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You're a copywriter. What you do is use the power of words to PROMOTE. Promote products, promote brands.

Brand owners and product owners hire a copywriter for that very purpose - to promote their brand. Promoting a brand is more than just shifting product - though this is important for a copywriter. Positioning a brand means that the brand name is not only familiar but is associated with a positive image in the mind of those who hear it. Think of big global brand names and consider what image any of them brings to mind.

But this principle doesn't only apply to products. If you work for yourself, as a copywriter or in any other field, YOU are the brand.

When you see several different brands of a particular product on a supermarket shelf, which do you choose? The likelihood is you will choose the name that you know and trust. So will most other people. So the copywriters and admen have done a good job in promoting that particular brand.

As a copywriter, you have plenty of competition. It doesn't matter how good you are at your job if nobody gives you any work. And why should they, if they don't know who you are? It's up to YOU to make sure people choose you rather than the competition. YOU have to promote your brand!

So how do you start promoting your brand? Well, as a copywriter how do you start promoting any other product?

First you look at the market and analyze it. Then you analyze the product in relation to the market. What is its potential? What is it about the product that will make people buy it rather that its competitors - its USP (unique selling point)? How are you going to maximize this?

So this is how you look at yourself as a copywriter. What are my specific strengths? What marks me out from the competiton? What extra value do I bring to a project? What will make people choose ME? What is my USP?

Once you've identified your USP, promote it, promote it, promote it. Forget about being modest. Modest doesn't get business.

Create a tagline that encapsulates your USP. Use it in all your communications online and offline - preferably with your picture, or logo, or both.

Whenever someone is satisfied with your copywriting work, ask them for a testimonial. Build your personal portfolio and use it.

Have a newsletter and communicate regularly with existing and new customers. Build yourself up as a personality. If your personality doesn't show up in your work, you're not a good copywriter.

Make sure people get to know YOU, even if they've never actually met you.

Your brand is YOU. Promote yourself, and you'll promote all the other brands much, much better.