When I tell my copywriting students that they need to pitch their copywriting services to potential clients, there’s often a lot of push back. A lot. And I get it: They’re afraid of reaching out to strangers. Of bothering them. Of asking for their business. Of potentially not getting that business—or, what they anticipate will feel like rejection. So some students … [Read more...]
3 Things New Copywriters Worry About…That They Really Don’t Have To
Last week, we talked about ways clients can tell you’re a brand-new copywriter. And don’t get me wrong: There’s nothing wrong with being new. But there’s a lot wrong with seeming inexperienced to your potential clients. Today, we’re going to take a different angle, and talk about three things that new copywriters often worry about—but that they don’t actually have to. So let’s … [Read more...]
Oops! How Clients Can Tell You’re a Brand-New Copywriter
There's nothing wrong with being new. Even the most seasoned, successful copywriters were once new to copywriting. So if you’re starting out right there at square one, guess what? You’re in exactly the right place. That said, though, no one wants to hire a brand-new copywriter. It’s nothing personal: YOU are a fabulous human being. But hiring anyone to do anything is a risk, … [Read more...]
How to Know if You Should Charge Copywriting Clients Upfront
Recently, one of my copywriting students asked me if she should be charging her copywriting clients upfront and, if so, whether she should be charging the full amount, 50%, or another percentage. Here’s the thing: I suspect the copywriters that have their clients pay upfront comes from a fear that the client isn’t going to pay them at all and getting some of their fee is better … [Read more...]
Do You Need to Incorporate?
First, a caveat: I am neither an attorney nor an accountant and none of my advice should be taken lieu of talking with a professional. Never let a blog post make your legal decisions for you. Also, all of this information is based on US law and law as of the date of publication. That said, this blog post is based on a few facts, my experience, and my advice based on these. … [Read more...]
The 3 Types of Clients and Why You Need to Identify Them
It should go without saying, but not every client is the same. But often, we hope every client will react in exactly the same way to our pitches: With resounding YES! In reality, clients tend to fall into three groups—and if we approach these clients in the right way according to their groups, we’re much more likely to get that “yes.” The Three Types of Clients Clients fall … [Read more...]
The Copywriting Project That Sells Itself to Your Customers
I know I don’t have to tell you that better copy makes a website more effective. If the copy is better, visitors to that site will be more likely to interact, more likely to do what the website’s owner wants them to do. But it’s not always easy to draw a straight line between new, more effective copy and more sales. A better-written home page or a better-written About Us … [Read more...]
Who Do Copywriters Write For?
I’m going to assume you’re already clear on what copy is—persuasive writing, designed to either literally sell something or to persuade someone to take an action or think a certain way—and that you’re also clear on the difference between content and copy. (If not, you can check it out here.) But I think there’s still some confusion out there about where you find copywriting … [Read more...]
The Real Secret to Business — and Life — Success
As long as I’ve been in this business, and especially in the eight years that I’ve been teaching copywriting to would-be copywriting pros, I’ve gotten this question a lot: “What’s the real secret to being successful?” Well, I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is that there absolutely is a secret. Well, wait—let me put quotes around that. There is a … [Read more...]
Why Facebook is Where You Should Find Your Next Clients
I know, we’ve all heard it: “Facebook is dying!” And it’s definitely true that teens are adopting it nearly as much as they did in the past. But…if your clientele is teens, you’ve got a bigger problem. The truth is that Facebook is still wildly popular among adults—and one crucial group of adults in particular. Solopreneurs and, more broadly, entrepreneurs with small … [Read more...]
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