3. Consultancy

As your knowledge of the trade and its related industries grows, you may find you can progress from providing copywriting services to consultancy. The difference between the two is that consultancy is usually concerned with elements of strategy, while service is concerned with delivery of specific campaigns or projects. Strategic issues may include, for example, the development of coherent guidelines for communications across a business; the formulation of policies and processes governing internal and external communications; or the introduction of new communications channels, such as websites or magazines. Because these initiatives may have a wide-ranging impact on the client’s business, the consultant is usually seen as providing greater value than the service provider, and can therefore charge more.

Moving into consultancy takes a degree of confidence in one’s abilities plus a fair amount of luck in spotting opportunities in the market. It is not necessarily a guarantee of stable income, either, since the demand for consultancy can fluctuate widely and communications is an area that is not often considered worthy of outside help. In the long run, you may find that it is best to provide consultancy along with your normal copywriting services and offer either to clients as the opportunity arises.