“Upskilling” for writers

This is how you ensure the money keeps coming [The Writer’ s Life]( December 27, 2023 "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." – Dr. Seuss Hi {NAME}, I love this time of year … as one year winds down, and a new one approaches … It's a time of reflection, planning, and fresh starts. What will 2024 hold for you? Maybe launching a new writing business … or boosting the income from the one you already have? Trying out a new niche or specialty? Reaching a new income level? Making the leap to writing full-time? Change is always available to you in this industry … you'll never be boxed in. And you can grow and adapt your writing career as your interests and goals change over time. But what does that really look like? How do you make that happen? The answer: Upskilling. At its simplest, upskilling is the process of getting additional training or education that builds on or advances your current skills. But it's different from the advice to "always be learning." Because while you should continue to learn about how to be a better persuasive writer … That approach simply enhances a skill you've already gained. Let me explain … Say you've taken our foundational copywriting program, [The AWAI MethodTM for Becoming a Skilled, In-Demand Copywriter]( … You now have a foundation in persuasive writing, and enough competency to start getting paid to write effective copy and content. You're off to a GREAT start simply by completing the program … And you wisely decide to learn more about copywriting by supplementing your training by reading books on direct response, attending webinars focused on persuasive writing, and reading winning copy from companies in your niche. This is known as "continuous learning" — and it's a smart approach to improving your writing competency. But … When it comes to upskilling, otherwise known as "connected learning," the goal is to fill the skill gaps that constantly surface as the needs of companies and clients continue to evolve. Here's an example of what upskilling could have looked like if you started copywriting ten years ago … Let's say you learned all about copywriting and put in a continuous effort to hone your persuasive writing ability. You quickly became an in-demand copywriter for some of the biggest direct-response mailers, writing winning sales letters that brought excellent results for your clients. You could have stopped there … But you could see where the industry was headed and decided to learn about e-commerce (buying online), shifting some of your study time to learning about landing pages, search engine optimization (SEO), and video. Because you decided to upskill in that way, you continue to be in demand today, by all the companies that can no longer survive with sales letters alone. This example shows you how upskilling keeps you in demand as a writer over time, even as needs shift and new marketing channels are introduced. Had you decided to stick with continuous learning and focused completely on your sales letter writing … refining headlines, finding stronger big ideas, crafting compelling offers … you may have become the most adept copywriter on the planet! But very few companies would hire you today, if you didn't add in connected learning that ties what you've learned in the past about writing to the way direct response works today in this digital world. Make sense? Research and consulting firm Gartner sums it up like this: "Unlike continuous learners, connected learners are in tune with in-demand market skills, the organization's needs and the skill development opportunities they themselves need." Here's the good news: Connected learning can be easy once you understand how to make it part of your daily writing habit. And it's FUN! 🤩 Start with these three steps: - Get connected. Find people and companies within your niche that have their fingers on the pulse of what's happening. Read the industry publications and consider attending tradeshows to keep on top of what companies are hearing is "working" in their space. (Even just reading through the agenda will give you good insights!) - Get curious. As you read and listen to webinars or podcasts, note when you hear a new term or phrase. Then indulge your curiosity and take the time to learn about whatever piqued your interest. Some of the newest trends in the digital world right now are "intelligent search," "micro- and nano- influencer," and "smart speaker advertising." - Get upskilling. Keep a list of skills you plan to learn, pick one, and get going. Focus on one at a time, so that you can master it without spreading yourself too thin. Before you move on to the next one, audit the list to identify the one with the highest value. This will likely change as you discover new skills you want to add to the list, or your clients request assignments you've never done before. And, if you're looking to "up" your upskilling fast, check out our popular Club that will get you going fast … We're accepting new writers TODAY – [so go here to check it out](! But no matter how you approach upskilling, here's what you need to remember … The future of work, and the writing world, is constantly changing. Which means the opportunity and demand is only going to continue to grow. You've picked a GREAT time to become a writer. And with curiosity and a commitment to learning new skills, you can set yourself up to have a very successful writing career in this fast-changing digital age. To your success, Rebecca Matter President AWAI Now Accepting New Writers If you want … - high-paying gigs, - predictable writing income, - greater flexibility … AND the satisfaction that comes with LOVING what you do for a living … Then getting accepted into our influential club can set you up for everything you're looking for in a writing career. NOTE: Your acceptance window will be closing soon! [Apply Now]( TODAY! Get all this for $1 … [PWA image spread] The Professional Writers' Alliance (PWA) takes the stress out of running your writing business. With ready-to-use business forms, templates, and checklists … VIP job board access … networking opportunities … and a mountain of tips, tactics, and "been there, done that" advice from working freelance writers … You'll minimize the "unbillable" hours you spend working on your business and maximize your time writing — and getting paid. [Claim Your $1 Access Here]( What's Hot at AWAI … 😎 Not a member of the Barefoot Writer Club yet? [Join today for just $49.]( 🤓 [8 essential copywriting skills to launch a lucrative career.]( 🤩 [Ex-Army Major finds life-changing purpose in copywriting.]( From "practice" to reality … I sent a message to one of my 'practice' prospects just now and literally in 20 seconds I had a message! He told me who I should get in touch with and thanked me for contacting him!! – Ann Jamieson Congratulations, Ann! You took a chance putting yourself out there and were immediately rewarded! Good luck! Have your own story to share? Email us at mysuccess@awai.com, or [post it over in the Facebook group](, so we can celebrate your win too! Featured Jobs You can find these jobs and thousands more on [WritersWanted.com](: --------------------------------------------------------------- Copywriter – Profiles Contract, Hybrid (McLean, VA) The Copywriter will help craft creative strategies, concepts and messaging for consumer campaigns with the goal of increasing customer acquisition and engagement. The ideal candidate will have technical copywriting experience with loyalty programs and/or the financial industry. --------------------------------------------------------------- Senior Copywriter – Avenue Living Full-time, Calgary, Canada The Senior Copywriter will play an integral role in developing Avenue Living's tone, key messaging, campaigns, and thought leadership within the Marketing Communications Department, collaborating with cross-functional teams under the Avenue Living umbrella for both Canada and the United States. --------------------------------------------------------------- Senior Content Writer – Fisher Investments Full-time, Plano, TX As a Creative Content Writer—a long-form writing role in our Corporate Communications group—you will help produce educational materials for clients and prospective clients globally through compelling articles, multimedia, marketing brochures and more. --------------------------------------------------------------- Trouble viewing this email? 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