How Long Does It Take To Learn Enough To Write Copy In A New Industry?
If you’re a new copywriter, then you’ll read lots of advice about “niching down” and becoming an expert in a particular area of copywriting.
This is good advice, but there are issues with it. Namely, you don’t know what you’re going to enjoy or be good at when you start.
So I recommend at least a brief period of learning the ropes and working as widely as you can. Then you can niche down later.
So, the question then becomes “If you’re switching niches and writing widely, then how long does learning all the material take?”
This will depend on a lot of varying factors such as:
- The copywriting niche itself
- The complexity of the project
- Your native intelligence/ability to pick things up
- How many hours you have to work on the problem
- The Deadline
Like I said, these things are mostly self-explanatory, but to give a little more detail than that, let’s just summarise in a sentence before moving on.
The copywriting niche. Some subjects are inherently more complex than others. Copywriting for medical equipment is going to have a harder learning curve than say, copywriting for a fitness supplement. They’re both basically the same market, (health,) but one niche will be harder to write for.
The complexity of the project. At one point, I was writing twenty articles a day at 500-1000 words each. There were a lot of easy rides in there; “Ten Reasons Puppies Are Adorable” and the like. Some of them were tough though; “What does the latest ruling on Florida’s DUI law mean for drivers?”
None of them were too tough because in a 500 word blog post there’s only so much you can mess up. This is very different to a 10,000 word sales letter or a ghost-written book.
Your native intelligence. It’s an elephant in the room, but some people pick up new stuff quicker than others. If you’re a slow learner, give yourself enough time and write many notes.
How Many Hours? If you can devote four hours a day to learning a new subject, you will learn quickly. If you have 30 minutes a day and a new-born baby to take care of, it’ll take longer.
The Deadline. If you have to learn something in three weeks, then you’d better get a move on.
Let’s get to the real topic.
What Do You Need To Learn?
Some people have asked about my copywriting and assumed I must have wizard powers. Other people have quite rudely said, “What do you know about X, Y or Z? You have to go to law school/medical school/a new country/the moon for that!”
Look, this is a misnomer. I have written about the law. I’ve written about medical technology and I’ve written in the prepper niche.
I’m not a lawyer, doctor or gun-toting militia man. Nor do I need to be. Neither do you.
You can write about the law without being a lawyer. It’s probably the case that you shouldn’t represent yourself in court, but you don’t need to. The same is true of any niche.
You need to know what you need to know, and nothing more. If you’re looking at a career in a specific copywriting niche, then it pays to learn as much as you can. On the other hand, if you’re just bouncing around in the freelance world, then you can learn only what you need to for that specific project and do nothing more.
Other Resources
I’ve written about this a ton of times, so I won’t repeat myself any more than I have done. Instead, I’ll link to some of the other topics I’ve written on the subject. Firstly, some articles on how to write about stuff you’re not all that knowledgeable in:
https://jamiemcsloy.co.uk/subject-specific-copywriting-amateur/
https://jamiemcsloy.co.uk/do-you-have-to-be-an-expert-in-your-niche/
Secondly, how to gain knowledge quickly and efficiently:
https://jamiemcsloy.co.uk/become-expert-field-part-one/
https://jamiemcsloy.co.uk/become-expert-part-ii/
Final Thoughts
Knowing when somebody else can write about a topic is kind of like knowing the length of a hypothetical piece of string.
It’s dependent on a variety of things that don’t lead to an easy answer. So far as copywriting goes, most people can write about multiple topics and most copywriters tend to have a high enough verbal intelligence to write about topics they’re not experts in. Finally, most people can learn subjects to a decent level in not a lot of time if they put their mind to it.
Providing you’re willing and able to do the above, you should be able to learn a decent amount in a few months maximum. The rest comes down to project planning and prioritising your learning goals.