The Essential Toolkit for Beginning Copywriters
What every writer needs to do business in today’s world
Ben Franklin said it best: “The best investment is in the tools of one’s own trade.”
When old Ben speaks, we listen because he is such a formidable character in our history.
We all remember the pictures of him electrifying a key on a kite during a storm, lighting up the world for eternity. He was the only person in America to draft and sign three major documents that shaped our country’s future. Ben Franklin was a writer, a scientist, a statesman, an entrepreneur, and a self-help guru.
When Ben was 20 years old, he made a chart for himself, laying out a plan for self-improvement. In this early infographic, he charted virtues like chastity, humility, and temperance. He would work on one virtue each week. In the course of a year, he’d improve on each virtue four 4 times!
(Yes, he was a confirmed ladies’ man with multiple dalliances. He KNEW he needed to work on the rascally virtue of chastity…)
And yes, it may be obvious. I have an acknowledged crush on this “hunk” of history.
But that’s beside the point.
Ben Franklin was spot-on when he urged us to invest in the tools of our trade.
Every copywriter needs these six tools:
1) A simple accounting program:
Copywriting is a business. The better you are at bookkeeping, the better handle you have on your profit and loss, your estimated taxes due, your expenses. Check out Quick Books Self-Employed, $10 a month. Linked directly to your bank account, the program lets you label each transaction. It estimates taxes and gives you an EXACT profit and loss figure at any given moment.
2) A stockpile of quality photos:
If your blog, website, or newsletter needs a pic, be a professional. Get quality photos from stock sites, not by pulling them willy-nilly off the internet. Many services are free. Unsplash is growing in popularity, has over 810,000 images, and is FREE. (Better yet, it’s hooked up directly here on Medium.) Other free sites include Pixabay, Pexels, Skitterphoto, StockSnap, Burst, Reshot, and Freestocks.org.
If you need even more variety, subscribe to a paid photo service. Shutterstock offers over 24 million high-quality pictures. $30 per month for 10 images. Other payable programs are iStock, Thinkstock, Adobe Stock, Fotolia, and Flicker.
Some of these paid sites do offer a limited number of free pics.
3) Reading Material:
You’ve heard it a million times. Great writers are great readers.
The more varied and diverse your reading material is, the better. You can’t beat the $8.00 per month subscription to The New York Times offering “news you can use” on every aspect of our world.
Get a daily fix on Medium as well. Five bucks a month gives you as many quality blogs as you can devour, and you can hone your reading list to topics that interest you.
Not only can you read about writing, but you can improve your self, learn marketing, study fitness, food, and finance — and peruse a thousand other topics.)
4) A Networking Channel or Two.
Be part of a community. Get immersed in trends, topics, and togetherness. Most forums and Facebook groups don’t charge anything. Online organizations like Professional Writer’s Alliance or Wealthy Web Writer run $29.00 per month. A gamut of groups exists across the internet with various prices and offerings. Find one you like and can afford.
Sometimes, jobs are listed on these sites, and if you are consistent in following the group, you will get to know hiring managers and owners who may need your services.
Spend a day or two on Medium, and you’ll find dozens of top bloggers who offer networks and groups. Invest in one of your choosing.
You can sharpen your skills, improve your marketing, spot trends, and get to know other working writers by establishing a network.
5) Infographics Program:
Set yourself apart with easy-to-understand, colorful infographics.
Remember that readers NEED visuals. Not every copywriter knows how to do them, so learning a program will give you an advantage.
You don’t have to be a designer to create great visuals. Ranging in price from free to $25 per month, programs like Picktochart, Venngage, Snappa, Canva, and Visme equip you to climb above your competition.
6) Email Marketing Platform:
Market your services. Gain name recognition. Get loyal clients through email marketing. Many programs offer easy-to-use templates and large list size for free. Check out MailChimp, MailerLiter, Omnisend, Sender, and Benchmark. Start with the free program and upgrade as your subscriber list grows.
Good tools ARE worth the investment. And who, after all, can argue with Ben Franklin?
Melissa Gouty loves writing implements, notebooks, tablets, computers, software programs, and all the tools of the trade that help her be a master craftswoman in her business of word-working.