Quick quiz! What’s the first thing you do when a potential client reaches out to you?
A. Squeal in excitement
B. Start digging into the copy, duh!
C. Stalk them on LinkedIn
Well, the answer should be some combination of A and C.
Excitement is totally warranted when a new client reaches out—especially if you like the company!
But, as with many things in life, we need to hold space for two seemingly opposite things: excitement and skepticism.
Job scams are a tale as old as time. They’re not unique to copywriters, but there are a few red flags specific to writers you can look out for. And, there are a few key steps to take before agreeing to any work!
Listen to hear Kate and I share our top tips for spotting job scams and how to (wisely!) proceed if you’re interested in any opportunity.
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Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!
A Sneak Peek at the Episode
[01:02] What employment scams are out there? Look out for some of the texts and the emails and the direct messages we’ve been getting. What flags to watch out for. What flags that maybe they’re not scammers, but maybe they’re just not the kind of clients that you wanna be working with.
[02:05] The first place to start is the fact that it can be really exciting when someone reaches out to you with an employment opportunity. But then knowing that the next step is to dig into this further and do a little bit of research before replying, or responding anything.
[06:48] Does the company exist? From what you can see on the company’s page, Is that person employed at that company? Does the company and the name match? Do they have experience listed? Do they have people that have recommended them? Are they connected to anyone?
[08:31] When you are in control of your own outreach and you are finding the opportunities. You don’t have to worry about who I have to make the most of every single person who reaches out to me.
[08:50] Just be judicious. Just be thoughtful about who people are and who people say they are. And it’s very easy to reach out to. Be careful about what information you give. How much time you spend engaging with these people.
[10:14] My first suggestion would be when you write back, if you’re interested in something, ask to get on a call with them and preferably ask to get on a video call with them. And if they’re not willing to do that, then that’s huge red flag.
[12:45] Employment scammers will try to push you and make you feel guilty. It is part of the tactics. They prey on making you feel guilty, making you make rush decisions and then getting you invested in it.
[14:54] There’s nobody who’s going to give a rush project to a complete stranger. No real company operates like that. Every real company is more than happy to talk to the people they’re going to pay.
[15:30] Some clients are more organized than others. But most companies have a process for how they work with someone who’s brand new and getting on a call is the first step in that process. So even if you’ve gone down the line, they also have a process for paying individuals. Typically, they fill out proper paperwork
[16:25] There’s some legit companies that do unpaid copy tests. We don’t support that. But you can ask if they’re willing to compensate you for your time. It’s not necessarily that it’s a scam, it’s just maybe a bad fit for a company you don’t wanna work with.
[11:54] Getting on a call though again, and talking with people and having conversations allows you to see whether or not they’re a business that you wanna do business with.
[19:20] If you decide to work with a client, make sure that you’re very clear on the terms of this work. All of that stuff needs to be agreed on before you begin doing any work at all. And both you and your client have to agree.
[22:00] You also have to watch out for yourself. You’re trying to be accommodating because you feel bad enforcing boundaries when someone is apparently reaching out to you and look and offering you work, right?
[23:00] You are a professional. It is not your job to bend over backwards for people nor your job to be accommodating. It is your job to be a professional and provide valuable copywriting, valuable messaging, and to partner with serious clients.
[23:21] All of these scenarios, maybe some of them are clearly scammers. Some of them might even be legitimate companies, but they’re not serious companies. We would strongly recommend you steer clear.
Must-Hear Takeaways
As with every episode, we highly encourage you to listen to the entire conversation! But here are a few of the highlights:
“Be careful about what information you give. Be careful about how much time you spend engaging with these people. ‘Cause we know scammers are really, really good.” – Nicki
“They work on making you doubt yourself and you need to have those firm boundaries. I don’t do work with someone until I see them on a video call, I absolutely do not.” – Nicki
“There’s a process and systems in place and you wanna look out for these things, but the call is the first step.” – Kate
“There’s some legit companies that do unpaid copy tests. If they’re not willing to pay you in value for your time and you don’t feel valued right off the bat in that relationship, then maybe that’s not a business you wanna work with.” -Nicki
“Get a sense for them ’cause yes, even if they are a legitimate company, you may just get a feeling from them, certainly.” – Nicki
“You need to be super, super clear and excessively communicative to make sure that you and your client are on the same page. Otherwise, problems will develop.” – Nicki
“Without that foundation, someone is gonna be disappointed. Chaos or frustrated or it’s just not gonna be a successful project.” – Kate
“I think, again, most of them are more obvious than others. If you’re unsure, you’re on the fence, you’re excited about an opportunity, share it with group and we can help weigh in. Get on a call and go from there.” – Kate
“Just be out there, be in the world, but be wise and take care of yourself. Advocate for yourself, and don’t be afraid to be less than absolutely accommodating, especially with someone who is not your client yet.” – Nicki
Mentioned in the Episode
- Ep. 56: What is a Copywriting Test and Should You Do One?
- Setting Boundaries as a Copywriter
- Ep. 182: What’s the Best Way to Communicate with Copywriting Clients?
Related Links
- Which Work-From-Home Writing Jobs Are Real?
- Ep. 133: Are You Giving Off Any of These Copywriter Red Flags?
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About the Build Your Business Podcast
Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?
Join professional copywriters Nicki Krawczyk and Kate Sitarz to get the tips, tools, and training to help you become a copywriter and build a thriving business of your own. Nicki and Kate have 20+ and 10+ years of experience, respectively, writing copy for multi-billion-dollar companies, solopreneurs, and every size business in between.
Whether you want to land an on-staff job, freelance full-time and work from wherever you want, or make extra money with a side hustle, the best place to start learning is right here.
