What Is A Freelance Copywriter?

by John McIntyre

What Is A Freelance Copywriter?

A freelance copywriter is someone who writes sales copy or content for businesses on a contractual or freelance basis, either on a once-off or recurring basis. Freelance copywriters are usually paid per project, per content piece, on a retainer, or as a percentage of sales.

They are not employees: they run their own business and manage multiple clients. They generally don’t have staff, and if they do – they’d be considered to be a copywriting agency.

A freelance copywriter can work across every industry and business including:

  • Ecommerce – bags, gym gear, purple cat pyjamas
  • Financial services – accounting, shares, crypto security
  • Marketing – branding, strategy, email funnels
  • Information Technology – web design, software, dating apps
  • Engineering – electrical, civil, construction
  • Automotive – cars, mechanics, motorbikes
  • Healthcare – doctors, dentists, medication
  • Pets – cats, dogs, llamas
  • Wellness – yoga, supplements, breathwork
  • Spirituality – energy healing, churches
  • Real Estate – commercial, residential, architecture
  • Food – pasta, turmeric powders, pinot grigio
  • Beauty – hair care, makeup, drag queen wigs
  • Creative – photography, art, clay sculptures
  • Sex – luxury toys, sex therapists, edible lingerie

As you can see, the sky is the limit when it comes to copywriting.

Freelance copywriters usually work with a specific niche or a particular industry. Or they might specialise in a certain type of copy instead.

typewriter - what is a freelance copywriter

Every business and every industry needs copywriters.

But many people don’t fully understand the extent of what a freelance copywriter does, and find themselves asking: “What is a freelance copywriter? Do I need one for my business?”

And the answer is: it all depends on what your goals are.

Generally it’s a good idea to hire a freelance copywriter to help you reach a wider audience with your business, whether through paid advertising, updating your website, creating an email marketing strategy or generating organic traffic from Google through SEO.

Freelance copywriting covers a myriad of tasks, skills, and types of copy.

Wait… What Is Copy?

Copy” is written words with the goal of trying to educate, sell to, or build a relationship with your audience (or, usually all of the above).

If you’ve used ChatGPT or reviewed a 7-year-old’s homework, you’ll know that copywriting isn’t simply just writing. Strategy, customer pain points, tonality, empathy, grammar, punctuation, story-telling and SEO research are all interwoven into copywriting.

And different audiences, businesses, and industries require different types of copy, depending on their product, service, and audience.

What Types Of Copy Do Freelancer Copywriters Create?

Freelance copywriters can create ANY type of written content for your product or service business. Some of the main ones are:

  • Sales pages
  • Email newsletters
  • Website content
  • Product descriptions
  • Blog posts or articles
  • Ads
  • Product labels / instructions
  • Amazon listings
  • Social media posts
  • E-books
  • Lead magnets

That’s it! You should now be able to answer the question: “What Is A Freelance Copywriter?”

Want to know more about copywriting? Want to become a freelance copywriter?

Check out our extensive “how-to” guides 👇

Leave a Comment