This post was written by TCCS member, Nadine Crowe
Top 10 tips for finding freelance copywriting jobs
- Tap your personal networks
- Leverage your professional networks
- Talk to people about what you do
- Connect with connectors
- Partner with related industries
- Believe in what you have to give
- Practice warm outreach
- Go where your clients are
- Be professional
- 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.
