Definitive Guide on Copywriting

1. You’re in the business of marketing yourself as a copywriter

You might think of yourself as a copywriter but making steady money takes a change of focus.

You’re not in the business of copywriting; you’re in the business of marketing yourself as a copywriter.

You need to devote a immense percentage of your business efforts in creating an ongoing stream of copywriting business for yourself even when you’re already busy.

This will increase the put a question to for your copywriting services, allowing you to charge more and make more ongoing long term income.

2. Consistently market yourself and your services

Do at least one thing every day to promote yourself as a copywriter.

If you want to make serious money you might want to set aside one chunky day every week to promote yourself. Don’t stop promoting just because you have plenty of copywriting work or you’re busy with work.

If you do that the time will come when you speed out of projects and you’ll be left twiddling your thumbs.

3. Interpret who your best copywriting prospects are

You can waste a lot of time with tyrekickers and prospects who can never pay you a reasonable copywriting fee. You need to choose exactly who your best copywriting prospects are.

What kind of businesses are they running? Are they already hiring copywriters and paying good fees?

Do they value proper sales copy? You can also position yourself as a “marketing consultant” in a niche that needs sales copy but doesn’t really understand what sales copy is.

Finding a tight niche with prospects who have the money to pay for your copywriting services is a Huge key to your success.

4. Become active on forums frequented by your ideal prospects

Make a daily trip to at least 3 forums in the niche where you’re looking for copywriting clients. Acknowledge questions in threads, form your believe posts and be active.

Also make definite that your profile leads back to your own web site selling your copywriting services and has your full contact details.

Withhold in mind though that as far as copywriting goes the online marketing niche is very competitive. If you niche yourself as a “marketing consultant” for businesses in other niches you’ll probably accept it far easier to create paying work.

5. Deny for copywriting projects on job sites

There are sites online where business people go to find freelancers.

You can pick up new copywriting clients on these sites and they’re especially useful if you just want some copywriting projects you can spend for the portfolio you show to prospects.

I strongly recommend that you dispute high. Bidding high sets you apart from other bidders and some business people will contact you just to find out why you bid so much higher than anyone else. If this happens you can explain what good sales copy is really worth and how much money they could be throwing away by hiring a “cheap” copywriter.

6. Contact businesses looking for copywriters as employees

Email, mail or phone businesses who advertise a copywriting position and tell them you’re a freelance copywriter. Why would you contact a business looking to hire a copywriter as an employee when you want freelance work?

It’s quite simple – you have a hot prospect. You know this business needs sales copy and you know they’re willing to pay for it. Just by getting in contact and letting them know you’re available you have a good chance of picking up some freelance copywriting work with them immediately or in the future.

7. Niche your copywriting services

Collect a niche where you have some knowledge or expertise and write copy for that niche. You can become an expert in a niche very quickly by reading books, going to seminars, and joining mailing lists in that niche.

If you’re the only copywriter in a niche where your prospective clients have money to utilize then it’s very easy to get work – you’re the only game in town!

8. Attend internet marketing seminars

Internet marketing seminars are a fantastic source of copywriting clients and online business owners you can joint venture with.

The higher the ticket price usually the higher the quality of the copywriting prospects. People who’ve already invested money in attending an internet marketing seminar are often great copywriting prospects.

They’ve been told they need generous sales copy on their sites and they’re willing to spend money on creating a money-making website. Some of the BEST prospects at an online seminar are the speakers.

The best time to talk to a speaker is not just after they’ve been on stage. Chat with them when they’re more relaxed – at lunch, breaks, at the Bar or even outside when other speakers are on.

9. Give your own copywriting seminars – 34 words

If you niche yourself well you can often speak at industry functions about copywriting or marketing a business in that niche. Being a speaker at a seminar immediately positions you as the go-to expert.

10. Joint venture to market or copywriting teleseminars in a niche

You can find website owners in your niche and do teleseminars in your niche explaining to business owners in that niche how to market themselves or how to create better copy.

Again this positions you as a genuine expert and you can do it without leaving home.

You can do the call free or you can ask for a percentage of the price people pay to be on the call. You can also sell or give away recordings after the teleseminar is over. Part of your joint venture deal could be writing the copy to sell the teleseminar to their list.

11. Avoid appearing desperate for work

Good copywriters get booked quickly (as I hope you will). This means many of your best prospective clients are used to dealing with copywriters who are always busy.

If you appear to have all the time in the world to write copy that can set off alarm bells. Why is this guy not busy? Is he crap? So the way you advertise your services is notable. Tell prospects you have space for one or two more carefully selected clients not that you desperately need a new client. Always give a good “reason why” you’re willing to take on a new client.

12. Spend professional business cards

When you meet a potential client at a seminar or business event you want to give them your Business Card and that will be the contact they take from you. Don’t waste dwelling on your business card – use it to market your services.

Describe your copywriting services in detail, give your contact details and put the web site URL where prospects can hold a look at your copywriting samples. If you have some kind of audio, blog or blog to promote your services you may want a link to that on your business card too.

If you’re marketing to more than one niche you may want to have a different business card to promote your services in each niche. You may also want to have a customized web place page for your copywriting samples in each niche.

13. Execute a copywriting portfolio

Put together a portfolio of your best copywriting work. If you don’t have a lot of copywriting experience writes some copy for products you like, your own products so you have something to show prospective clients.

You’ll want at least 8-10 different pieces of copy. If you’re promoting yourself as a copywriter in a specific niche it’s a huge advantage if you have a portfolio objective for that niche. You can create more than one portfolio if you want to promote yourself in different niches.

In this digital age the most convenient way to share your copywriting portfolio with potential clients is a website.

14. Create your own website to sell your copywriting services

Make the website a sales letter or blog that sells your services. Include samples of your copy on the website. You can accumulate free website hosting without ads, you’ll want your enjoy domain name which you can get for less than $10 a year.

If you’re in a niche your website could sell or give away an information product on how to market yourself in that niche or how to write powerful copy in that niche. It’s very helpful if you capture email addresses so you can follow up your web site visitors automatically with tips and offers.

15. Consider having your own copywriting blog

You can set up your contain blog free or you can use free wordpress software.

It’s better for search engine optimization reasons to have your blog on your contain site. Many web hosts have scripts pre loaded and it’s just a matter of logging into your account and looking for something like “web tools” and “free scripts”.

You’ll usually find a word press script and following the simple step-by-step instructions to plot up your blog. If you’re using 50webs.com as your web host you’ll need to upgrade to the paid service (which costs as little as $3 a month) if you want to host your blog on your site.

If you unprejudiced want a blog up and running fast you can have a blog without even having your own website.

So what do you use for content on your site? If you’re posting on 2 or 3 forums every day you can have your blog account open and simply reduce and past your forum posts turning them into blog posts. Make a few minor adjustments so the information is targeted to anyone who comes to your blog and you’ll have fantastic content that grows every day.

16. Consider having your own copywriting newsletter

If you have a blog and you’re creating your possess opt in email list with www.aweber.com you simply email your list every 4-7 days telling giving them links to the blog and the best posts they should read.

You could also have an offline newsletter you mail to your best prospects and clients each month that contains a few of your best posts adapted slightly.

This can be a VERY effective blueprint to stay at the top of mind as a go-to copywriter with prospects and clients.

17. Submit articles about copywriting and/or marketing in your niche to article directories

Submitting online articles give valuable advice to your prospects.Online articles on copywriting and marketing can establish your credibility and sendqualified prospects to your website.

How do you create content for your website? You simply use the content in your blog posts or forum posts adapted into an article format.

You can also do a search for “submit article”.

If you submit just one article a week over a year you’ll have 52 copywriting articles pointing to your copywriting site and building your credibility.

18. Find businesses with sizable email or mailing lists of past clients

You want a list of at least 2,500-5,000 names – preferably past paying clients.

Write copy to sell a product or service related to something they’ve already bought from that business.

You take a percentage of the sales. Offline you can offer to pay for the physical mailing and start with mailing just 300-500 past clients. Or you can assign their names into an autoresponder and email them over and over with offers.

You put up a website sales page to sell their product and tell them you’ll pay for everything. In many cases you can also mail to that list yourself with your own offers.

19. Buy a list (SRDS) and sell a highly targeted product to that list

If you already have specialized knowledge in a niche you can go the Standard Rate and Data Service (you can choose a look at a copy in most US libraries or you can buy a copy. The SRDS is a compilation of mailing lists for hire.

By searching through the data you can find lists where you might be able to create your occupy information product or use someone else’s product that you can create a sales letter for. You engage the list and mail your offer to it. If the list is large you commence with 500 names and build the size of your mailing with the profits you make.

If you’re mailing someone else’s product offer you may be able to get them to Cover the cost of the mailing.

20. Build a list of highly targeted copywriting prospects (SRDS)

You can also use the SRDS to net prospects who are already know they need a copywriter, value the service and are willing to pay for it and have consistent work for copywriters.

Avoid potential clients who want to nickle and dime you or want sales copy for free. Good copywriting clients are always willing to pay for results. Since most ongoing communication these days is by email you don’t have to be close to your clients geographically.

Write down the list broker for each mailing list in your niche. Call or email them and ask for the “data card” and the “usage blog” for the list. The usage blog tells you which companies have mailed to that list in the last 6 months.

That gives you a targeted list of companies mailing to your niche who hire copywriters. You can then search online or in the phone book for the contact details of each company. Find out who is hiring the copywriters (it’s usually a marketing director in larger companies or the owner of the business in smaller companies).

Send the marketing director or business owner a sales letter selling your services with samples of your copywriting work related to their niche.

In your first letter you want to place that you’re a highly skilled copywriter and get them interested in talking to you to see if you might be a match.

Follow up with a friendly phone call.

21. Fabricate a list of highly targeted copywriting prospects (direct marketing agencies)

Direct marketing agencies are easy to work for and will usually hire any copywriter who has a passable portfolio.

Some direct marketing agencies will pay $2,000 to $3,000 for the copy for a one page letter. Their main concerns are that you know how to write copy (they’ll usually want to gawk a portfolio), you’ll do a good job and you’ll get the job done on time.

22. Earn a list of highly targeted copywriting prospects (other copywriters)

Many copywriters will either pass on the overflow of clients they can’t handle or “farm out” copywriting work – charging their clients and hiring another copywriter to do most or all of the work.

You can also do a search for “copywriter” online. Check the pay per click ads listed in the search results too.

If a copywriter has a really astronomical online portfolio there’s a good chance they’re farming out some of their work.

Some copywriters are happy objective to have another respectable copywriter they can pass on work to when they can’t handle it. Approach them by email, letter and/or federal inform. Try to earn them on the phone. Keep in mind that if a copywriter hasn’t heard from you in a few months he’ll probably assume that you’re already booked up.

Be polite but persistent. Most copywriters are busy but if you persist and you can write copy there’s a very good chance you’ll lift up copy by calling at the right time.

23. Use your telephone to call prospects

The fastest way to convert a prospect into a paying client is to get them on the telephone. I you try to use email and mail alone you’ll lose a lot of immense copywriting clients. The sooner you call after they contact you the better (within the hour if possible). Your object talking to clients is not to sell. You’re honest uncovering information.

You want to give useful information to your prospects and fetch out if there’s a way you can genuinely be of service to them. It’s also well worth the effort calling copywriting prospects “cold” to perceive if there’s any way you can serve them.

24. Take at least half your copywriting fee up front

Charge enough so that if you never get paid the other half of your fee you can live with it. It’s better still if you charge 100% of your copywriting fee up front. Here’s one way of making new clients comfortable with paying you upfront… “Take a contemplate at the testimonials from my clients on the website. Feel free to contact them too.

“When I work with you I’m looking for a testimonial and referrals. That’s why I’m going to do everything I can to make you real profits honest as I did for the clients you’ll find listed on my site.”

25. Negotiate for a percentage of turnover on top of your copywriting fee

If you’re charging straight fees for your copy you’ll always be writing copy to make a living. But if you glean even a exiguous percentage of turnover from some of your copywriting assignments, that adds up over time.

Many online business owners will pay you from 1% to 5% of gross turnover in addition to your copywriting fee if you insist on it.

Also you can increase the copywriting fees your quote then let your prospects negotiate your fee down in exchange in return for a percentage of gross sales.

26. Write online copy for 50% of the gross turnover

Some online copywriters make a very good living writing copy for established clients with no upfront fees for 50% of gross turnover.

You supply the copy they supply the web traffic and the customer service. The most important keys to these kinds of deals.

1. Only make deals with someone who is honest and you know will pay. Past clients who’ve already paid you a copywriting fee in the past might be worth considering.

2. The deal is always based on a percentage of gross turnovers. Don’t do deals for a percentage of profits – profits have this fantastic way of disappearing.

3. Make sure the client has the website traffic, pay per click or joint venture contacts and expertise to create necessary turnover. There’s no point getting 50% of inappropriate turnover if your client is only going to make a few hundred dollars in sales.

Keep in mind that many website owners have enormous traffic but can’t write effective copy. This is the kind of match you’re looking for.

27. Your best clients are your best prospects for more work

Stay in touch with the clients who hire you even after your work is done. If you do a good job and you end in touch they’ll hire you again. Also you should keep up to date with what they’re doing in their business and look for ways they can increase their profits.

Some of these will lead to work for you and some won’t. Either plot staying in touch by giving your clients a steady stream of good profit making ideas will keep you at the top of their mind when they need a copywriter again.

28. Ask for referrals

When you don’t have all the clients you need you should make giving you referrals a condition of doing business with you. When you’re negotiating with your client you can tell them that you expect referrals in exchange for a slightly lower fee. Often the best time to ask for referrals is when you’ve just produced excellent results for your client.

The basic technique is fourfold…

1. Win them to tell you how much money you’ve made them and what your service has been worth to them in past results and the results they quiz in the future from the copy you’ve already written.

2. Explain to them that just as you’ve helped them you’d like to support their friends in the industry get similar results.

3. Tell them exactly the kind of prospect who is perfect for you. What kind of business they run, the niche, the kind of traffic, products etc. Perform it very easy for them to think of people they know by narrowing the field down for them.

4. Preserve your client in the loop. Let them know how things are going with the people they refer. And send a written thank you letter if someone they refer becomes a paid client.

In some cases you might also send a percentage of your copywriting fee with a note along the lines of “I don’t normally do this but I really do appreciate how you went out of your method to send me such a wonderful client. Here’s a little thank you gift.”

It can be worthwhile to pay 10%-20% of your copywriting fee to anyone who sends you referrals but you do have to be careful about how you do this. Some clients can actually be offended with referral fees and some aren’t allowed to accept them.

29. Develop it easy for your clients to give you referrals

You should have a Special blog, audio or giveaway of some type that your clients can give to their contacts. High quality and highly valuable information will help your potential prospects and establish your expertise as a leading copywriter. Something of high value that makes it very easy for your clients to recommend you.

30. Ask for testimonials

Make giving you a testimonial a condition of doing business with you if you do a good job. You want a list of clients your prospects can call or email if they want confirmation that you really can deliver the goods as a copywriter.

Also a long list of written, audio and/or video testimonials from happy clients can be a powerful selling relieve on your website and samples page.

31. Create simple bellow response web sites for small to medium sized businesses

This can create a good income for you especially if the business suits a single sales page type website. Most businesses know they need a website and if they hire a web designer they’ll be out anywhere from $500-$5,000 and usually end up with a website that doesn’t sell anything.

You can create a website for them that actually sell or presells their product or service and charge a fee that makes it worthwhile for you.

If you’ve gone through the process of creating your own copywriting website you already have the skills you need to derive a website online for your clients.

You’ll find it much easier to regain clients if you acquire a niches service for a particular industry. That way you can be the expert at creating custom websites for say accountants.

32. Write online press releases for businesses who want high Google rankings for geographical search terms

If you know how to write and submit an online press release this can be a good service. I’ve charged $500-$2,000 for writing an online press release giving the guarantee that the release will come up in one of the top 2 spots for a city name and a service.

If the town is small enough this is quite easy to do. And every 12 months or so, your client has to pay for another press release to reach the top of the search engines again.

You can also charge for writing a lead generating free blog that your client offers in the press release.

33. Write offline press releases for businesses who want free publicity

If you know how to write and submit offline press releases you can charge your clients $500-$2,000 for this service. You could also ask for part of your fee to be based on a bonus – you get paid more based on which media outlets ask for an interview with your client.

34. Write yellow pages ads for local businesses

Think about this. Anyone who is paying for a display yellow page ad has an advertising budget.

You can mail, email or call these business people and offer to rewrite their ad. When you start you can tell them you’re testing a new service and do it free or for a nominal sum in exchange for a testimonial and the right to use the samples of the ad copy you create. When you have some confidence and experience, you can start charging $200-$700 for rewriting each yellow pages ad.

This is also a way in to offer other services like a free blog your business clients can use as a lead generator or follow up letters to sell products and services to their client database.

If you get to know a salesperson who sells yellow pages advertising you can ask them for referrals to their clients. Why would they refer clients to you?

If their clients make more money from their ads they can afford to pay for even more advertising.

You could also offer a yellow pages ad salesperson a percentage of your fee.

Either way when they send you a client you should send them a thank you letter.

35. Sell Online Marketing/Web Design Services to Local Businesses

It is not difficult to get the owner of a microscopic to medium sized business to write you a check for $1,000 to $2,500 to support them either pick up a website up or improve their website so it brings in true sales.

The same owner will spend over $1,000 impartial on the production of a TV ad before they even pay for the advertising spots.

You can also recognize at their client follow up methods etc and peep opportunities for writing copy there to make a business more sales (and of course you get an extra fee).

Once you launch making business owner money you can go back to that owner over and over with ideas and improvements and charge him again and again.

And he’ll give you referrals. This is simple, virtually cost free (you just talk to business owners in your local area) and the quality of your copy is not an issue. Best of all you’ll be doing business owners in your local area a tremendous service. Most local business owners really struggle to make a good living and they collect ripped off by advertising agencies, TV stations, radio stations and newspapers with advertising that will never make them a profit.

You can help business owners make loyal money with very little cost or risk. And you can make a very lucrative income even when you’re starting out as a copywriter.