At least 90% of the people I interact with have a stable notion. They believe that in order to make money from copywriting you should write texts for customers. Whether on the work marketplaces or working directly with the business. However, this is a very superficial judgment. There are dozens of other different ways to monetize your copywriting skills and knowledge. And this does not always require customers. That is why I decided to write this article. Today I’m going to tell you about 25 ways to make money as a copywriter.

Here’s a little table of contents to help you navigate the article.

Four groups of vectors to earn money with copywriting

All the methods that we will cover today can be divided into four large groups. Each group has its own fundamental differences. Let’s look at them in detail.

a) Employment in a company

The main advantage of employment is a stable salary every month and a constant load on tasks. In addition, large and serious companies that understand the value of a copywriter’s work do their best to support and encourage a professional growth. And they spend a lot of resources and money on it.

For example, I once had the opportunity to train employees of a company that develops one of the largest applications for women. Imagine my surprise when I found out that in addition to copywriters, real doctors were on the training. And the team there was very strong (photo published with the permission of the company).

Copywriters are often hired full-time to close certain tasks. The tasks can be different: from writing simple SEO texts or product descriptions to the development and implementation of complex marketing strategies. It is more profitable and cheaper to keep a specialist in the staff for a fixed fee than to work with freelancers. In addition, there are companies that fundamentally want to hire a person in the staff and do not work with freelancers.

Here are eight main ways to make money on copywriting when working in the company’s staff. I’ve ranked them from easiest to hardest.

1. SEO texts writing

With the active introduction of neural networks, such as ChatGPT, this direction is increasingly losing relevance and popularity. We can say that now it is in the process of transformation. The fact is that it is much easier for companies to hire a person who will use neural networks and generate large volumes of SEO content many times faster and cheaper than hiring employees for this work. However, there is a plus here. From low-skilled labor and work according to the terms of reference, this direction is turning into a professional specialization that requires new knowledge and skills.

2. Copy for product cards

This direction is also undergoing changes due to the massive development of artificial intelligence. Usually online stores hire authors for such a work. At the same time, their management tries to load copywriter with additional work. For example, write a text about the company, write a letter for newsletter, etc. To get a job in this scenario, you need basic sales skills, and therefore the entry threshold here is higher than in the previous option.

3. Work as a general copywriter

Large companies often hire copywriters to close a wide range of tasks. It can be maintaining a corporate blog, making a newsletter or creating landing pages. We have covered the main areas in detail in this post. A freelance form of cooperation also happens, but less often, because it is cheaper to keep a hired employee.

To get this job, you need system copywriting skills and the ability to solve basic tasks:

• Conduct basic marketing analysis
• Develop landing page wireframes
• Create business proposals
• Build presentations
• Launch mailing letters
• Write sales scripts, etc.

Sometimes advertising (or, as they are now called, digital) agencies hire copywriters to handle complex tasks on client projects.

4. Technical writer or UX copywriter

This copywriter job can be found mainly in IT companies. The entry threshold here is quite high. First, because, on one hand, you need to be technically savvy and be able to translate complex technical texts into a simple and understandable user language. And on the other hand, write competent instructions (manuals) for developers, for example, on implementing an API.

The salary in this segment is also high, at the level of a junior or middle programmer. Vacancies are rather rare, so the initiative is welcome. To become a technical writer (UX writer), you need to have an analytical mindset, as well as skills in working with texts and audiences. Both the first and the second, by the way, can be developed.

5. Work as a screenwriter

It is more difficult to get a job as a screenwriter than as a UX writer, because the business does not need scripts for video or audio clips so often. And yet, there are companies where good screenwriters are worth their weight in gold. These are the so-called GameDev companies – organizations that develop computer games.

At the heart of a good game is not only cool graphics, but also a thoughtful storyline. The screenwriter takes on this challenge. If you feel that you have the abilities, knowledge and skills, and you don’t want to create commercial copy to sell goods and services, then, who knows, maybe a screenwriter is your calling. The entry threshold, as well as the salary, are quite high here. Plus, you need basic knowledge in the field of marketing (especially when it comes to understanding the interests, values, narratives and motives of the audience). Sometimes the screenwriter takes over the tasks of UX copywriting.

6. Creator for branding agencies

Creators are a special kind of copywriter who usually work for branding agencies. They are not faced with the task of obtaining a measurable result in numbers. Their task is to generate creatives – original, fresh and memorable advertising. Moreover, the range of tasks for the creator is quite wide: from inventing memes and content for social networks to the names, slogans and concepts of advertising that is shown in Cannes.

In a word, specific work for people with non-standard, imaginative thinking. Salaries also vary widely. The entry threshold is high because there are no clear criteria for measuring creativity. Everything is at the discretion of the art director who hires you.

7. Full-time copywriting consultant

One of the rarest vacancies that can only be found in large companies. Good copywriters are invited to work as a full-time consultant. The entry threshold is very high and requires extensive knowledge and rich experience, both in marketing and sales.

Personally, I have met only a few people who work according to this model. In general, copywriting skills are very helpful in finding employment in any position. We talked about it in detail here. Looking at the situation through the eyes of a copywriter, you immediately see what the employer needs and what things you should focus on. You can also easily create an effective resume for a specific employer, write a cover letter and pass an interview.

Copywriting is a very useful skill that helps you not in work only, but also in life in general. After all, this is not about just texts. This is about people, information and with the context in which people perceive the information.

b) Freelance (own practice)

To tell the truth, I don’t really like the word “freelance”. Probably because freelancers merge into a faceless mass. And yes, it doesn’t sound that good. Imagine that you are a CEO of the company and communicate with a person. In the first case, he or she says: “I’m a freelancer.” In the second: “I run my own studio.” In what way does a person impress you more? Most likely, in the second one, because their own studio is perceived as something more significant with additional responsibility.

The word “freelancer” is sometimes associated with something inexpensive and not always reliable. Although there may not be a fundamental, actual difference between these two concepts: a person finds clients and solves their problems, without registration in the staff. According to this vector, we have the most scenarios for making money. Let’s continue our list.

8. Sale of ready-made copy

Quite a risky, but at the same time an interesting direction of earning on copywriting. Its essence is that we initially develop a text that solves certain tasks, for example, an expert article in a particular niche, and then we are looking for someone who will agree to buy this text. Ideally – to find customers who are ready to constantly buy our work and pay money for it.

The negative side here is that if you can’t find a buyer, then the time will actually be wasted. However, this moment can be compensated by using content marketing in our own project. We’ll talk about it a bit later.

9. Getting orders on work marketplaces

There are a lot of work marketplaces like Upwork, Fiverr, etc. The main thing that is important to understand here is that this is a very competitive environment in which there are tasks of various classes and requirements. And these tasks need to be correctly recognized so that there are no deceived expectations, negativity from customers and disappointments.

There can be many orders on such marketplaces, but there are even more other freelancers who also apply for these orders. From the outside it may seem that it is easier to get customers here. But I think that it is much easier to do this if you master active sales and find customers directly through business proposals. However, this is just my personal opinion.

10. Your own independent brand of copywriting services

A copywriter can either provide a wide range of services, or perform work in narrow areas. For example, I work according to the first model, providing a wide range of copywriting services. But at the same time, I have colleagues who provide narrow-profile ones. For example, business proposals only. Or just landing page wireframes. Or just sales scripts (such copywriters are also called scriptographers). Some of them specialize exclusively in email marketing or SMM copy. Or write only scripts for commercial videos. Each approach has its pros and cons. If you don’t know where to start, try focusing on one area that fits you the most.

You can use different approaches to find clients. For example, you can create your own website and start running contextual advertising on it. By the way, this is exactly what I did at the dawn of my career. Or you can start a thematic blog, which potential customers visit from search engines. You can search for clients through active sales: call, write commercial offers. Finally, you can search for orders in thematic communities and forums. There are lots of ways.

In the case of thematic communities, a copywriter actively communicates on forums, social networks or offline events where his target audience is (marketers, entrepreneurs, businessmen, etc.). As a rule, services are not sold directly with this method. Instead we use the approach of “selling criticism”. This is when a specialist joins in communication, gives practical advice, and clients ask about the services themselves. I have several copywriter colleagues who actively participate in specialized exhibitions and provide themselves with work for the whole year ahead.

Dan Shardakou

11. Indirect sale of copywriting services

The essence of this approach is that the copywriter does not look for orders him- or herself, but makes business acquaintances with advertising agencies or other related professionals. In a word, with those who already have clients. For example, with specialists in SEO, SMM or contextual advertising. In such an alliance, a copywriter and, say, a marketer can jointly solve more complex and expensive tasks, which is beneficial for both of them.

It turns out, a kind of synergistic effect. You can also find someone to join in thematic communities with potential partners or through active sales. There are also plenty of options here. The main thing is not to be afraid and not to wait, but to take the initiative into your own hands. In addition, it is much easier to look for partners than selling to clients. Partners, unlike clients, do not pay their own money. For example, among my colleagues I have a contextual advertising specialist, an SMM specialist and a SEO specialist, with whom we close complex and expensive joint tasks from time to time.

It is important to understand that the entry threshold here is quite high, and people will not risk the project and reputation if they are not sure of the copywriter’s competencies. That is why it is good to prepare a portfolio in advance.

12. Copywriting training

Some copywriters start to conduct educational activities and teach both individually and within educational institutions. And this is a great source of additional income. It can traditional tutoring or corporate one. Online or offline.

For example, I use this approach in addition to providing professional services. I work as a copywriting teacher and conduct online training. In fact, this is a parallel branch of copywriter monetization, and it requires not only copywriting skills, but also pedagogical ones, public speaking skills, and ability to organize effective learning process (both methodological and technical).

13. Copywriting consulting

Experienced copywriters sometimes become consultants and take clients for support as advisers: they teach sales managers to write scripts or business proposals. Or help marketers to manage email newsletters.

The entry threshold here is very high: you need to have a wide range of knowledge and skills, as well as have an established reputation and name. Clients here come mainly through word of mouth, but you can build a system to get them from social networks (most often, it’s Facebook or LinkedIn).

You may ask, what is the difference between consulting and training? Well, there is a fundamental one. In the case of training, the coach only teaches, and in the case of consulting, he or she jointly solves the client’s tasks, clearly demonstrating by a living example what to do and how.

14. Mediation (management)

There are a lot of people who make money on copywriting, but they are not copywriters in the usual sense of the word. Many of them, by the way, work on platforms like Fiverr as a mediators. They have good knowledge in copywriting, but they don’t write copy themselves. Instead, they find clients, manage the process, and delegate the task to other specialists. People who choose this path are good managers and know how to build the organizational workflow so that it runs clearly and smoothly.

15. Mediation with commissions

This option is somewhat similar to the previous one, but the principle here is different. Its essence is that the copywriter finds a client, and then passes it on to his colleagues. The final price for the client includes the interests of both colleague and the copywriter (as a rule, it is around 20-30%). In this case, a blog and networking, as well as word of mouth, are often used to attract customers.

16. Copywriting agency

This is an even more complex and advanced version of the previous two options. You don’t have to be a copywriter to make money from copywriting. The main thing is to understand the essence of tasks, to be able to find clients and build a production process by delegating projects to employees or subcontractors.

The agency may consist either of you alone, or of the staff that you hire to close production and organizational tasks. Then it is already a full-fledged business. In the second case, the responsibility increases many times: you are responsible not only for yourself, but also for people who work for you.

17. Speaking at conferences

Another way to make money from copywriting is to speak at conferences and various events. Of course, for this you must have something that you can share with the audience. At first, no one pays money for speaking, but you can go to the audience for free, inspire confidence and sell your goods or services. Then, the more popular the speaker becomes, the more money he or she is paid to speak and the more often they are invited.

You may ask: what does copywriting have to do with it? Everything is simple. A copywriter is a person who works primarily with people, information and context, so that people can easily perceive this information. A good speaker always prepares in advance and writes a script or plan for the speech. This is also copywriting. By the way, you can speak on any other topics as well.

c) Content-marketing

I took content marketing in a separate direction, because the principles here are different from the previous approaches to monetization. Its essence is that you create content for yourself, not for customers, and then monetize it in one of the ways listed below.

18. PPC monetization

PPC monetization (Pay Per Click) is when you place ads on your site. For each click on them the advertiser pays you money. To do this, you create your own website, which you fill with articles optimized for search engines, in particular, Google.

Then, when the articles start attracting people, you place the code of an advertising network, for example, Google AdSense. After that, advertisements appear on the site. When the audience is interested, it visits the advertiser’s website via these ads. The price of each visit depends on a lot of parameters: niche, competitiveness, etc. You can estimate the cost using Google Keyword Planner service. The publisher (that’s what the owner of the site is called) gets a little more than half of the price.

19. PPA monetization

In the case of PPA monetization (Pay Per Action), you also create your own content, but you earn not on clicks, but on commissions when the audience performs the desired target action on the advertiser’s website. For example, you have probably seen product reviews from Aliexpress. And at the end of such reviews there is usually a link to the product. The link is not simple, but affiliate (referral). When a person clicks on it and buys a product, the author of the publication receives a percentage of the sale.

The highlight of the PPA monetization is that you can choose a niche that is close to you, for example, writing reviews for various mobile games. Every time people get inspired by your description and register in the game, you get money. Plus, this way of monetization can be combined with the PPC model and increase revenue even more.

This earning principle can be used in many ways, for example, in email marketing or if you have your own communities in social networks or on YouTube.

20. PPM monetization

This method is often used by popular thematic or information websites, as well as forums. They attract an audience and then find advertisers who buy ad space. The most illustrative examples here are banners at the top of the site or in the sidebar or page branding. Payment under this model, as a rule, is either a subscription, for example, per month, or for every thousand impressions – hence the name (Pay Per Millennium).

21. Fixed payment for content or features

Another way to monetize is a fixed payment for a particular content or features. For example, placing a custom article or link on a website or in an email newsletter. The customer pays for this once, and the link or publication remains either forever or is deleted after some time. The second option is especially relevant for advertising in Telegram.

Another monetization format is payment for additional functions. It’s when you create not just a site, but a service (it is also called SaaS – Site as a Service). For example, you have made a catalog of companies in your city (such catalogs are also called classifieds) or an ad posting site and sell paid services: highlighting the company name or raising advertising above others. As you can see, there are a lot of monetization options if you have the audience that advertisers need.

22. Selling products, services or ideas through content

This method is also called the passive sales method. Its essence is that you create expert content that the audience reads, imbued with trust. And orders your goods or services. To do this, you need to use several psychological techniques. We covered them in detail in this lesson.

Expert content can be created in social networks, on YouTube, in Telegram. You can also write a book or brochure, make a newsletter, etc. There are a lot of ways, and you can use copywriting everywhere!

When you have your own media and become an opinion leader, brands turn to you with offers to become an ambassador. Simply put, you start getting paid money for telling people about the brand, its products and services. All that is required of you is to release content with the conditions specified in the contract. This is one of the most difficult scenarios to implement because it often takes years to get your name an authority.

IV) Own business or practice not related to copywriting

Copywriting can be used to enhance any business, no matter what you do. For example, you can be an artisan, sell your art, and use it to boost sales, create compelling stories or run social media. Alternatively, you can have your own online store. With the help of copywriting you create a sales funnel, connect Email marketing to warm up the audience and make repeat sales, as well as other technologies that increase the average check and conversion. Let’s look at what is included in this vector.

23. Your own online store

Anyone can create their own online store. This can be done for free and in a few clicks. For example, you can take a free WordPress system, install the WooCommerce plugin for it, and, voila, your store is ready. You can add products and sell them.

Another thing is that we still need to attract customers to the store, as well as encourage them to buy our products. This is where copywriting comes into play. Moreover, regardless of the combination in which you use it: in conjunction with SEO, SMM, contextual advertising, or all of these areas at once. Texts are everywhere.

Of course, you can hire an outside copywriter. But, on the other hand, no one knows your business better than you, so sometimes learning copywriting is justified in order to cut costs. After all, money saved is money earned. By the way, I know several copywriters who, tired of working for clients, have launched their own online stores and are very happy.

24. Sale of goods or services

In this option, you use copywriting to create landing pages or multi-page sites to sell products and services. In fact, the situation is similar to an online store, but the system can be simpler: for example, one page (Landing Page) with one product. Plus some ads in contextual advertising (e.g. in Google Ads). Or a set of such pages, for example, for various seasonal products.

In the same way, private masters can offer their services. By the way, those who live in small towns have a clear advantage over residents of metropolis. The competition is lower, and often competitors’ sites do not have marketing elaboration, which means it is much easier to get clients with low budget.

But that’s not all. It is not always necessary to have your own products and services in order to sell them, but you can create your own full-fledged business. For example, using such a direction as dropshipping. It’s when you sell goods, and the manufacturer delivers them to the buyer.

Another option is to sell other people’s goods and services and receive a commission for this. Some Internet marketers run their own business of selling leads (applications for goods and services) to those who can process these applications and turn them into real money.

25. Negotiations, recruitment and staff training

Since copywriting is about people and their values, we can also use it in negotiations. By mastering the basic psychological techniques of influence, you can communicate with customers and partners much more effectively. As a result, you get much better deals.

In the same way, you can communicate more effectively with the employees you hire and negotiate with them on more favorable terms for you. Indeed, it doesn’t give money here and now, but in a slightly longer term it can pay off handsomely.

Many executives learn copywriting so they can write their own sales scripts and pitches for their sales team. Or train them. So the company can save hundreds of thousands of dollars on expensive trainings.

Finally, copywriting also instills systems thinking and structural vision, teaches you to build sequences and find contradictions. Many people, having mastered copywriting, review their business processes, simplify the system, make it more efficient, and this also affects the growth of income.

Conclusion

You may have noticed that with all the variety of ways to make money on copywriting, they all share one common core. This core is value for the audience. A copywriter always works at the level of values, and not at the level of goods, services or texts. When people see value in what you give or offer them, they buy.

Which way is closer to you? Or maybe I missed something and you would like to add? Feel free to write in the comments below.

Best regards, Dan.

P.S. Would you like to learn more about copywriting? Check out this free and systemic course.