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

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[03:45] All of a sudden something sparked and I was like ‘I love this! This is so fun!’ and it was an amazing experience to come from something you love and then feeling heartbroken and then finding something that fit the lifestyle that I needed and be fulfilling and earn great money and have flexibility so yeah I don’t regret it, I loved every minute and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

[05:45] When I finished the program, I got my first job and the first job paid off the whole class and I was like oh okay there is actual work out here so I started doing the things, started pitching people and literally had the income that I wanted in the first month or two.

[06:09] The most shocking thing for me was how much work there was out there. There is a lot of work out there and so I had more work than I actually wanted or could do.

[9:08] It was really just about pitching and being brave enough to do that. And I feel like I’ve learned so much and even though this was kind of a stepping stone for me and it’s a side hustle that I’m doing, it translates to so many things and it bettered my career, it just enriched the career that I have now.

[14:10] I think it’s so easy for us to forget to re-pitch our current or past clients when it really is the easiest. People who already love you, who already love what you do and know that you do a fantastic job. It was just about networking. And then once I got my pool of clients and I kept just re-pitching them and it just got way easier.

[17:15]  I made the timeline, I literally had a calendar out where I said I’m gonna do this unit and this unit on this day. And then, I scheduled the breaks in there ’cause I am kind of an all or nothing person. And actually after the first couple units, it’s not as intimidating.

[20:03] The more you write you get better at it. Whether you’re starting from ground zero or you’ve been doing it for many years, we’re all still learning. We’re all trying to get better and everything else. I can appreciate somebody else’s copy just as much now as I did back then.

[21:49] If you’re on the fence or if you’re struggling or if you’re even in a slump of where you feel you can’t get through the course or you don’t have enough work, I would tell you there’s just no substitute for hustle. You go out there and you hustle until you kind of get a breakthrough. And that’s what I would tell them. But, get the course.

Must-Hear Takeaways

 “So because I have repeat customers, it’s a lot easier. So that way, I know hey I’ve got a day here that I’m slow and I could do some copy work then I would go and pitch those people and be like ‘hey I’ve got some time’ and I think getting those repeat customers is really important when you’re trying to balance both because then you’re not out trying to fish for the work and you just know you have your pool of people that you can pitch over and over again so that helps with the balancing and then sometimes they call me like ‘hey I’ve got work, can you do this?’ And then it’s neat where I can say yes or no where I have time or I don’t.” Audrey

“And like I said, I had way more work than I even wanted to which blew my mind. I was like this could be a full time gig, I could hire an assistant. There is definitely work out there so I would say if you’re on the fence just go ahead and do it. Because literally it was the first job I got paid off the course. And there’s very few things I feel like in life where you take a plunge and it pays off with so much and it was so worth it for me. I’ve never had something pay off that quickly.” Audrey

“I felt very prepared after the course too. I just did the program, I did the thing exactly the way you said and it prepared me perfectly. It was great. Actually, now you’re the benchmark for any other class I take.” Audrey

“The community is great. I couldn’t have done it without the community. It’s fun. You get to know people on the Facebook group and it’s always fun to see other people’s progress and their wins and their success stories and I would dive into that.” Audrey

Mentioned on This Episode

• Ep. 5: Why Choosing a Copywriting Niche is Terrible Advice
• Ep. 84: When to Break the Copywriting Niche Rule

Related Links

• Too Afraid to Pitch? Business Owners WANT Your Copywriting Pitches
• The Simplest Way to Start Finding Copywriting Clients
• Find Copywriting Clients by Networking in the Right Places
• Land Copywriting Clients With These 35 Tips
• The Three Steps to Career Change
• Value-Based Pitches, English-Language Nuances, and About Pages

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

The post Episode 192 : This Part-Time Copywriter is Too Busy to Have a Portfolio – Audrey’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

[1:35] CCA student Lizzie, a former business analyst who always loved the writing part of her job, started freelance writing back in 2020. Last year, she transitioned to full-time freelancing and is seeing great success!

[2:49] Lizzie shares advice on transitioning from a full-time career to copywriting and how networking has played a huge role in helping her land work. 

[5:12] Lizzie recommends more structured networking for people who are introverted because they have a more predictable format which minimizes social anxiety.

[6:06] Switching tasks to maintain productivity and relying on structured working hours and consistent processes have helped Lizzie thrive as a copywriter with ADHD and autism.

[7:00] For Lizzie, not niching down has allowed her to be as productive as she is. Her business analysis background has also been helpful in supporting businesses with strategy around their marketing.

[8:11] In terms of pitching and networking, Lizzie has found that when you focus on giving, it’s a lot easier to build up your client base.

[10:52] Networking can help you reach dream clients by tapping into the six degrees of separation and can lead to a lot of unexpected opportunities. Lizzie has been invited to lots of exciting events like celebrity galas and awards ceremonies!

[12:47] After networking events, it’s always important to follow up. Lizzie does this by asking for one-on-one meetings to understand potential clients’ businesses better. This builds rapport and helps her make effective referrals, increasing her chances of getting future work.

[14:57] Copywriting opportunities are not just limited to where you live—there are a lot of opportunities out there. Lizzie has a diverse client base, ranging from local to international clients, including one in Hong Kong! 

[16:46] Lizzie has been surprised by how often she’s asked to ghostwrite books. Many people have great ideas but struggle to write them down, making copywriters and content writers essential in bringing those ideas to life.

[17:30] If you’re considering going into copywriting, Lizzie encourages you to take the leap! Spread the word among friends, get on LinkedIn, and start networking. You’ll find tons of resources and potential collaborators through making those connections.

Must-Hear Takeaways

 “Absolutely network. Most networks, people are there to help you and want to help themselves, they cant help themselves if they’re not in a group of successful people. So they want to help you be successful because it helps them be successful. So absolutely network your heart out because it also helps you with your cold pitching as well. So you don’t need to do one or the other, a combination of both is always best.” – Lizzie

“I think the reason I’ve got a lot of work is because I don’t put forward that impression of really salesy which is quite hard for people when what we do is selling material. But being free with that information that you have, appearing the expert that you are is really helpful because people go, ‘They clearly know what they’re doing.’” – Lizzie

“People remember you. I’ve now become ubiquitous in my city, everyone knows and is like, ‘Oh it’s you!’ And I’ve literally only been doing it for 8 months, and you get invited to things. I’ve been to more events that I never would have thought I would be invited to in my life before just from starting this and everyone’s like, ‘Oh you’re the copywriter’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I am the copywriter!'” – Lizzie

“Speak to all your friends, all your work colleagues, tell everyone that this is what you’re doing because it gives you a set of warm leads to immediately go to. Get a profile on LinkedIn, make it clever, make it fun. Don’t be exactly the same as everyone else. Don’t expect it to go viral or anything overnight, mine definitely hasn’t but it’s sort of just building traction. And go and network. If you’re introverted, there are networks out there for you, there are online networks. Go and talk to people because the more you talk to people, they might help you in other ways. You’ll find your accountant that way, you’ll find your web designer that way, you’ll find the designers that you want to work with if you want to get those spec pieces.” – Lizzie

Mentioned on this Episode

• View Lizzie’s profile

Related Links

• The One Question That Makes Copywriting Networking Easy
• Can an Introvert Be a Successful Copywriter?
• Thriving as a Neurodivergent Copywriter – Cleo’s Story
• How to Elevate Your Profile & Land Copywriting Clients on LinkedIn

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. 190: Freelance Copywriting Through Divorces, Separations, and Breakups

The post Episode 191: This Copywriter Books Work 3+ Months Out—Here’s How She Does It – Lizzie’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

[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

[2:09] Hosts Nicki and Kate are joined by CCA student Joe Sabroski, former finance professional turned copywriter. Joe started the CCA course properly in August 2021, after the pandemic helped him to shift gears and realize he wanted to make more money as a writer. 

[5:48] Kate asks Joe if he felt like it was less valid getting paid for copywriting versus other types of writing like journalism. Joe just saw it as a different application of his skills and was excited by the prospect of earning good money from it.

[7:35] Shortly after finding out about the CCA, Joe explored a different side hustle: photography and personal branding for entrepreneurs. He discovered it wasn’t really for him as writing was still his passion and so he returned to the CCA course.

[9:45] A significant transition at Joe’s company prompted him to seek change. He proactively pitched a project to the head of strategic marketing at his firm, which led to the creation of a new role for him in July of this year.

[13:33] With copywriting roles, it really comes down to demonstrating that you can do great work. People often overlook their current network, but this can be a great place to start looking for opportunities–especially if, like Joe, you can transition within your current company.

[16:21] Joe’s current role is a marketing content manager. Copywriting makes up about half of what he does but he’s also heavily involved in the end to end process of building a pipeline of content (including the ideation, research, interviewing subject matter experts, writing, etc.). 

[18:36] Joe’s role is a lot more diverse than he anticipated, with other responsibilities including tracking and reporting, as well as managing LinkedIn. His favorite part is the research, interviewing and writing, as it allows him to meet all kinds of different people in his company.

[20:54] There’s definitely been a learning curve writing for financial services, where the emphasis is on building longer term relationships, rather than a more transactional approach.

[23:28] Copywriters often worry about having to “know it all” but none of us are ever going to know everything before going into any role. Joe doesn’t feel like this knowledge is expected of him, rather that he has the opportunity to continue learning and working with different experts.

[26:02] If you’re curious about copywriting because you think you would enjoy it, Joe encourages you to start in your network. It doesn’t matter how long you might have been in a certain career for, you can still make the transition happen by showing people your value.

Must-Hear Takeaways

“It really all comes down to showing people that you have something valuable to give them, even the way we pitch (‘I have this proposed solution…’). If you’re in that paradigm of ‘well, this is where I went to school, this is my resume…’, yes, you’re going to be very limited with that approach if you want to change careers.” – Joe

“She’s thrilled that I’m a writer reaching out to her, but it was the fact that I offered to do a project and say, ‘hey, I’ll write a blog for you.’ That’s really what made it happen.” – Joe

“The pipeline from college, to job, to grad school, to whatever, is just a way of doing things. But I just think it’s interesting that I found this whole different paradigm just through online learning. I mean, it’s changed my life and it really gave me a tool to change my career.” – Joe

“They obviously want me to focus on my strengths, but also I’m getting these opportunities to learn about marketing from all angles. So I don’t feel like I’m expected to, you know, be the paid ads campaign expert. We have someone who does that. But I have to work with that role. So yeah, I think, as you’re saying, it’s an opportunity to continue learning and that you don’t have to learn everything all at once. You can do it as you go and none of us are ever going to know everything before going into any role. So I think that’s just a good reminder that you’re going to continue to grow in your career.” – Joe

Mentioned on this Episode

• Joseph’s portfolio
• Joseph’s Instagram page
• Landing a Senior Copywriter Role with No Paid Experience

Related Links

• The Three Steps to Career Change
• From Financial Professional to Copywriter—Chaundell’s Story
• Find Copywriting Clients by Networking in the Right Places
• Changing Your Career to Copywriting While at Your Existing Job
• Your Goal Should Be to Love Your Career. Period.

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. 163: Are Your Copywriting Prices Leaving Money on the Table?

The post Episode 164: Changing Roles Within Your Current Company – Joseph’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

[1:36] Nicki gives an introduction to the episode and explains a little bit about our Laser Coaching Sessions.

[3:19] Gabe explains how he has a meeting coming up with an agency owner, and wants to use this as an opportunity to get into agency work, so he can collaborate with other creatives.

[4:02] Even though the meeting is informal, it is still a fantastic way to display value and skills. 

[5:47] Nicki describes this opportunity as an “in-person pitch”, and stresses the importance of thorough research and bringing new ideas to the table. 

[6:57] Nicki and Kate highlight useful questions to ask, which place an emphasis on how to help the client and become a valuable resource for their company.

[8:50] Nicki and Kate remind Gabe to prepare a follow-up message thanking the client, which adds value and is tailored to the discussion he has with the agency owner.

[11:20] Gabe asks our hosts about the key skills and qualities they look for in copywriters and people they hire. We learn how proactivity can improve collaboration and lead to successful projects.

“It’s very much like an in-person pitch email. You’re going to go in with a ton of research, you’re going to know this company inside out. You’re going to know it as if you already worked there and you’re going to have ideas as if you already worked there too.” – Nicki

 “That’s what clients are looking for, right? They don’t hire someone so they can have more work, they’re hiring someone because they want that work taken off their plate.” – Nicki

 “Obviously that’s part of what we do, taking the work and delivering it, but within that, dig in and say, ‘hey we were talking about this project and as I dug in here are some other ideas I had…’, so you’re continually re-pitching ideas, and not being afraid to question something too.” -Kate

“It’s always about putting our potential clients first.” – Nicki

“It might turn into something now, it might turn into something in a year, it might never turn into something, but you never know. So focus on him and how you can help him and his agency. That’s how you’re going to win him over.” – Nicki

Mentioned on this Episode

• Ep. 15: 11 Traits of the Most Successful Copywriters

Related Links

• Ep. 133: Are You Giving Off Any of These Copywriter Red Flags?
• BONUS Laser Coaching: How to Pitch Copywriting Services to Agencies

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

Episode 145: Catchy Hook or Click Bait? How to Tell the Difference

The post BONUS – Laser Coaching: Turn an Informational Interview Into Work 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

[1:51] Regularly asking yourself if something is a business builder or time waster helps you to make the best of the time that you’re spending on your business.

[3:00] Posting on social media can often become a time waster if it is not targeted at your audience and the content is not serving its intended purpose.

[7:42] It’s not just about evaluating the task, it’s also evaluating how much time you spend on the task, and how much effort it takes you to spend on the task.

[9:24] There comes a point when trying to choose the perfect URL, logo, and email domain becomes a time waster instead of a business builder.

[14:09] Our hosts discuss when posting and networking in Facebook groups goes from business building to time wasting.

[20:10] It is very easy to fill your schedule with consuming content from books, podcasts etc. but you need to actually use the information that you’re consuming for it to be a business builder.

[24:42] There are some tasks that are almost always business builders, like pitching, following up, updating your portfolio, and listing potential clients to pitch.

[33:14] Take time to evaluate your tasks by putting your CEO hat on and seeing what’s getting results.

Read More: Using Social Media

Posting on social media can often become a time waster if it is not targeted at your audience, the content is not serving its intended purpose, and you’re not following industry influencers. Read more about who you need to be following on social media here >>

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:

“If you’re spending five hours posting on social media and you’re not getting anything out of it, you could be spending at least four of those sending pitches and then absolutely getting something out of it. So it’s not just evaluating the task, it’s also evaluating how much time you spend on the task, and how much effort it takes you to spend on the task.” – Nicki

“If you are truly evaluating one of your “business builder” techniques or tasks and it’s not actually building your business, then you have to to scale it back because you don’t have time to waste.” – Nicki

“Resistance is so insidious. All it’s doing is keeping you from taking action by telling you that the only way to be successful is to have the perfect URL.” – Nicki

“The more pitches you have out in the world, the more potential opportunities you have coming back to you.” – Kate

“You don’t have time to waste. We all have limited time in our day. And on top of that, any time that you’re not spending building your business, is time that you are not making money. You are not landing new clients, you are not doing things to move yourself toward your goals. You’re keeping yourself stuck in the same place.” – Nicki

Related Links

• 5 Easy Tips for Maximizing Your Time
• Amp Up Your Copywriting Productivity with Ultra Scheduling

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. 142: On-Staff vs. Freelance Copywriting: Which is Better?

The post Episode 143: Business Builder or Time Waster? 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.

As a freelance copywriter, you should always be reevaluating your business, adjusting your career plans, and setting new goals.

Part of running a successful freelance business is establishing a client base. That includes not only new prospects but previous clients. Reconnecting with clients who have previously hired you shows how much you value working with them and keeps you top of mind.

It’s always a good time to reach out to past copywriting clients. To that end, keep a contemporaneous running list of all your clients. Even better, keep a spreadsheet that marks when you last checked in. 

While it’s important to find and land new clients (and you’ll do plenty of that throughout the year), it’s even easier to get more work from previous clients.

We’ve given you tips for how to reach out to and re-pitch past copywriting clients (check those out here and here), but sometimes even just popping up on their radars again can be enough to spur an idea for a project.

If you have notecards you can send, great! But even emails will do. The important thing is that you take the time to send them. 

Maybe this will lead to more work right away, maybe it’ll lead to more work down the line, or maybe it’ll just lead to good feelings in your professional network. No matter what, there’s no downside, right?

How to Get More Work from Past Copywriting Clients Year-Round

End-of-the-Year Check-in

Watch More

The end of the year is extremely busy for most people. So, if you fall into the I-can’t-wait-to-slow-down-and-breathe camp, then it may overwhelm you to think about sending previous clients and contacts a New Year’s note.

Here’s what you need to know if you can’t send a note or email before January 1.

Pro Tip: Get Referrals

There’s another element that can help “sell” you to potential clients and employers before they even meet you: copywriting testimonials! If you’re not already collecting testimonials (or referrals) from your clients, you need to start doing it even if you are hesitant. 

Your Turn!

What’s your system for reaching out to past copywriting clients? Let us know in the contacts below!

The post Why You Should Connect With Past Copywriting Clients appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

When it comes to finding clients, the keys are to be systematic, but also to cast your net wide. Facebook makes for a great place to cast some of that net—though not all of it. To mix metaphors, don’t put all of your eggs in one basket!

What makes Facebook so great? Well, it’s already a place that billions of people go to seek information, find recommendations, network with others, and get advice and help. And, among those billions of people are plenty of business owners and marketing managers.

Your potential clients are on Facebook, and today we’re going to talk about how to reach them. Be forewarned, though—it’s not quite as easy as you think. In fact, one tactic might even get your Facebook page shut down.

(Ominous, right?)

So, keep reading to learn three tips for finding your next clients on Facebook, along with one warning about what you definitely should not do.

1. Join the right groups.

Think about it: If a group of business owners was standing together talking at a party, you’d want to join that conversation, right? Of course, in real life, it can be a little awkward to insert yourself into a conversation. On Facebook, though, it’s incredibly easy: Join groups where potential clients will be.

This might include groups for business owners, groups for local networking, groups for business gurus’ followers (who, thus, would be business owners), groups for users of software or services that business owners use, groups associated with podcasts or websites that business owners follow…and the list goes on. Dig in and do some research!

Plus, because Facebook can be pretty darn helpful sometimes, it’ll also suggest other similar groups you might be interested in. Join away!

2. Be helpful.

Some groups will let you post promotions about you and your business and some won’t (be sure to check the rules!). But promotions aren’t necessarily the best way to get noticed, anyway.

Instead, look for posts from other people that are related to their messaging, their marketing, or (of course) the copy on their sites or in their emails. Once you start looking, you’ll find a lot of posts from people looking for help from the group. Things like, “My landing page isn’t converting. Can someone take a look and let me know what you think?”

Now, I’m not suggesting a full rundown of everything they could do to improve, but offering up a few tips can go a long way. Not only is it good karma, but there’s a decent chance that the poster will be curious and take a look at your Facebook business page (and, likely, click your portfolio link) after you give great advice.

Oh, and it doesn’t stop there—because not only will the poster see your helpful and insightful advice, everyone else who looks at the comments will, too.

Just comment with something like, “Hi, [NAME], I’m a professional copywriter, so I took a little look. I’d recommend [one or two small changes]. If you’d like to talk more or have any questions, feel free to send me a DM.” With any luck, it’ll begin a conversation. At the very least it’ll get several people checking out your Facebook page and portfolio site.

Aim to make a helpful comment in the groups you’re a part of at least once a day or every other day, and you’ll likely see some nice returns on your time.

3. Follow them and comment on posts.

Once you’ve identified potential clients, like their Facebook pages, follow them, and start commenting on their posts. (You can also do the same on Instagram.)

Don’t go overboard—commenting on every single post will make you look a little obsessive—but posting thoughtful and/or appreciative comments every once in a while will help you build a digital relationship.

Once they see notice you regularly commenting, it’s likely that they’ll take a look at your profile (which will have a link to both your Facebook page and your portfolio site, right??) and they’ll keep you in mind for when they need a copywriter—and maybe even share your info with their other business owner friends.

But be warned.

You know that I strongly recommend reaching out and pitching clients. (But pitching them the way we teach in our course—most people do it poorly. Oof.) However, that pitching should generally be done by email.

It might seem that pitching via Facebook DM is the same thing, but remember that while unsolicited (but friendly and helpful!) emails are commonplace, the same is not true for DMs. Not only can it feel more intrusive…but Facebook also makes it VERY easy for people to mark unsolicited messages as spam.

The end result of that? Facebook could end up taking down your Facebook business page. No good. If you want to DM someone, be sure that you ask for permission to do so.

Used strategically, Facebook can be a great resource for finding clients. Stay focused on being helpful, building relationships, and positioning yourself as a great resource and you’ll find yourself fielding requests for calls in no time.

Your Turn

Are you ready to make Facebook part of your client-finding toolkit? What are your plans for incorporating these tactics? Let me know in the comments below!

The post Find Copywriting Clients on Facebook: 3 Tips and 1 Big Warning 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.