I didn’t set out to be a freelance copywriter. That’s right; here I am on my freelance copywriting business website admitting to the world that I sort of, accidentally, fell into it.
But I’m telling you this because I strongly believe that it’s this accidental route to finding my career purpose that has helped shaped me into one of the most sought after freelance copywriters in London and the UK. It’s my meandering professional background that enables me to be a diverse freelance writer with exceptional ability to create powerful content that shapes brands, connect with audiences and, ultimately, drive sales.
Let me explain.
My route to freelance copywriting
I was that annoying kid at school who loved learning. But, I didn’t really know where my passion lay. I was as skilled at Classics as I was at Economics. I loved English as much as I wanted to know how the human body worked in anatomy. But, equally, you could find me passionate about Geography or History. I was, as my reports would say, “a skilled all-rounder”. Yep, annoying. Pop me on a pub quiz team alongside my Brain-of-Britain husband and we might monopolise things.
It wasn’t until I was an adult, well away from the confines of ‘subjects’ that what I discovered is that I simply loved knowledge, and that, far from that being uncool, it was really pretty spectacularly brilliant. And what really, really, really, floated my boat was being able to communicate and discuss that knowledge through the written word.
From school this meant I didn’t really know where to go or what to do. Thus, began the meandering years. A degree in Politics. A career in HR. My own wedding-based business.
This was back in the dark ages when the internet was that thing that sat alongside our lives, rather than right inside it. SEO copywriting pretty much didn’t exist. Copywriting in those days was about writing stuff for print. Websites were pretty novel, and content as it is today simply wasn’t on anyone’s radar.
And then, along came children.
A new direction
I know all mothers find their professional lives go a little wobbly when the minis get in the mix. But, through a combination of added difficulties, it’s fair to say that my professional ambitions couldn’t get a look in. There simply wasn’t room.
So, how did this lead me to become a freelance copywriter in demand in the UK and with clients as far afield as The Netherlands, Australia, Poland, Canada, the Caribbean, the US and South Africa?
As I say, it happened by accident.
With my youngest children off to school I was back to needing knowledge and information like a car needs fuel. And I needed to get back on the track. I had to do something that factored in the newfound challenges of my life.
And so a wonderful childhood friend, who had been there with me at school bouncing from subject to subject, and who had asked me many times to be her written voice for her professional life, suggested I take my writing further. SEO copywriting now existed as a real thing, with the internet having mushroomed since my pre-children days. I had already had a couple of articles published in various magazines too, which gave me a springboard from which to start.
Along came word of mouth
Amongst freelance copywriters, we know that despite the wonders of SEO and the plethora of freelancing platforms, what really cuts the mustard in the industry is word of mouth. I am the successful freelance writer that I am today because one person loved what I wrote, then another, then another. On top of that, clients would get results. Their content performed well.
And the rest, as they say, is history
One day a client called me a ninja. I was doing something that not many other freelancers were doing at the time: combining writing skill with background research and search engine optimization. The magic ingredients behind The Content Ninja were put together.
I can honestly, hand on heart, say that I adore what I do and I consider myself immensely privileged to be able to say that. It may have been accidental that I ended up as a freelance copywriter that has written for the UK government, huge brands and also the tiniest start-ups. But it has got me exactly where I should have been all along, and given me the diverse background to truly excel in what I do.
So, do you need to look at qualifications when choosing a freelance writer? I’m not so sure. What you do need to look at is their background, interest for life, quest for knowledge and of course, their written words on the page.
Are you looking for a freelance copywriter in the UK? If so, please get in touch.