And get your first client as soon as possible
If you're looking to start an at-home copywriting business then you're in the right place.
I am Shana and in this blog, I am going to share the very first 6 steps you should be taking if you're looking to start a freelance copywriting business.
Table of contents:
Step 1 | |
Step 2 | |
Step 3 | |
Step 4 | |
Step 5 | |
Step 6 |
Now, I might be a little biased but I truly think that copywriting is the best business around the world...Because if you look around yourself, every single business on the planet needs a copy to sell.
Whether you're familiar with exactly what copywriting is or not, just think of it as a single word written for the purpose of business or making sales.
So Facebook ads, social media posts, emails, print copy, website copy, landing page copy, all of that is considered copywriting and is needed by any business micro, macro, offline, online, you name it.
Copywriting is one of the only creative businesses that allows you to get paid with nothing more than your laptop and WiFi.
You don't need any fancy software programs or Adobe Premiere to edit videos or Photoshop to edit graphics. All you need is a Word document.
I have traveled all over the world thanks to my Copywriting and Digital marketing business. It has given me time independence, and location independence, and I can truly say if you’re looking to start a copywriting business, I think that’s a pretty wise move.
Now, one of the questions I get asked all the time is “How did you get into copywriting?" "How did you even know what that was?” And "How did I start Digital Marketing" I have to say I was a little bit lucky because I sort of stumbled into the whole online marketing and the copywriting world when I almost gave up myself, suddenly divorced, and became a single mother and one my friends suggested to start work from home business and there was plenty to start with but I chose this as it's the most demanding and highly paid skill at that time, And it's even more in demand, trendy and highly paid in 2024.
And truly my goal with that was to give my daughter a secure and independent future. I wanted to travel, I wanted to have fun, I thought “I have all the time in the world to go back to my previous jobs.” So I started taking courses on how to make money online and my brain exploded.
I had no idea that these types of careers existed. I thought you could be a doctor, a lawyer, a nurse, an accountant, a teacher, that was probably about it. And getting submersed in this whole world of online marketing and copywriting just felt like such a gift.
And I was able to hone my craft and learn how to copywrite, mostly out of necessity. When I started working on freelancing platforms such as Fiverr, UpWork, Freelancer.in and was working fine. But It was a tough competition And so naturally I thought mmm… maybe I can get my projects progressing a little quicker if I just learn this whole copywriting business.
So I got to work studying a ton of different programs, I studied many courses from Udemy and read Books like Breakthrough Advertising, Cashvertising, The Adweek Copywriting Handbook, and still counting, and I just truly fell in love with it.
So I was very very blessed to not only have the education and training, and a playground to be able to test... But also the ability to do so. And so that was truly a unique experience for me.
And when I left all those freelancing platforms I had a thorough knowledge of copywriting and know-how however, I was essentially starting from scratch when it came to building and starting my own copywriting business.
So that might be where you are right now. Maybe you've studied some courses, maybe you want to get into it, or maybe you haven't done any of that yet and that’s totally OK.
Now before I dive into my 6 steps you need to take before you start your copywriting business, there’s something I wanna nip in the bud about copywriting. And that is this myth that in order to be a good copywriter you have to be a classically trained writer, or you needed to get straight A’s in English class in university or high school, or you’re a grammar nazi. I can tell you none of that is true.
All you need is empathy, creativity, and a passion for writing.
Here’s the thing we are given this extremely amazing skillset to be able to communicate through words. And every single business needs that skillset, that’s why copywriters are so highly paid and are so sought-after by every single business on the planet.
So truly, all you need to start writing is empathy, creativity, and a passion for writing. And then with that, you layer on the tactics and the strategies, and the conversion principles, and the psychology, and that is what I’m here for.
So if you're looking to start your copywriting business or if you’re looking to scale your business through copywriting be sure to hit the comment section because I have plenty more articles coming your way.
Now be sure to read to the end of this article because I’m going to be linking to some other articles for some powerful next steps. Including how to find a Hot Niche, how to write Hot Headlines, and how to land your first client.
But with that let’s move on to the 6 first steps you should be taking if you’re starting your at-home copywriting business.
Step 1- Study
I can not reinforce this enough, don’t take just one copywriting certification program and call yourself a copywriter. Get out there and learn from the best, buy programs, sign up for courses, and enroll in seminars, if you haven’t yet check on the first five books you should read (coming next week) if you’re teaching yourself how to be a copywriter.
And be sure to hit the comment button because I’m actually going to be launching a copywriting course and program later this year and will walk you through my exact process for copywriting.
And whatever you do never stop studying, I've been in this business for over 5 years and I still absolutely love reading, listening to podcasts, and learning from the best of the best out there. So truly always hone your craft and focus on how you can get better and better and better.
Step 2- Get Crystal Clear On What You Offer
As I mentioned before every single business on the planet needs writers, but will you write copy or content? If you don’t know the difference be sure to read my article on the difference between copywriting and content writing.
Do you want to write long-form sales letters, social media posts, videos, and Facebook ads, how do you want to serve your client?
Do you want to work part-time, full-time, contract basis, retainer? Just really take some time to map out what that dream freelance business would look like and how you could offer your services.
Okay, so that brings me to,
Step 3 - Get crystal clear on who you want to serve
And I know in the beginning it can be tough because you’re like ahh I’ll take any old job. And that's fine but just remember that the first few clients you have really sets the foundation for the types of clients you’ll get in the future.
And that's because a lot of business owners want to hire writers with experience in their particular niche. So I got started in online money making and that has always been my niche of copywriting. I love writing about online money making because it's something that I’m truly interested in so I never get tired of it.
Remember empathy is absolutely key in being a good copywriter. So really think about your own personal life and experiences… If you want to write about pets, or parenting, or real estate, or finance, there is literally so many niches that are looking for great copywriters, and the more specific you can be the better you can show up and serve your ideal client.
So take some time to think about this in the beginning because this will set the foundation for the types of clients you'll attract in the future. And really niche you into a specific area of copywriting. And the more experience you have the better you're going to get.
Step 4 - Write a self-sales pitch
Now, I know this sounds a little bit icky especially if you don’t feel comfortable selling yourself.. But if you're going to learn how to write for other people and sell products for other people, you need to know how to sell yourself.
So that’s why the last two steps were so important. Once you get very clear on what you offer and who you serve, this step will become very important and will really help you find your niche.
Now if you’re sitting there wondering ahh I don’t know my niche, be sure to check out my article on how to find your Hot Niche, I’ll link to that right at the end of this article.
The most important thing to remember with this step is just to be honest about where you're at. A lot of business owners actually don’t want to hire the most seasoned and experienced writers because they’re looking to train someone who really going to learn and adapt to their brand voice.
So if you are really green and you are just starting out, don’t worry about it. Just be super honest, show up, and deliver results.
Step 5 - Build your online portfolio and profile
Because how are your clients going to find you if they can't find you?
So now that you’ve taken some time to get clear on what you offer, and who you serve, and you've written out a little bit of a self-sales pitch.
Be on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, have a personal website, get an Upwork profile, because here’s the thing when clients start hearing your name they’re immediately going to go Google you and see where you're present and where you're active online.
So with that you're really going to want to have a portfolio and some social proof. So if you have worked with anyone in the past, get a testimonial from them.
This is so huge, and what so many creatives forget to do. Immediately after you have a positive exchange with a client, ask for a testimonial.
These can be added to your Facebook fan page, to a Google review, to your website, all of this is going to increase your chances of getting more and more clients.
And be sure you're building your portfolio in the meantime. You don't have to have it available online for everyone to see, but just know that people are going to be asking you for it.
So have some writing samples, whether they’re paid, or whether you've done them in your free time, go out and find clients you can do some sample work for, anything you can do to really build up that portfolio is just going to help you in the long term. And then of course the more clients you get, the easier it is to build your portfolio.
Step 6 - Find clients
Now I’m a huge believer in both a push and a pull strategy. What I wrote about in this blog was a lot about the pull strategy.
Get very clear on what you offer, and who you serve, and get an online portfolio presence and profile set up so the right people can find you.
In terms of a push strategy, which means really going out there and finding those clients you wanna work with, you gotta be a little bit more strategic it so I actually created a whole other article on this topic.
So be sure to check that out I’m going to link to it at the end of this article.
All right guys there you have it those are the 6 steps you should take if you’re looking to start a freelance copywriting business.
If you found this article helpful please share it with others.
And before you go, I want to hear from you. What is the number one challenge you’re experiencing when it comes to copywriting and your business? Where are you stuck? Where can I help you? Comment below, let me know. And I will surely respond.
Here are the links to those three blogs I mentioned earlier,
The Difference Between Copywriting and Content Writing,
How to Find a Hot Niche, and
So check those out I’ll see you again here. Till then, I’m Shana. Will see you soon. 😊
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