Is Copywriting Lucrative in Nigeria?, Copywriter Guide

Is Copywriting lucrative in Nigeria? Can one make money by becoming a copywriter? Is Copywriting academic writing?. If you are nursing these questions, continue reading as you will discover what Copywriting is all about and how to become a Copywriter and make money.

Copywriting is one of the hottest skills highly in demand today. If you are into affiliate marketing or any business that requires you to sell something to a specific audience; you must have basic knowledge of copywriting and acquire copywriting skills that will aid you in your marketing business.

Did you know Copywriters are one of the highest-paid people in the world? yet most people don’t even know this profession exists.

Take a look around you, every letter you get, every TV program/movie you watch, and every product you buy in your life now is a result of a copywriter who came up with the idea, and concept for the brand, crafted the copy and that’s what persuade you to buy the things you bought.

Copy is everywhere, it is a money-drilling dollar industry yet few people are aware of it.

What is Copywriting?

According to Dan Lok, Copywriting is closing in print. it is the ability to persuade, influence and engage.

Copywriting is the ability to use spoken words to persuade someone to buy something which could be in the form of a letter, text or mail.

A Copywriter is someone who creates written messaging for a business or organization, usually with the intent to sell or promote a product, service, or brand.

A lot of people mistake the word “copywriter” as being connected to “copyright”, but they are not related in any way.

A copyright is a legal term denoting intellectual property. Whereas, Copywriting is all about selling.

Is Copywriting An Academic Writing?

When most people hear about “copywriting” they simply refer to it as a form of academic writing.

If copywriting is about writing (academically), then definitely not everybody can Copywrite. All the academic professors would be rich copywriters while those who flunk English won’t be successful.

Anybody can become a copywriter once you possess the capability to write compelling words (copy) for a company or organization that will persuade potential clients or customers to buy or take action.

Types of Copywriting

Copywriting is a general broad word. If you wish to become a copywriter, you must take note of the variations in the types of copywriting.

Below are the most common types of copywriting that every marketer needs to master.

1. Marketing Copywriting

According to Brafton, this is the type of copywriting that people are most familiar with. Marketing copywriting can be anything you see and hear that is promotional.

Marketing copywriting includes:

• Online display ads.
• YouTube videos.
• Radio commercials.
• TV commercials.
• Flyers.
• Billboards.
• Branded stickers.
• Direct mail.
• Sales Page

Marketing copywriting can come in the form of paid advertisements or traditional marketing assets. They are clear sales-driven pieces of content that have an obvious goal of trying to sell.

Marketing copywriting is a tried and true way to communicate new products to potential customers. You can use a targeted paid ad like a Chanel banner or reach a broader audience with a billboard or a radio commercial. As long as it is part of a marketing campaign, it is considered marketing copywriting.

2. Social Media Copywriting

Social media copywriters craft the messages that companies use in their social media posts. They spend their days working with company representatives, clients and account executives to turn marketing ideas into a hashtags, phrases, or longer posts for various social media channels

As a copywriter in this niche, there are many different social media platforms you can use to communicate with your audience.

Below are essential things you must note down

• Emojis are widely used and accepted.
• An informal tone is more accepted.
• Your copy is usually paired with a visual component.
• You may be writing for paid ads across several platforms.
• KPIs are measured differently on each platform.
• Your ad will redirect to your website’s landing page directly.
• Your copy should be brief.

Because of these key factors, focus on shareability and clearly show that you understand who your audience is when you’re writing copy for social media.

3. Product Copywriting

Copywriting generally is what gives your product a voice. It is the way you communicate your unique value and craft the story that moves people and drives action. Good copy is something that you can feel; it connects with users, it causes immediate head nodding, and it is memorable.

All copywriting is promotional, but this type of copywriting is focused specifically on featuring your product.

You’ll need effective product copywriting for your product pages, your feature announcements, and your product descriptions.

The best way to approach your product copywriting is with your customers in mind. That means appealing to their desires, solving their problems, and speaking directly about how your product fits their needs.

4. Direct-Response Copywriting

Direct response copywriting is the process of writing sales copy that has the goal of getting an immediate response from the customer. This is one of the reasons why direct response is looked at so highly in the writing and business world.

Furthermore, direct-response copywriting is very notable because of its emphasis on immediacy. This type of copywriting encourages the reader to take action the moment they’re done reading the text.

5. Video Copywriting (Script Writing)

Video copywriting, more commonly referred to as “script writing”, is writing words that will be delivered via spoken word as part of a video or audio recording rather than read in written format by a reader.

When you create a video, you are usually either recording something live and spontaneous OR you are recording something scripted. If you need your video to accomplish something specific, you nearly always need a script, which means you nearly always need a writer.

Currently, there are two main ways that video copywriters can make significant money.

• Video Sales Letters (VSL)
• Webinars

Both of these are essentially just sales pages (like we just talked about) in video format. They take viewers through a very similar process to a sales page and are used in much the same way as a sales page.

6. Creative Copywriting

Creative copywriting is suitable when your business is established, and you want to increase sales in the long run.

To look for a creative copywriter, look for one that specifically states himself or herself as so. A general copywriter may not be able to write catchy taglines as well.

This might not exactly count as a type of copywriting, but I’m including it here anyway. This is more of an approach to any copywriting, regardless of the platform or the goal.

As a creative copywriter, It’s more important than ever to stand out from the noise and focusing on writing creative, compelling copy can help with this. Just be sure to make sure to stay consistent with your brand.

7. Public Relations Copywriting

Whereas marketing copywriting tells the world how good you are, public relations copywriting aims to get others to share about you instead!

Public Relations (PR) copywriting is about writing things that seem newsworthy, so journalists and reporters will pick it up and spread it across media channels.

On the other hand, a public relations copy can be defined as any written or graphic material produced for a public relations purpose.

The purpose may be to announce the launching of a new product, CEO, to misconceptions about an organisation’s policy, to educate the workers about management’s position or to invite members of the press to a news conference.

Public relations copy or writing may be in the form of a news release (press release), feature article, a script for a documentary/film, speech, pictures with caption or cutline, invitation, memo, letter etc 

1. Press release
2. Speech writing
3. Press conference
4. Rejoinder
5. Media tour, Press Visit and Media parle
6. Backgrounders or an Information kit:
7. Supplementary publications/House Journal:
8. Letters:
9. Video film and slide presentations:
10. Features Article

8. Technical Copywriting

Technical copywriting is a type of copywriting that focuses on technical details. It helps newbies learn how to write better and gives amateurs a chance to become experts in their field. Technical writing also includes white papers and blog posts.

As the saying goes; to educate is to sell. Technical copywriting is selling a product or service to customers by explaining it. The copywriter must understand the products they sell, as their job is to convince customers that these products are worth buying.

Technical copywriting can be used in many different ways, but its roots are in advertising and sales.

9. Email Copywriting

Have you ever subscribed to a newsletter online to stay in touch with future updates, products and offers?.

Email copywriting is the process of writing an email for a current or prospective customer to encourage conversion. That conversion could be a reply, signup, a trial, or even reading your blog posts—whatever it is, all of the copy in the email should be working towards this goal.

10. Chatbox Copywriting

Chatbot copywriting is a form of writing that focuses on developing conversation templates for — you guessed it — chatbots. They need to have a seamless conversation flow that’s human-like.

Is Copywriting Lucrative in Nigeria?

Copywriting is highly in demand and that makes it one of the most lucrative skills to acquire in this 21st century.

There are so many top copywriters in Nigeria making millions crafting and writing sales copies for businesses and companies.

It will amaze you that a person working as a part-time to a full-time copywriter in Nigeria typically earns around ₦250,000 per month.

Salaries range from ₦150,000 (lowest) to ₦450,000 (highest). This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits

Is Copywriting A Good Carrier?

Copywriting is an oil money carrier because it is by far one of the best ways to get your prospect to give you his/her hard-earned money for your product/service.

Copywriters are greatly paid so you will never go wrong when you choose a copywriting carrier.

A friend of mine, Rereloluwa Onabanjo has earned about $1,500 in 8 months of being a copywriter.

Is Copywriting Stressful

Everything good is stressful at the beginning but going up with consistency and determination things will get easier and better as you go.

Nothing good comes easy moreover, copywriting is lucrative in Nigeria so why should one even think of giving up? absolutely no chance!

How Long Does It Take To Learn Copywriting in Nigeria?

If Copywriting is Lucrative in Nigeria? how long will it take someone to master this profitable skill?

Unlike school courses that require 4-5 years for completion, Copywriting takes about 3000 to 60 days to learn the basics for beginners. With consistent practice, you get better and more experienced.

How To Become A Freelance Copywriter in Nigeria With No Experience or Portfolio

Copywriting is a piece of writing that is designed for sale. If you are looking forward to starting your journey as a freelance copywriter, read below as I walk you through the steps to becoming a successful freelance copywriter in Nigeria with no experience or portfolio

1. Choose One Niche Market To Start With

The first step to take in starting your copywriting journey is choosing a niche you can explore.

Your potential clients will want to know what you specialize in before they can be convinced.

Why?

Because they’re looking to hire someone who specializes in their specific industry. When you focus on copywriting for one niche industry, you’ll get to know your target market that much better, and you’ll become that much better at your job.

What do you know a lot about?

Narrow it down, then choose one thing. Don’t be a jack of all trades and master of none. Narrow it down and focus on one area of copywriting.

For example, the digital marketing industry might be a good copywriting niche for you if you already know a lot about marketing, making money online and brand advertisement.

If you choose the marketing niche, you’ll know exactly who your potential clients are, and to who to pitch your services.

Maybe you’ll look at some different websites related to what you specialize in. Perhaps you’ll see that the copy on their website isn’t well-worded.

You might think to yourself, Who would be interested in this Ad or sales copy after reading this poorly-written copy? 

Maybe you’ll see a call to action on their website to sign up and become a member, but it’s not a very persuasive call to action.

Another benefit of choosing one niche market has to do with your testimonials.

2. Follow Successful Copywriters in Your Niche

Once you have decided on which copywriting niche to explore, follow successful copywriters in your niche through their social media handles.

There are a lot of successful copywriters in Nigeria such as;

• Ronald Nzimora
• Toyin Omotosho
• Tony Fotizo
• Waju Abraham
• Nonso Nnamani

the list is endless.

These copywriters should serve as a motivation for your copywriting journey. Having a mentor you can learn from will give you an edge to learn faster.

3. Professionalize Your Profile

You don’t want to appear like somebody from Mbaikyo Village who does not know what he is doing right?

As an upcoming copywriter, it is vital to have a good social media profile and CV you can use to convince your clients why they should hire you.

Your CV should contain your previous experiences and even the top companies you have worked for. By doing that effectively you are giving your potential client convincing reasons why they should hire you.

Also, avoid nicknames and abbreviations when setting up your profile.

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4. Attract Clients in Your Niche

Are you confident in your niche? Have you done enough scaling and practising on your own?, Have you set up a professional profile in your bio? Then, it’s time to find you some well-paid gigs.

Upwork is one of the largest global freelancing websites. Millions of opportunities are posted every minute on the website. This makes it so much easier to find a client for you. Once you set your profile, you can bid on any project you are willing to work on. The project could be about SEO, blog or copywriting.

These freelancing gigs might not pay well in the beginning. But remember, with more wisdom comes a bigger paycheque. Additionally, if a client likes a sample of your work, they might refer you to their acquaintance.

The clients might even ask you to join as an in-house copywriter. So, if you are starting, freelancing websites are great for networking. The gigs help build up your reputation and portfolio as well as gain hands-on experience.

5. Work With An Agency

Invoicing clients and chasing unpaid bills are the most frustrating aspects of a new freelancer’s career. Also, it is very time-consuming. That is why for new authors, agencies are often ideal. Because they help you to gain experience and establish your writing credibility. You will also have access to support services and will be paid for your work.

An organization relieves the burden while also ensuring that you are paid fairly for your job. You won’t have to be constantly on the lookout for clients.

Because the agency will review your submitted sample works. Then, it will send clients your way who want content of the same genre you are specialized in.

The only downside to working with an agency is that you might not get paid as much as you’d have, had you directly landed the gig from the client. Additionally, many of these agencies pay by the hour. So if you are a fast writer, you might be getting paid less than you deserve!

Some agencies you can look up for work are:

• Up city
• Digital Agency Network
• Agency list
• The Manifest
• Assignment geek

6. Become an In-house Copywriter

Becoming an in-house copywriter is the simplest answer to how to become a copywriter. An in-house copywriter has a standard 9-to-5 office career. As an in-house copywriter, you will write copy for just one company daily.

You can work in the marketing department of an organization, writing everything from website copy to newsletters.

As long as you work for that organization, you can work with the same team, on the same brand, and against the same target as an in-house copywriter.

There are a lot of positive aspects to working as an in-house copywriter. A prime one is that you won’t have to worry about where your next paycheque will be coming from. Even though the work-life might become dreary and monotonous, the job will be a secure one.

Read Also: High-in-Demand Marketable Skills in Nigeria

5. Submit Offers To Companies in Your Niche

If companies don’t reach out to you, why not reach out to them instead?

After having sufficient experience under your belt, reach out to the company you want to work for. Make sure you sound confident and convincing about your skillset. Let them know what you have to offer.

Cold calls don’t help most of the time. So, it is better to send the HR team an email with your resume. Also, attach a cover letter describing your passion and zeal for the position. You might not get a job right away. But it never hurts to try out your luck and hope for the best! Take the plunge and believe in yourself!

How To Write Killer Copies As A Copywriter

As a newbie copywriter undergoing rigorous training and trials in the copywriting market, below is how you can write killer, better copies for your clients.

1. Make Every Word Matter

Copywriting involves choosing your words carefully because there is simply no room for waste. Every word that you use should matter as opposed to being unnecessary. No word should be used just as a filler. As William Strunk puts it in “The Elements of Style”, every word should tell.

2.  Use Impactful and Intriguing Headlines

Your headlines should be compelling and captivating enough to persuade your market audience to take action and engage with your copy which will result in them buying a product or service.

One strategy to ensure that your headline is riveting enough, follow the 4 U’s of headline writing – useful, urgent, unique, and ultra-specific. Open your headline with a strong benefit of the product you are selling to lure the audience into reading the body of the copy.

3. Don’t Just Write Smart Copies, Write Sellable Copies

It’s so unfortunate most copywriters get carried away with creating copy that is “smart” or “catchy”. While this undoubtedly is an important attribute for a good copy to have, putting your efforts only into writing something smart tends to shift the focus from writing copy that sells.

The objective of any sales copy must be to sell a product, not just make people smile and appreciate how good the copy is.

David Ogilvy, the legendary advertiser, once said, “If it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative”, and this is a guiding line that writers in the modern age need to remember

4.   Don’t Speak Down To Your Audience

While crafting a copy, never make the mistake of speaking down to your audience. No matter how great or life-changing your product may be, it’s not going to sell if the language or tone you use in your copy is condescending.

Regardless of how smart or alluring, your copy may sound, it’s not a good copy if it speaks down to the audience.

Your audience is simply people who are looking for a solution to a problem, and treating them with respect and dignity can go a long way in helping you boost your sales.

5. Keep it Clear and Simple

When writing copies, you might be tempted to use that medium to express your knowledge of big words and English, but simplicity is the best way to go when writing a copy.

Copywriting is aimed at writing copies to sell and not to impress

Simple writing is not as easy as it sounds. Bloating your writing is much easier than writing clearly and concisely. As Albert Einstein puts it, “ If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”

Skills Every Copywriter Must Have

As a copywriter, you must have these basic skills

• Strong writing skills
• Communication skills
• Technical skills
• Creative thinking
• Problem-solving skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Research skills
• Develop strong writing skills

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Conclusion: Is Copywriting Lucrative in Nigeria?, Guide To Become A Copywriter

In conclusion, copywriting is a form of writing aimed to persuade, influence and engage an audience to take action. Is copywriting lucrative in Nigeria? Yes, copywriters are one of the highest-paid people in the world.

From the above insightful tips, I believe you have been guided on the types of copywriting, profitability, skills needed by every copywriter and the steps to starting a copywriting career in Nigeria as a beginner with no portfolio.