• By Sadiyya Patel
• Published 01/18/2012
• Copywriting

If becoming a successful copywriter is one of your major goals this year, then there is one simple task that you MUST do. This one simple task, if done daily and consistently will dramatically improve the odds that you will succeed as a copywriter. This simple task can be summed up in two words. Write daily. The minimum length of your daily practice writing assignment should be no less than 250 words. This is roughly the length of a short blog post. Copywriting is essentially the art of writing to persuade, so it makes sense that your daily practice exercises to be some form of persuasive writing. Here are a few ideas to get you started: 1. Write a letter to the editor Write about something that you are passionate about. When you write this letter, remember that you are writing to persuade and not entertain or inform. Write this letter in the most persuasive manner that you can. 2. Write about new products or services that you’ve tried and loved. You can write a letter to a friend telling her about this marvelous new product or great service. Be sure to tell her what you love most about this product or service and how the benefits she stands to gain from using it as well. For example, if you used a new shampoo that left your hair silky soft and shiny, then tell your friend about this product and encourage her to try out. 3. Write a letter to a friend or family member about your exciting new copywriting career. Tell them what you like about copywriting career by spelling out all the benefits as clearly as possible. Tell him about the freedom to work from home and set your own hours. Explain the income potential that copywriting holds and tell your friend what you plan to do with all that extra income that you earn.

4. Write a testimonial letter or product endorsement for prod

ucts that you can’t live without. It could be anything from your new iphone to a great new brand of coffee that you just love. 5.Do you have a favourite vacation spot? Then write a letter convincing a friend to visit it. Or write an article about this wonderful vacation spot, who it would be perfect for and what it has to offer. 6. Have you enjoyed a good movie or book lately? Then write a short review piece about why you enjoyed it and why others would enjoy it too. At first glance these these writing assignments can look like a waste of time. But they are not, because ou can turn practically all of them into spec assignments (which may lead directly to paying assignments) and even use the best ones as samples on your freelance copywriting website. I’ll tell you how in a moment. Let me first show you how to ensure that you are submitting your best possible work every time. Once you have completed the practice writing exercise, don”t send it off just yet. Let it site for a few days and then look it over with a critical eye and rewrite, polish and improve it. Once you feel that your writing is ready for submission then ask yourself the following questions: Does my writing say what it want it to say clearly using as few words as possible? If not, edit and improve it until it does. Remember that I promised to tell you how to turn almost every piece into a spec assignment? Well, here’s how get maximum exposure out of every piece of writing that you do. Submit any letters to the editor to both local and national newspapers and magazines. Send your restaurant review or vacation article to the local newspaper. Upload reviews of books and movies to sites like Amazon.com And of course, add the best samples to your portfolio.

If you continue doing this for at least a year, not only will your copywriting skills dramatically improve, but you might just land your first paid assignment.