If you asked me to list the best ways to make money on the internet, Copywriting would be my #5 best pick. For those of you who don’t know, there are people who literally make HUNDREDS of dollars an hour for writing ads, banners, sales letters, landing pages – you name it. Those people are copywriters.

But what is copywriting, exactly?

It’s just that: writing copy. “Copy” in this sense, means the words in an advertisement. Examples of copywriting can range from the very simple (“Eat at Joes”), to the complex (20-page sales letters for high-ticket, extravagant, “Holy Cow, this thing costs more than my house!” luxury items). No matter what, the words in the ad can mean the difference between someone opening up their wallet and just walking on by. Business owners know this, and that’s why copywriters are such a valuable commodity.

So what do copywriters write online?

• Sales Pages
• E-Newsletters
• Banner Ads
• Search Engine Ads
• Articles and Blogs (although this isn’t considered copywriting in the strict sense, as informational-style advertising had become more popular on the web, companies have been hiring copywriters to write articles and blogs to sell their products and services)

Basically, if there’s something that needs to be sold online, copywriters come up with the words that convince people to buy it.

So why would anybody hire a copywriter? Why not just write it themselves?

Simple. Not everyone can write copy that sells.

In fact, even among skilled copywriters, getting a 1% - 2% conversion (that means 1% - 2% of people who saw the ad signed up or bought) is considered good. That leads me to the pros and cons of copywriting.

The Pros are:

1. Great Pay - It’s not at all unheard of for new copywriters to start off charging $50 - $65 and hour or more. More established copywriters can easily make over $200 an hour, plus sometimes a percentage of their client’s gross product sales if their copy performs well.

2. Freedom - If you decide to write copy on a freelance basis, you basically get to be your own boss. Set your own hours, your own rate of pay, etc. The only person you have to answer to at all is the person who’s paying you to write the copy. And that only lasts as long as the project does.

And the Cons are:

1. Isolation – Like any kind of writing, copywriting can be a lonely business. By necessity, you’re spending hours alone at your computer (unless you’re one of those rare individuals who knows how to write at a rock concert). Some people might list this as a plus though, because they prefer to work alone, so it really depends on your temperament.

2. Uncertainty – This applies to freelance copywriters. Especially when you’re just starting out, the major challenge can be finding a steady stream of clients to work with. While copywriting does pay well, the world may not be beating a path to your door at first, so you can end up in a “feast or famine” lifestyle if you’re not careful. The way to combat this is to be consistent in promoting yourself and putting yourself out there in front of clients, and to make sure you do the absolute best job possible when you do find work, so that word spreads about you and clients start seeking you out. Peter Bowerman has some great tips on promoting yourself as a copywriter at his website, “The Well Fed Writer” www.wellfedwriter.com.

3. Sell Or Get Lost – I know, it sounds harsh. But like it or not, copywriting is a PERFORMANCE based job. You don’t get credit for showing up, and you don’t get an “A” for effort. Either your ad sells, or it doesn’t. If it does, clients will sing your praises. If not…well, hey, at least you have your health. But actually this can work in your favor. Because there is such a scarcity of quality copy being written, that means it’s that much easier for you to stand out from the pack, IF you put in the effort to become really good at it.
So there are the pros and cons of copywriting. It can be challenging, but if you love to write, and you’re looking to make $50 per hour or more, copywriting just might be the best thing that ever happened to you.

Do you want to know the other four best ways to make money on the internet? Then just go to www.topsecretmarketingtactics.com and find out...