How To Become A Freelance Copywriter & Get Your First Client

Summary

In this video, Alex shares six essential steps for starting a freelance copywriting business from home. Emphasizing that no formal writing background is needed, Alex highlights the importance of empathy, creativity, and a passion for writing. The steps include studying copywriting, defining what you offer, identifying your target clients, crafting a self-pitch, building an online portfolio, and finding clients using both push and pull strategies. Alex also dispels the myth that copywriters must be classically trained, encouraging viewers to leverage their unique experiences and interests.

Takeaways

• 😀 Copywriting is essential for every business, including social media posts, emails, and website content.
• 🏆 Copywriting allows for a flexible, location-independent career with just a laptop and word processing skills.
• 🌟 Alex's journey into copywriting began with an internship at Mindvalley, which opened up a world of creative career opportunities.
• 📚 To excel in copywriting, continuous learning is crucial, including studying from various programs, courses, and industry leaders.
• 🎯 Define your copywriting niche and the specific services you offer to target the right clients and showcase your expertise.
• 👥 Understand your ideal client and tailor your services to meet their needs, which can help in attracting similar clients in the future.
• 💼 Write a compelling self-sales pitch that clearly communicates your offerings and the value you bring to potential clients.
• 🌐 Build an online presence with a portfolio and profiles on professional networks to make it easy for clients to find and trust you.
• 📈 Seek testimonials from satisfied clients to use as social proof, which can significantly boost your credibility and attract more clients.
• 🔍 Implement both push and pull strategies to find clients, with the push strategy involving proactive outreach and the pull strategy focusing on making your services easily discoverable.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video?

The main focus of the video is to guide viewers on how to start a freelance copywriting business from home, providing the first six steps to take.

Why does Alex believe copywriting is a great business to start?

Alex believes copywriting is a great business to start because every business on the planet needs copy, and it allows for time and location independence with just a laptop.

What was Alex's initial goal when he applied for an internship at Mindvalley?

Alex's initial goal was to defer law school for a year to travel and have fun.

What did Alex learn about the copywriting industry while working at Mindvalley?

At Mindvalley, Alex learned that there was a high demand for copywriters, as every product launch and communication needed copywriting, and he discovered the world of online marketing.

What are some of the copywriting programs and courses Alex studied?

Alex studied programs like Frank Kern’s Mass Control and Andre Chaperon's Auto Responder Madness.

What are the three key qualities Alex mentions are necessary for a good copywriter?

The three key qualities necessary for a good copywriter, according to Alex, are empathy, creativity, and a passion for writing.

What is the first step Alex recommends for starting a copywriting business?

The first step Alex recommends is to study and learn from the best by taking courses, reading books, and enrolling in seminars.

Why is it important to be clear about what you offer as a copywriter?

Being clear about what you offer helps define your services and sets expectations for potential clients, which is essential for building a successful freelance business.

How does Alex suggest finding your niche in copywriting?

Alex suggests finding your niche by considering your personal interests and experiences, as empathy is key in copywriting, and it's easier to serve clients in areas you are passionate about.

What is the significance of writing a self-sales pitch for a copywriter?

Writing a self-sales pitch is significant because it helps you articulate your value and offerings to potential clients, which is crucial for selling your services.

Why is building an online portfolio and profile important for a copywriter?

An online portfolio and profile are important for a copywriter because they serve as a platform for showcasing your work, attracting clients, and building credibility in the industry.

What are the two strategies Alex mentions for finding clients as a copywriter?

The two strategies Alex mentions for finding clients are a 'push' strategy, where you actively seek out clients, and a 'pull' strategy, where you establish an online presence to attract clients.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Starting a Freelance Copywriting Business

Alex introduces the video aimed at those interested in starting a freelance copywriting business. Copywriting is defined as any written content created for business or sales purposes, such as Facebook ads, social media posts, and website copy. Alex emphasizes that copywriting is a versatile and in-demand skill, requiring only a laptop and basic writing tools. The video promises to share six essential steps for starting a copywriting business, dispelling the myth that one must be a classically trained writer to succeed. Instead, the key attributes for a copywriter are empathy, creativity, and a passion for writing.

05:02

🎓 Continuous Learning and Defining Your Copywriting Niche

The second paragraph focuses on the importance of continuous learning in copywriting, suggesting that even with over a decade of experience, Alex still engages in reading and listening to podcasts to improve. It then advises on defining what services one offers as a copywriter, such as long-form sales letters or social media posts, and determining how one wishes to serve clients, whether part-time, full-time, or on a contract basis. The paragraph also stresses the importance of identifying the target clientele early on, as initial clients shape the future client base. Alex shares personal experience, starting in the personal development niche due to personal interest, which sustains motivation and job satisfaction.

10:02

💼 Crafting a Self-Sales Pitch and Building an Online Presence

In the third paragraph, Alex discusses the necessity of writing a compelling self-sales pitch, even if it feels uncomfortable. This pitch is crucial for selling one's services effectively. The paragraph also covers building an online portfolio and profile to increase visibility and attract potential clients. Alex recommends being active on professional platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram, and having a personal website or Upwork profile. The importance of collecting testimonials from past clients is highlighted as social proof that can significantly boost credibility and client acquisition. Lastly, the paragraph touches on finding clients through both push and pull strategies, with a promise to link to a detailed video on this topic at the end of the current video.

Keywords

💡Copywriting

Copywriting refers to the act of writing promotional content for businesses with the intent to persuade or sell. In the video, Alex emphasizes that every business needs copywriting, whether it's for Facebook ads, social media posts, emails, or website content. Copywriting is central to the video's theme as it's the business Alex is advocating for viewers to start.

💡Freelance Copywriting Business

A freelance copywriting business is a type of self-employed venture where the copywriter offers their writing services to clients on a project-by-project basis. Alex shares his journey and tips on starting such a business, highlighting the flexibility and independence it offers, as he was able to travel the world while running his own copywriting business.

💡Empathy

Empathy in the context of copywriting is the ability to understand and share the feelings of the target audience. Alex mentions that empathy, along with creativity and a passion for writing, is essential for a copywriter. It allows the writer to connect with the audience on a deeper level, which is critical for effective copywriting.

💡Online Marketing

Online marketing is the process of promoting products or services over the internet. The video script mentions that Alex stumbled into the world of online marketing and copywriting, which opened up new career opportunities for him. It's a field where copywriting skills are highly valued and sought after.

💡Mindvalley

Mindvalley is an online publisher of personal development programs mentioned in the script as the company where Alex had an internship. This experience was pivotal for him as it introduced him to the world of copywriting and online marketing, shaping his career path.

💡Portfolio

A portfolio in the context of copywriting is a collection of a writer's work that showcases their skills and style. Alex advises building an online portfolio to demonstrate one's abilities to potential clients. It serves as a proof of the copywriter's expertise and can include samples of their best work.

💡Testimonials

Testimonials are positive feedback or reviews from clients about the services provided. In the video, Alex stresses the importance of collecting testimonials after a successful project, as they add social proof to a copywriter's profile and can be included in their portfolio or online presence to attract more clients.

💡Niche

A niche refers to a specific segment of the market that has particular needs or interests. Alex talks about the importance of finding a niche in copywriting, such as personal development, which aligns with the writer's interests and expertise. This specialization allows copywriters to serve a targeted audience more effectively.

💡Pull Strategy

A pull strategy in marketing is about creating attractive content or a strong online presence to draw in potential clients. Alex discusses the importance of having a clear offer, a defined client base, and an online portfolio as part of a pull strategy to attract the right clients to a copywriting business.

💡Push Strategy

A push strategy involves actively seeking out and engaging with potential clients to offer your services. Alex mentions this as a complementary approach to the pull strategy, where copywriters need to be proactive in finding clients, which he elaborates on in another video.

Highlights

Copywriting is essential for every business, including Facebook ads, social media posts, emails, print copy, and website copy.

Copywriting allows for a location-independent business model, requiring only a laptop and word document.

Alex's journey into copywriting began with an internship at Mindvalley, leading to a career in online marketing.

Studying various copywriting programs and courses is crucial for developing the necessary skills.

Empathy, creativity, and a passion for writing are the core skills needed for copywriting, not just academic excellence.

To start a copywriting business, one must first study and learn from the best in the field.

Clarifying what services you offer and who your target clients are is essential for a successful copywriting business.

Choosing a niche allows for specialization and better service to clients within that specific area.

A self-sales pitch is necessary to sell your copywriting services effectively.

Building an online portfolio and profile is key for attracting clients and showcasing your work.

Testimonials from past clients serve as social proof and can significantly enhance your credibility.

A push and pull strategy for finding clients involves both attracting them and actively seeking them out.

Alex offers additional resources and videos for further guidance on copywriting and business growth.

Engage with the community by sharing your challenges and seeking advice to overcome obstacles in copywriting.

Transcripts

If you’re looking to start an at-home copywriting business this video is for you.

Hey guys, it’s Alex and in this video I’m going to share the very first 6 steps you

should take if you're looking to start a freelance copywriting business.

Now, I might be a little bit biased but I truly think that copywriting is the best business

around…

Because, 1, every single business on the planet needs copy.

Whether you’re familiar with precisely what copywriting is or not, just think of it as

any single word written for the purpose of business or making sales.

So Facebook ads, social media posts, emails, print copy, website copy, all of that is considered

copywriting and is needed by businesses small, large, offline, online, you name it.

Copywriting is one of the only creative businesses that allows you to get paid with nothing more

than your laptop.

You don’t need any fancy software programs or Adobe Premiere to edit video, or Photoshop

to edit graphics.

All you need is a word document.

I have travelled all over the world thanks to my copywriting business.

It has given me time independence, location independence, and I can truly say if you’re

looking to start a copywriting business, I think that’s a pretty wise move.

Now, one of the questions I get asked all the time is “How did you get into copywriting?

How did you even know what that was?”

And I have to say I was a little bit lucky because I sort of stumbled into the whole

online marketing and copywriting world when I applied for an internship at Mindvalley,

one of the world's leading online publishers of personal development programs.

And truly my goal with that was to defer law school for a year.

I wanted to travel, I wanted to have fun, I thought “I have all the time in the world

to go back to school.”

So I moved to Malaysia, started working at Mindvalley and my brain exploded.

I had no idea that these types of careers existed.

I thought you could be a doctor, a lawyer, a nurse, accountant, a teacher, that was probably

about it.

And getting submersed in this whole world of online marketing and copywriting just felt

like such a gift.

And I was able to hone my craft and learn how to copywrite, mostly out of necessity.

Because at Mindvalley there was one in house copywriter and he was brilliant.

But I started to notice that he was a major bottleneck because every single product, launch,

email, everything needed his eyeballs on the copy.

And so naturally I thought mmm… maybe I can get my projects progressing a little quicker

if I just learn this whole copywriting business.

So I got to work studying a ton of different programs, I studied Frank Kern’s Mass Control,

Andre Chaperon's Auto Responder Madness, and I just truly fell in love with it.

So I was very very blessed to not only have the education and training, and a playground

to be able to test...

But also the ability to do so.

And so that was truly a unique experience for me.

And when I left the company in 2011 I had all of this training and know-how however,

I was essentially starting from scratch when it came to building and starting my own copywriting

business.

So that might be where you are right now. Maybe you've studied some courses, maybe

you want to get into it, or maybe you haven't done any of that yet and that’s totally

OK.

Now before I dive into my 6 steps you need to take before you start your copywriting

business, there’s something I wanna nip in the bud about copywriting.

And that is this misnomer that in order to be a good copywriter you have to be a classically

trained writer, or you needed to get straight A’s in english class in university or highschool,

or you’re a grammar nazi.

I can tell you none of that is true.

All you need is empathy, creativity, and a passion for writing.

Here’s the thing we are given this extremely amazing skillset to be able to communicate

through words.

And every single business needs that skillset, that’s why copywriters are so highly paid

and are so sought-after by every single business on the planet.

So truly, all you need to start writing is empathy, creativity, and a passion for writing.

And then with that you layer on the tactics and the strategies, and the conversion principles,

and the psychology, and that is what I’m here for.

So if you're looking to start your copywriting business or if you’re looking to scale your

business through copywriting be sure to hit subscribe because I have plenty more videos

coming your way.

Now be sure to watch to the end of this video because I’m going to be linking to some

other episodes for some powerful next steps.

Including how to find a Hot Niche, how to write Hot Headlines and how to land your first

client.

But with that let’s move on to the 6 first steps you should take if you’re starting

your at home copywriting business.

Step number 1, study.

I can not reinforce this enough, don’t take just one copywriting certification program

and call yourself a copywriter.

Get out there and learn from the best, buy programs, sign up for courses, enroll in seminars,

if you haven’t yet go watch my very first episode on the first five books you should

read if you’re teaching yourself how to be a copywriter.

And be sure to hit subscribe because I’m actually going to be launching a copywriting

course and program later this year and will walk you though my exact process for copywriting.

So if that’s interesting to you go ahead hit that subscribe so you don’t miss that

update from me.

And whatever you do never stop studying, I've been in this business for over 10 years and

I still absolutely love reading, listening to podcasts, and learning from the best of

the best out there.

So truly always hone your craft and focus on how you can get better and better and better.

Step number 2, get crystal clear on what you offer.

As I mentioned before every single business on the planet needs writers, but will you

write copy or content?

If you don’t know the difference be sure to watch my video on the difference between

copywriting and content writing.

Do you want to write long form sales letters, social media posts, videos, Facebook ads,

how do you want to serve your client?

Do you want to work part time, full time, contract basis, retainer?

Just really take some time to map out what that dream freelance business would look like

and how you could offer your services.

Okay so that brings me to step 3, get crystal clear on who you want to serve.

And I know in the beginning it can be tough because you’re like ahh I’ll take any

old job.

And that's fine but just remember that the first few clients you have really sets the

foundation for the types of clients you’ll get in the future.

And that's because a lot of business owners want to hire writers with experience in their

particular niche.

So I got started in personal development and that has always been my niche of copywriting.

I love writing about personal development because it's something that I’m truly interested

in so I never get tired of it.

Remember empathy is absolutely key in being a good copywriter.

So really think about your own personal life and experiences…

If you want to write about pets, or parenting, or real estate, or finance, there is literally

so many niches that are looking for great copywriters and the more specific you can

be the better you can show up and serve your ideal client.

So take some time to think about this in the beginning because this will set the foundation

for the types of clients you'll attract in the future.

And really niche you into a specific area of copywriting.

And the more experience you have the better you're going to get.

Step number 4 write a self sales pitch.

Now ehhh I know this sounds a little bit icky especially if you don’t feel comfortable

selling yourself..

But if you're going to learn how to write for other people and sell products for other

people, you need to know how to sell yourself.

So that’s why the last two steps were so important.

Once you get very clear on what you offer and who you serve, this step will become so

important and will really help you find your niche.

Now if you’re sitting there wondering ahh I don’t know my niche , be sure to check

out my episode on how to find your Hot NIche, I’ll link to that right at the end of this

video.

The most important thing to remember with this step is just be honest where you're at.

A lot of business owners actually don’t want to hire the most seasoned and experienced

writers because they’re looking to train someone whos really going to learn and adapt

to their brand voice.

So if you are really green and you are just starting out, don’t worry about it.

Just be super honest, show up, and deliver results.

Step number 5, build your online portfolio and profile.

Because how are your clients going to find you if they cant find you?

So now that you’ve taken some time to get clear on what you offer, and who you serve,

and you've written out a little bit of a self sales pitch.

Be on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, have a personal website, get an Upwork profile,

because here’s the thing when clients start hearing your name they’re immediately going

to go Google you and see where you're present and where you're active online.

So with that you're really going to want to have a portfolio and some social proof.

So if you have worked with anyone in the past, get a testimonial from them.

This is so huge, and what so many creatives forget to do.

Immediately after you have a positive exchange with a client, ask for a testimonial.

These can be added to your Facebook fan page, to a Google review, to your website, all of

this is going to increase your chances of getting more and more clients.

And be sure you're building your portfolio in the meantime.

You don't have to have it available online for everyone to see, but just know that people

are going to be asking you for it.

So have some writing samples, whether they’re paid, or whether you've done them in your

free time, go out and find clients you can do some sample work for, anything you can

do to really build up that portfolio is just going to help you in the long term.

And then of course the more clients you get, the easier it is to build your portfolio.

And step number 6, find clients.

Now I’m a huge believer in both a push and a pull strategy.

What I talked about in this video was a lot about the pull strategy.

Get very clear on what you offer, who you serve, and get an online portfolio presence

and profile set up so the right people can find you.

In terms of a push strategy, which means really going out there and finding those clients

you wanna work with, you gotta be a little bit more strategic it so I actually created

a whole other video on this topic.

It’s my 4 methods for finding clients: The Hunt, the Gather, the Pray, and the Slay.

So be sure to check that out I’m going to link to it at the end of this video.

All right guys there you have it those are my 6 steps you should take if you’re looking

to start a freelance copywriting business.

If you found this video helpful please like and share.

And before you go, I want to hear from you.

What is the number one challenge you’re experiencing when it comes to copywriting

and your business?

Where are you stuck?

Where can I help you?

Comment below, let me know.

I can't wait to see you guys again.

And just a reminder at the end of this video I'm going to be linking to those three videos

I mentioned earlier, The Difference Between Copywriting and Content Writing, How to Find

a Hot Niche, and The Top 5 Books You Should Read if You Want to Teach Yourself Copywriting.

So check those out I’ll see you again next week.

Till then, I’m Alex. Ciao for now!