“I got my start by giving myself a start.” – Madam C. J. Walker
Many newbie freelance writers, even some user-generated content (UGC) writers, want to break into the beauty industry and become beauty copywriters. If you’re one of those newbies, then this is for you! In this article, I will answer all your questions about the intricacies of being a beauty copywriter. But for an intro into beauty copywriting, check out this previous post and this earlier post to understand who a beauty copywriter is, what they do, what beauty brands expect from beauty copywriters, the value you bring as a beauty copywriter, and a summary of my process when I work with beauty brands. Now, that you know all about copywriting and more about what beauty copywriters do, let’s get into other fun stuff!
What Are The Benefits Of Becoming A Beauty Copywriter?
There are many benefits of being a beauty copywriter, but here are my favourites:
- If you love beauty (of course you should if you hope to enjoy this job), it’s fun to learn about new products and formulations. You’ll also enjoy helping brands to create stories to sell those products.
- You will get to try a lot of products, many of which you’ll get your hands on before they get to the market. I have a lot of free samples that I received from clients!
- The beauty industry is recession-proof. There’s always plenty of work to go around even when times are tough. So, you’ll have some type of job and income security.
- The beauty industry is thriving, and new brands are launching every day. All those new brands need beauty copywriters to help them craft copies that will convert to sales!
How Can You Become A Beauty Copywriter?
I wish that there was an easy way to break into the industry, but unfortunately, the competition to become a beauty copywriter is high. A lot of people are interested in beauty and that’s a no-brainer. When I was working for Genevieve Magazine years ago, and even now that I am working for some Nigerian beauty brands, I know the volume of cold emails and DMs that get sent by both budding and professional beauty copywriters and creators.
Despite all of these, a great beauty copywriter is quite hard to find. So if you want to make it as a beauty copywriter, you need to position yourself as an expert and find a way to stand out.
Here are a few things I recommend:
- Learn everything that you can about copywriting. Read books. Take a course. Practice copywriting on your own. Hire a writing coach. Do what you need to do to learn as fast and deeply as you can.
- Learn everything you can about the beauty industry and product formulations. Read journals and newsletters about the beauty industry like the Business of Beauty newsletter. Listen to beauty podcasts. Attend beauty-related events, there are always lots of them in Lagos and some other parts of Nigeria. Stay on top of the coolest new beauty brands and trends.
- Start a beauty blog or YouTube channel. This will help you to learn more about the beauty industry. Plus, your content can serve as samples of your work for prospective employers.
- Keep a swipe file of awesome beauty copywriting to draw inspiration from. Start to pay attention to what works and what doesn’t work. Examine the copywriting that has made you buy beauty products in the past and try to replicate it. We learn by trying to be like the greats after all.
How Can You Find Beauty Copywriters Jobs?
Finding beauty copywriting jobs is similar to finding other writing jobs. Here’s how you can do it:
- Resumé: Use tools like Canva to create a compelling resumé. Put together a portfolio of beauty copywriting samples that you’ve worked on. If you’ve never worked as a beauty copywriter in a professional capacity, then create samples specifically for building your portfolio. Make sure to include your blog, YouTube channel, or other links to your portfolio in your resumé and cover letter.
- Job Alerts: Create a job alert for “beauty copywriter” on your favourite job application website from Indeed and Jobberman to LinkedIn. The competition for beauty copywriting jobs is steep, so you want to be one of the first applicants for a new job. If a job is more than 48 hours old, you’re probably already too late.
- Apply: As soon as you receive a notification about a new beauty copywriter role, apply! When it comes to beauty copywriting, the early bird gets the worm.
- Find connections: Build connections with employees of the beauty brands and publications you want to work with. Referrals can be a big boost to your applications.
- Prep for interviews: Hint: interviewers for beauty copywriting jobs will ask you about your favourite beauty brands. For your sake, have a more exciting answer prepared than just listing names of big beauty brands.
Meanwhile, as you job hunt, you should invest in continuing to grow your beauty blog or YouTube channel. You can also take on freelance beauty copywriting gigs to grow your skills.
Beauty Copywriting Career Paths
- Agency copywriter: Working for a marketing agency can be an interesting career path for a beauty copywriter. A marketing agency will be more focused on how well a piece of content performs and will review performance insights gathered from search analytics. This makes it a great career option to explore for newbie copywriters who are eager to grow. If you are interested in things like SEO copywriting and want to be involved in refining and optimising content as well as promoting it across various online channels, look at joining a digital marketing agency.
- In-house copywriter: Getting a job as an in-house copywriter for a beauty company is more reliable than working freelance as you as the former guarantees you a steady income for providing the company with a steady stream of copy. The beauty industry is diverse, and its multiple sectors have roles for in-house beauty copywriters, such as magazines and newspapers. Also, more niche areas of the industry such as spas, salons and retailers may require marketing materials and marketing copies for example. While this won’t be as versatile as working freelance, as you will be presumably writing about the same beauty brand or product each day, it can be a rewarding career option if you choose to work for a company you are passionate about.
- Freelance copywriter: If you are more independent-minded, or (like me) you choose to work at a pace that allows you balance other areas of your life with work, then this may be your path. You can decide to contract out your services by submitting pitches for articles or sales writing to several beauty brands, publishers or websites. If you really put the hours in and can build a strong brand, you can even make a living from freelancing, and even blogging about beauty or as a beauty influencer by monetising your blog. Alternatively, you can create a profile on sites like Fiverr and Upwork, as these offer the flexibility of freelancing but with a more varied and steady stream of work. Although when working on a service site like Fiverr, you are not guaranteed to only find beauty copywriting jobs, you may often take on related jobs such as creating eCommerce product descriptions and blog posts. This path will be instrumental in teaching you how to run a service business in case you choose to start your own company in the future.
How Can You Become A Freelance Beauty Copywriter?
Some beauty copywriters (like me…obviously) prefer to be self-employed. The good news? You can become a freelance beauty copywriter without any professional experience.
All you need is an amazing freelance writer portfolio. If you can prove that you can create incredible, sales-worthy copy, then you can start to pay yourself. Where should you start?
- Create a freelance writer portfolio: You can either create projects for existing brands or make up a brand (make it clear to potential clients that you completed these projects specifically for your portfolio). Write the copy for your project, then hire a graphic designer on Fiverr to create designs based on your copy (if you need that). Ask for PDFs of the designs, then place them in a Google Drive folder if you don’t have a website or a portfolio site.
- Cold pitch: Start cold pitching! Connect with beauty marketers through Linkedin or email their customer service team. Tell them how you can help them, link to your Google Drive portfolio, and then ask if they’d like to chat more. It’s that easy.
Any Tips For Freelance Beauty Copywriters?
Freelance beauty writers write editorial pieces of publications rather than brands. Think Marie Claire Nigeria rather than House of Tara.
If you want to be a freelance beauty writer, create a portfolio that shows off your editorial skills.
Most publications have a page where you can pitch article ideas. Get a list of publications and ideas together, then start pitching! Hint: every publication has different submission requirements. Make sure you follow them to a tee to avoid having your submission thrown out.
Let’s Round Up, Shall We?
Like most careers, it’s almost impossible to become a beauty copywriter overnight. Building your client base or finding a company that you are passionate enough to write for can be a long but fulfilling process. Don’t give up if you are rejected from the first few jobs you apply for or if your networking attempts are unsuccessful. Continue to practise your beauty copywriting skills and eventually the timing will be right.
If you are struggling to find work as a beauty copywriter, it can be a good idea to begin by gaining more experience across the broader spectrum of freelance writing by signing up to a service site like Fiverr. This will help you practise creating high-quality copy and will mean you can earn money from your writing while you wait for the right beauty copywriting opportunity to come along.
If you are interested in exploring a copywriting career but do not wish to focus on the beauty industry, most of the tips that I have provided above will still apply but you need to tailor them to your desired industry.
Do you have any questions about what it’s like to be a freelance beauty copywriter? Leave a comment below or DM me on Instagram!
