Building a great portfolio is fundamental to landing work—there are no two ways about it. But there’s one other element that can help “sell” you to potential clients and employers before they even meet you: copywriting testimonials. Once you’ve done work with clients, one of the best ways to get additional copywriting work is to re-pitch those same clients. … [Read more...]
Tips for Copywriters Working With Remote Clients
Working from home (or, frankly, wherever you want) is a dream shared by many copywriters. And, now more than ever, clients don't care where you are. They care about the work you do. Working with remote clients, whether they're in another state or another country, though, is a greater challenge than many people realize. You need to make sure you're setting yourself, and your … [Read more...]
How To Set Up Customer Surveys
You need to know about your target audience to craft a message that makes sense to them. But what if your client doesn’t know anything about the people to whom they sell? Then it might just be up to you to find out. It’s shocking, but it’s true: There are some companies who have no idea who they’re selling to. Sure, if they’re a cable provider, you can guess that they are … [Read more...]
Copywriters Confess Their Dirty Secrets
Here’s a not-so-secret secret: Nobody’s perfect. But the ways that copywriters aren’t can be very instructional for other new or would-be copywriters. So, let’s unearth some deep, dark truths from real-life copywriters and learn away. In the words of Mary Poppins, I am perfectly perfect in every way.* But I happen to know a lot of copywriters, and I also happen to know that … [Read more...]
5 Things Clients and Product Managers Wish Copywriters Knew
The people who request your copywriting work—clients or product managers—are crucial partners in the project. But just because you’re working on the same thing doesn’t mean you’re speaking the same language. Here are five things you don’t know that they wish you did. Most clients and product managers have absolutely no experience being on the other side of the table—that is, … [Read more...]
Habits of Wildly Successful Copywriters
What they say is true: Cultivating the right habits can have a major impact on your success. After all, what we do every day determines what we become. So, what are the habits of wildly successful copywriters? As many business and success gurus will tell you, the fastest way to succeed is to study the things successful people do, and then do those same things. So, in the … [Read more...]
How to Fix Bad Copywriting Feedback
A big part of being a copywriter is incorporating the feedback you receive in creative reviews. But what do you do when you get bad feedback? And not feedback that makes you sad but truly useless feedback? Imagine this scenario: You had a creative review with your client and the client is...well, let's say you get the vibe they're not thrilled. Your client keeps suggesting … [Read more...]
Is Your Press Release Missing This One Key Element?
Press releases can be a terrific addition to your copywriting tool kit and can be yet another way to win your client's devotion. However, there's one big mistake that many press release writers make that leaves their clients feeling like they wasted their money. Full disclosure: I went to school for public relations (majored in it, actually). I quickly discovered that I … [Read more...]
How to Keep a Project from Falling Through
It's heartbreaking: You find a potential client, put together the perfect proposal, they say "Yes!" and then...the project just dies. No project...and no paycheck. Let's talk about why that happens and what you can do about it. First, let me just say that this premature project death happens to the best of us, even the very best. Clients that were extra jazzed about moving … [Read more...]
7 Ways to Burn Bridges Like a Champ
We focus a lot on ways to be a better copywriter, but let's turn things around a bit. Here we focus on the not-to-dos: seven things that will make you a worse one and earn you the dislike of your boss/client and coworkers, if not help you lose your job. To begin with, obviously, the best way to keep your job is to work hard, work well, be friendly, and be … [Read more...]