A brief overview of the different types of copywriting for those thinking about shifting into freelancing!

Introduction

Copy, content writing, creative writing -- it wears many hats but what is it really?

For some, content writing means blogging on your company's website, writing email blasts, or YouTube channel. For others, content writing is ghostwriting articles or books for authors who want to write their own material but don't have the time or skill to do so. Like many art forms, it takes time and practice to become a good copywriter and if you do reach the top of your craft it means you also have the chance to charge top dollar.

In this article, we'll cover a variety of different niches within copywriting to get you thinking about what might be the right niche for you or where you want to focus your energy, time, and efforts.

Social Media Content Writing

Social media content writing is a great way to build up your brand and audience. It allows you to get your name out there, generate some buzz, increase your following base, and establish yourself as an authority in your field.

In the past 7 years or so social media marketing, management, and content writing have become a growing profession for many marketing and content writing professionals. Although the barrier to entry isn't as easy as 5 years ago, there's tons of information through various YouTube channels, blogs (like this one!), and programs you can take to get your foot in the door.

How do I start?

Is there an organization you're part of or want to join? Let's say for example I want to start volunteering at the local animal shelter. I'd look on their website or go in person to ask if they're taking on new volunteers for social media management. Other avenues could be various freelancing platforms or reaching out to small businesses that look like they don't have much of an audience yet -- these individuals will be most open to help, especially if you offer your services for free or at a discounted rate in the beginning. Remember, your goal is to get your foot in the door, sorry but you're not a professional (just yet!).

What could this look like?

This could look like you communicating with the PR agent or individual that takes photos for the organization. Often content writers work hand and hand with the marketers on staff so try your best to get on a first-name basis with your point or points of contact -- cultivating relationships is important!

Beware of....

Beware of CMOs or other internal staff that are looking for a one-stop shop but aren't willing to cough up the money for it. I've spent my fair share of time on contracts where during our first meeting we talked only about the content writing, not any graphic content creation or photography but I've noticed that the larger the corporation the more they try to bend the scope of work with freelancers and contractors. If this sounds like a situation you've been in or you're currently in, kindly tell them to review the scope of work in your contract, and if they'd like to vary from the original contract whip up a new one, including the additional price for extra services.

Tech Writing

To be technical or non-technical -- that is the question! Well, actually it's about choosing your specific audience, the purpose of writing, and understanding how your content will be received since tech writing is, yes, you guessed it, very technical.

As I said above, tech writers write for a specific audience in a specific situation. If writing is a candy shop, tech writing is that specific, Japanese-branded candy that costs an arm and a leg and can only be found now in vintage specialty stores. Basically, it's for a very specific audience that uses it for a very specific purpose.

What could this look like?

They may be writing instructions on how to use a product, explaining how something works on their website, or even creating documentation for their team members (or customers). In general, tech writers need to understand the subject matter very well so they can explain it clearly and concisely without being too wordy or overly technical for anyone who might read the content later down the line. For example, it could be a company employee reading up on how the new system process the company is launching today works, before their meeting at 9 am tomorrow morning, so it needs to be palatable enough to understand but still jam-packed with all the information they need to be able to use the new system effectively. Another example could be an end user of an application trying out a new software program after downloading it from their app store of choice.

Press Release Writing

Unlike tech writing, these are short and sweet. A press release is a short, concise news story that is sent to the media and published in newspapers, magazines, or online. It's also referred to as a "news release."

Press releases can be used for many different things:

To announce a product or service launch
To announce an event or conference
To promote an upcoming book or movie release (or other creative work)

They are often used by businesses and organizations to get attention for their flashy new line of products or services. They're also used by individuals who want to share information about themselves with the public--for example, if you've written a book, you might send out press releases when it comes out so that people know more about who wrote it!

What could this look like?

You could be working with a local artist that just launched their new gallery or a tech firm that just announced that they've just hired a new CEO. It really depends on what you like doing -- some people really love working with bigger firms because they may work more frequently with contractors and so have more structure in place. Vice versa you might want more personal interaction or find working with an individual more fulfilling.

Beware of....

Too many cooks in the kitchen! Especially with larger firms I've found it's incredibly important to find the key decision maker, especially when it comes to re-iterating version after version of the PR (press release). Now maybe this is just me being a young, Japanese-Mexican woman in the workplace but I found there is such a thing as too much feedback and honestly, most of it was shit. It then lead me to have those lovely, "work until 3 am" mornings, re-doing a PR I could've been done with if I just hadn't listened to Greg, from marketing team B.

Ghostwriting

Remember how in the intro I talked about people who would love to write a book but just don't have that creative writing eye? Ghostwriting just that. It's the process of writing a book, blurb, article or other text that is officially credited to someone else. Yes, you guessed it, the writer who does this work is called a ghostwriter. Ghostwriters are often hired by celebrities, politicians and authors with writers block, alike, to write their autobiographies, memoirs or books; however, I've done my fair share of ghostwriting for other marketing companies, fintech (financial technology) companies and even a CBD company once. (they were the best, so chill and super nice. 100% would work with them again.)

So why do people use a ghostwriter?

To protect privacy: Some people do not wish their names associated with controversial ideas or practices (such as medical professionals writing about medical procedures). Others prefer not having their own words given more weight than those of others (as when court cases are decided based on testimony from witnesses). In these cases, using ghostwriters allows authorship without revealing identities publicly as well as ensuring accuracy of facts presented within written works before publishing them online through platforms such as Blogger WP Engine
Because they don't want to write it themselves: Yeah, honestly. Some people don't have the time, others get "writer's block" or just don't feel they have the skill to do so. It sounds cruel but that's great for us copywriters. We come in feeling like Shakira in a 2000's music video with our hair blowing in the wind, ready to write our little hearts out!
Beware of....
Okay, this one sounds obvious but just like fostering a puppy, sometimes you get attached to your work. Be wary of what you can and can't say when it comes to claiming your work. Did you sign an NDA? If so, err on the side of caution and don't say shit, anywhere, especially online. If you didn't sign an NDA then you might have more wiggle room like being able to say on your website "why yes, I did work with them" but not claim specifically what you wrote for them.

Grant Writing

Let's get some grant money! Much like the title implies, grant writing is the process for applying for and hopefully being granted, a grant. (Total Dad joke, sorry I couldn't help it.) In writing, a grant is considered any award that does not have to be paid back by an organization or person for a specific purpose, most of the time with very detailed conditions attached.

This work is most common for nonprofits or for profit organizations that have to do with some moral cause like oceanic education or saving all the red baby pandas -- you get the idea.

What could this look like?

This could look like you talking to the chairs of the organization or already being somewhat of a specialist in the field and helping out a specific niche. Grant writing, much like tech writing is extremely specific. You need to outline:

Why you're asking for money in the first place
How you'll utilize the grant if you're awarded
How much money you're requesting
*Why your organization should get the grant versus the other guys

*The last one often like applying for a bank loan. The organization wants to see that your organization or individual has had consistent success, a solid plan or solid financial growth within the past 5 years or so. Basically they want a safe bet, so make sure you show your organization or individual in the best light possible by backing their grant proposal with lots of data and past deliverables/accomplishments.

Beware of....

Getting the difference between grants and contracts wrong during your first meeting with this 3rd party. Yes, both involve you getting money but with a contract there's a goods or services exchanged, meaning the company or organization has to complete their part before XYZ time frame. This differs when it comes to grants as they often come with conditions (like you can't spend all the grant money on a brand new G-Wagon) but often have some wiggle room with how the money is used. (like if you originally allocated 30% of the grant money to inventory but the production price of creating ethically made red panda plushies went up by $10 that year so now you've used 45% of your grant money on inventory.)

Blogs and Various Blog Niches

Blogs are a great way to get your name out there and establish yourself as an expert in your field. Blogs can also be used as a marketing tool for your business, or to build relationships with customers and clients.

Blogs and ghostwritng often come hand and hand, especially when it comes to working with a corporate entity looking to churn out one, thousand word blog, every two days. See the ghostwriting section for more on that.

What could this look like?

The world is your oyster with this one. Here's a list of random blog topics I've written in the past:

Lucid Dreaming
Dog Breeds
Holistic Medicinal Herbs...
Financial Technology
Loan and Investment
Real Estate
Cloud Computing and Technology
SuperCell Video Games
Mental Health
Yoga and Meditation
Financial Planners and Blog
Gardening and Aquaponics

The list goes on, you get the idea. If you like working on various different projects then writing blogs might be for you. Try a few different niches and see how it sits with you.

Beware of....

Again, be wary of those asking for extra work or asking you to change the word count last minute from a 1,000 words to 2,500 for no extra charge. Unless you've already agreed to do the gig for free because you're starting out -- don't take that crap. I've also found the pickiest clients often pay the least and ask for the most. You've been warned. It's not all bad though, everyone is different and my best advice would be just to trust your gut and if you don't like working with them or want to make sure you have an easy out, include a clause in your contract about cancellations. For example, mine says that if either party wants to cancel the contract I need 31 days notice in advance or they have to pay a penalty fee.

Content Marketing and Email Blasts

Unlike social media content writing (which is more blurbs or content on social platforms), content marketing and email blasts tend to be a bit longer and focus on building trust and credibility with your audience. Its main purpose is to generate sales or leads through some type of value. This value can vary from being inspirational, entertaining, educational or basically anything that makes you feel something. Good writing, much like good paintings or music gives us a utlity of some sort or brings our an emotional response. Content marketing can also be to spread brand awareness or build trust with the firm's target market.

What could this look like?

It could look like you signing a contract for several months and churning out different topics based off a list of content the company gives you or their marketing team gives you. Your goal is to build trust with the target audience and get individuals to interact or open your email blasts / contact the company because they find utility through what you've wrote.

Beware of....

Hubris. I personally was a bit too cocky and not (if I'm being honest) skilled enough, at the time to be able to really shine when it came to using the plethora of tools available, especially when it came to email blasts; because of this I made dumb mistakes that ate up a lot of my time and overall just really stressed me out because I would take too long with completing what should have been simple tasks. Mix that with a decision maker that was difficult to communicate with and I was in content writing hell.

Biographies and Non-Fiction

I think you know what a biography is so I'm not going to explain it. Whether the biography is about real people or fictional characters, they all share similar elements like:

Purpose

A good biography should tell you something about the subject that you didn't know before. It can also help you understand them in a new way, or give insight into things that might otherwise seem confusing or inexplicable (for example, why someone did something). A great biography will tell you all that but in a way that doesn't put you to sleep but instead pull on your heart strings, make you laugh or pull you in, and keep you there.

Focus

The focus of your story should almost always be on one person for a biography -- don't try to cover too much ground at once. It's like drinking watery Coolaid, not enough mix and it just doesn't taste as good -- not appealing at all!

I'd recommend focusing on one key thing per chapter. This can be difficult if you're doing a biography on someone who likes to ramble when you talk with them -- I try to come up with an outline beforehand or try to get them to think about their talking points before our meeting so we can get as much detail about one event or topic and then move on to the next chapter.

For example, I wouldn't have one chapter to cover the client's entire childhood but instead break up their childhood into several different chapters that encapsulate different aspects or events from their childhood they'd like to highlight. You want each chapter to be a piece of the pie, not the whole thing; each chapter shouldn't leave your reader feeling overwhelmed but like they could possibly eat another piece of pie.

Tone and Voice

Along with having a vast amount of information about your biographical client you also need to focus on tone of voice, ensuring that this both encapsulates the individual and is also the right tone for the event you're trying to convey. I wouldn't use a friendly and conversational tone to convey the death of their mother in their early childhood but instead something that conveys the loss, lonliness and hardship they may have felt as a young child. Voice is very similar in that there needs to be some consistency to have all elements flow together. For example, if I was writing a biography for Bob Ross, beloved airforce sergeant turned painter, I would try to convey his light-hearted and optimistic yet calm, "happy little trees" tone of voice.

Remember, you're writing on behalf of them, you want to convey their voice, not put your own spin on things.

Conclusion

Well, great job -- we've reached the end! I hope you found some utility after reading this, as this is one of my longer entries. As always, good luck and you got this!

For a complete guide on how to start freelancing check out our other blog article -- How to Start Freelancing.