In this Video:
00:01 What Type Of Copywriter Are You?
00:13 Two Types Of Copywriters
00:20 Specialist Copywriter
01:11 Generalist Copywriter
02:33 2 Questions To Determine What Type Of Copywriter You Are
What Type Of Copywriter Are You?
So, what type of copywriter are you? In this video, we’re going to find out…
Two Types Of Copywriter
So, there are 2 types of copywriters: there are generalists copywriters and there are specialists copywriters.
Specialist Copywriter
A Specialist Copywriter is a copywriter who’s usually more experienced than a generalist copywriter. And a specialist is someone who works in a particular type of industry and often they work on a specific type of project. For example, you might be a white paper writer or maybe a web copywriter and you might work specifically and specialized in a particular niche like the automotive niche or food and hospitality.
So, that’s a specialist copywriter and they can often command higher fees than a generalist copywriter because they are so specialized, they have specialized knowledge and skills when it comes to that copy and therefore they become almost like the go-to person in the industry for that type of writing.
Generalist Copywriter
The second type of copywriter is a Generalist Copywriter. And a generalist copywriter is often a beginner copywriter and this is someone new to the business who doesn’t have a lot of experience and so they will take on most of the copywriting jobs that come their way and also for most of the project types that come their way. So they might write online copy, print ads, and really they’ll take on board most of the projects that come their way.
So, you might be wondering what type of copywriter do I consider myself? Well, I’m a Specialist Copywriter. I’ve been in the business for 10 years and I really specialized in writing online copy. In particular, things like web copy, online sales pages, email copy and other things in that medium. I’m a specialist, in fact my website is TheWebCopywriter.com and I’m marketing myself as a website and online copywriter.
I also don’t write just for any business even if they can afford my rates. I typically write for educators, speakers, consultants, authors and information publishers. People who have advice, they can help the world; they are the kind of clients that I’m interested in working with and they have been my clients really for the last 10 years or so.
2 Questions To Determine What Type Of Copywriter You Are
Now, I want to give you 2 questions that you can use to determine whether you’re going to be a Generalist or a Specialist Copywriter.
The first question is: Do you have any specialized knowledge or skills that you enjoy writing about?
Maybe you have past experience working in a particular industry before you became a copywriter, it would be a good idea for you to leverage that experience and use it for your advantage when you’re going after copywriting clients and it also makes it easier working on their projects because you already have past experienced in their industry.
Question number two: Do you have a particular type of copy that you most enjoy writing?
Maybe you’re drawn to writing website copy, maybe you prefer writing offline copy like print ads and direct mail, or maybe you like to do SEO copywriting because you love the whole technical side and the research. So, if you’re just getting started then perhaps being a generalist isn’t so bad. The up side of it is you get to work on a lot of various different projects, you get to experience a lot of variety in your writing and you get to work for particular industries you may never have considered. So generalist isn’t such a bad thing.
If you do want to become a Specialist then think about the past industries that you have experienced in, maybe as an employee, and also think about the types of projects that you like to work on, maybe its white paper reports, maybe its offline copy such as print ads and direct mail, whatever it is, have to think about what you would most like and enjoy to work on.
So, I’d love to hear your comments and feedback. What type of copywriter do you consider yourself to be or are you going to become? In the comments section below, why don’t you answer that question, What Type Of Copywriter Will You Be, A Generalist Or A Specialist?
This is Jesse and I’ll see you in the next video.
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About Jesse
Hi, I’m Jesse Forrest! As an 18-year freelance writing veteran, I’ve worked with clients in over 153 industries, covering almost every topic imaginable. Passionate about helping others break into freelance writing, I’ve trained over 35,000 people, including teams at Chanel, Disney, and Sony. For the past 6 years, I’ve traveled the world with my trusty laptop, currently residing in Thailand. To kickstart your freelance writing career, download my free guide: