How Virtual Assistants Can Offer Copywriting Services (Even with No Experience)

Want to Make More as a VA? Here’s How to Offer Copywriting Services Without a Writing Degree

If you’re a virtual assistant or freelancer looking to offer copywriting services—or start a copywriting side hustle—this guide is for you.

You’ve mastered inboxes, calendars, systems, and processes. 

You’re the behind-the-scenes engine that keeps your clients’ businesses from going off the rails.

It’s why your clients value you.

But what if you could offer them even more value AND increase your rates in the process?

If you’ve ever found yourself writing social captions or staring at your screen, tasked with making emails “sound better,” then you’ve already found yourself in the world of copywriting.

You’re closer than you think to offering it as a service and charging for it. It’s also a path to more creative freedom and becoming even more valuable to your clients.

Wondering, “Can I really be a copywriter without experience?” or “Do I need formal training?” The good news: you don’t.

Here’s how to break into copywriting (and start charging higher rates) without prior experience—and why it’s one of the smartest moves you can make as a virtual assistant.

*This blog may contain affiliate links for programs, tools, and courses that I recommend. If you purchase these programs, I could receive a small commission. Thank you! I only recommend vetted programs and tools I use myself! Please check out my tool & resources guide here.

Why Virtual Assistants Make Great Copywriters

As a Virtual Assistant (VA) or Marketing Assistant (MA), you already have a deep understanding of how businesses run and what they need marketing-wise to make sales. You’ve worked behind the scenes with entrepreneurs, small business owners, and marketing teams—and you’ve probably helped format newsletters, upload blog posts, send emails, and schedule social media content.

That puts you in a prime position to add copywriting to your existing services. When you do that, you’re no longer playing a supporting role for your clients. You’re helping them grow their businesses even faster.

Copywriters regularly command $50–$150/hour (or more) for client work, depending on their expertise.

But not only can copywriting increase your income, it also allows you to:

• Attract higher-level clients looking for more strategic support.
• Strengthen your strategic and creative skills.
• Become an invaluable member of your clients’ teams

And if you’re thinking, “But I’ve never taken a copywriting course,” we’ve got you. Keep reading.

How to Know When You’re Ready to Add Copywriting to Your Services

If you’re just starting out as a VA, establish yourself with a few clients first. When you try to add too many services all at once, you actually slow yourself down. 

The same thing happens to copywriters: they feel like they have to learn the roles of designer, SEO expert, and marketing manager. All that does is split your focus, giving you no expertise in any skill.

You’re ready to add copywriting to your virtual assistant services if:

• You’ve hit a ceiling with your VA rates or hours, but want to earn more.
• You enjoy writing emails, posts, and landing pages (and want to get better at it). If you don’t like writing, then copywriting is not for you!
• Clients are asking you to “just write something real quick.” You want to confidently say, “yes,” and charge a copywriting rate for those services.
• You want a skill that can evolve into a full-time business, or just give you more income and freedom.

If any of those sound like you, adding copywriting is a natural next step to growing your business—without burning out.

The Sunk Cost Myth: You Don’t Need a Degree or Certificate to Start

We hear from so many people who feel stuck because they spent time and money on a different career path—teaching, design, sales, admin work—and now feel like they “can’t” start something new. 

But the sunk cost fallacy keeps you tied to something just because you invested in it, not because it’s right for you anymore.

Here’s the truth: every step you’ve taken so far (whether it was school, a job, or even becoming a VA) has led you here. It’s not wasted. You can build on it.

Copywriting doesn’t require a degree, a certification, or a decade of experience. It requires training, practice, and the willingness to learn and apply what you learn. That’s it.

What You Do Need to Become a Copywriter

You don’t need clients to get experience. But you do need experience to get clients.

In other words, no one will hire you if you don’t know how to write copy. But that doesn’t mean you have to wait for a paying client to learn. That’s where solid training and strategic practice come in.

We’ll get to it in a sec, but this is exactly how our friends at the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy teach their students to build real, client-ready portfolios.

🎙️Related Podcast – Funnel Messaging Secrets: What Every Marketing Assistant Needs to Know with Nicki Krawczyk #238

In this Funnel Series episode of The Marketing Freelancer: Unicorns Unite, Filthy Rich Writer founder Nicki Krawczyk shares how she built a thriving, automated business with stress-free funnels rooted in strategic copy. Learn how to sell with ease and build lasting client trust.

6 Steps to Start Offering Copywriting Services as a VA

1. Get Copywriting Training

You can’t just wake up and declare yourself a copywriter. (Well, you can, but good luck getting paid for it.) 

Just like you learned the ins and outs of client management as a VA, you’ll need to learn the fundamentals of copywriting.

There are a few things to consider when choosing the right training program. Look for a course that:
✅ Teaches real copywriting, not content writing.

✅ Shows you how to find and land clients. (Job bidding sites like Upwork are NOT a system.)

✅ Helps you build your portfolio.

✅ Supports your learning with a community.

And, perhaps most important, you want to make sure it’s created by working, experienced copywriters.

As we alluded to earlier, we recommend our friends at the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy. Created by copy pro Nicki Krawczyk, who you’ve heard on my podcast, the program has helped 12,000+ people build real, successful copywriting careers—and that includes a growing number of VAs. Nicki and her team are still in the weeds and adding to and updating the course regularly (they recently added an AI for Copywriters course!). 

2. Practice Writing Copy

First, practice analyzing and rewriting existing ads you see in the world. Every email in your inbox or billboard you pass on the highway is an opportunity to consider what works and why.

Then, practice writing real marketing assets like emails, landing pages, and ads—by creating “spec ads” based on real-world businesses.

It bears repeating: having access to a community of pro copywriters is essential as you’re growing your skills. Feedback is how you get stronger—and build your confidence.

3. Build Your Portfolio

Clients need to see that you can write copy. That’s where your online portfolio comes in.

You don’t need to wait for paid work. Spec ads (clearly labeled as “spec” in your portfolio) are a professional and ethical way to show off your copywriting skills—and land your first clients.

You’ll want to include samples in your portfolio that explain who the client was, what the challenge was, and how you solved it.

4. Start Pitching (The Right Way)

Forget the spammy Upwork-style approach. Learn how to pitch in a way that actually adds value and builds relationships with potential clients.

Our students use our proven pitch process to land clients from the start—and many of them are businesses they’re already connected with (just like many of your current VA clients!).

5. Know That Resistance Will Come Up

Learning something new can be uncomfortable—and your brain will try to talk you out of it. That’s normal. Push through.

You’ve built a business already as a VA. You know how to take action even when it feels scary. That same mindset will serve you well here.

6. Surround Yourself With Support

Yes, you could do this alone—but why would you? It’s faster, easier, and way more fun with a proven path and a community behind you.

That’s why we recommend finding training with a built-in support system (like CCA’s student-only group). Your questions get answered, your copy gets feedback, and you stay accountable.

How to Get Copywriting Clients as a VA

Once you’ve got some copywriting training under your belt and a few samples in your portfolio, it’s time to start landing clients.

The good news? You don’t have to start from scratch.

Many virtual assistants land their first copywriting projects through existing or past clients who already trust them. You can also pitch your services to other small businesses, online entrepreneurs, or marketing teams that need help—but don’t want to hire a full-time writer.

Whether you’re offering blog post refreshes, email copy, or website messaging, the key is to:

• Be clear about the copywriting services you offer
  
• Show examples of your work (spec pieces are fine!)
  
• Focus on solving problems (not just writing words)
  

If you’re not sure how to approach potential clients or what to say, check out my guide on how to get freelance clients as a marketing assistant for practical tips that actually work.

From VA to Copywriter: How Workgroup Members Are Upping Their Game

Many of the freelance marketing assistants in our Digital Marketer’s Workgroup have added copywriting to their services and landed higher-paying clients—sometimes just by letting their current clients know they offer writing now. We’ve seen members go from VA support work to writing full email sequences, sales pages, and launch assets—without needing a huge audience or years of experience. Start booking clients in our referral network here.

Why Copywriting Pays Off

It’s no exaggeration: copywriting is one of the highest-paying forms of writing. We know copywriters—especially those who work part-time or as freelancers—who make $75,000, $100,000, even multiple six figures a year. And they’re not unicorns.

(You can check out just a few CCA student success stories here.)

You’re not starting from scratch. As a VA, you’re already inside the marketing world. Adding this in-demand skill makes you more valuable to clients and more in control of your income.

The bonus perk? Adding copywriting as a service doesn’t require a degree or an expensive certification (certifications only prove that you paid for a course!). 

It also doesn’t require thousands of dollars in tech. If you have a computer and the Internet, you have everything you need to get started! 

Like becoming a VA, becoming a copywriter requires a willingness to show up and do the work.

Ready to Explore Copywriting Further?

If you’re curious, even just a little, you owe it to yourself to learn more.

Nicki has created a free video training that walks you through exactly how copywriting works, how you can get started (even without experience), and how to build a flexible, well-paying career or service offering—on your terms.

Whether you want to offer copywriting alongside your VA services or eventually shift your business to focus more on writing, this is a perfect place to start.

👉 Get Free Access to the On-Demand Video Training Here

Copywriting Resources for Virtual Assistants:

>> 5 Things I Wish I Knew About Copywriting Services

>> Copywriting Books

>> How To Effortlessly Master Your Client’s Voice In Their Copy

>> How to Offer SEO Services

>> How to go from Hourly to Project Rates

>> How to Price Copywriting as a VA or Freelancer

🎧 Copywriting Podcasts:

The Takeaway: You Don’t Need a Degree to Start Charging More

You just need the drive to learn and take action.

As a VA, you already know what businesses need. Adding copywriting makes you more valuable, more creative, and more in control of your income.

If you’re ready for work that pays better and feels more fulfilling, copywriting is your next best move.

You’ve got the skills. Now it’s time to own them—and get paid accordingly.