Prospecting is an important way to build your business. But there’s another way that, once you get the right plans in motion, is so much simpler. Referral work comes through little to no effort of your own. Sounds nice, eh? Let’s talk about how to build your referral system to get copywriting work. Referrals make up the vast majority of my business now. Don’t get me wrong: I … [Read more...]
Why Do Some Copywriters Work for Content Mills (and for Peanuts)?
Start a Google search for copywriting jobs, and it won’t be long before you uncover copywriters willing to work for bargain basement rates. Many of them are writing for content mills (more on the difference between copy and content here) and some well... just don't know what they're doing. But instead of letting that discourage you, it should encourage you—and help you realize … [Read more...]
Questions You Need to Ask Your Copywriting Clients
Starting a new project with a new client is exciting, but don’t let that excitement get in the way of your strategy. To keep your project from getting mired in confused schedules and dozens of rounds of review, you need to start the project off with concrete answers to some important questions. These are essential questions to ask your copywriting clients. You already know … [Read more...]
The Worst (and Best) Places to Get Copywriting Advice
One of my favorite sayings isn’t appropriate to print here, so I’ll paraphrase: Opinions are like [unpleasant but necessary body part]; everybody’s got one. Advice is similar—everybody’s got some. Unfortunately, though, a lot of people who want to give advice have bad advice to offer. That's especially true if you're becoming a copywriter or even if you've been running … [Read more...]
Does Your Client Really Need a Sales Page?
Selling online used to be about driving visitors to a sales page and throwing as much persuasive copy at them as possible, then hoping they’d click the “buy now” button. Just a few years ago, selling without a sales page would be unthinkable. After all, if you don’t have a page to drive people to the place that has all the details, how do you sell them? Today, though, … [Read more...]
Use Your Copywriting Blog to Attract Potential Clients to Your Portfolio Site
One of the biggest challenges any copywriter will face is finding a steady stream of clients. And while active prospecting can’t be beat, there are also a few other tactics you can use for attracting interest and nurturing potential clients. You already know that having an online portfolio is non-negotiable—if you want to be seen as a professional, you have to have a site … [Read more...]
Should I Pay to Advertise My Copywriting Business?
If you ever look at Meta, Instagram, Google, TikTok, or any number of platforms, you encounter a ton of ads for lots of products and services. After a while, it’s hard not to wonder, “If it’s working for them, wouldn’t it work for me?” Does paid advertising work for a copywriting business? Paid advertising can be a great place to way to get a lot of traffic to your portfolio … [Read more...]
When You Need to Get Down to Work: The 5 Second Rule
I’d love my clients to think I have a super-human ability to get down to work and churn out amazing copy. However, the truth my students need to know is that I absolutely do not have that super-human ability, and I often find it just as hard to get focused and sit down to work as anyone. And because I know I face this challenge—and because I get the questions about it … [Read more...]
How To Mess Up a Call With a Prospective Client
Recently, I was on one of the worst sales call I’ve ever been on. But let me clarify: This guy was trying to sell me on a solution. And he was terrible. Periodically, I’ll watch webinars and hop on sales calls to see what kind of new information is out there. I’m not an omniscient marketer; I know there’s always more to learn, and there’s always information I can pass … [Read more...]
Ace These Copywriting Interview Questions to Land the Job
When you get called in for an interview, you need to make sure your online and print portfolios are up to date and your resume and references are current. But you also need to be prepared to answer all kinds of copywriting interview questions. These are questions that are specific to copywriting—in addition to the "standard" interview questions. No job interview is easy, but … [Read more...]