How Tochi Built a Freelancing Career Around Empathy, Strategy, and Community
In this episode of Geegpay Dairies, Tochi talks freelancing, psychology, and the simple shift that changed everything for his career.
3 minutes
"Don't sell the mattress; sell a good night's sleep."
This simple yet powerful quote captures the heart of great copywriting, which is painting a picture that makes the reader feel the difference a product or service can bring to their life. It goes beyond answering just the why you should buy a product, download an app or visit a website to the what you stand to benefit when you do so. In this episode of Geegpay Diaries, we sit down with Soye, a copywriting expert, to pick her brain and learn the key steps to becoming a top-tier copywriter.
🔗ICYM our last Geegpay dairies session, here’s a peek into what we talked about.
Much like many of you who stumbled upon the path of the creative industry or freelancing, Soye never planned to become a copywriter. She started her career as a bag designer, pouring her creativity into fashion. But when the pandemic hit, everything changed. Sales dropped, financial stability became uncertain, and she needed a new path.
That’s when her sister sent her a free copywriting training link. With nothing to lose, she decided to explore it, and within a few lessons, something clicked. She realized copywriting was a skill that could give her good money if she invested time into it. She dedicated herself to learning, practiced relentlessly, and soon landed her first paid gigs.
Today, Soye is a sought-after copywriter who helps brands craft compelling messages that drive sales and engagement.
The Core Skills of a Top-Tier Copywriter
1. Understanding Psychology and Persuasion
Good copywriting is a synergy of words and persuasion. To write a good copy, you need to understand what makes people tick. What drives their decisions? What emotions push them to act? The best copywriters tap into desires, fears, and aspirations to craft messages that connect deeply with their audience.
2. Mastering the Art of Storytelling
Facts alone rarely sell. A compelling story does. Stories create emotional connections. They make a product relatable and memorable. That’s why top brands use storytelling to bring their messaging to life. So instead of saying, "This skincare cream has hyaluronic acid," a good copy would say, “Meet Sarah, she struggled with dry skin for years until she found this hydration in a bottle"
3. Becoming a Research Expert
A good copy should not just sound good; it should work, and by work, that means it can persuade the reader to take action. To achieve this balance, you need to carry out extensive research. Before you write a single word, you need to deeply understand your audience, their pain points, your competition, and the unique selling points of the product or service you’re promoting. The best copywriters dig deep. They read customer reviews, analyze competitors, and even conduct surveys to find the language and emotions that resonate most with their target audience.
4. Writing with Clarity and Precision
The best copy is simple, direct, and free of fluff. If a sentence doesn’t add value, it doesn’t belong. Every word must serve a purpose. Instead of using jargon or complex phrases, great copywriters focus on clarity by writing in a way that’s easy to understand and impossible to ignore.
5. Testing and Adapting
No piece of copy is perfect on the first try. Top-tier copywriters analyze performance, tweak headlines, change CTAs, and experiment with different angles to see what works best. Whether it’s an email subject line or a landing page, data-driven adjustments make a huge difference in results.
How to Price Your Services As A Freelancer
Wondering how you can boost your personal brand? Here are some prompts that you can use to increase visibility as a freelancer
How to Price Your Copywriting Services
Soye also shared that when she started as a copywriter, pricing was a challenge. She initially charged very little, but with time and experience, she learned to set her rates based on value, not just word count. Her advice:
đź”—ICYMI, we put together a guide to help you calculate a rate that covers your business and personal expenses, allows you to save, and invest in your professional growth.
Freelancing came with its fair share of lessons for Soye, some exciting, some tough, but all necessary. From finding her voice as a copywriter to figuring out pricing and setting boundaries, every step shaped her into the pro she is today.
At the heart of it all, growth in freelancing comes from showing up, learning, and betting on yourself. Keep honing your craft, put yourself out there, and most importantly, make sure you get paid without stress by using Geegpay.
If you haven't signed up on Geegpay yet, click here to sign up and take one more step toward the career you deserve, with a multi-currency account (USD, EUR, GBP), seamless and affordable payments, a virtual dollar card, and the freedom to earn globally without limits.
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