How To Start a Copywriting Side Hustle: The Ultimate Guide

Copywriting as a side hustle is one of the best ways to earn extra money, even if you wanna keep thriving at your day job.

While I don’t do much freelance work anymore, I used to back when I was the marketing manager for various high-growth startups.

So if you want to start a Copywriting side hustle, carry on. 

Is Copywriting a Good Side Hustle?

A Copywriter side hustle is ideal for all sorts of people, especially if you are a creator with a full-time job because this skill is going to be your bread and butter anyway.

You might as well get paid for it as you master it, right?

It’s one of those gigs that needs skill and experience. You’ll have to put in some work to become a pro so you can earn clients’ trust. 

According to ZipRecruiter.com, a freelance copywriter in the US has a monthly salary range of $6,000 to $7,000. If you’re only doing it on the side, you can expect an extra monthly income of around $500 to $2000 a month. 

That’s not bad, right? 

A freelance copywriter will usually charge per output. According to LinkedIn, high-earning copywriters can charge $250 for a landing page copy.

These are usually those that specialize in direct response.

Meanwhile, newbie writers can start by charging per word (ranging from $0.10 to $1) or per project.

The rate can go higher based on skill and experience.

How to Start a Copywriting Side Hustle

You don’t have to be an ultra-talented writing wizard to begin.

But just like any skill, you need to practice copywriting and get good before you can start charging for it.

Because who would pay you if they can just use ChatGPT?

Enjoying writing is also definitely a good place to start. 

Anyway, here’s what you should do.

1) Learn the Basics

Your success will depend on a solid foundation of skills and knowledge. That means having an excellent grasp of the basic principles. 

Luckily, you’ll find many great and free resources like my guide to copywriting frameworks.

Use these frameworks as training wheels till you have mastered how to structure words most compellingly without even in your sleep.

It will initially seem overwhelming, but there’s no way around it. You have to get the basics right.

Did you think when I started, I had the balls to charge anyone?

Back then, I even thought copywriting and copyrighting were the same thing but I assumed it was just a typo people made.

A damn fool I was.

Trust me. You want to get this right because copywriting is the very essence of all other types of content you will create down the road.

2) Build Your Portfolio 

Once you’re confident enough, then it’s time to start building your copywriting portfolio.

Yes, it can seem intimidating to build one without prior experience.

So here are a few things you can do:

• On-Spec writing:  On-Spec writing is when someone creates copy for a “speculative” client. It’s basically cold outreach, but it shows initiative, and it’s even better if the copy is good.
• Write for free: Find a friend or anyone who really needs help in promoting a product or service online. You can help create content for social media or landing pages. 
• Self-publish: Just like me running this blog, it’s a solid way to show off your skills and potential to future customers. Be your own client and write for yourself. 
• Pitch to publications and blogs: You can try pitching ideas to other publications or blogs. This is also known as guest posting. This might be a little challenging if you don’t already have a track record but it’s worth trying.
• Join a practical workshop: Practical training courses need students to generate copywriting material. You could add these to your portfolio while earning a certificate as a bonus. 
• Create affiliate-marketing articles: In addition to running this blog, I also write commercial or affiliate articles. The goal is to write extremely engaging and compelling copy to get customers to use my affiliate links. So this is a great way to build up a portfolio if you already intend to start a blog.

3) Learn SEO 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is improving your copy for search engine visibility.

SEO strategies for copywriting have become pretty much mandatory nowadays.

Because it’s not enough to know how to write pretty words, you need to add more value to your potential clients.

Here’s an example of me ranking on the top spot of Google in the featured snippet.

Writing to invoke emotion and knowing how to rank on search engines is a KILLER combination that will put you miles ahead of most copywriters.

Once you get these 3 settled, you are essentially ready to launch your side hustle and start reaching out to clients.

Types of Copywriting Side Hustles

Copywriting is the art of persuading readers to believe in an idea and take action.

Basically, it’s the art of persuasion with text.

The amount or intensity of “persuasion” in copywriting varies. It depends on the goal and intention of the material. Some forms of copywriting are more direct and “salesy”, while others are more informational. 

There are many types of projects you can try:

Pay per Click (PPC) Ad Writing

This type of copywriting job will focus a lot on the element of persuasion. The writer needs to have strong direct-response copywriting skills because the end goal is always to get readers to take action.

It could be signing up for a promo, subscribing to a newsletter, or checking out an item. 

PPC writers would work with their clients to maximize a certain advertising budget to create effective ads. This would involve writing copy for display ads, text ads, and perhaps even scripts for video ads.

And they can usually earn $40-$60/hour, but The rate would depend on skills and experience. 

Content Writing

Content writers help brands build a better connection with the audience through content marketing and informational content.

Much like this blog.

Some businesses use articles to drive traffic to their websites and landing pages. Some would also need to build a large amount of content to improve SEO for their website.

If you’re also a content marketer, finding a steady flow of projects would be easy.

Articles’ length is commonly 500 to 1500 per word.

The average pricing is $0.05 to $0.15 per word.

Experienced writers can charge higher.

Social Media Marketing

There are billions of social media users that’s why social media marketing is one of the most lucrative niches. It will involve a mix of different styles like direct-response and ad copywriting. 

Both new and established businesses go to social media to capture their share of the audience.

Social media copywriting jobs are pretty much in demand. Copywriters craft marketing messages into photo captions, hashtags, and sometimes long-form posts.

In the US, a social media copywriter can earn around $23 per hour. Writing for social media can easily be fitted into a few hours a day on top of a day job. 

Newsletter Copywriting

Newsletters tend to be more lengthy and informational than other types of copywriting.

These are usually sent out via emails to a customer mailing list. Email newsletters are used to build brand loyalty or generate leads. 

You can join my newsletter, The Raw Baw, if you want to have a peek inside and get a good idea of what to expect.

Businesses look for email copywriters who can get users to open their emails and engage in a conversion. Talented copywriters can earn up to $800-1500 per issue.

Some even charge around $29 per hour.  

All the different copywriting styles have the same goal.

They all aim to attract attention and call the reader to action.

So pick one and get to it.

Tips on Copywriting as a Side Hustle

Once you start your copywriter side hustle, treat it as a business and not some hobby.

When I first started, I knew I had to invest time and effort in upgrading my copywriting skills.

I started small, but my efforts remained consistent until clients and projects steadily emerged. 

Train Yourself To Write in a Direct and Concise Way

This is probably one of the most challenging aspects for many newbie copywriters.

Most of them tend to add a ton of fluff. A.K.A unnecessary words or phrases that don’t add any additional value, just the word count.

To make it, you need to focus on delivering value and benefits with simple but direct words.

Be Creative and Original

If you want to create compelling copywriting, AI-generated content won’t cut it.

It does a good job for an average copywriter, but it lacks wit, creativity, and context nuance. 

It’s also only a matter of time before search engines detect AI-made copy, so I’m not sure how well it will do in search results. Probably not good.

As a copywriter, your greatest asset is your creativity, so take time to master it. 

Grow Your Network

Don’t hesitate to ask for referrals once your land your first few clients.

As mentioned earlier, treat your side hustle copywriting as a business. 

Be consistent in your work and maintain good relationships with your clients.

Sooner or later, client referrals will flow in.

Here’s a secret tip for you that not many people will do. 

Collect testimonials using a tool like Senja and display them wherever you go.

No website? No problem.

They even let you display all your testimonials on a landing which they call the “Wall of Love.”

Show that juicy social proof, and I promise you clients will come to you.

Assuming you do a good job, of course.

Copywriter Side Hustle (FAQs)

To Sum Up

Copywriting is one of the most valuable skills you can learn. It is definitely a lucrative and accessible side hustle.

In today’s fast-paced world of digital marketing, it won’t be hard to find clients and opportunities. That’s why investing time and effort in learning and excelling in the craft is worth it.

I hope this inspired you to start on your copywriter side hustle journey. 

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