NEW! Get more 5-star reviews with Stargazer® ⭐️
Learn More
Beyond raising your profile, showing off your skills and having online chats about yourself are useless if you can’t write a good sentence.
Professionals with lots of experience don’t do well on freelancing websites because they can’t figure out how to get along without writing quality content.
You need to understand how to craft a story that moves the reader emotionally or intellectually to make them want to buy what you’re selling.
That requires skillful use of language, which is why strong writers get hired for high-paying jobs and new journalists who can produce great work start earning more later on.
There are many different types of copywriting you can do to promote your business online. In fact, some would call it “copywriting”, while others might refer to it as “blogging” or “web writing”.
Whatever you choose to name it, all of these ideas are applicable to any type of content that needs to be written for your website, newsletter, app, social media page, etc.
The most common form of copywriting is known as "listing style", which is also called "third person narrative". Technical writers use listing style when they write manuals and explain how to list items with example numbers instead of paragraphs.
Listing style is characterized by several short lines followed by an item and another short line. The two adjacent items should have only one thing in common (the preceding and the following items should not share anything).
Another popular copywriting technique is where the writer breaks up the narration into smaller portions giving the readers something to hold onto and helping them stay engaged.
You'll often see it at the end of each listed item. For instance, if you were reading about tools to keep awake, the author may split it down the middle to include both physical exercises to keep you awake and mental strategies.
There are no rules here; try out various styles to see which one works best for you.
In order to succeed with copywriting in Upwork, you must learn how to write differently. There are two major ways to do this:
You can either adopt a more formal writing style or a more informal one.
More often than not, you will need to create a balanced tone throughout your work. Your subject matter should be more formal where appropriate, but there should also be several casual moments between friends where you talk like people who know each other.
You will also need to make your content unique and compelling. Content is what makes websites exist so good quality content is something that will help you get followers and clients.
There are many free resources available if you want to learn more about good writing. You can find tips for improving your grammar and spelling by going through magazines and newspapers. Alternatively, there are numerous web sites offering advice and samples of different writers’ styles.
If you want to master a particular writing style, try watching/listening to interviews/discussions featuring experts in the field. You can then emulate some of their writing traits.
Final thought:
It takes time and effort to produce high-quality content, so keep practicing every day. Develop templates and rules to ensure you stay organized.
When you write for upwork, your job is to attract and engage your reader’s interest. Who are they? What do they want from you?
Your profile will tell you what your readers currently need, but it can also give you clues about who you might be able to attract.
Are their needs consistent with yours? Are there different types of people reading your article? Take some time to figure out where your potential readers are coming from, what appeals to them, and how they seek information.
You should never guess at your intended audiences’ needs. Find out what they’re looking for in your content.
If you don’t know who your target audience is, then how will you know what story to tell or which tool to use?
The answer is simple: You won’t. It’s impossible to achieve this without knowing your target audience.
Therefore, invest time learning about your target audience so you can create quality content that draws them in. With more stories to choose from, you’ll have fewer excuses not to share new content every week.
In general, writing that achieves its goal is persuasive writing.
Persuasive writing tries to convince your reader to agree with you or to take action against what they think. You can use different tactics, but all persuasively written articles try to inspire one kind of emotion from the reader.
This might be fear -- scare them, ask them to believe something for the good of us, their family, their community, or whatever cause they hold dear.
You could make someone laugh. This may seem strange, but humor is an extremely powerful tool when used correctly.
Many people do not realize how much it affects our perception of things until we help them understand through words and examples.
Some words are natural fits for certain situations. You’ll need both experienced writers and experts to handle technical subjects, for example.
But you’ll want to start with your strongest words so that they get used more. Your stronger words are usually related to your calls to action.
For instance, encourage people to download the app by telling them how simple it is to use a smartphone. Stronger words can help you draw in new clients who may have been put off by the complexity of using a phone.
You can also use strong words elsewhere on your website. Look through your existing content and find other places where you could be urging readers to take a specific action.
Keep searching until you find a place that works for you. Then stick with those words and remove any others that do not fit properly.
When you are writing for an audience, it’s important to know how to format your work. Different fonts suit different situations. Consistency is key.
You should only use any given font if it fits the situation and the content within that context.
Keep this in mind when choosing colors, styles, and fonts. Your readers (and clients) will be able to make judgments based on their experiences with your other works.
It also helps if they can read your texts easily. For example, don’t use old-fashioned fonts like Calibri or Cambria. These are nice options, but doesn’t fit very well into creative pieces.
Instead, opt for something closer to Helvetica or Arial. And try to space out your lines so that there’s room between them.
This way your words will have more impact and your readers will get a better experience. They will also be able to see what you wrote much easier.
With revising your content, you look at it from an alternate angle. You read through your work quickly but with a critical eye, looking for places to strengthen your argument.
You also look for places to make your appeal more dramatic or appealing. That could include using stronger language or giving more instruction on how to perform some action (for example, asking someone to click on “x” to open an invoice).
When you have multiple drafts of your copy, you will be able to compare one version to the other. You can then decide which version is the most persuasive and readable.
Drafts are just that… early versions of what you intend to write. By editing and refining your writing, you can improve the quality of your message.
By putting extra time into each draft, you keep yourself busy while improving your work. Rather than spend hours trying to start a project, try spending minutes doing so.
That way you have enough time to really focus on your work without feeling overwhelmed. It also gives you room to error since there's not much rush.
There are several steps you can take to produce good content.
You can start by looking up keyword rich topics so that you know what subjects to focus on when writing your article.
It’s also important to choose unique keywords and phrases for your articles, reviews, or clients. You should do some research before choosing which ones to use.
That way you will have an idea of their popularity and field strength. People with many views don’t want to read something you think is awesome.
Keep yourself informed about new ideas related to your chosen topic as well as selling points through continued education. This will help you create more original pieces.
