So you’ve watched a couple of YouTube videos and decided that you want to give this whole copywriting thing a try. Yeah you do. Well, let me tell you, you are in the right place. In this video, I’m sharing the first six steps you must take to start a freelance copywriting business, and make money doing what you love ASAP. (upbeat music) Welcome to the raddest, baddest crew of copywriters on the Internet.
This is the place to be if you are looking to turn your passion for writing into a business. Yes, it is possible, I promise you that. But before you get too gung-ho and rearing to go, there are six very important steps that you need to take first before you find a client who will want to give you their money. Now, you might remember that I made another video pretty similar to this one way back when I first started my channel in 2019. But as you guys know, I am all about learning and evolving to stay on top of the latest trends, techniques, and tactics that are working today.
As I like to say, I keep it real so you can stay relevant and this video is my latest and greatest spin on that 2019 classic. Now, while all the advice in that video still applies today, I wanted to freshen it up with some new tips that I think you’ll find insanely helpful, especially step number six. So make sure you watch to the end for two stories that will completely change the way you think about the right way to get clients. Hey guys, it’s Alex. As always, I’m here to help you create the life of your dreams by building a successful freelance copywriting business, so if you’re into that, give me a thumbs up below and if you’re new around here, welcome.
I put out a new copywriting and marketing tutorial every single week, so if you’re looking to ignite your freelance copywriting business this year, go ahead and hit subscribe below, and don’t forget to ring that bell to be notified when my next video goes live. All right, now let’s dive right in to the six steps to igniting your freelance copywriting business fast. Step number one, study. This was number one on my first video and it will always remain in the number one spot, because it is seriously that important. You have heard me say over and over again that learning never stops, and yes, believe it or not, even after doing this for 10 years, I am still learning and growing my copywriting and marketing skills every single week.
You simply cannot binge on YouTube videos for one week and then consider yourself an expert, it doesn’t work that way. If you really wanna be successful in this business, you have to commit yourself to the continual pursuit of knowledge. So go out there and listen to podcasts, watch YouTube tutorials like this one, buy books and actually read them, attend events and sign up for practical copywriting programs and challenges. And listen, I got you covered with all of that and more, and the first place you need to be is right here on my YouTube channel, so you’re already on the right track.
But if you haven’t subscribed yet, what are you waiting for?
After this video, I suggest you dive deep into the dozens of other videos that I have waiting for you on my channel. Step number two, practice. All the knowledge in the world won’t do you any good unless you can actually implement it. Now I know that everyone wants to learn what they need to know and then go out there immediately and find a paying client, but I am telling you right now that you’ll definitely wanna practice writing copy before you go out there and call yourself a copywriter. First of all, you’ll be really hard pressed to find a client if you can’t actually prove to them that you know what you’re doing, and second of all, your first few attempts at copywriting will be bad.
Yes, I said it. Let’s all just accept this as fact right now, because I don’t care who you are, when you’re first learning this craft, or any new skill for that matter, you’re not gonna be great at first and that’s okay. The way you grow as a copywriter is to first write bad copy and then fix it, and that is the Copy Posse golden rule and the only way you’ll ever get better and better. So write this down: You gotta write crappy before you write copy. So that’s exactly what you should be doing right now.
With this video or every video and podcast you’re learning something from, go ahead and actually put into practice what you learn. What matters is that you’re getting your hands dirty because that is the only real way you’ll learn anything new.
My favorite way to practice is to re-write headlines that I find online. So the next time you see an ad, a landing page, or an email, try to re-write it in your own words. Or better yet, head on over to my Instagram page and stay tuned for my next edition of “Can You Make This Headline Even Hotter?
” It’s a fun way to practice and see what other copywriters are doing. Moving on to step number three, find a community. I truly believe this is the single biggest needle mover for those looking to start a new business in anything, so you’ll wanna do this sooner rather than later. Connecting with a community of like-minded peers will be massively beneficial to you because I’m just gonna go out on a limb and say it, you probably don’t know many other copywriters, right? So who can you really talk to about your struggles?
Who can you ask to review something you write and give you honest feedback? Who can you reach out to for tips on landing clients, or what to do once you actually do land a client and need support? Having an online crew that you can connect with will make your journey that much easier, because trust me, you are going to have some questions along the way and you’re gonna want support, guidance and encouragement from people who get where you’re at.
Now you can find tons of groups and communities online, like on Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms, my own badass Copy Posse community included, and if you wanna join my premium members only community, you can do that by joining my write and ignite challenge. You can find the link to that below.
But here’s the real kicker, you guys, you need to actually engage with the people in these groups. You know, be active and be real and build a relationship with them, because people will always be more willing to reply to your questions and posts if you’ve proved that you’re an active and value-driven member of the community first. All right, step number four, write your elevator pitch. So this tip is kind of like three tips in one, so make sure you pay close attention. Once you start practicing and building confidence in your craft, it’s time to get clear on how you plan to serve your future clients.
So think of your elevator pitch as your personal sales pitch. You need to be able to quickly and effectively communicate what you offer, who you serve and how you do it, and you should be able to communicate that all in 10 seconds or less, or the amount of time it takes an elevator to move a floor, which means that your pitch needs to be quick but it also needs to position you as the person who can help your clients achieve their goals.
So let’s break this down a little bit. What do you offer? Will you offer copy or content or both?
And go a step further to nail down exactly what your ideal niche is, or in other words, what would you like to be your area of expertise? It could be personal development, online education, beauty, health and fitness, the list goes on and on. So ask yourself, what do you truly enjoy researching, learning about and writing about, and that’s what you should pick as your starter niche, because remember, you’re gonna have to write about this topic every day for the foreseeable future.
But don’t worry, picking your niche right now isn’t a lifelong commitment. You can pivot at any time.
Next up, ask who do you serve? Do you want to help coaches, entrepreneurs or authors? Female-led brands, local businesses, natural and sustainable products? SaaS sites, eCommerce companies? You should narrow down and get specific on who your ideal client would be.
And finally, how do you do it? What services will you offer? Do you do blog posts, sales copy, video scripts, emails, social media, home pages, websites, ads? There are so many different types and mediums of copywriting out there. Now I know what you’re thinking.
You’re thinking, “Wait, I can’t narrow it down that much. “Won’t it be super hard to find clients or get work “if I am that specific?” Listen, I know it’s scary and it can feel like you’re cutting yourself off from tons of opportunities, but trust me, when you get specific, it actually helps you find and land clients.
Let me prove it to you. Which one of these elevator pitches do you think is most likely to land a client?
“I help coaches craft website copy that is clear, effective “and personal to help them attract more leads and sales.” Or, “I’m a copywriter and I can write copy for you.” Yeah. It’s pretty obvious that the first one stands out. It’s short, clear and concise.
Now it doesn’t mean you have to turn away work that falls outside of this, it just means you now have a laser focused approach for finding clients that you’re actually super excited to work with.
All right, step number five, start building your portfolio and profile. So you know all that practice you’ve been doing? Yeah, now it’s time to organize it all into one neat and tidy place, so that when you have a client that’s interested in possibly working with you, you can showcase your skills in a way that’s professional. The key here is that if you haven’t actually been contracted to write any of that work yet, make sure you are very clear that what you’re showing are just samples, and then of course you can add in any other relevant writing samples you have that showcase your skills and abilities.
Now I have a video on how to build your portfolio with zero experience, and I’ll link to that at the end of this video for you to watch next. But a question that I get literally all the time is this, “Alex, which software should I use to build my portfolio?” And you guys seriously do not have to overthink this. I have every single one of my students create their portfolios in Google Drive. It’s free, it’s easy and everyone knows how to use it.
It’s great because you can add as many documents as you want, add folders organized by niche and brand to make it really easy to navigate, and it’s super simple to share your work.
Remember, all you have to do is prove to your clients that you know what you’re doing. Copywriters aren’t designers, so I promise you that your clients aren’t expecting your portfolio to be pretty. Well organized and structured, yes, but fancy shmancy, no. All right, now last on the list is step number six, get visible.
Now this is when you put yourself out there and start looking for clients. There are many different methods for finding and creating clients, but something that I think is even more effective than sending cold outreach emails to 5000 people is networking. So my advice is get out there on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, attend live and local events, and start having value-driven conversations.
Make it super clear who you are and what you do, enter your elevator pitch from step number four. The key here is to make yourself as visible as possible, because sure, you can spend hours actively looking for clients, but you could easily attract clients to you by showing up and connecting with the right people.
I am a big big big believer in something my friend and freelancing expert Jay Close says, and that is to ask your network to advocate for you. So yes, that means letting your friends and family and former classmates, coaches, bosses, and colleagues know what you’re doing now and how you can help people. Now I know a lot of people shy away from doing this because it’s a public declaration of you trying something new and what if you fail? I get it.
Or worse, what if everyone feels the need to share their opinions and unsolicited advice?
Yes, I have been there too. Now I know it might feel scary debuting your new copywriting skills to the world, but think of it this way, who is more likely to advocate for you and send possible clients your way? Is it people who know, like and trust you, or people you’ve never even met? If you’re not letting your network know about what you’re doing, you are missing out on a ton of potential connections and opportunities.
In fact, one of my Copy Posse launch pad coaching students shared this powerful story with our class and I wanna take a minute to share it with you.
She said, “I have specifically not told anyone at work that I’m doing this course because I’m afraid of retributions. I’m afraid that they could say I’m not giving 100% because my attention is divided between my job and copywriting, and I’ve imagined 100 different conversations with my superiors that all end badly.” “Well, tonight my boss invited me over for dinner. When we were sitting around the kitchen, we started talking about finances and the future, and after thinking about it for a second, I decided to tell her.” “I told her I’m in a copywriting program right now and looking to get some freelancing jobs in the future.
She asked a few questions about copywriting and I explained a little bit about what I’m learning.
She was really excited and said how happy she was that I was investing in something like that. “Then she said, ‘Actually, we could really use some help with that kind of stuff at work. I’ve been writing all of our content and trying to keep our site updated, but I really don’t have time for any of that. Let me know whenever you’re ready and I’d love to give you some projects.
‘” Um, what? Yeah. How amazing is that? Now here is another story that one of my students shared. “Holy cow, you guys!
I went public on my private Instagram page last night and shared a post about my new copywriting business. Less than 24 hours later, I have a client meeting booked.” Yeah! So now it’s your turn. Get visible, be active, and put yourself out there in whatever way feels right for you.
You never know what might happen next.
All right guys, that’s it for today. Until next time, I’m Alex. Ciao for now. All right guys, if you enjoyed that video, make sure to check out the next one from me right here, and you can click right here to get a free gift.
Ah yes, probably the biggest freelancing catch-22 of them all, how do you build a portfolio if you don’t have clients, and how do you get clients if you don’t have a portfolio? Trust me, there is a way, five in fact, so keep watching to learn my five tips for building a portfolio with zero experience..
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