Before learning how to become a pro-copywriter in Nigeria, lets understand the concept of copywriting. Copywriting is salesmanship in print. It is the act of using words to convince the reader to take your desired action. Imagine having the power to create little sales associates and sending them out to your targeted market. Well, that is what copywriting is about.
Copywriting has been around since the 20th century. It is an essential part of a business to get sales. It is more like the lifeblood of every business. So it shouldn’t be overlooked.
Concepts of copywriting exist everywhere. From the billboards on the road to the emails you receive to adverts you watch on Television. They are all forms of a different element of copywriting techniques. Plus, it is a high-income skill.
Read more: Lucrative ways to earn money from blogging as a Nigerian
Table of Contents
Copywriting as a High-Income Skill
According to Tony Robbins, a high-income skill is a skill that you will be able to leverage to get paid more. You can do it for a little period and a huge payout.
High-income skills are important more than ever due to the economic situation and political instability in Nigeria. Copywriting may be all you need to be independent on the uncontrollable hands of the Nigerian government. This is why I’ve decided to help you learn how to become a pro-copywriter in Nigeria.
Examples of high-income skills in Nigeria:
- Digital marketing
- Graphic design
- Affiliate marketing
- Web development
- Project management
- Coding
- UX design
- Photoshop
Read also: High income freelancing skills for beginners
Why You Should Learn How to Become a Pro-copywriter in Nigeria
According to salaryexplorer.com, the average copywriter’s salary in Nigeria is #233,000. So if you consider the state of things in the nation, it isn’t a bad amount to earn. Moreover, as you sharpen your skills and gain more experience, your earning potential improves too.
When unemployment is at an alarmingly high rate, companies and organizations are having to let employees go because of the tough financial times.
You must stand out as an individual and take control of your situation. A great remedy to this is learning a high-income skill to improve your standard of living.
There are so many reasons to learn copywriting. Apart from the fact that it is always in demand, it is relatively easy to learn and just like any other craft, with time and practice, you get better. You can use the skills you acquire in copywriting for different careers, especially marketing.
You do not need a bachelor’s degree to be a copywriter, but you need to get results for your clients through refined writing. Knowing the pain makes you understand who you are writing the piece of copy for so that your copy suites them and draws them in. Though it might help you get a course that improves your ability, it isn’t compulsory.
Great Copywriting Books for Beginners
In my opinion, I will advise you to read books like:
- The Adweek Copywriting Handbook by Joe Sugarman
- The boron letters by Gary Halbert
- How to write copy that sells by Ray Edwards
- Influence; “the psychology of persuasion” by Robert B. Cialdini
- The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan. S Kennedy
These copywriting books will equip you with the basics of copywriting. They will guide you through what to do when writing copy, along with effective tricks and advice from experienced and successful copywriters. It is best to read as much as possible and blend the knowledge you have gotten from the different books to create your authentic style. They will help you learn how to become a pro-copywriter in Nigeria.
Types of Copywriting
There are numerous types of copywriting. However, in this article, we will only explain four. They are:
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Marketing Copywriting
Also known as sales copywriting. This is where the copywriter uses current fads and trends in his niche to meet consumer needs.
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SEO Copywriting
Search Engine Optimization copywriting or SEO is a copywriting genre whose main purpose is to create a piece of copy that will rank high in search engine result pages (SERP). This helps in improving the business visibility on search engines and enhances online business presence.
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Creative Copywriting
This is copywriting that has to do with using words to write copy that creates images and scenes in the mind of the reader to communicate an idea. It makes the reader take the desired action the copywriter is looking for.
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Technical copywriting
This is copywriting done by someone who has a deep understanding of their niche and can communicate the factual and technical details of their client’s products/services to the readers. They help the readers to understand the product by answering questions asked by people who are deeply interested in your niche. Technical copywriting is mostly suitable for technologically advanced industries where specifics matter.
Frameworks of Copywriting
There are 2 major formulae for copywriting. The following will help guide you on how to become a pro-copywriter in Nigeria.
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Attention, Interest, Desire action (AIDA)
AIDA is arguably one of the most common frameworks there is. It involves:
Attention- grabbing the reader’s attention through the headline or an image.
The purpose of the headline is to get interested readers to read the next line.
Remember, with copywriting; you can sell anything to anyone. In business, it is much more profitable if you focus on a niche and a particular audience.
Imagine this. Would you rather get treated by a doctor who claims to be an ‘all-purpose doctor’ who treats everything ranging from cold to cancer, and is also into other careers like electrical engineering? Or a doctor who is specialized in a particular area of illness. If you’re like me, I guess it’s a no. So it is more beneficial to be specific in your headline and address a targeted audience.
Interest– as the name implies, this is where you start generating interest in whatever you’re trying to sell. You give the reader fresh information about your product that excites the reader and make them want your product even more.
Desire– this is where you state the benefit, not the feature but the benefit of the item of what you’re selling, and you back it by proof, either factual, technical and/or social proof (testimonies by satisfied customers). This is very important because what people say about you is way more powerful than whatever you can say about yourself.
Action- this is where you ask for the desired response you want the reader to take after reading your piece of copy. It can be to buy, subscribe etc., whatever action you want your reader to take.
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Problem – agitation – solution
This is one of the most popular frameworks.
It involves IDENTIFYING a PROBLEM first. Then you AGITATE it by emphasizing the gravity of the problem; stating all the possible downsides if the problem isn’t solved. And then you give a SOLUTION to the problem, which is the product you’re trying to sell.
Read also: How to hook your readers with great content
“The three reasons why” in copywriting
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Why are you the best?
Here you state why you have a competitive advantage over your competitors. Tell your audience why they should choose you instead of someone else.
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Why should I believe you?
This gives the reader credibility either by social proof (testimonies from satisfied customer) and certificates, or awards from your industry that express your expertise.
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Why should I buy it right now?
This creates a sense of urgency in the reader and states how long the offer will last or how much product is left to buy.
Equipping yourself with different frameworks is important. It serves as a guide to structuring your copy to get results for you.
Do you already have experience with writing, but no platform to publish your work with full authourship rights? Check out insight’s guest post offer and send a message if it sounds like a good deal.
Easy Ways to Set Up a Copywriting Business in Nigeria
To become a pro-copywriter in Nigeria these are the steps if you’re looking to get your copywriting agency started:
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Learn the basics
Cover as much as possible to learn. How to write basic copy that gets results. If possible, enroll in a training. There are so many courses available online. Study copies that have gotten results from the past, and get familiar with frameworks that work best for you.
You can look for a copywriting expert that has so much content online which you can use to your advantage. There are people like Dan Lok, Anik Singal and many copywriting focused podcasts have so much content online about copy. It is like you have access to their life and consuming that amount of information will be profitable.
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Get the necessary instruments
Get a laptop and access to the internet. Advertise your services on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook. In addition, you can join platforms of your niche and seek prospective clients there.
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Specialize
Choosing a broad niche isn’t always good. When starting, it is better to be super targeted and choose a niche that you can serve. After a while, you become a specialist and get recognized in that field, which can only do you a lot of good.
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Develop a service catalogue
Get a business plan that will explain the kind of services you will perform, the rates you will charge, your accounting systems and how you plan on acquiring new clients for your business. Because no business can survive without customers and how to retain customers and create meaningful business relationships.
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Brand
Develop your brand. Get a logo to differentiate your business. State the advantages of why working with your agency will provide many benefits for their business.
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Promote the brand
You can get clients by looking for close friends and family members that own businesses and work for them for free. Another way is to get a commission with every sale you make with the sole purpose of getting results. Remember to ask for referrals to other business owners that you can hire you on a contractual basis.
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Deliver exquisitely
After getting your customers, you should focus on getting results for them. It is best to focus on only a few companies/businesses to intensify your focus. Having your attention all over the place will mostly not give you the best results.
Or, if you are getting enough clients, you can start outsourcing some of the duties so that you can focus on acquiring customers and managing your staff to get the best possible results for your clients.
Also, you should have a copywriting business model that you can easily understand and implement because that is the secret of scaling your agency and increasing clients and profit.
Conclusion
Copywriting is a very important skill to learn with numerous benefits. It can help you to understand why people buy things and what motivates people to take certain decisions. If you can apply yourself and master it, it is like having the ability to print your own money. Meditate on these tips to master how to become a pro-copywriter in Nigeria.
Are you still confused on how to launch your writing career? Send a message on whatsapp and request for a beginner’s course to online writing. We’ve got you.
About Author
- Moses Ndahi is a content writer at insight.ng. He is a lover of sports and competition. He uses his unique outlook on life to give his well-thought opinions to solve problems.
2 comments
This is a very informative and timely for me. Thanks and God bless
Happy to help, Mary.
How’s the copywriting journey so far? Care to share your experiences?