How Do You Get Clients For Copywriting? | How to Get Clients for Copywriting? 5 Steps You Must Take

If you’re looking for a new challenge in 2020, consider applying for a career in copywriting. The demand for copywriters is expected to increase by 19% year from 2019 to 2025.

The growing reputation of content marketing as a useful marketing strategy and the increasing importance of SEO all contribute to the fact that businesses of all sizes are scrambling for copywriters. And you can be sure that they will pay well for your time.

While it’s easy to become inspired by the opportunities that lie ahead, it’s important to take a step back and consider what you’ll need to do to get started. In this article, we’ll discuss the essential steps you must take to become a successful copywriter.

1. Focus On Building A Solid Foundation

Before you can start writing, you’ll need to establish yourself as a professional capable of handling various tasks with confidence. Consider the following:

The ability to research and interpret information effectively.
A flair for language and an eye for detail.
A clear understanding of the scope and purpose of your work.
The ability to work collaboratively.
The ability to meet tight deadlines.
A working knowledge of SEO and digital marketing.
Knowledge of content strategy, messaging, and brand voice
A drive to continually improve

All of these elements will make you stand out among the competition, establishing you as a capable and trusted professional

2. Identify Your Niche

Once you’ve established yourself as a professional, you can consider specialising in a particular area of copywriting. This can be hugely beneficial not only do you gain experience, but you also establish yourself as an expert in a particular field. For instance, if you develop an expertise in SEO, you can become the go-to person for all of your client’s digital marketing needs.

In addition to establishing your expertise, you can use this as a way to attract prospective clients. If you become very knowledgeable about SEO, you can become the best person to tell them what they should be doing to improve their search engine rankings.

3. Build Your Portfolio

Now that you have a good foundation and you know what you’re capable of, you can start to build your portfolio. This is where you can demonstrate your skills to potential clients. Remember, your portfolio doesn’t have to be perfect. You’re looking for prospects to form a relationship with, so you can ultimately develop into a long-term client.

You can start by showcasing your work on websites and blogs for small businesses. You can use platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, or Elance to find freelance copywriting opportunities. If you’re looking to establish yourself as a full-time freelance copywriter, look into developing your own blog. Blogging is a great way to establish yourself as an expert in a particular niche and to build your portfolio. Once you’ve established yourself as an expert in your field, you can consider moving into podcasting or video content production.

4. Find A Spare Moment

Time is always a concern for busy professionals. You’ll need to find a spare moment to create and polish your content. This means getting everything done outside of the office. Whether it’s attending seminars or conferences, getting a workout at the gym, or taking a nap – find a way to make time for yourself so that you can produce the content that will keep your clients coming back for more.

5. Follow Up

Just because you’ve landed a client doesn’t mean that the work is over. The job isn’t finished until you’ve followed up with the client and assured them that you’ve taken care of their needs. This means you’ll need to get in touch with them regularly to gauge their needs and make sure that you’re providing the best possible service.

On a weekly basis, you can follow up with an email checking in and asking how they’re doing and whether they’ve found any content that’s served their needs well.

On the other hand, bi-weekly or monthly phone calls may be needed to follow up on outstanding issues or to provide an update on the work that’s been completed so far.

The key to landing long-term clients is by consistently providing excellent service.

Developing your own unique approach to pitching and demonstrating your value will help you become the go-to person for copywriting services. Remember to focus on the value that you provide, not what you sell. The more you can demonstrate that you can solve their problems and that you have a clear understanding of their business objectives, the greater chance you have of landing a lucrative contract.

Your existing network and social media platforms can also be used to gain support and expand your network. Post regularly on your social media platforms about your industry, offer to help others with your expertise, and make sure that your Twitter, LinkedIn, and other platforms are up to date.

Apply For As Many Clients As Possible

The best way to become successful as a copywriter is by applying for as many clients as possible. This means that you should prepare for the unexpected and make sure that you’re always responding to potential opportunities.

Keep your ears open for opportunities, read professional publications, and follow reputable blogs in your industry. When you spot a potential client, be sure to reach out to them and introduce yourself. If they’re interested, you can negotiate a customised proposal based on their needs and objectives. Then, you can sit down and hammer out the details of the contract.

Create A Workflow

With any new profession or career, there’s always the issue of getting everything done efficiently and effectively. Developing a clear workflow is essential so that you can streamline your process and save time. When you’re writing for different platforms (e.g., SEO, content for websites, etc.) it can be difficult to keep track of what needs to be done where and by whom.

You can establish your own personalised workflow by putting everything down on one document. Within that document, you can lay out the responsibilities of each team member and what needs to be done to move the process along. This can be done in an internal task manager or spreadsheet.

Your workflow can be highly customised to fit the way that you work best. You can also add different platforms and tasks to the workflow so that you can ensure that everything is taken care of.

Manage Your Time

Time is the most precious commodity for any professional. Even if you have a nine-to-five office job with good pay, you’ll still need to make time for yourself. While you should certainly be compensated for the work that you do (and probably should be paid extra for working on sensitive projects involving celebrities, politicians, or organizations with a high social status), you also need to consider the value that you provide.

Make sure to prioritise the tasks that you have to complete each week. Set aside time for both freelance work and client work, and try to complete as much as you can while still maintaining a healthy work-life balance. You can always adjust your schedule to fit the demands of your workload.

Know When To Say No

Every so often, you’ll receive a proposal that seems too good to be true. Maybe the client is willing to pay you a massive amount of money for a piece of content, or they’re offering you a multiyear contract with no other obligations. Naturally, you’ll want to say yes to such a lucrative proposal, but before you do, make sure that you consider all of the aspects including the following:

The amount of work that you’ll have to do
The deadline for delivery of the content
The quality of the content
Your willingness to put in the effort needed to produce the content
The amount of payment that you’ll receive
The legal implications that might arise from working with a new client

If you’re not comfortable with any of the aspects mentioned above, then it might be a good idea to pass on the opportunity.