Want to make a great income as a copywriter? There's never been a better time to launch a copywriting career; there are literally unlimited opportunities. Unfortunately many copywriters don't make as much money as they could be making because they don't have a process.

Your process is essential. When you have a clear process to follow, you don't procrastinate, and you get more done in less time. If you keep waiting for inspiration, inspiration will never come. Rely on your basic process -- it will never let you down.

1. Research: What's the Product?

When you get a new copywriting commission, your first step is to think about the product.

This can be challenging if it's a product you've never used. Perhaps you've been commissioned to write a sales page for an industrial product, for example. In cases like this, where there's little or no marketing material for you to use in your research, so you're thrown back on doing primary research, essentially interviews.

Remember that the client wants you to sell his product. Therefore he has as much invested in the research process as you do. If you're working for a corporation, you'll be working with their publicity people; ask them to set up interviews for you.

2. Research: Who's the Buyer?

Researching the buyer is is just as important as researching the product, and now you've done that, you already have some idea of who the buyers might be.

The web has made it much easier to research buyers. For popular products, you may find forums and discussion groups. Join these. The groups' archives will provide lots of interesting material.

3. Sell: What's the Response?

You've done a lot of work on your copywriting project, but you haven't yet done any writing. Now's the time to go through all your notes and reduce the information to bullet points.

Finally, go back to your client. Ask him what response he requires from your copywriting. The more you know about the response, the more effective your copy will be.

You may need to write additional copy to get the desired response, because buying is usually a multistage process. Firstly the buyer has to hear about the product, then he has to become familiar with the product, then he has to decide on a brand and perhaps a model, and finally he's ready to buy.

If you think about the buying cycle, and where your copy fits into it, you'll write copy which will achieve the response your client wants.