TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[1:50] CCS student Rachael always knew she would be writing in some capacity for her career, but had no idea how to make a living out of it. After having little success with crummy job-bidding sites like Fiverr and Upwork, she signed up for the CCA.

[6:68] Although she faced some resistance when it came to pitching, Pitch-A-Palooza helped Rachael get out of her comfort zone and start pitching. Every client she’s landed has been through LinkedIn.

[8:48] Imposter syndrome was responsible for holding Rachael back from taking action. But after landing her first client, she gained confidence and work started to snowball.

[11:16] Rachael reminds us that we gain confidence by taking action and the first step is always the hardest step. What’s the worst that could happen by sending out a pitch?

[13:53] There’s no “one-size-fits-all” route into copywriting. If one way of pitching feels impossible to you, then you find the way that feels a little bit less impossible and try that!

[15:48] Rachael has just landed a dream position as a content writer for a global SaaS company. In her non-working hours, she will also be able to continue freelancing for a global media company and teaching creative writing.

[19:36] When you’re working on something that you really enjoy, it never feels like “work”.

[21:05] It’s important to choose what’s going to work for you—you don’t have to bust a gut doing things like social media if you don’t want to. As an introvert with social anxiety, Rachael has tailored her career to suit her personality.

[22:33] Sometimes there is a misconception that copywriting has to be very salesy. For the most part, it’s actually just about finding connections, telling a story, and providing a solution for people’s problems.

Must-Hear Takeaways

“Honestly, I’ve done quite a few of these online courses and various different things and this is by far and away the most comprehensive one I’ve ever done. The follow up care and the amount of information that’s on there, you guys have literally thought of everything we could possibly need and you’ve put it there for us. Absolutely life changing. I was talking with my husband recently and he said, ‘that was the best decision you’ve ever made, wasn’t it?’ and I was like ‘yep, absolutely was!'” – Rachael

“Pitch-A-Palooza” happened which was exactly what I needed to kick me out of my comfort zone and then I started pitching. But the more pitching I did, the more confident I felt in my ability.” – Rachael

“I was pretty confident in my copywriting skills, I suppose. But I was worried that people wouldn’t have the faith in me when in fact the problem was that I didn’t have the faith in myself. Because even when I had just one client behind me, I felt like I had a right to call myself a copywriter, which I know is ridiculous because nothing substantial changed between not having a client and having a client, I was still the same writer.” – Rachael

“I think there can sometimes be a misconception that copywriting has to be very salesy and very extroverted and pushy but that’s kind of the antithesis of what it is. If somebody feels like you’re trying to sell to them then you’ve probably lost them. For the overwhelming most part, it’s just about finding connection and telling a story which is like the opposite of being salesy so the sales skills are there but you’re not deploying them in a pushy or extroverted way.” – Rachael

Mentioned on this Episode

• View Rachael’s Portfolio

Related Links

• The Real Math on Job Bidding Site “Success”
• How NOT to Pitch Potential Copywriting Clients
• Overcoming Copywriter Imposter Syndrome
• How to Optimize Your Copywriting LinkedIn Page

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

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.

See Previous Episode

Ep. 183: You Will Have Too Much Copywriting Work … Here’s What to Do

The post Episode 184: This Copywriter Landed Her Dream Job—And Tripled Her Income – Rachael’s Story appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[1:44] It’s a bad scenario when communication from clients or would-be clients gets missed. That’s why it’s important to regularly check your spam folder and test the contact form on your portfolio site.

[3:50] You also need to check your messages on social media frequently. And remember, if you aren’t connected with somebody, it’s not going to go through as a message—it will go through as a request.

[4:28] Nicki recommends checking these different inboxes at least once daily. If a couple of days go by and a client doesn’t hear from you, it does not reflect well on you.

[5:17] It’s perfectly fine to take time off but make sure that you communicate clearly when people can expect to hear back from you.

[6:24] It might sound like there are a lot of channels to check but you want to make it as easy as possible for a potential client to get in touch with you. You never want to take people off the platform they’re on if you don’t have to. 

[7:54] Nicki and Kate strongly recommend sending your initial outreach to a client via email as opposed to a DM on social media.

[10:58] It takes a bit of research sometimes to find a client’s email address but there are several online tools like hunter.io that can help you. (Always avoid emailing generic company email addresses like info@xyzcorperation.com!)

[13:25] Once you have a client, it’s best to ask them how they would prefer to communicate. But choose just ONE way to interact with them—having too many channels for communication gets very confusing.

[17:19] Whichever form of communication you choose to use with a client, you can still set up certain parameters so that you don’t have to constantly be at a client’s beck and call. Just make sure you communicate those clearly to your clients.

[20:17] If there is a certain platform that your client is using, they should add you to that platform without any extra work or costs on your end.

[21:17] Our hosts give a word of warning around texting clients. This kind of communication can cross personal boundaries and is hard to get out of once you’ve started. Plus, there is no such thing as a copy emergency! 

[26:15] Kate advises us to consider taking the tech for your business off your phone. One Sec is also a useful app which gives you the chance to think twice before opening certain apps on your phone.

[28:43] Ideally at the start of a relationship with a client, you want to set them up with clear expectations of when they can hear from you with regard to check-ins for a project and the key milestones throughout it. (It’s best to err on the side of over communication.)

Must-Hear Takeaways

“As with any relationship, it’s about setting the expectations, making sure communication is open and clear but balancing boundaries as well. So, as you’re planning how you’re going to be reaching out in the world, as you’re going to be taking incoming messages, as you’re going to be communicating with your clients, figure out what works for you. And yes, sometimes you might have to accommodate clients in certain ways and that’s okay but also make sure you’re not bending over backwards, and make sure you’re not letting it encroach your peace of mind. Because you need your peace of mind, you need your creativity to do your best work so make sure you’re protecting yourself and protecting your energy while still communicating in an open and timely (not immediate) way with potential clients and clients.” – Nicki

“You want to set your client up with clear expectations of when they can hear from you, check-ins for the project, key milestones throughout it. And if you’re thinking, ‘well, what are my key milestones?’ Again, if it’s a bigger project, you want to have places where you check in, even if it’s just to say, ‘hey, this project’s still on track, still loving digging in, I’m having so much fun, just wanted to let you know that we’re still on track for x deadline’, whatever it is—especially if you kick something off and then it’s weeks before you’re delivering something, just that touch base can set a client’s mind at ease. So thinking about when to communicate with a client, err on the side of over communication in the sense of just, ‘hey, wanted to let you know the status update.'” – Kate

“You can set up. parameters so that you don’t have to constantly be at a client’s beck and call. Remember you are not an employee, you are not on staff. If you are, you can even still do that if it’s okay with your employer, but the expectation is not that you are sitting in front of your computer from nine to five each day. If you are an employee, it might be a little bit different, but even still then, you should be able to get a little bit of time away from Slack and email and all that kind of stuff. The expectation is not that you’re just sitting there, waiting to respond to them at any time. You being a freelancer and having many different clients that you’re dealing with, you need to control those rivers of communication, all of those inputs, because if you are constantly trying to respond to everything, seeing all these notifications coming up, watch it, it’s going to get overwhelming. And you have way more important things to be doing than to watch the notifications and respond at every single moment. Well, it’s going to be a time suck. It’s going to completely ruin your productivity.” – Nicki & Kate

Mentioned on this Episode

• One Sec App
• Hunter.io
• RocketReach

Related Links

• Learning to Effectively Communicate as a Copywriter
• What Are Your Copywriting Business Rules?
• You Don’t Have to Work With Clients You Hate
• How NOT to Pitch Potential Copywriting Clients

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

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.

See Previous Episode

Ep. 181: Reading Between the Lines of Copywriter Job Descriptions

The post Episode 182: What’s the Best Way to Communicate with Copywriting Clients? appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[1:50] When people look at a job listing, they often make the mistake of taking everything in the description as written in stone. But job descriptions are essentially a wish list for companies.

[5:17] Nicki and Kate discuss how studies show that women in particular tend to cut themselves off from opportunities as they often only apply to jobs if they meet ALL of the qualifications.

[6:37] The years of experience sought by employers may not directly match your own years of experience. For example, six months in the CCA could be equivalent to two or three years of experience elsewhere. Essentially, employers expect you to have training, and CCA students fulfill that requirement!

[8:52] Our hosts read between the lines of the responsibilities listed for a real copywriter job posting taken from LinkedIn and show why everyone in the CCA should be saying, “Yes, I can do all of those!”

[14:46] Kate emphasizes that—even at associate creative director level—none of the responsibilities listed should feel unachievable by any means.

[16:20] It’s rare to find a copywriting job description that asks for other skills like design, SEO, or social media management. If you do see a posting like that, it’s a sign that the company has very unrealistic expectations about what they can get in one person.

[19:28] As a CCA student, don’t be deterred if they ask you for 3-5 years of experience. Mike’s story is a prime example of why you shouldn’t let that stop you from applying!

[20:43] We hear some examples of the qualifications and skills that people ask for in actual copywriting job descriptions. Even if they ask for a Bachelor’s degree, don’t be put off if you have a portfolio that shows your work.

[23:32] Some postings asked for experience using Jasper and/or ChatGPT. Remember AI is not something to be afraid of—they want it for efficiency purposes, not just writing (bad) copy.

[24:33] Some of the “nice to haves” listed included specific industry experience, experience working in SaaS (software as a service), experience partnering with a designer, and UX (user experience) writing. Again, remember these are wish list items but you can always prove your skills through spec work if it’s a role you’re really interested in.

[26:24] If a company asks for startup experience, don’t let assumptions limit you. Get on the phone with them and ask questions to get a sense for the role because all startups are different. 

[27:50] It can feel like a catch-22 when a post asks for agency experience. How do I get into an agency when agencies want agency experience?! But agencies are happy to hire—it all comes down to  demonstrating that you know what you’re doing and can thrive in that environment.

[28:46] Never, ever, ever use the “one-click” or “easy apply” button! You want to avoid being lumped in with a bunch of other people. The same system that you use to pitch clients for freelance work is exactly what you can use to pitch companies to work there. 

[30:45] Ideally, you want to pitch directly to the hiring manager—that is the person who has the knowledge and experience to make the best decision about your application. 

Must-Hear Takeaways

“The years specifically that people are looking for may not correlate exactly with the years of your experience. Our students know that they do a very concentrated amount of work, a lot of study and a lot of practice and they really build up their skills very, very quickly. Whereas outside of a program like that, it might take someone several years to get that same level of experience and expertise. So, you know, your six months in the program might equate to two or three years of outside experience. So don’t, I mean, this is specifically for CCA students, don’t see, oh, they’re looking for three to five years experience and think, well, I don’t qualify because I’ve only been working through this for six months or for a year. You absolutely do.” – Nicki

 “Don’t say no to yourself before someone else does. Why would we ever say no to ourselves? It just doesn’t make sense. But we do it because we’re humans, and we feel like, oh, I just am not qualified. I don’t meet 110% of the qualifications.” – Kate

“Do not use the ‘one-click’ apply! But also do not then just go and apply through their website. You want to avoid being stopped, being lumped in with a bunch of other people. And Comprehensive Copywriting Academy students, you know exactly how to do this. The same system that you use to pitch clients for freelance work is exactly what you can do to pitch companies to work there. And again, whether you want to freelance for them or whether you want to work for them on staff, use the exact same system. Your cover letter should effectively be a pitch because again, it’s all about being helpful and all about showing that you are strategic and that you will hit the ground running as soon as you start working with them.” – Nicki

“What you should be taking away from this is that all of these opportunities are open to you. There’s no point at looking at a job and coming up with reasons not to apply for it or feeling like you need to be all of the things to all of the people, you don’t. You are enough. You are fantastic. Apply for these roles, people need the skills that you have, go out there and help these companies!” – Nicki and Kate

Mentioned on this Episode

• This Brand-New Copywriter Landed a Senior Copywriting Role

Related Links

• Why Companies Requiring Experience for Copywriting Jobs is a Good Thing
• How to Land Copywriting Work with an Ad Agency
• Too Afraid to Pitch? Business Owners WANT Your Copywriting Pitches
• Why Freelance Copywriters Should Still Apply to Full-Time Jobs
• Supercharged Job-Hunting Tactics

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

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.

See Previous Episode

Ep. 180: Thriving as a Neurodivergent Copywriter – Cleo’s Story

The post Episode 181: Reading Between the Lines of Copywriter Job Descriptions appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[2:38] Nicki and Kate remind us to put the word “copywriter” in the title section of your LinkedIn profile. This is not an area to get too catchy or clever—you can show off your expertise in other places.

[5:03] Our hosts also recommend putting the URL for your portfolio site in the title section. (Yes, even if you have the world’s best LinkedIn profile, you *still* need a portfolio site!)

[6:38] If you have your full-time job and don’t feel comfortable switching your LinkedIn profile over entirely to copywriting, then it’s perfectly fine not to. There are other ways to land clients.

[8:00] The big mistake that people make in the bio area of their LinkedIn profile is making it about themselves too much. You want to get into your USP and talk about what you bring to the table that nobody else does. Why would a client benefit from working with you?

[12:23] Do not feel limited by what LinkedIn tells you to put—especially when it comes to the “experience” section. Instead, think about what your target audience needs to know. You can put in a selected credits resume to show the work you’ve done (use spec work if necessary).

[14:26] Your profile should reflect the most up-to-date work that you’ve done. Schedule time on your calendar to update the “experience” section of your profile—just like you would with your main portfolio.

[15:22] Value-based pitching is still your direct line to client acquisition. If you are posting on LinkedIn instead of pitching clients directly, it may be a resistance tactic because it feels safer.

[19:05] If you’re using this platform with the aim of landing clients, you want to be connecting with potential business owners rather than other copywriters.

[21:22] The purpose of your posts should be to attract potential clients, so make sure the topics are geared toward what your potential clients would find useful versus what other copywriters would enjoy.

[22:30] If you’re sending requests to people that you want to follow, make sure you give some context about who you are and why you want to connect. What’s the benefit to them of connecting with you?

[24:28] Avoid the “easy apply” button at all costs! It is much more effective to reach out to the hiring manager directly and focus your pitch around delivering value.

[25:47] Don’t talk about your clients negatively on LinkedIn—even if you don’t share their details. Social media is not the place to vent—it’s best to keep it positive!

[28:59] You don’t necessarily have to post yourself and start conversations if you don’t want to. You can still insert yourself into conversations and find ways to add value to other people’s threads.

Must-Hear Takeaways

“It’s very easy to default to just talking about ourselves because it’s easy for us to talk about ourselves, but that’s not how we operate as copywriters, as marketers. We put our clients first and we think about what our clients need to hear in order to make the decision to get in touch with us because that’s what the whole point of the LinkedIn bio. It’s a piece of copy and the desired action we want someone to take is to get in touch with us.” – Nicki

“Pitching will directly get you clients. So again, post on LinkedIn, absolutely. But first of all, just make sure it’s not taking up all your time away from your pitching. And number two, make sure that it is not taking up a ton of time and that resistance isn’t kicking up and you’re not doing it instead of pitching because it feels safer.” – Nicki

“You can also look at other people’s comments and threads and what other people are posting and weigh in on those conversations. So you don’t necessarily have to post yourself and start conversations. You absolutely can if you want to but insert yourself into conversations and again, look for ways to add value to the conversation. Look for ways to demonstrate your knowledge as a copywriter, your strategic thinking, your looking for ideas and looking for ways to help business owners. Weighing in on conversations like that can be great if people keep seeing you show up in various places and adding value. People can see that and think ‘oh wow I like the way this person thinks, I might want to connect with them.’” – Kate

Mentioned on this Episode

• What to Do Before Your Copywriting Interview 

Related Links

• How to Optimize Your Copywriting LinkedIn Page
• Your Ideal Clients Want You to Pitch Them
• Business Builder or Time Waster?

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

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.

See Previous Episode

Ep. 172: Taking Action in the Face of Imposter Syndrome – Shelby’s Story

The post Episode 173: How to Elevate Your Profile & Land Copywriting Clients on LinkedIn appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[0:00] Nicki gives us more information about the fourth annual summer Freelance Summit. 

[2:10] Tammy explains what first got her interested in a career in copywriting.

[6:16] Tammy transitioned out of teaching without a fixed job lined up, giving her time to figure out her next steps. 

[8:33] A mindset shift was needed for Tammy to break out of her comfort zone but she decided to go all in with copywriting, rather than build it up on the side.

[11:55] The CCA course set Tammy up for success, helping her to build her website, land her first clients, and get hired for a full-time remote position at an ad agency (all within just a few months!).

[14:42] Tammy worked on a variety of projects, including writing copy for videos, social media, and ads.

[15:48] Collaborating with a wider team gave Tammy more experience to learn and understand the work that goes into different projects.

[16:43] Tammy suffered a setback when her full-time role was impacted by a round of layoffs at her company but managed to bounce back from this.

[21:49] Tammy is open to agency work again, but is also pitching and applying to full-time positions as well. 

[24:46] The biggest lesson Tammy learned was to not stop pitching, especially if your goal is to rely on your own business. Hit the send button to keep growing and learning!

[35:00] Nicki and Kate share Tammy’s very exciting update. After recording the podcast episode, Tammy continued to apply to various copywriting positions. Spoiler: she got the job! And she got it because, while she was not hired for one copywriting role at a company, she told the company to reach out if they had opportunities in the future. Her persistance paid off!

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:

“It’s that comfort zone vs breaking out of the comfort zone and it’s so much easier in some ways to go back to that comfort zone and say ‘yeah, forget a career switch, that’s a big deal and such a mindset shift’.” – Kate

“You started in May, brand new, and by November you had been hired for a full time remote position at an ad agency. That is awesome!” – Nicki

“Whether it’s pitching or client work or whatever, you’re going to keep growing and get better and better. And the only way to do that is to hit the send button.” – Kate

“I find myself doing it still where I just sit on the same email. I’m like, ‘oh, I just need to fix this one word, this one phrase I don’t love. I know it could be better.’ And I just go through and then it’s been 30 minutes and if I don’t press send, I’m not going to get a client.” – Tammy

“Do not stop pitching, especially if your goal is to rely on your own business. And that was my goal and I kind of put the brakes on that for a bit and I could see if you stop pitching, you’ll have some dry months and so I don’t want that to happen again. So I started pitching and I just know going into the next role that things will be done differently.” – Tammy

“I was working with producers, designers, art directors, creative directors. It was really cool because I got to see how many people actually are behind a project and working with the client, going through the feedback cycle. This is exactly why I wanted this, to get this experience to learn from people who have been doing this for a long time and really just understand what goes into an ad.” – Tammy

Mentioned on This Episode:

• Tammy’s Portfolio
• Nail Your Copywriting Interview (Parts I, II, and III)
• Land the Job by Acing These Copywriting Interview Questions

Related Links

• Is it Better to Be an On-Staff Copywriter or a Freelance Copywriter?

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

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.

See Previous Episode

Ep. 143: Business Builder or Time Waster?

The post Episode 144: Navigating Ups and Downs in a Copywriting Career – Tammy’s Story appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

One of the first things you need for a copywriting career is training. After all, to have a career in anything you have to know what you’re doing, right?

The next steps are to put together your online portfolio and begin pitching potential clients.

Why It’s Critical to Network

But there’s an important step in between: telling your network about your business.

This is an intimidating step for a lot of new copywriters. It’s where the “what if” part of the brain goes wild and where imposter syndrome kicks into hyper drive.

“What if old colleagues see it and think I’m a fraud?”

“But my website isn’t perfect!”

“I’m not an expert yet. Aren’t people going to see through this?!”

And the ultimate: “But what if I fail…and everyone sees?”

I can almost guarantee anyone in your network will be happy for you pursuing your dream (otherwise, why are the part of your network?). And they’ll be happy to help spread the word—if you ask.

That moment you consider telling your network about your copywriting career and feel resistance kick? That’s exactly when you need to tell them. The sooner you tell people, the sooner you have the opportunity to make new connections and, potentially, find projects.

How Do You Network…Exactly?

Start by sharing the news with your family and immediate friends. Just by telling them about your business, you may find one of them needs your services or wants to put you in touch with a friend or friend of a friend who needs your services. Or maybe their son or daughter is studying graphic design and they can put you in touch to create spec ads.

Share the news on your LinkedIn, personal Facebook page (you can link to your business page if you’ve created one or to your portfolio), Instagram, Twitter (or X…whatever it’s called these days!)—whatever social channels you use. You by no means need to be on every social channel or share the news on every single platform. Share where it makes most sense for you.

Remember to tell people you’ve launched your copywriting business and ask them to help spread the word. Consider using a version of your USP to infuse your announcement with a compelling reason why businesses should work with you.  

The major exception: if you’re currently employed, and are not allowed to have a side gig or haven’t talked to your employer about their stance on side hustles, you may want to limit who you tell about your business until you’ve ironed out the details with your manager and/or HR.

But, for everyone else, there are no excuses. Because here’s the thing: Until you tell your network, there’s no way for them to know. And, therefore, no way for them to help you.

And at this stage in your career, it’s smart to take an all-hands-on-deck approach to getting your business up and running. Your network is a key component to making that happen.

The worst case? Nothing happens. You continue to pitch and build your business.

The best case? someone within your network needs a copywriter. And they want to work with you, now or in the future.

The Power of Word-of-Mouth Marketing

There are tons of statistics to back up the power of word-of-mouth marketing. Nielsen’s Global Trust in Advertising report revealed that 90% of people completely or somewhat trust recommendations from people they know. And the actions people take are consistent with their level of trust.

Once you get a client referral, be sure to thank the person who referred them. And, of course, be prepared to deliver great copy!

Word-of-mouth marketing is not only important for gaining first clients, but gaining subsequent clients. You tell 10 people in your network about your business. They each tell five people in their networks. That’s 60 people that know about your business. Say one of those businesses decides to work with you, has a great experience, and tells businesses they know about it. You get the idea.

Once you land a client, that’s not the end of the relationship. You always want to find ways to add value for your existing clients.

Think about it: The more customers you retain, the fewer customers you need to find on your own. (But remember, you never want to stop pitching clients—that’s how you avoid slow periods of little or no work.)

And retaining customers means they’re thrilled with your work, and even more likely to recommend you to their network.

Word-of-mouth marketing has a snowball effect. The longer your career goes on, and the more clients you impress with your work, the larger your client base grows.

By telling your network now, you have the opportunity to start with a decent-sized snowball!   

Your Turn

How have you benefited from word-of-mouth marketing? Do you have any tips for getting word out about your business?

The post Use Copywriting Networking to Help Land More Clients appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were an online social network where people were focused on business? And how about one where you can find just about anyone you want to connect with or maybe even pitch your services?

Obviously, I’m talking about LinkedIn. (I’m guessing the post title tipped you off.) But I wanted to start this post that way to remind you just how amazing an opportunity LinkedIn is. When people are on LinkedIn, they are focus on business and maximizing their career and business outcomes. It’s a built-in network of like-minded people.

Which means that it’s a social network full of either valuable contacts or potential clients themselves!

But all of this doesn’t mean you should go wild and just click “Connect” on every person you see. In fact, that’s a pretty surefire way to make sure you DON’T build your network.

Instead, you should use five strategic tactics to ensure that your connections are much more genuine and valuable for both you and the person you’re trying to connect with.

Ready? Let’s dig in.

5 Essentials for Connecting on LinkedIn

1. Nix the Pre-Written Copy

To make connecting “easier” for people, LinkedIn pre-populates copy along the lines of “I’d like to connect with you on LinkedIn.” Talk about a waste of a line! Obviously, you want to connect with them; you clicked the button. And, especially since you’re a copywriter, there’s just no excuse for not taking the time to rewrite this link. C’mon: You’re better than that!

2. Introduce Yourself

This might sound obvious, but you’d be shocked at the number of people who try to connect to other people and never tell them who they are. Whether it’s a stranger or whether it’s someone you worked with several years ago, let people know who you are.

3. Give Them a Reason to Connect

Not only is that pre-populated line redundant, but it also entirely sidesteps the concept of “benefit to consumer.” After all, you’re asking them to do something for you by connecting with you…so why should they? What is the benefit for them of connecting with you? (And, if YOU can’t think of a good reason why they should connect with you…well, why would you expect that they will?)

4. Provide Value

This is kind of a pro-level tip, but if you want to make a good impression on someone you’re connecting with, it’s beyond worth the time. So, provide value. Send a link to an article or a podcast or something along those lines that you think they’ll find interesting or useful (business-wise, of course). This is a GREAT way to immediately set yourself apart in a positive way.

5. Don’t Make a Request in the Connection

A connection is not the time to make a pitch, ask for a phone call, ask to pick someone’s brain (quite possibly the worst request ever: “Can I get your valuable insight and experience for free?”), or anything like that. If you’re already making a request in the connection before they even know you, it makes the request all about you again (instead of focusing on the benefit to them) and basically makes it seem like you’re going to use the connection to get things from them. Expect a lot of deleted requests.

Is it a lot easier to just click the “connect” button and let LinkedIn put in its pre-written copy? Of course it is. But it also immediately conveys laziness and a lack of value for other people’s time. On top of the fact that you’re a copywriter: If you can’t take the time to write one or two great lines of copy here, what does it say about you and your copywriting services?

LinkedIn can be a fantastic resource…if you use it wisely. If not, it’s a really effective waste of your—and potential contacts’—time.

Pro Tip: Optimize Your Copywriter LinkedIn Page

The key to getting recruiters and potential clients reaching out to you via LinkedIn is to create a presence on the platform that is interesting, engaging, and really sells you as a professional copywriter. Here are 8 small steps that will yield huge returns.

Your Turn

Want to try out your new, non-generic LinkedIn connection intro copy? Post it in the comments below.

The post 5 Keys for Getting Valuable Connections on LinkedIn appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.