a large order is broken or someone in the forum throws you rotten eggs ... The copywriter must have strong nerves and in no case fall into depression under stress of the situation.

Cheap (dumping) How often do you takecheap orders, just to get them more? It happens that the customer announces an auction: I will give the order to the one who will give the lower price. Know that such an approach will lead to that you will be appreciated appropriately: as a cheap thing. And serious orders for serious money you will not see. Moreover, by scattering hundreds of small orders, you will lose more time and effort than if you make a quality one.

GreedThe return case of the previous vice. It seems to you that customers should immediately pay fabulous money ... Especially if you have not written anything right yet, but consider yourself a great guru of copywriting. Do not put a price of 100 rubles per 1000 characters for a simple, not selling text, especially when you're just a beginner ...

Overwork О! Do you sit up at the computer for the second week at night? Do you fall asleep anywhere you touch your head? Congratulations! You are overwrought! This will immediately affect your performance and the quality of the texts. You should also have a rest. Walking, playing sports, at least going to the store. Alternate mental and physical efforts.

Doubts: How often you can not startorder, because the first line is not coming up? If you constantly pick up words in the process of writing and do not know what will happen in the next paragraph, if you always ask yourself the question: "Do I write correctly?" - it is best not to write at all. If you write - do not doubt. Do not think. Then rewrite.

Rudeness and disrespect for the customer Even ifCommunicate with the customer a second year and older it twice, this is not an excuse to switch to a familiar style of communication. Also, do not prove to the customer that "he is a camel", especially when he tries to tell you in things that you understand better. Either keep silent, or politely refuse to cooperate.

Banality and stamps All this killsindividual style. In addition, endless "everyone knows", "as we already wrote", "our company is the best company in the world" became so boring that using them - mauvais.

Excessive creative Total must be in moderation. If you, as a copywriter, have a special look at "copywriting", please implement it on your own projects. The customer is waiting for a coherent and adequate text for his hard earned money.

Tip 4: Copywriter's school: how to interview

Interview in the work of the copywriter and journalist -an important procedure. It would not be an exaggeration to say that an interview is an invaluable source of new knowledge and new information. It is in a conversation with well-known and advanced people that there is a chance to learn something new for themselves and pass it on to others.

Take care of your appearance. The lion's share of success depends on how the respondent perceives you. Remember that they meet on clothes.

Show that you are a professional - stock upa notepad and two pens, use a dictaphone and a camera. Take with you a USB flash drive - suddenly your interlocutor wants to send something to you in electronic form, such as photos or reports.

Do not hesitate to ask questions, even if they,in your opinion, stupid. They will not seem silly to your interlocutor. But you will look stupid if you dream about something in yourself in an interview and then hand it out for the respondent's words.

Write down all the facts. All the numbers, dates, names you hear are written down in notepad. If necessary, ask again.

Listen carefully to the interlocutor. Do not try to write everything that he says. Catch the main idea and write down the thesis. If you need a more detailed answer, decipher his speech from the recorder.

Observe courtesy and etiquette rules, especially if your interlocutor is older than you by age or social status. As a rule, people of old tempering refer to such moments more scrupulously.

Disconnect the cell phone for the duration of the interview, butDo not ask to do the same for your interlocutor. But if your conversation is too often interrupted by calls, you can hint at this. Most interviewees themselves feel uncomfortable for such distractions and themselves turn off the phones.

Do not forget to exchange your contact information. You will probably need something to clarify or something to ask, and, of course, to coordinate the material.

Tip 5: Copywriter's school: where to get ideas for articles

The work of the copywriter in many ways resembles the workmachine operator. Even if the copywriter puts the whole soul into the articles, the production rate takes its toll. Articles are written a lot, on different topics, especially if the copywriter is selling articles through article stores or published in a thematic blog. Sooner or later every copywriter has a crisis of creative ideas. You sit in front of the monitor and do not know what to write about. So where to get ideas for articles?

Instructions

The very first and basic rule of the copywriter -Walk everywhere with a notebook and pen. However, it is now quite successfully replacing the phone. In many cell phones, and even more so, iPhones and tablets have the functions of Notepad or Notepad. It is there to enter any notes on articles, themes, ideas, images. Get used to looking at the world through the eyes of the copywriter. Get useful information from the outside world. Announcements, billboards, signs - everything can come up against a topic for an article. For example, we noticed that a lot of sushi bars appeared, which means that the topic of "sushi" is popular. Topics for the articles on the sly: "Sushi at home", "How to choose a sushi bar", "What to wear in a sushi bar", "What is a sushi bar?" - an article for "dummies", etc. The basic principle, I think, is understandable.

Question-answer services, for example, on the Mail.ру or Спрашивай.ру. There are many such services on the Internet. Read what people are interested in, this can lead to wonderful thoughts. Of course, most issues can not be applied in our work, but bypassing such services is a crime.

Advertising newspapers and magazines. Read what people buy and sell. In addition to traditional cars, real estate, cosmetics, books, equipment, etc., a lot of new goods and services appear in everyday life. And in traditional categories there are regular updates. For example, a new Mercedes model came out - what is not the topic for the article? Or ceramic knives? Or a new service - chocolate wrapping - what is it?

Requests in Wordstat. Enter any thematic keyword, for example, an apartment, and see the queries related to it. You can choose any medium-frequency query that you find interesting, and write an article on the claimed headline. For example, "A two-bedroom apartment in Moscow is cheap."

Foreign websites are also a great source of ideasfor the article. Especially if you know the language. Or if you have a translator built into the browser. You can simply translate the article (naturally, literally processed), make rewriting on its basis or simply push it away with thoughts and write something completely different.