Confidence plays a big part in freelance copywriting success, or anything else in life for that matter.

It influences what you do, how you do it, and how others perceive you.

It’s not something you’re born with, though it does seem to be something that sticks with you through life if you develop it early.

But what if you don’t? What if you’re the stereotypical writer who’s an introvert? What if you lack the confidence you need to speak to people boldly, ask for the pay you’re worth, and take the risks your career requires?

Well, I’ve never been the cheerleader type, full of chirpy advice about how to feel good about yourself. Actually, I can be something of a curmudgeon. But I have learned a few things over the years about confidence.

When I started out, I was a typical creative writer type. I didn’t have any more confidence than anyone else. Today, I’m often described as a Type A personality.

So what happened? Where did all the confidence come from?

I didn’t have a formula. And I didn’t read any books about it or attend self-image workshops. But as I look back, I can identify a few concepts that helped me get to where I am now, a confident copywriter.

Learn your craft. There’s nothing like being good at what you do to give you confidence in yourself. So it’s important to always be learning and perfecting your skills as a writer and communicator.

You should know more than just good grammar, you should be fluent in the psychology of communication and persuasion and the business of your niche market. You should know how to use and care for the tools of your trade, including your computers, software, and Internet resources.

Plus, as a professional, you should learn how to work efficiently, work with others effectively, and promote yourself. If you’re a freelancer, you should know how to generate phone calls, close deals, and run your business.

Put your work first. Those who lack confidence spend a lot of time thinking about themselves. How do I sound? What do they think of me? Am I good enough? But this internal focus is counterproductive.

It’s not about you. If you’re a writer in a full-time job, it’s about the project you’re working on. If you’re a freelancer, it’s about your client’s needs and goals. Put the focus on these external things and take the spotlight off yourself. You’ll find this remarkably liberating.

By shifting the focus from yourself to your work, you not only remove the pressure you would otherwise feel, you will enable yourself to put all your energy into doing good work. And a job well done is a big confidence booster.

Stop comparing yourself to others. There’s no faster way to get depressed. Confident people don’t waste time with comparisons. They’re too busy doing what they love. The only people who make such comparisons are those who lack self-confidence. So it’s a losing game.

Comparing yourself to other people is inherently unfair. It’s apples and oranges. What you’re really doing is comparing all the bad things you know about yourself to all the good things you know about others. Right? You can’t see the secret failings of others. So it’s never an honest comparison.

What other people accomplish or earn has nothing to do with you. Everyone starts in a different place, takes a different path, and leads a different life. You’re unique. Just be yourself and do what you enjoy.

Act like your hero. There is one circumstance when thinking about others might help. That’s when you’re not sure what to do. In truth, you almost certainly know what to do but you lack the confidence to do it.

So picture someone you admire and imagine they face the same situation. What would they say? What action would they take? Once you know, do the same thing.

Fake it till you make it. Every sales person or entrepreneur knows this one. We all start out as beginners. Of course, no one wants to work with beginners. So what do you do? Fake it.

I’m not talking about lying. I just mean pretend to have the confidence, experience, and skill that the situation requires. In most cases, that’s all you need to get the job done. Pretty soon, you won’t be faking it anymore.

The same technique works with lifting your mood. If you’re having an off day, just smile. Sounds silly, but your brain associates smiling with a good mood. Forcing a smile can trigger genuine good feelings and lift your spirits.

Confidence is a tricky thing. It’s easy for confident people to talk about it and give advice. It’s not so easy for someone lacking confidence to start believing in themselves. But it’s possible, because I did it.

And there’s one more thing you should know. All those confident people you know aren’t as confident as you think.

Very few people are totally confident, so confident they don’t even think about their confidence. Regardless of the way they act or appear to you, most people have some level of self-doubt. They’re concerned (at least a little) about what you think of them. The only difference is that they don’t let it get in the way.

What do you think? Do you have a confidence problem? Or have you used any techniques to build your confidence?

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I’ve been pondering what I could write about for Christmas day.

Should I try to turn the holiday into a teachable copywriting analogy? Should I discuss how copy contributed to the purchase of all those gifts? Or should I dredge up the story about how Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer started as a copywriter’s promotional gimmick for Montgomery Ward?

Then I started thinking about how much copywriters contribute to society. Nearly all selling starts with a copywriter putting his or her hands onto a keyboard and pecking out words that turn products into the fulfillment of dreams.

If it were not for copywriters, very little would be sold in this world. The impact on commerce, and therefore on the lives of billions of people, would be immense.

So I’d like to pose a simple question: How does the gift of copywriting benefit mankind?

You can be as specific or general as you like. Just think about the effect your work has on the lives of people and share your thoughts.

No related posts.

Do you ever feel that those around you simply don’t understand the importance of what you do as a copywriter?

You and I know that it’s all about the message. And the message requires words. Words that convince, persuade, and sell. Words that determine the fate of products, companies, and brands.

Quite simply, we write ads or people die.

Warning: This video contains some foul language and frightening truth. So if you can’t handle the words or the truth, move on.

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There are zillions of copywriting blogs out there. Most fall into one of four categories:

• Blogs used to promote a copywriter’s services.

• Blogs by people who primarily want to sell you money-making stuff related to copywriting.

• Blogs that say they’re about copywriting but seldom provide any usable copywriting advice.

• Blogs on copywriting by people overseas who can’t write in English very well.

I’m not criticizing any of these blogs. They all have their purpose (except maybe the last category). It’s just that it’s harder than you might think to find good blogs with useful copywriting tips.

Here are 30 blogs (in no particular order) that do offer advice on copywriting.

I added Pro Copy Tips just in case you copy or bookmark this list. I didn’t want to get left out.

Dean Rieck’s Pro Copy Tips
Kristen King’s Inkthinker
Bob Bly’s Bly.com Blog
Brian Clark’s copyblogger
Peter Stone’s Blog
Dianna Huff’s B2B MarCom Writer Blog
Charles Brown’s Dynamic Copywriting
Michael Stelzner’s Writing White Papers
Nick Usborne’s Excess Voice
Thomas Chandler’s Copywriter Underground
Matt Ambrose’s The Copywriter’s Crucible
David Garfinkel’s World Copywriting Blog
Nicky Jameson On Copywriting, Marketing, Tech and Social Media
Copywrite, Ink.
Written Expressions
Men with Pens
The Copywriting Maven
Freelance Writing Business Blog
Copy Break
Maximum Results Copywriting
Helpinthecity’s Copywriting Blog
Freelance Copywriters Blog
Turner Ink Copywriting Blog
NLP Language Patterns for Advertising
Miguel Alvarez’s Copywriting.com
Marketing Words Copywriting Blog (on SEO Copywriting)
Stephen Dean’s Copywriting Blog
Divine Write
American Copywriter
Copywriting That Sells High Tech Blog

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