The first time I made six figures as a copywriter was in 2008...right in the middle of the Great Recession...right after I left my full-time job to go freelance. Why then? Especially knowing that period was when, sadly, companies were laying off staff left and right. But here’s the key: **Companies still needed copy because copy drives business.** Remember, copywriting … [Read more...]
The Very Common Assumptions That Will Cut Your Copywriting Business in Half
There are a lot of tasks that require focus and persistence when you’re building your copywriting business. What we’re talking about today is not one of them. The process of compiling the companies that you’re going to pitch should be easy, light-hearted, and fun. This is one part of your business-building in which I’m going to actively encourage you to go down rabbit … [Read more...]
How NOT to Pitch Potential Copywriting Clients
You already know that pitching clients is the #1 way to affect and control your workload and your income. But I know…the idea of reaching out to people seems scary. It seems soooo much easier to just watch those job-bidding sites and respond when you see something posted. (Which is a great strategy for frustration and underpayment.) What you’re not aware of is how very, … [Read more...]
Why Your Clients Need Funnels (And Need You to Write Them)
Let’s imagine you’re sitting in a bar. A member of your preferred partnering gender walks in the door, walks up to you, and says, “Hi, it’s nice to meet you. Will you marry me?” Would you do it? Of course not! There would be numerous dates and conversations and experiences before you’d be ready to take that step in that relationship. So then, why do so many businesses … [Read more...]
Should Copywriters Be Concerned About a Recession?
Do the words “fiscal cliff” and “economic trouble” fill you with fear? Take heart: copywriting is one of the best jobs in a recession. First, while there will be a recession at some point in the future (since that’s how economies work), there’s no way of telling if one is on the horizon and how long or difficult it could be. Second, I would never tell you not to … [Read more...]
What You Need to Talk to Your Copywriting Clients About Right Now
Okay, we’re going to keep it short this week because, frankly, there isn’t a lot of time. And that’s the point. It’s already mid-October, less than two and a half months away from the beginning of the holiday season. (Hanukkah starts on December 22nd this year.) And only seven weeks away from Black Friday! This means that brands need to start thinking now about their … [Read more...]
Why the Way Most Copywriters Look for Work…Doesn’t Work
I’ve heard it, you’ve heard it, we’ve all heard it: “Writers don’t make any money!” Or even more specifically: “Copywriters don’t really make any money—it’s all lies.” (In fact, there are many misconceptions and myths about copywriting. We look at more of them in this blog post. >>) As someone who, when I’m focused on just copywriting, has no problem hitting six … [Read more...]
Can Copywriting Software Replace Skilled Copywriters in 2024?
It's a question almost every new copywriter has: "Is AI (artificial intelligence) taking over copywriting?" The short answer is absolutely not. Nonetheless, it's a valid concern. If you're getting into a new career, you want to know there's going to be work and job growth potential. With new AI models like ChatGPT and Jasper.ai combined with sensationalist news headlines … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Vastly Improve Your Pitches to Would-Be Copywriting Clients
Not only should you not be afraid of pitching would-be copywriting clients, but, in fact, they want you to pitch them. And, of course, we’ve also already covered how pitching is the only way to truly be in control of your business and your income and why “easier” ways of finding work (I’m looking at you, Upwork and Freelancer!) are actually the fast track to … [Read more...]
How to Sell a Sales Page Project
We’ve talked about why sales pages are such a great project for copywriters and how to write them so that they’re exceptionally effective. Here we dive into tactics for helping to you sell sales page projects to clients or, more specifically, how to sell yourself as the ideal writer for a client’s sales page project. The thing about sales pages is that, unlike most other … [Read more...]