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Startups are different from other clients

This post was written by TCCS member, Jody Carey

Around the copywriting watercooler, startup clients are often the complaint of the day.

They’re the PITA clients who are the source of much venting and angst.

Many copywriters say “No” to starting a relationship with startups.

And it’s a firm “No”.

I put myself into this group. Of the dozen times I’ve worked with micro startups, only once was a professionally gratifying experience.

But lately, I’ve been wondering if I (and the 94% of copywriters who also say “No”) are missing something.

Are we being too defiant?

And what do the other 6% of copywriters know that we don’t know?

By closing the door to thousands of new companies, are we making a massive business mistake?

Startups can be seductive.

The allure of a new canvas, new opportunities, and the hope we might be working for the next Uber is like a drug.

We want it bad.

But what should we know before jumping into bed with them?

What is a startup?

How you define a startup is an important step in determining whether you want to work with them.

Unfortunately, there’s no straightforward definition.

Someone who wants to turn their passion for flowers or photography into profit is considered a startup. But so is an experienced business owner with funders to back their new idea.

Australia was recently voted one of the best countries to start a new business in. Thousands of businesses are created every year, and all of them need words.

They need a website, brand messages, social media, marketing collateral. and the list goes on. That’s a big market to ignore.

Many copywriters jump at the chance to work with a startup. S

o what do they know that the rest of us don’t?

To find out, I connected with other copywriters to get their take on working with startups.

In a recent poll in The Clever Copywriting Community, 25% of the copywriters said they don’t work with startups full stop.

Another 25% said they loved working with startups.

And the remaining half said they’d consider working with startups if certain conditions were met.

Why some copywriters give startups the cold shoulder

Startups take a lot of time and patience. An underlying problem is their lack of business experience and marketing knowledge.

These clients may not fully understand the role a copywriter plays, and believe a catchy tagline or fancy website is the first step in starting a business.

Moving the project in the right direction can be a painful experience. And the delays, indecisiveness, and excessive changes are draining.

True story: A client needed a simple five-page website. They were a new business, but they knew their target market and product offering.

The estimate for completing the project was two months.

At the six-month mark, they decided to rebrand and change their name.

Almost a year later, they’ve made little progress and take months to respond to emails.

To date, the website outline still hasn’t been approved.

Savvy copywriters team up and subcontract with business coaches to refer clients who need help defining who they are.

If a startup client comes to you too early, you can introduce them to someone who can help.

Startups don’t always know where to turn for help, and may not fully understand what a copywriter does. It’s our job to educate them.

Why do some copywriters love working with startups?

The copywriters who enjoy working with startups are those who aren’t afraid of the challenges that lie ahead.

They understand what it’s like to start with a million ideas swirling around and limited resources.

They enjoy guiding the startup owner, educating them, and holding their hand.

“Yes, they take more time. But when it’s done right they usually become your biggest fans and a great referral source in the end.” — Estelle Fallon.

The enthusiasm of startup owners can be refreshing. And the ability to start with a clean slate to shape a brand is professionally rewarding for many.

If we accept that working with a startup will follow a different timeline and workflow to that of an experienced client, we’ll enjoy the relationship more.

“You get to shape their brand, their tone of voice, and content strategy. You’re more than a copywriter. You’re a business coach, a shoulder to cry on, and a brainstorm partner.” — Kate Toon

For those copywriters who jump at the chance to work with a startup, what’s their trick?

Here is a list of questions experienced copywriters ask before they work with any startup.

What should you consider before working with a startup?

1. Have they owned a business before?
2. What experience do they have in their industry?
3. Do they have a written business, marketing, or strategic plan?
4. What is their budget?
5. Have they worked with contractors before?
6. Do they understand the role of a copywriter?
7. Are they ready to listen?
8. Are they prepared to trust someone to help guide their business?

Have you changed your mind?

If you’re someone like me who has always refused to work startup businesses, what would happen if we changed our approach?

What if we gave these clients a little extra attention and guidance to help prepare them for their new adventure?

It might give us the opportunity to shape our ideal client.

A little groundwork and investigating at the beginning of the project, combined with disciplined communication and timeframes, could turn whingeing into success stories.

What stories do you have working with startups?

About Jody Carey

Jody Carey is a Port Macquarie-based copywriter who writes what customers want to hear by focusing on their experience. She’s the mother of two sport-addicted kids and “loves” the sound of basketballs rolling around in the boot.

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Copywriting business need a boost? Find a copy buddy!

This post was written by TCCS member, Laura Mattiucci

A copy buddy is more than just someone who writes copy for a living. They’re the (often) remote colleague who shares the joys and pains of your daily working routine. The one you celebrate your wins with, and your despair when you run out of clients or motivation.

You can always count on your copy buddy, just as they can always count on you.

Here are the benefits of having a copy buddy, based on my personal and (so far) very positive experience.

Why every copywriter should have a copy buddy

• Develop discipline. Who hasn’t struggled with this? Even experienced copywriters have a hard time trying to work regular hours, stay focused, and keep themselves motivated. Since teaming up with a copy buddy I’m far more disciplined and focused. A 10-minute weekly call is enough to boost my motivation for the rest of the week. Sharing my objectives with my buddy helps me to commit. I can live with disappointing myself, but I would never do it to my copy buddy.
• Reconsider your goals. Too ambitious? Too easy? Sharing your goals is a good way to find out whether you’re being realistic. Maybe you need to regain a little self-confidence or get out of the spiral of unproductive procrastination.

• Become (even) more productive. Having a copy buddy is a great way to overcome the loneliness of working from home. But it’s about more than just socialising. This is why every copywriter should have a copy buddy — even confirmed loners. It’s a great opportunity to become more efficient and improve both your own revenue and that of your copy buddy. And if you’re an introvert, you’ll appreciate them.

• Get (and give!) the best advice. Loved ones offering opinions that are aren’t very constructive? Struggling to come up with a quote for a challenging project? Need to stop spending hours choosing the font for your rebranded logo? Ask your buddy for their advice and tick another box on your to-do list. But remember: having a copy buddy is about giving as well as receiving. If you think helping is a waste of time (I hope you don’t), I suggest you read the book Give and take: why helping others drives your success.

• Multiply your opportunities. Don’t have the time or the competence to handle a client request? Why not pass it on to your copy buddy? They will be grateful for the opportunity, and won’t hesitate to do the same for you.

How to get a copy buddy

• Great news, especially for introverts: most of what I’m about to tell you can be done online. Hurray! Not surprisingly, using social media is the easiest way to find the perfect copy buddy. Pick your favourite platform, or try more than one. Chances are you’ll find a great copy buddy hiding there somewhere.

• Join a Facebook community. I realise this may sound like a paid endorsement, but I promise you I’m just being honest. I’ve tried various communities—free and paid, French and Italian. And in the end, I found my copy buddy on The Clever Copywriting Community. Coincidence? I don’t think so. But the only way you’ll find the community that works best for you is to try.

• Twitter is also a great place to find a potential copy buddy. Start by looking among the followers of your ‘gurus’. That way you know you’ll have at least one thing in common.

• Co-working spaces and offline events (for example conferences, meetups, training and networking events) are also places to find a potential copy buddy. I know socialising can be stressful, but real-life connections often carry a huge payoff: proximity. Chances are the people you meet at events live in your area, which means you can catch up with each other anytime you want. Even the most introverted copywriter might enjoy the idea of sipping a cup of coffee with his/her new copy buddy once in a while.

The dos and don’ts of having a copy buddy

Once you’ve found your copy buddy, here’s how to manage the new relationship and make sure it brings value to you both.

• Beware of time wasters (and avoid being one).

• Follow your gut. If, after a couple of exchanges you don’t think the new exchange is helping (for whatever reason), there’s no point forcing it. Cut your losses and move on.

• Choose wisely. Affinity is important, and everyone has their own criteria. The time zone and country you live in might be more important than sharing the same nationality or being the same age.

• Value diversity. It’s always good to have something in common with your copy buddy. But having a few differences (for example areas of interest, years of experience) can be good as well. Different points of view can bring value to the conversation and help you both improve. Accept diversity and treasure it. But remember: copy buddying is not mentoring. Strive to keep a balance.

• Be regular. Once you’ve found the perfect copy buddy, suggest having regular calls. But keep them short. A weekly 15–20-minute call should be enough to share your business goals and main happenings.

• Give back. Volunteer to be a second pair of eyes on something they wrote, or offer to teach (or help them with) a skill you have and they don’t.

• Accept help. If your buddy volunteers to help you with something and you agree it might be useful, don’t feel like you’re stealing. Just say “Yes”.

• When you help each other, always be open to feedback (never take it personally) and give them constructive comments in return.

Having a copy buddy also comes with a set of don’ts to make sure you live the experience in the right way. It has to be a benefit and make your life easier, after all.

• Don’t spam. Don’t send the same desperate message to 100 random copywriters and hope someone will answer. Start ‘listening’ on forums and social media, and then target people who seem to have more in common with you.

• Don’t stalk. Send a request and the other copywriter didn’t answer? Feel free to send a second message using the social media channel they’re most active on to make sure your message is read. But don’t keep asking. We’re all in a hurry nowadays, and they may have simply forgotten to respond. And if they still don’t answer? Maybe it’s a sign it’s not meant to be. Try someone else. The copywriting universe is full of nice people.

• Don’t give up. While doing the “Recipe for SEO Success” online course, I was assigned, two copy buddies. But while they were both lovely and smart, we weren’t in sync (we were all taking the course at our own pace) and didn’t help each other at all. I finished the course and ended up finding a copy buddy a few months later without much effort. Sometimes it’s just a question of finding the right person at the right time.

• Don’t take it personally. Your copy buddy missed a call? They’re not as regular as you’d like them to be? Be respectful and patient. Some days might be tougher than others.

• Don’t be stingy. Share your knowledge, resources, and tips. What you get in return is often much more valuable than what you give.

Conclusion

Finding a copy buddy (and being one) can be an opportunity to be more efficient, learn from another professional, and grow your business. Even though you might find it challenging, it’s definitely worth trying. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

Looking forward to finding the perfect copy buddy for you? Go online or attend an offline event, find a potential copy buddy you might have some affinity with, and suggest having a weekly chat.

Do you know of other ways to find a copy buddy? Do you know of a different reason for having one? Got a success story you’d like to share? Tell us about it in the comments below.

About Laura Mattiucci

Trilingual copy buddy based in Paris.

She can write thousands of relevant words on artificial intelligence in English, French, and Italian. But don’t ask her to write a paragraph about eyeshadow. (She’d confuse it with blusher.)

She’s also a homemade pasta gold medal winner (according to her daughters).

If you’re curious about her accent and would like to hear it, click here.

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From Rockhampton to Sydney, Melbourne and beyond

This post was written by TCCS member, Sarah Joy Pierce

This year, Joyful Communications will celebrate five years in business.

I didn’t have any particular goals when I started (other than to keep myself gainfully employed/amused), but in those five years I’ve been surprised at every turn with the lessons I’ve learned and the opportunities I’ve discovered.

Being based in Rockhampton (a medium-sized regional town, smack bang in the middle of Queensland’s coastline) hasn’t limited the scope of my work.

I’ve worked with Australia-wide businesses and even the odd international client.

In this day and age, there are no limits to what you can do and who you can work with (providing you have a decent internet connection).

So with New Year optimism I want to share five lessons I’ve learned, and how you can put them to work for your copywriting business in 2020.

1. There’s more than enough work for everyone.

This lesson is first for a reason—it’s easily the most valuable.

Even in a regional town with only two or three other marketing agencies, I can promise you won’t run out of clients.

If you’re in a bigger city, you have even more clients to pick from.

It’s always worth forming excellent working relationships with the people you might see as your ‘competitors’. Because unless you’re directly competing for a particular client or niche, chances are your paths won’t cross all that often. And when they do, it’s much nicer to smile at each other than be snarky.

What can you do? Take a fellow copywriter (or graphic designer or marketing agency owner) out for coffee this month. Talk about ways you might be able to work together or refer work to each other.

2. Just put your lipstick on and go to networking events.

Okay, so maybe you shouldn’t take this advice literally if you’re not female. But for me, putting on lipstick is when I mean business. I can face the world fearlessly with a decent red lip.

I can’t emphasise the value of good old face-to-face networking enough. Even if you’re an introvert, find your ‘red lip’ armour and show your face to your target audience. If you work with small businesses, head along to a Chamber of Commerce or a BNI event. If you work primarily with women, try a local women’s networking group. If you love working with startups, find the local startup club.

And if I can find all of these in little old Rockhampton, you can’t be too far away from one either.

Take your business cards and get ready to smile for an hour of your month/quarter/year. It really is the best value marketing you’ll get. Think about it this way: if you charge out your time at $90/hour, how many other leads could you get for a $90 spend? I’ve never gone to a networking event and come away without at least one decent connection.

What can you do? Check your business cards (make sure they’re looking good), find a networking group (and maybe a new red lipstick), and make a date in your diary. Who knows? You might even enjoy it.

3. Analyse what you do well and position yourself as the local expert.

This is similar advice to ‘find a niche’, but perhaps from a different perspective. Maybe I’m coming at it with a ‘big fish in a small pond’ mindset, but it’s easier for people to remember you if they have a reason to remember you. Back up your reputation with excellent attention to detail and genuine passion for what you do to help your clients, and you’ve got a winning formula.

After a while, you’ll start getting word-of-mouth recommendations. And this kind of marketing is incredibly powerful because you’re being recommended by someone they trust. This is why I haven’t spent much on marketing. I let my work (and my reputation) speak for itself.

What can you do? How much of your work comes from repeat clients or referrals? Take a minute to work it out, and then perhaps send a ‘thank you’ or a social media shout out to your best or most loyal client.

4. Always be generous.

This ties in with all of my earlier advice. If your clients remember you tracking every single minute and painstakingly invoicing them down to the last cent, will they come back for more? If you refused to chat with a client who only needed you to listen for five minutes, will they send a business buddy to you for more work?

While this may a bit of a ‘fast and loose’ approach to business, it’s certainly worked for me. I’m not saying it’s okay to let clients walk all over you, because it’s not. But when you have the right clients (and you’ve honed both your ‘freeloader’ radar and your boundaries), investing in relationships and erring on the side of generosity is always the best policy. I don’t mind giving out some of my best advice for free because the client will always remember me being generous.

What can you do? I don’t think you can really plan generosity. But if an opportunity to show it presents itself this week, grab it with both hands.

5. Don’t be afraid to use your local advantage.

Rather than thinking of a regional location (or your small business) as a disadvantage, you should think of it as one of the biggest advantages you have. I’ve won work with huge clients by emphasising how I can weave local flavour in into their copy rather than having a big, out-of-town firm get it wrong.

Being local means I know the town’s major players, the unspoken rivalries, and where the best coffee is. Being small means I’m nimble, responsive, and often more cost-effective (even at my highest charge-out rates).

And being local is awesome when it comes to writing local landing pages or making sure your client has the best local SEO possible.

What can you do? If you’re a regional copywriter, why not make sure you have a local landing page that talks about all the things you love in your town? I haven’t done this yet, but it’s high on my to-do list for 2020.

Think big, not small.

Red lipsticks held high, let’s tackle 2020 together.

If you only remember one thing, let it be this: you’re not limited by your size or location. If I can mostly wing it through five years of business and make it out the other side, there’s no reason why you can’t as well.

About Sarah-Joy Pierce

Sarah-Joy Pierce is the owner of Joyful Communications in Central Queensland. She writes copy for industry, mining and service-based businesses, and drinks plenty of coffee while doing it.

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Job posted: 23/01/20

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Are all copywriting clients made of sugar and all things nice?

No. In fact, you have a higher chance of working for a toxic client than your dream client.

This post was written by TCCS member, Rashida Tayabali

Do you have a client whose phone calls and emails send shivers down your spine? A client who demands you answer their emails at once, and follows up with a phone call if there’s a few minutes delay. And who always seems to be unhappy with your work but can’t tell you why?

If you do, should you stick it out hoping they will turn into a prince?

No.

You should fire them.

In this post, I’ll be sharing how I fired a client for the first time, and how you can do it too—confidently and coherently.

Signs of a problem client

In my copywriting business, I’ve had a dream run for five years, with appreciative clients and great projects. But last year I finally met my first P.I.T.A (Pain In The Ass) client.

On paper, he sounded ideal. He wanted to lift his profile in his industry and needed someone to create content for his new website. After an introductory call, I sent in my proposal and briefing form.

The warning signs were clear almost immediately. The client:

• Sent me two-word answers for some questions, and started calling me frequently to tell me about his plans
• Told me about the bad runs he’d had with service providers in the past who took him for a ride because they didn’t deliver. (At this point, I was upfront with him about my experience and assured him I could deliver what he wanted)
• Haggled me on price. I stood firm and told him my rates were not negotiable
• Liked lengthy chats on the phone, and needed constant reassurance and handholding
• Said he’d need to borrow money from family to pay me (clang, clang clang!)

Despite the alarm bells going off in my head, I was keen to do the work because it was an interesting project. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and submitted the first draft on time.

Lack of proper feedback

I waited for feedback, but instead, I got… crickets.

After following up numerous times, I finally got an email saying he’d read the copy but it wasn’t what he wanted.

I scheduled a call to go through the changes. The client had provided some feedback (and a lot of waffle) via email that I addressed in the second draft. With the first version falling flat, I agreed to rewrite the copy from scratch (against my better judgment).

Still, I wanted to salvage the relationship and deliver on my promise of providing good service and content.

I sent in the second version.

I waited for client feedback, but nothing concrete came in. By this time I was losing money and time on this job.

One thing was clear: he didn’t like the new version either, but couldn’t say why.

Breaking up with the client

The client raised the point that I didn’t do a good enough job because I was bilingual. (He was bilingual too.) Apparently, people who have mastered more than one language are poor writers.

On another unscheduled call, he heard my baby cry in the background and suggested I was distracted and unable to devote enough time to his work.

My self-confidence was starting to take a hit because of the client’s comments. And really, who needs this kind of negativity in their working life?

So I made the decision to end the business relationship with the client—not by email but over the phone.

I explained clearly that despite writing website copy in two different ways it hadn’t met his requirements, and so it was better for me to refund the deposit.

I even suggested it was better for him to write his own content after he admitted, “There was nothing really wrong with the copy. I just don’t like it”.

How to know when to let a client go

If the process feels hard, and the client is always unhappy with your work and starting to show the P.I.T.A warning signs or becoming personal, it’s time to let them go. Fire them on the phone or email, but don’t burn your bridges. Offer to find them another copywriter who might be a better fit (but warn the writer in advance). Stay firm on the firing and don’t take them back.

Honestly, I shouldn’t have accepted the client when he didn’t fill out a proper brief.

I shouldn’t have gone ahead and written the second version or ignored the warning signs.

You live and learn. Now I pay attention to warning signs and don’t take on a client if alarm bells start going off.

Over to you

Are you working for a similar client who’s causing you grief?

When did you last fire a client?

If your answer is “Never”, it might be time to start.

If you liked this article, please share on your favourite social media platform.

About Rashida

Rashida Tayabali is a copywriter and features writer. She loves creating clever copy for clients that inspires their audience and leads to the right action through storytelling.

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This post was written by TCCS member, Kate Merryweather

Quiet times happen to us all. As a copywriter with seven years of experience, I recently found myself in a quiet stage. What did I do? Got busy.

Here’s 19 productive steps you can take to get ahead, improve your processes, and find new clients when copywriting work goes quiet.

From upping your network game to preparing content in advance to stalking leads on LinkedIn, there’s plenty of work to be done that will pay off down the line. Your future self will thank you.

1. Panic. Seriously, if work is getting quiet, now is a perfectly good time to panic.

It’s your livelihood.

When you have bills and mortgages to pay, it can be incredibly stressful to lose income.

So, don’t listen to anyone who says not to panic. That’s nuts.

Panic as much as you want. Then move on to the rest of the items on this list.

2. Watch the TCCS (and other) job boards like a mofo.

Don’t email responses.

Give the leads a call.

First in gets the curly fries.

3. Audit your website.

Freshen up outdated pages, optimise your images, ensure it’s responsive and mobile-friendly.

Does your website look like it belongs in 2019 or 2012?

For the love of pancakes, get rid of any sliders on your website.

Plus, banish any images of fingers tapping on keyboards. (Could it *be* any more cliché?)

4. Gather case studies.

Publish them on your website so your portfolio is looking smick.

5. Consider your niche.

By specialising in an area, you can establish a reputation for being the go-to expert copywriter in real estate, finance, beauty, or lifestyle brands.

6. Brush up on your LinkedIn game.

Request connections from potential clients in your niche, and post content on how you can solve their problems.

Refine your bio, ask for referrals, and leave thoughtful comments (Gary Vee says 90 comments per day but he’s nuts.)

Publish interesting posts, showing off your pithy writing skills in the process.

Instead of posting links to your blog, write native LinkedIn articles, and watch your visibility soar.

Do Kate’s LinkedIn course.

7. Take a deep dive into your SEO and find out which pages are ranking best.

Do one of The Recipe for SEO Success courses to jump a few notches on the Google search rankings.

8. Sort out your Google My Business page.

Write posts, add images, and invite customers to give you reviews. I find humorous I’m-not-begging-but-I-am-begging requests work.

9. Write blogs in advance.

When you’re busy down the track, you’ll have pre-written blog posts prepared and ready to publish.

10. Unless you are starving, don’t reduce your prices to be more competitive.

On the contrary. Review your prices by doing the Toon pricing course.

11. Update your timesheeting process.

Watching the clock is the only way to see exactly how long jobs take you and which are most profitable.

12. Guest blog. Pitch guest articles for high domain authority websites.

You will raise your profile and you may get a juicy backlink which helps your SEO.

13. Increase your network.

Your clients may need suppliers like developers, photographers, videographers, graphic designers, and social media managers. You can helpfully refer your clients to your network of experts (and they can refer to you too = $ker-ching$).

14. Review your workflow.

How can you automate oft-repeated processes? Write a sequence of emails as templates for each step in your copywriting process. Check out workflow and project management tools like Asana, Basecamp, or Dubsado so your client experience is ultra profesh.

15. Polish up your proposals.

Ditch your dorky Microsoft Word proposal and create something snazzy on Canva.

16. Network.

Kick-off your moccasins, pluck your monobrow and enter the world of face-to-face networking. Wear your TCCS ‘copy beast’ badge as a conversation starter.

17. Tell people you are available.

A regular client of mine was surprised when I told her things were quiet. She hadn’t been giving me briefs because she thought I was busy.

So, when copywriting work goes quiet, get in touch with previous clients and let them know you’re available.

18. Subcontract to other TCCS members.

There are plenty of opportunities for subcontracting to senior copywriters. Put your hand up.

19. Update your email signature.

You can do cool things like beg for ask for reviews, share your availability over coming weeks or link to your newsletter.

Guess what?

I’ve been following the items on this list and I’ve booked in two juicy projects. So it works.

But also?

My slump coincided with school holidays, so I’ve been playing Footy Feud, learning to floss, watching Disney movies, and making apple cakes in my Thermomix. So it’s cool to take a break from freelancing. My list is here when you need it.

About Kate 

Kate Merryweather is a freelance copywriter and mum of three who annoys people by talking about her Thermomix. She specialises in copywriting for digital marketing agencies and likes borrowing books from the library she will never read.

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This post was written by TCCS member, Nadine Crowe

Top 10 tips for finding freelance copywriting jobs

1. Tap your personal networks
2. Leverage your professional networks
3. Talk to people about what you do
4. Connect with connectors
5. Partner with related industries
6. Believe in what you have to give
7. Practice warm outreach
8. Go where your clients are
9. Be professional
10. Join a good copywriting community

Whether you’re new to copywriting or a seasoned professional, it’s likely you’ll find yourself looking for more clients at one stage or another.

Check out these top 10 tips for finding copywriting clients.

1. Tap your personal networks

Don’t be shy.

Use your social pages to let people know what you are doing, and be clear that referrals and recommendations do help.

And don’t underestimate the potential of corporate friends and family. They work in businesses that often need freelance copywriters but often don’t know where to find them or who they can trust.

Make sure your contacts know what you do. You never know when they or someone in their network might need a copywriter.

2. Leverage your professional networks

In the words of a wise copywriter at the recent CopyCon19 copywriting conference, “LinkedIn is where clients with money hang out” [Kate Toon].

People on LinkedIn are actively looking for business opportunities.

Make use of your professional connections.

And if you aren’t sure how to create your profile, or haven’t optimised it for your copywriting services, check out Kate Toon’s LinkedIn Booster Course (free for members).

3. Talk to people about what you do

Chat to people about what you do.

The easiest way to start is to simply ask others what they do and then listen.

More often than not they’ll reciprocate and ask what you do.

It’s not the time for a sale’s pitch, but letting people you meet know what you do, and chatting about it can lead to potential opportunities.

4. Connect with connectors

Sometimes all it takes is an introduction.

Even better than talking to people about what you do is to talk specifically with people who are connectors.

It could be a friend who seems to move effortlessly between multiple social groups, or your hairdresser whose day cuts across the full spectrum of society.

These people could provide you with just the connection you need. So don’t miss an opportunity to chat with them about what you have going on.

5. Partner with related industries

Contact businesses in related industries with a similar audience to yours, and see if they’d be interested in teaming up.

Designers, developers, and SEO experts are perfect for partnering up with as they often need copywriters for large and ongoing projects.

And don’t forget creative agencies that need to bring in additional copywriters for big projects without having to employ them on an ongoing basis.

6. Believe in what you have to give

This isn’t to make you feel better about yourself or to give you the confidence to put yourself out there. Genuine confidence is so damn magnetic in the same way insecurity repels.

Clients are drawn to you when you have a genuine belief in yourself and what you offer. And it reveals itself in so many ways – from your tone of voice, the interplay of conversation and the way you listen, even what you do with your hands.

Know the value you bring and be clear on what your copy can deliver.

7. Practice warm outreach

Hate the thought of cold outreach? Then change the way you think about it.

Warm outreach is all about building relationships rather than selling anything. Instead of emailing people to sell them something, contact them just to make a connection.

Let them know you’re available to help in the future should they need it, but don’t expect anything from them.

Set the tone, and it changes how others respond.

Circle back after a set amount of time to see if there’s anything they need.

Make your goal to hit your target of warm outreaches instead of sales outcomes, and you may well get the outcome you were hoping for.

8. Go where your clients are

Attend conferences and events where you know your customers will be.

Share your knowledge.

If you’re brave enough, get up on stage and speak.

Let people see the value you bring.

Join Facebook groups where you know your clients hang out.

Even if you haven’t chosen a niche, choose a topic you enjoy or have an interest in so you know which businesses or groups to approach.

The more specific you get in identifying your ideal clients, the easier it is to know who to approach. And this doesn’t lock you into a niche, it’s simply a means to get started.

Visit local businesses and let them know what you do and how you can help.

9. Be professional

A lack of professionalism can be the Achilles heel of many a copywriter.

So much time and effort go into finding the client, only to stumble at the final hurdle because the client senses something’s not quite right.

There are lots of ways clients gauge whether you are the real deal and someone they can trust.

• Demonstrate professionalism by having contracts in place.
• Know the going rate for copywriters and complete your own rate card so you’re never caught off guard.
• Present your work in a properly formatted Copy Deck.
• Pick up the Copywriter Ultimate Pack from the Clever Copywriting School and have all the templates and contracts you need for that professional touch.
• Get professional photos taken and logos designed, and have your business cards ready to go.

10. Join a good copywriting community

Of all the things you can do to find new copywriting clients, joining a good copywriting group is the piece de resistance.

Not only do copywriters share opportunities and refer jobs to one another, but they’re also a huge source of encouragement, advice, and support.

In The Clever Copywriting School (TCCS), annual members can also create their own directory listing where prospective clients look for potential copywriters.

Even more exciting, TCCS now has a job board where clients list copywriting jobs only members can apply for.

And to top it off, TCCS members get a 20% discount on all templates and courses available in The Copy Shop.

Conclusion

There’s so much you can do without paying a cent to land more clients.

But they involve significant action and a certain level of mental resolve.

If you feel like you could use more support, and you can make the investment, TCCS membership might be just what you need. TCCS membership gets you access to the best copywriting job board down under, one of the most encouraging and supportive copywriting communities around, and a 20% discount on all Copy Shop templates, contracts, and courses.

It’s a great way to fast track your copywriting career.

Over to you

Which one of these top 10 tips for finding copywriting clients will you try?
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About Nadine Crowe

Nadine Crowe is a Melbourne copywriter and SEO consultant obsessed with good coffee and salted caramel ice cream.

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