What It’s Like to Write Financial Copy – Part 2 (How To Get Started)
I’ve spent most of my copywriting career writing in the alternative health niche. And I liked it just fine. But financial publishing was like my siren song. It was calling to me. I was itching to try my hand at writing in that niche.
I just didn’t know how to make the switch.
Let’s face it… writing copy for financial publishing is WAY different than writing for supplement companies.
Yes, I know the principles of salesmanship and persuasion are the same. But financial copy is more difficult – and challenging – than anything I’ve tackled before.
In a future post, I’ll go into what makes writing financial copy so different than other types of copy. The point is… it was different enough from what I was doing that I knew I couldn’t just step in there and knock a promo out of the park.
There’s a learning curve. And I didn’t know how to navigate it.
So, how do you make the switch from whatever type of copy you write now to financial copy? Based on my experience, there are three ways…
1) Know someone on the “inside.”
This is how I got my big break. My old mentor Clayton Makepeace talked his financial publisher client into giving copywriters from other niches a shot at writing copy for them. I sent him a link to my portfolio and was thrilled to be one of a handful of copywriters chosen for a special weekend training session in Charleston, SC. I ended up writing for the company for about a year. Then, came my next break…
A copywriter friend at a different financial publisher called to persuade me to come work for them. I agreed to speak with the executive publisher, and when I did, I was hired on the spot.
Who you know can make a HUGE difference.
2) Be alert for opportunities.
Not too long ago, Stansberry Research sent out an email – I think they did it through AWAI – announcing that they were looking for copywriters. If I remember right, they were opening it up to copywriters in different niches – which is similar to the opportunity I had.
Everyone who applied had to send samples. You had to prove you had the copywriting chops for the job. But it’s still a great way to break into financial publishing.
Now, this isn’t something you see every day. You’re more likely to find these kinds of opportunities when the financial publishers are flush with cash. And that typically happens when the subscribers are making money with the investors’ recommendations and buying more services.
The higher the profits, the more money the financial publishers have to take on and train new copywriters.
My best advice is… keep your eyes open and your ear to the ground. You never know when opportunities like this one will present themselves.
3) Sneak in the back door.
If you’re a newer copywriter that has a few projects under your belt, you may be able to land a junior copywriting gig with a financial publisher.
You see, financial publishers are always on the lookout for the next multi-million-dollar copywriter. And they’re willing to take less experienced writers to train them in financial copywriting – with the hopes of stumbling upon a diamond in the rough.
Of course, these opportunities are more plentiful when the markets are strong and the financial publishers are swimming in cash. They need to have the funds available to invest in developing new talent. But if you can land this type of gig, it’s a great way to get your foot in the door.
Now, you won’t be assigned VSL scripts or long copy right out of the gate. You will probably write shorter copy in the beginning. But as you demonstrate your talent for writing copy, you’ll eventually be given bigger and bigger projects.
These are just a few ways to break into financial copywriting. In my next post, I’ll show you what to expect if you’re lucky enough to land a financial publishing client.