What do you do if you're struggling with the challenges of remote copywriting?

You have to understand your challenges first only then you can work on finding the solution. My advice is to build genuine connections with senior copywriters and ask them how they sorted the challenge that you're facing currently. It will help you in the long term because you'll have a group of people whom you can trust. Their methods might not work for you but at least they'll set you towards the right path.

To thrive in remote copywriting, merge a dedicated workspace with digital organization tools. A physical work area separates job and personal life, enhancing focus. Digital calendars and task managers streamline deadlines and projects, ensuring no detail is missed. Establishing a daily routine, akin to an office's structure, boosts productivity. Prioritize tasks, minimize distractions, and regularly assess your strategy for continuous improvement. Organization isn't just about space—it's mastering time management. This dual approach cultivates discipline and efficiency, key to excelling in the remote workspace.

Establish Clear Communication Channels: Ensure that you have reliable communication channels in place to stay connected with your team and clients. Use tools like email, messaging apps, video conferencing, and project management platforms to collaborate effectively. Set Clear Expectations: Clearly define project timelines, deliverables, and expectations with your team and clients upfront. Establishing clear guidelines can help minimize misunderstandings and ensure everyone is on the same page. Create a Dedicated Workspace: Set up a dedicated workspace in your home where you can focus and minimize distractions. Having a designated area for work can help you get into the right mindset and improve your productivity.

You need to keep things clear and easy to manage. When you know what needs to be done and when, you can focus better on your writing tasks. You won't forget deadlines or important details, which reduces stress. Plus, being organized saves time. You can quickly find what you need without searching everywhere. It also helps you prioritize tasks, so you know what to work on first.

If you're struggling with remote copywriting, establish a structured routine to maintain productivity. Set specific work hours and create a dedicated workspace to minimize distractions. Communicate effectively with clients and team members using tools like video calls and project management platforms. Take regular breaks to avoid burnout and stay connected with fellow copywriters for support and collaboration. Consider flexibility and adaptability to face the unique challenges of remote work successfully.

Establish clear work hours to prevent burnout. Designate a specific workspace to separate work from personal time. Set communication boundaries to minimize interruptions during work. Limit screen time and boost focus. Don't hesitate to say no to extra tasks. If you respect these boundaries, you take control of your work environment and enhance productivity.

Remote copywriters often find setting boundaries the more difficult of their tasks. First, it's hard to say no to clients who are paying your bills. Second, it's difficult to 'train' family and friends to minimize interruptions during your designated work hours. Setting boundaries often has the first step of figuring out what works best. You need to find the right balance between clients and project types, between work and family. Above all, you need to find what works best for you. All of this balancing can be overwhelming, which in turn makes it difficult to set boundaries. The remedy is to start small. Then, as you figure out what works, set boundaries incrementally until you reach a healthy work-life balance.

Boundaries are crucial for maintaining work-life balance, setting clear expectations with clients, and ensuring productivity. They help you as a working, paid professional to establish when your work-cycle begins and ends. They help prevent burnout and allow your creativity to recharge or destress. Clear boundaries also maintain professionalism and (extremely important) prevent scope creep — nothing worse than unpaid overtime hours to "just tweak 'somethang' or rework a little bit of copy". This leads to more efficient project management on your part and client satisfaction. Strive to under-promise and over-deliver.

Setting clear boundaries in remote work is vital for maintaining professionalism and personal well-being. By clearly communicating your work hours to those around you, you minimize disruptions and enhance focus. Establishing firm boundaries with clients about communication times and expectations also safeguards your off-hours, preventing the blurring of personal and professional life that often leads to burnout. These boundaries ensure that while you are dedicated and productive during work hours, you also preserve time for rest and personal activities, essential for long-term success and health in any remote work arrangement.

Sometimes those who don’t work in your space can get your brain working and thinking a bit differently. Try a copy brainstorm session with non copywriters.

When you write better and faster, you can communicate more effectively with your team. Confidence grows, reducing stress and making challenges seem more manageable. Learning new techniques helps you stay adaptable to changes in the industry or your job. And, enhancing your skills can open up new opportunities for career growth.

Learning a new skill gives you a sense of accomplishment, provides a much-needed confidence boost, and gives you an opportunity to engage with others. Not only can these benefits combat isolation, they can also thwart imposter syndrome. Your new skills allow you the chance to say 'I know this!', which can be one of the best confidence boosters. Gaining new skills can also provide a level of confidence and excitement that can actually improve your copy. If you lack confidence, it is harder to write effective copy. The more confident you are, the better your writing will be.

You can quickly get help, build relationships with clients, and share resources effortlessly. Attending online calls and webinars keeps you updated on industry trends, while virtual feedback sessions help refine your work efficiently. Plus, virtual networking lets you connect with fellow professionals, enhancing your skills and opportunities in the field.

Fellow remote copywriters can often be the best medicine for struggles and challenges you face. A good place to find such a group is through the copywriting courses you take. Often, the entity providing the coursework will either have a FB or LI group you can join. Such groups can be the best support, especially if you are just starting out. It can serve as a cheerleader to keep you on course, a place to vent, or a soundboard to review copy. Social FB or LI groups can remedy most feelings of isolation.

This is something I do on a daily basis and has kept me sane at times (especially during the pandemic)! Working remotely doesn't have to be so isolating these days due to the rise of e-meetings. Most days, I have 2 to 3 e-meetings/calls booked in my schedule (with clients or associates/colleagues), which enable me to have that all-important interaction with others to discuss projects, bounce ideas around and have catch-up chats.

It can help you from a burn out. When you have a balance between work and personal life, you'll feel less stressed and more focused when you're working. Plus, taking breaks and spending time away from work can give you fresh ideas and energy for your copywriting. So, make sure to schedule time for relaxation, hobbies, and spending time with loved ones. This way, you'll be more productive and happier overall.

Maintaining balance can be one of the hardest challenges to overcome with remote copywriting. Especially if you are a solopreneur, you want to work all hours to make your business succeed. But this is the worst way to approach remote copywriting as burnout will occur. And when burnout occurs, your best work is not possible - leading to a downward spiral that ends with you ending the remote copywriting venture. To make this work, you need to figure out what methods work best to help you achieve the proper balance. This takes time, patience, and lots of trial and error. You have to be honest with yourself. You also need to recognize mistakes will be made - what matters is what you do to change for the better.

Self-care is all the rage on social media these days, but it's an absolute necessity for remote copywriters working from home. There's so much truth in the old adage that you "can't pour from an empty cup"! For me, it helps to keep my WHY in mind at all times. I went into freelance copywriting for more freedom and choice, for a better quality life (for me and my family), not the opposite. That helps me to maintain a good work/life balance to show up better for my clients, my family and friends... and myself. I'll absolutely go above and beyond when necessary, but will take care of myself in the process... And reward myself afterwards to balance it all out.

One of the main challenge of remote copywriting is maintaining a balance in personal and working life. It is difficult for some time working remotely as a copywriter to stay motivated. There are many distractions at home that harms the productivity. Even, being at home for hours creates a sense of isolation. And, it can be lethal for your mental and emotional health. So, remote copywriting could create imbalances in your life.

Working remotely gives you all the flexibility in the world. You're not forced to a particular seat. You can roam around wherever you want to get more ideas. You can basically customize your working environment Which is super crucial in writing. And that is why flexibility is probably the best part of working remotely.

Flexibility is the main reason most who work remotely favor it. Embracing it might seem like a no-brainer, but those who are remote copywriting might find it strange at first to ditch the conventional desk and instead take their work to a place where most ideas flow. Remember, copywriting is writing. And those who write often find inspiration in places and hours that are considered unconventional. For some, inspiration could be found in the park. Others might find location doesn't matter but time of day does - the early bird versus the night owl scenario. Being a creative often requires creative spaces and hours.

Embracing the flexibility of remote copywriting involves creating a structured routine while allowing for adaptability. Start by setting your daily or weekly goals. Be specific and intentional — no dreamy drama please! Remain open to adjusting your work/life schedule based on inspiration, creativity and productivity peaks and troughs. Make use of tech to keep connected with your clients and/or team members. Celebrate the freedom you have to work from anywhere, exploring different environments to stimulate your creativity. Make time to regularly review and adjust your approach to maximize the benefits of remote work while maintaining professional integrity with meeting prioritised deadlines and project deliverables.

There was this time I was intentionally parachuted into a job to redesign, rewrite, and simplify an over-budget and factually-flawed Annual Report for a Destination Marketing Organisation. The existing report had been presented at the highest level and received a damning and scathing review for being excessive, self-indulgent and far too ostentatious for its own good. Against much internal push-back I ordered two copies of quality DTP software and holed myself up with a competent graphic designer. We managed to slim down, correct the grossest errors and present a slimmer, sleeker, impactful version by deadline and within the miniscule budget left to work with. Lesson learned: Ignore the haters, go with your gut and lived experience.