11 Things You Need to Know to Become a Freelance Copywriter

So you want to become a freelance copywriter?

Well, before you take the plunge, there are a few things you need to know. First and foremost, becoming a freelance copywriter is not easy.

It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to succeed in this industry. But if you’re willing to put in the effort, there’s no reason why you can’t achieve success. Just make sure you have the right skills and know-how to market yourself properly. And most importantly, never give up on your dreams!

I’m not going to sugarcoat it for you – the life of a freelance copywriter can be challenging at the beginning. It’s definitely not for everyone, but if you’re up for the challenge and have what it takes, then read on. In this post, I’ll give you some tips on what you need to know before making the jump into freelancing.

It takes a lot more to be a freelance copywriter than just writing good copy. In this post, we’ll cover some of the basics you need to know before making the leap into freelance copywriting. So read on if you’re interested in learning more!

Still with me? Good. Let’s get started.

What is copywriting and what does a freelance copywriter do?

Before we go any further, it’s important to first understand what is copywriting and what does a copywriter do. Copywriting is the process of writing text for advertisements, websites, brochures and any other marketing material which will be used to sell a product or service.

Good content writing can make a huge difference when it comes to increasing sales and conversion rates, which is why this skill is in high demand.

Freelance copywriters are responsible for writing advertising materials, ad copy, promotional texts, marketing content, and even entire websites to promote a product or service. They’re usually hired by companies who want to increase their brand awareness through ads that will be published in newspapers, magazines or online. But they can also work independently to promote their own products or services.

For example, a freelance copywriter may be hired by a property agent to create an advertisement for their latest property listings. Another example would be a blog post from the copywriter’s blog which discusses the benefits of using his online marketing product. In this case, he’d be promoting his own product, but he would still be paid by the company that promoted it.

Copywriting is not an easy job. You’ll often find yourself working incredibly long hours on projects which are just too difficult for you to handle. It can be frustrating and you probably won’t get much recognition for your work either. But the rewards are great – you can work from home and have a large amount of flexibility with your schedule.

Many copywriters work full-time, but many others choose to just write on a part-time or casual basis to earn some extra cash. It’s a great way of boosting your income and having something set aside for those rainy days.

And that pretty much covers what is copywriting and what does a freelance copywriter do. Now let’s get into the nitty-gritty and talk about how to become a freelance copywriter.

Do you have what it takes to become a freelance copywriter?

Becoming a good writer, writing good copy is not easy, but with time and effort, anyone can do it. If you are willing to work hard on developing your skills, then you can definitely become a good copywriter.

However, not everyone has what it takes to be a freelance copywriter. It’s important to note that this is not an easy job and the income potential isn’t always amazing either. Here are some of the qualities that will help you work as a freelance copywriter:

• Ability to write engaging and persuasive copy: writing engaging and persuasive copy can make or break a company. The words you use in marketing materials like the headline, body text and call-to-action need to be clear and concise to ensure that they’re effective enough to get your message across.

Writing good copy often requires behavioral psychology principles such as storytelling (creating a narrative), using emotional language, developing a strong understanding of your target market and knowing who you’re writing for.

• Ability to write on multiple topics: copywriters are often expected to be versatile enough to write on any topic that their client needs them to. A copywriter may be required by his client to create website content, product descriptions, sales e-mails, press releases, blog posts and advertisements.

It’s usually required of copywriters to have specialist knowledge on some industries so that they can write about them with authority. For example, an online marketing freelance writer will need to have some understanding of internet marketing strategies before he can successfully write persuasive sales copy for his client’s website. You’ll need to have this ability if you want to be a successful copywriter.

• Ability to sell products and services: one of the most important qualities needed by copywriters is their ability to sell products and services through persuasive writing. A good copywriter must be able to research his client’s product or service extensively so that he can convey its benefits to readers.

The techniques used by a copywriter in a marketing campaign or advertisement will directly influence how many sales the company makes. A copywriter must be able to inspire his target audience during his writing process so that he can encourage them to make an informed buying decision when they are ready to purchase the product or service.

If you want to be a good copywriter, then you’ll need to hone these skills in order to successfully convince your target audience to take action.

• Understanding of digital marketing techniques and SEO copywriting: it’s common for copywriters to be contracted by companies so that they can write promotional blog posts or articles which act as ads for their product or service. The copy must incorporate effective digital marketing techniques which will help the company sell its product or service to customers.

The copywriter must possess an in-depth understanding of SEO, content marketing strategies and how to utilize web analytics tools like Google Analytics. The copywriter’s role requires him to act as an online marketer who can successfully translate his client’s wants into search engine targeted copy that will help their website rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs).

The copywriter must also know how to use social media to increase product/service visibility which is often done through writing engaging blog posts, Facebook updates and Twitter tweets. If you want to be a freelance copywriter, you’ll need an in-depth understanding of how to utilize internet marketing techniques to your advantage.

What you need to do before starting out as a freelance copywriter

1. Learn the basics of copywriting

Before you start working as a freelance copywriter, it’s important for you to first understand some of the basic principles involved in writing effective marketing copy. You’ll need to know how to make your content engaging and persuasive enough for your target audience to take action.

You can learn these principles by reading the work of other successful copywriters who know how to market products or services to an audience. You can also learn how to write persuasive copy by reading books that have been written on the topic, blogs and articles which offer advice on effective copywriting techniques and through enrolling in a course related to online marketing.

2. Build up your copywriting skills

It’s important for copywriters to know how to write on topics related to their client’s product or service. To increase your chances of landing a lucrative freelance writing job, you’ll need to gain in-depth knowledge about the industry your client operates in.

If you want to become a successful copywriter, then you need to build up your knowledge base on a particular topic to increase your chances of being hired.

3. Build an online copywriting portfolio

If you want to be able to land lucrative online writing jobs, then you need to have an online copywriting portfolio that displays samples of your work for potential clients easy access.

If you don’t have a website where you can do this, then you should look into building one.

When you’re writing samples for your freelance copywriting portfolio, it’s important for you to incorporate persuasive marketing techniques so that your work will be viewed as effective by potential clients. You’ll need to ensure your portfolio displays a wide range of examples so that you’ll have the best chances of impressing potential employers.

There are several ways for copywriters to make money online. The freelance writing jobs that they can get range from writing blog posts, press releases and creating content for social media pages to writing marketing copy for ebooks and webpages.

It’s important for people who want to become successful copywriters to understand what this role entails. They need to know what it takes to write good copy, the knowledge and skill set required for writing effective marketing copy and ways in which they can generate revenue as a content writer.

4. Join network marketing groups

Freelance writers who want to generate more work or even get full-time jobs should consider joining networks like Flexjobs and Problogger where employers actively look for copywriters to hire.

The phrases in bold are examples of persuasive strategies that will help the writer market his product or service. The writer needs to know what they’re doing (and why) if they want to be successful – and this article does a good job of explaining it.

How much can you expect to earn as a freelance copywriter?

The amount of money you can make as a freelance copywriter varies depending on the market you are in, your experience level and what types of jobs you are able to secure. Most companies that are looking for writers pay anywhere between $25-$75 per 500 words. Beginning copywriters may start out by charging less than this, but should expect to start raising their rates as they become more experienced and establish a better foothold in the copywriting market.

Professional copywriters may be able to charge anywhere between $50-$200 per 500 words, so it’s feasible for them to make great money with this work-from-home job even if they are just writing short blog posts or articles.

As a freelance copywriter, you’ll usually be required to write around 1000 words per day which means that you can potentially make $100-$350 in a day. This is based on the assumption that you are able to secure one article writing job per day. If you’re able to secure multiple jobs then you could be making more money.

There are copywriters who are able to charge up to $200 per 500 words, so it’s feasible for them to make great money with this work from home job even if they are just writing short blog posts or articles.

Copywriters who are experienced in online marketing can expect to charge a higher hourly rate than novice copywriters.

How to find freelance copywriting jobs and new clients?

I’ve already shared some of my experience with finding work as a freelance copywriter, but now I’d like to share the strategies that have worked for me.

1) Build your portfolio with samples from happy clients

It’s important to remember that this is YOUR portfolio. It should contain only work you are proud of and samples of work you are willing to share with the world.

2) Network with others in the same industry

The easiest way to find a freelance copywriting job is through referrals, which brings me to my next point: networking with other people who are working as freelance copywriters.

This could be something as simple as joining a Facebook group with people in the same industry, or it could be attending conferences and meetups where you can build new relationships.

Here are some of my most successful strategies for finding work through networking:

3) Meet clients in person (or virtually)

Once you’ve started building your portfolio, getting referrals and participating in communities, it’s time to start looking for opportunities for freelance copywriting work.

This can be done by contacting companies or marketers directly or putting together a proposal that you send out to your desired clients.

If the company is too big to care about what you’re offering, you can always connect with someone who works there through LinkedIn or Twitter.

4) Create your own blog or social media following

If you want to make money as a freelance copywriter, it’s important to start building an audience on at least one of the following platforms:

A) Blogging about what you know best.

Create your own blog and write quality articles that give people actionable advice. That way, when the time comes for you to start pitching your services, potential clients will know who you are and trust your opinions.

B) Creating a social media following.

Whether it’s on LinkedIn, Twitter or Pinterest, build an audience by interacting with others in the same industry and posting valuable content that gets shared and liked.

When someone finds your profile and sees that you’re an active member of the community, they’ll be more inclined to check out your portfolio or contact you directly for writing services.

5) Build an email list

Start building a strong email list of all the people who might be interested in what you have to offer.

Use a tool like Aweber to send out personalized outreach emails and start building relationships with potential clients or referral partners.

6) Create a prospecting campaign

This is one of the best ways to find new clients when you don’t have any referral partners.

All you have to do is create a prospecting campaign that you send out to a targeted list of companies or marketers.

You can use a tool like PersistIQ to find prospects and send them outreach emails designed to help them solve their problems with your copywriting services.

7) Actively seek out opportunities

Networking is great but there’s no need to rely 100% on your relationships.

If you want freelance copywriting work, it’s important that you actively seek out opportunities by reaching out to people who have influence over the companies you’re targeting.

This can be done through cold e-mail outreach or LinkedIn messaging.

8) Have a killer portfolio

The easiest way to get freelance copywriting work is to have a killer portfolio that potential clients can see.

Use the examples you’ve written for yourself or your company and create case studies or testimonials that showcase your talents.

This will make it easier for people to trust you, which will lead them to hire you instead of someone else who doesn’t look as good on paper.

9) Start applying to gigs

Once you have your portfolio ready, it’s time to start looking for opportunities.

If you’re new to the industry, Refinery29 has a list of online job boards that are dedicated to finding entry-level copywriting jobs.

You can also search through sites like Upwork to find freelance copywriting jobs.

10) Keep learning

Freelance writing is a competitive industry that’s always changing.

To stay on top of your game, you should always be reading and taking courses that help you improve your skills.

Check out our list of the best books for freelancers to learn more about copywriting, editing, and marketing.

It takes time to build an audience and find freelance copywriting work, especially if you’re just getting started.

So be patient and remember that everything happens for a reason. If you want the job badly enough, then eventually it will

Tips for staying organized

There are so many distractions in this world today, and it’s only getting harder to stay motivated, focused, and on top of your tasks. It can be difficult to schedule time for writing copy or editing your work because you don’t want to miss out on opportunities to get paid work. As a freelancer, you have to do what it takes to stay productive and manage your time.

How can a freelance copywriter be more productive? What resources can they use to their benefit? In this article, I will share 5 tips on how you can become more efficient with your writing tasks, i.e., how to avoid distractions, how to manage client projects, etc.

1. Turn off all distractions. If you want to be more productive at your writing tasks, then you have to stop letting distractions get in the way of your work. For instance, if you’re constantly checking email or popping in on social media sites, then it’s going to be difficult for you to get a lot of work done.

2. Schedule “Scrivener time.” I’m a huge fan of Scrivener by Literature & Latte for writing because it’s an all-in-one cloud storage app, and it’s incredibly easy to use. My main suggestion would be just to schedule a specific time every day to use this app. Your focus will be much higher, and you’ll get the tasks done that you need to get done.

3. Don’t multitask during your learning time. A lot of people are trying to learn new things on the side, but don’t try doing it while you’re working on client projects or other tasks that take a lot of your time and attention. Multitasking during learning time will only hurt your productivity and work performance because you’re dividing up your focus, which is never productive.

4. Take breaks from writing so that you can come back to the task with a fresh perspective. Remember, writers have to constantly be on their toes with great ideas and creative copy, so you have to give yourself a reasonable break from time to time.

It’s just like exercising; you can’t do it all day long, right? You need those breaks as your muscles rest and recover as they grow.

5. Remove distractions in the physical space around you — no TV or internet access at work! If you want to be more productive at your writing tasks, then it’s important to remove all distractions around you. These might include TV, internet access, Facebook notifications, etc.

When you’re working on client projects or copywriting tasks, try to avoid letting these distractions get in the way of your work because they can seriously hinder your performance and abilities.

Setting rates and negotiating contracts

And this is where we get into a grey area: setting rates with clients.

So you’ve got a new client and it’s time to set your word rates. How do you go about setting the rate for this job? Should you charge per hour, per project, or flat rate? Since there are multiple ways to approach setting a rate, let’s think of the reasons that each might benefit you..

• First, you could charge by the hour. This would mean setting your rate per hour and having a maximum number of hours you’d be willing to put into any given project.The downside is that you might end up doing a lot of work for free.

• The second approach is setting your rate per project. This typically involves creating a standard process for writing projects; then, you calculate how much it should cost to go through that process. The benefit here is that if the client wants more than what you think is reasonable, they’re going to have to pay your extra hours.

• The third approach is charging your standard per word rate. For example, if you charge $0.20/word, then the client might be willing to give you more leeway with what they want.The downside of a per word rate is that it’s going to take more time for you to complete the project if you need to do a lot of research to do the copy.

The upside is, if you constantly get work, you will slowly build your portfolio and be able to charge more.

That is why you need a clear brief of what is expected, which keywords to target, what is the Call to Action.

Set your rates accordingly.

This whole business of setting rates comes down to setting yourself apart from the competition. Because you know that setting lower rates than your competitors when you are just beginning (while still setting rates at a fair market rate) will make it more likely for clients to hire you over someone else.

So setting rates can be a delicate matter because it has to do with not only what you love to do, but how much you value yourself and your services. But also remember that setting rates is a business decision which means the rate should reflect the current market.

And this brings us back to negotiating contracts with clients.

If you are just starting out, then you’ll have less negotiating power with the client.

But if you plan to continue in an industry long term, then it is important to build good relationships with your clients by being upfront about who you are and what your expectations are.

That way, you will be able to negotiate better rates and higher pay in the future. Plus, if that client gives you a good referral, then you might just get your name out there into places where clients would never have known about you.

Tips for staying productive and avoiding burnout

When working from home, it is easy to get caught up in the time you have available to yourself.

When working from home, it is easy to get caught up in the time you have available to yourself. You can easily work for 15 hours a day, lose track of time and suddenly realize that you are staying late for dinner. This causes your body clock to get all messed up, and it really is not healthy.

Only by staying on top of your schedule will you be able to avoid burning out.

Fortunately, there are ways around this problem. By staying organized and staying on top of your schedule, you can easily get back into a regular routine that does not cause stress or burnout.

A lot of people have a hard time staying motivated.

Tips for staying productive:

1) Set real goals – When working from home, it is easy to get caught up in your work and not notice the day going by. By setting realistic goals you will be able to better manage your time and actually complete something by the time the day is over.

2) Set an alarm clock – Even if you go to bed and get up at roughly the same time every day, having a visible reminder of what time it is, helps keep your day on track.

3) Get ready for work – Getting dressed and staying productive is key to staying focused on your work and staying on track.

4) Eat a healthy breakfast – This is vital for staying productive because staying well-nourished gives you the fuel to power through your day. Make sure that it contains protein and complex carbohydrates, as these will give you energy over a longer period of time.

5) Exercise – Exercise during the day has been scientifically proven to make you stay productive for longer.

6) Staying hydrated – Staying hydrated helps you to avoid getting tired, especially if it is hot or humid weather outside.

7) Stay away from caffeine – If you are staying productive and staying awake all day through the use of caffeine, eventually your body will build up a resistance to caffeine, and staying productive will be tougher.

Specific tips to avoid burnout during your day:

1) Set your workspace up in a way that you like and will keep you productive. Having all of your staying productivity tools at hand helps with staying focused and staying productive throughout the day, make sure that it is somewhere where there will be no distractions and where you can focus on staying productive.

2) Listen to music – Listening to music can be a great tool for staying productive because it will shut out the noise around you, making it easier for staying focused and staying productive.

3) Take breaks – Breaks are an important part of staying productive, this is because taking breaks allows your mind to rest so that staying productive becomes easier.

4) Schedule – This is vital for staying focused and making sure you get stuff done. If you schedule out time to work on client projects and personal development, you will stay motivated and focused on the relevant tasks in hand.

5) Use the time that you have – When staying productive it is easy to get hung up on how little or much time there is left in your day, but if you use every second wisely, staying productive will be a lot easier.

6) Set deadlines for yourself – In order to keep focused and stay motivated, set deadlines for smaller tasks as well as larger ones. It is always better to have something staying productive tasks to see your progress.

7) Just build momentum – This is one of the most important staying productive tips, once you get started on something, it becomes easier to stay motivated and focused throughout the day. If you are having a hard time staying productive during the day, just get started on something and build momentum.

8) Keep track of your goals so that you have them insight during the day. Seeing them makes staying productive easier because it gives you the motivation to keep working towards your goals.

9) Delegate – If there are things that are important but do not require your direct involvement, delegate them to other people. This will free up time for you to focus on the business.

10) Prepare – Make sure that you have everything needed at hand before starting a task. This will make staying productive easier because it takes time and effort away from staying focused and staying productive.

11) Avoid distractions – This is very important because there are many things that can pull your staying productivity away. Distractions can be anything from social media sites to even real people.

12) Do not stress yourself out – Stress is the number one obstacle when staying productive because it lowers your staying power and makes staying focused harder.

What to do when work dries up

When work dries up, it can feel like everything is going wrong. You may have faced a period of no income and the pressure may be mounting on you to get paid work. However, this time spent not working can help you get your marketing in order and prepare yourself for future success.

Here are 11 things that I think every copywriter should do when work dries up.

Get rid of the “dead weight” clients

What is dead weight? These are your clients that you either don’t enjoy working with or the clients that aren’t generating enough revenue to justify their time spent. It can be hard to let go of clients because you may think that they will always be a source of work, but in my experience, I have found that is not the case. These clients are weighing you down and causing you to miss out on more lucrative opportunities with other potential clients.

Tackle your marketing backlog

After a busy period, it’s inevitable that there will be some articles or campaigns that you didn’t get to during that time. You may have been too busy to create some new copy or even conduct any research for it. It’s time to tackle some of these articles now because if you don’t do it somebody else certainly will!

Create some passive income streams

Passive income is really important for every freelancer and the best way to generate it is through your own product or service. So if you haven’t got one yet, now is the time to start thinking about it. You want to create something that will bring in revenue over and over again without you needing to do any more work every time.

Publish some case studies

If you’ve had a client that has achieved a great result from a piece of copy you wrote, make sure it gets published. These case studies are going to be the foundations of your testimonial bank which you will draw on for future pitches and can even make their way into some guest blog posts that you publish elsewhere online.

Give yourself a break!

A lack of work can cause a lot of stress so it’s important you treat yourself well. Take some time out from freelancing and spend some more time with friends and family or even just do a bit of relaxation. You may also want to consider taking on a different project during this time, one that doesn’t involve a lack of income. I’m talking about going back to the 9-5 and earning a steady wage.

Create some killer processes and systems

Once you’ve got yourself in order, it’s time to look at your business and create some killer processes and systems that will help your workflow run more efficiently. This can be anything from creating templates for emails or presentations, having an A4 folder with pre-prepared stuff for your pitches and knowing exactly what you need to do next.

Set yourself a marketing goal

At the end of every month, sit down and write down 10 things that you want to achieve during the next 30 days. These can be anything from creating an email course, publishing a case study or having a completed product to launch. These 10 goals will become your mission statement and you should treat them as invaluable.

Create a presentation to give to potential clients

If you’re struggling to get any work, it’s important that you start proactively pitching yourself and finding new opportunities. This is where creating an irresistible presentation can really help. You can use this as part of your pitch to prospective clients or even as a slide deck for a presentation you give at industry events.

Write a book

If you’re serious about becoming a full-time self-employed copywriter, then writing a book is the next logical step. At least that’s what most people will tell you anyway. You don’t need to go down this route if it’s not what you want to do, but if you want the credibility of having a book, then now is definitely the time to start thinking about it.

Write some guest blog posts

If you haven’t written any guest blog posts yet, now is the best time to start thinking about getting your name out there by writing for other blogs. You can use them as a way to demonstrate your expertise and get your name out there, even if nobody reads them! The main thing is to think of it as an opportunity to generate traffic for yourself. It’s not just about the money.

Make an action plan for the next 3 months

When you have a little bit of time to yourself, take some time out and write down what your main goals are over the next 90 days. These should be specific and measurable targets that you can track on a daily basis so that you can constantly improve upon them rather than having large targets that are too vague to provide any real feedback.

Dealing with clients

This is one of the most important parts of being a freelancer. Not only do you need to be able to manage your time, but also that of your co-workers (if you work with any) and clients alike. If you’re not an organized person, it might be difficult for you at first; however, once you get into the swing of things, it’ll be much easier for you to manage time wisely.

When working with clients, it’s important that you’re always able to meet deadlines and deliver any work according to the agreed terms.

Most problems arise because of miscommunication, which causes either the client to be disappointed in not receiving work on time, or you being frustrated because the client isn’t satisfied.

Always charge 50 % upfront, and the rest before delivery.

Make a contract with all the conditions that would be in that contract. Make it clear what you will do and what the client should expect, for example:

Deliverables – time frames – revisions

Meet deadlines. It is crucial that your clients are aware of the deadlines set. If you’re not able to meet them, let them know as soon as possible so they can cancel the project or give an extension if needed.

If you need to decline a project, let them know as soon as possible so that they can find another freelancer if needed.

When it comes to dealing with the client, there are several things you have to always consider:

Onboarding – Feedback – Client expectations

Are you new to working with clients? Make sure to onboard them properly so that there are no problems down the road.

What if you come across a client who’s just plain difficult to work with? The best way is to keep open communication on what could be done to improve the client relationship. If it doesn’t help, drop them.

Always make sure to keep in touch with the client and let them know what’s going on throughout the project if there are any problems or anything that can be improved. If you need to change something, talk to your client first.

Get a calendar/planner.

I like to use Calendly to schedule meetings with clients. It works like this: You set up your calendar, and the client will receive an email containing a link to reserve a time slot on your calendar. Once they do, you’ll receive another email telling you that someone is trying to book a meeting with you.

Once the date and time arrive, an email will be sent to the client, reminding them of what you’re doing.

You can also use it for other purposes, such as scheduling Skype meetings with your co-workers.

If you don’t want to use Calendly, there are plenty of other tools to use. Get organized!

Final thoughts – is copywriting for you, or should you explore other options?

Freelance copywriting can be a great way to make money while also enjoying a lot of freedom.

The benefits are many, and as long as you put in the work required to get started, you should have no trouble finding clients and building your portfolio.

If you’re interested in becoming a freelance copywriter, follow these steps to get started. We hope this information has been helpful and that you find success in your freelance copywriting career!

And if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out for help.