When you're a freelancer, there are countless methods for finding clients. But if you've never done it before, it may not be clear.
You know you want to start right away, but you also want to make sure you do things right. After all, your livelihood depends on how good a job you do when it comes down to it.
This article gives you clear instructions on how you can increase your outreach and show what you have to offer.
That way, you can easily attract new clients and show off your copywriting skills.
Ways to Find Your First Copywriting Clients
Here are some tips that will help you find copywriting clients :
Put Yourself Out There
If you're a writer, chances are you spend most of your time alone. You love it and can do it for hours on end. But you still need to make money, which means you occasionally have to put yourself out there and find clients.
This is the part many people don't like, but it doesn't have to be so bad. Here are the main ways I get new copywriting clients:
Networking: Put yourself out there!
Meetups are a great way to meet new people outside of work, and often the people you meet will be in the same career field as you. If they know another freelancer is looking for a job, they might pass along your information. And if not, at least you'll have made some new friends!
For most of us, writing can be pretty isolating. There's no better way to get out of that than to surround yourself with other writers who are as passionate about their craft as you are. Sign up for your local writing group and connect with others in your field (and maybe even some prospective clients).
The first thing you need to do is determine where you want to work. Do you prefer to work on a freelance basis?
Work as an employee for a marketing agency, public relations firm, or company? Or do you have the startup capital to form your own copywriting business, employ other writers and control your destiny?
Regardless of which path you choose, always look for potential clients. Networking will be a must. You can attend industry conferences, meetups, and even local chamber of commerce meetings to network with others in the profession.
Consider joining professional organizations like the American Marketing Association or Society for Technical Communications.
These groups can provide invaluable resources and support in your career. Also, don't forget online communities, such as LinkedIn groups and Facebook groups geared toward writers and marketers. Each of these is a great way to find new clients and connect to help you land more assignments down the road.
Apply For Jobs On Online Boards
There are a lot of great resources online where you can find jobs that need copywriters.
These include ProBlogger Job Board, BloggingPro, Freelance Writing Jobs, Fiverr, Upwork, Contena, and Freelance Writing Gigs. There are also many other places you can search for on Google.
These boards are often updated daily, and new copywriting gigs are being added constantly. You should definitely keep an eye on them and apply for any job that sounds interesting to you.
You might think it a waste of time since many people apply to such gigs. However, if you are good at what you do and have a rock-solid resume, there is no reason not to do so. If you apply enough times, you are bound to get selected.
You can also note down the details of the clients and reach out to them in a few weeks or months to ask for an opening. They may just have space available, and since you reached out, they might hire you.
If you're still not having any luck, focusing on building a brand and audience can help you earn much more money than job boards. Dakota Robertson talks about how it can work but finding copywriting clients this way is a long term play."
Reach Out To Brands Directly
If you love working with certain brands, sometimes the best thing is to contact them directly about potential opportunities to work together.
You can find contact info on their website or use tools like Hunter to find an email address for someone at the company who might be able to help you out.
One way to reach out to brands is through cold emails. To send in a great cold email, you need to have the right mindset and view them as a way of introducing yourself and the services that you offer.
You can create a profile for yourself that showcases your best skills and then pitch your services to various brands and companies.
Cold emails are mostly short and focused. You should use a crisp tone and get down to business and start a conversation that they cannot ignore. This method is one of the fastest ways to generate work, build a portfolio and get decent clients.
Related: Copywriting For Dummies: How To Write Powerful Web Content
Don't Be Afraid To Ask For Referrals
Copywriting is an industry with solid word-of-mouth referrals. When clients like your work, they're likely to recommend you to their friends and colleagues. And when you love working with a client, you'll probably want to continue working with them and may want to take on clients similar to them.
The best way to find your next copywriting client is to ask for referrals from your existing clients. If a client is satisfied with the work you did for them, they will likely be happy to refer someone else who could benefit from your services.
Always remember to follow up after a successfully completed project. The client may have another job for you, or if they do not, ask them to refer you to others.
If you’ve done your job well, they would be happy to do so. Word of mouth is a great way to get clients. Therefore, you cannot miss out on the opportunity to ask for referrals.
Additionally, the earlier you do so the better. Ask to be referred immediately. Waiting long can cause the client to forget who you are or not remember whether or not you did a good enough job.
Use Social Media
Social media is a powerful tool for every freelance writer. LinkedIn is great for connecting with other professionals and potential clients, and Twitter can be used to communicate with others in your industry and find potential leads for writing jobs.
Social media was made to build relationships, and it's the perfect, low-pressure way to connect with potential clients.
Here are a few tips:
Stay active on social media. You don't have to be everywhere, but you should pick a couple of places to focus on. You can also join groups or forums related to copywriting, where you can interact with others in your industry and potentially find new clients.
Facebook groups are a great example. Research which groups have clients that you can attract and join those groups only. If you join too many groups, it will only create chaos on your timeline.
Get personal on social media. Social media is not just about business–it's about people. Show that side of yourself. Make friends with others, and let them get to know the real you. When you do so, these people will remember you and if an opportunity pops up, they might contact you and tell you about it.
Choose a few platforms. Maintaining a social media presence on multiple platforms can be time-consuming. Focus on two or three, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
It is more challenging to keep up with any more than three platforms. Instagram is one of the most rewarding social media platforms. Build your base of followers by stopping by Followers.io and see how to buy Instagram followers.
Use social media to build authority in your niche. If you're just starting as a copywriter, it may take time for people to realize you're an expert in your field.
But by posting regularly about topics related to your niche, sharing what you've learned, and interacting with others, you'll build trust and credibility among other writers and your clients.
Do It Every Day
Consistency leads to habits. Habits form the actions we take every day. Action leads to success. As Anthony Robbins said : “It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives. It’s what we do consistently.”
Growing a copywriting business is hard work. You're constantly trying new things to find clients, but it often feels like nothing's working. It doesn't have to be this way. You can do something today to make finding your next client much more effortless.
Think of your business as a pipeline. Every day, you want to add something new to the top of the pipeline.
It might be a new email subscriber, an article you wrote for another publication or even a conversation about your business with someone in your network. Progress is guaranteed as long as you're putting something in the pipeline every day.
When you are searching for a client, you should not be thinking about resting. Instead, your focus should be on looking for ways to attract new clients and find new leads that will find you new clients. The more work you will put into finding the right clients, the more fruitful your work will be, and the more you will enjoy it and feel fulfilled from it.
No one method works for everyone, nor does a method work every time. Therefore, you need to put in effort every day to find good clients. Since finding clients depends on many factors, there is always a new direction that you can go down to find clients.
Finding clients is a tough job, but if you do it every day, success will eventually come to you. There is a market out there for good copywriters, and there are clients, who are willing to hire you if put in the effort to find them.
Find a Mentor
Finding a mentor can be helpful in many different areas of business, and copywriting is no exception. If possible, find someone who has been in the business for a while and can help guide you through the initial steps of getting started.
Mentors are also great at giving you that extra bit of support and motivation that will allow you to propel your copywriting career.
They are invaluable when you are starting out, but even when you have been working for a while, mentors can help out when you are in a tough spot and need some advice or guidance. You should be careful in selecting a mentor.
They should be helpful and on your side, but they should not be biased and should be able to give objective advice and not be afraid to offer constructive criticism. As much as you may dislike criticism, it is often needed to grow and excel in this career.
Some people may be willing to share their expertise freely if they like what they see from you, while others may expect to be compensated for their advice. Either way, it can be an invaluable tool to have someone experienced to share their insights with you as you begin your career as a copywriter.
Growing and Growing
Finding clients can be easy if you put the time in. Write great content, share it on your social media channels, and ask your followers to refer people to you. It takes effort to get these kinds of results.
Don't let that stop you from networking and sharing what you have created. When this happens, you will find clients because your clients trust that you did right by them and that their referrals result from your experience.
Additionally, you should have somewhere that you can direct people to. When you find new clients, they often want some proof of your skills.
Therefore, you have a profile that provides them with enough detail about you as a person, your skills, and maybe a portfolio. You use LinkedIn or other profiles to become your landing page, where clients can go to get more information about you.
Conclusion
Finding clients is a tough job for every freelancer out there, whether you are in the business of copywriting, content writing, or working in any other field.
Even though finding a client may be daunting, there are a few tips and tricks that generally work for most people.
The article above lists all the different ways you can attract new clients, whether you are a pro at copy-writing or just a beginner. These are some foolproof ways that you can get the clients you want.
Further Readings :