Are Freelance Writing & Copywriting Good Jobs?

Freelance writing and copywriting jobs are good jobs because they are passionate career paths. When you combine your love of writing with your passion for a subject, it’s an unbeatable combination! You can make a living doing something enjoyable to you and still enjoy the freedom of working from home with clients all over the world.

Freelance writing and copywriting are great career paths if you’re looking for something flexible or if you want to be your boss. I’ve been a freelance writer and a copywriter for years now, so I thought I’d share tips with you on how to get started in these fields.

5 Reasons Why Copywriting Is The Best Job In The World

Takeaways
Freelance writing and copywriting can be rewarding career choices for those with strong writing skills and a passion for creativity.
The freelance world offers flexibility and freedom, allowing writers to choose projects and clients that align with their interests.
Building a successful freelance career requires networking, creating a standout portfolio, and continuously improving writing abilities.
Freelancers should be prepared to handle challenges, such as inconsistent income, and develop effective time management and organizational skills.
Embracing client feedback and maintaining professionalism are key to thriving as a freelance writer or copywriter.

Table of Contents

Start In A Niche You Enjoy

Finding a niche to focus on is the first step toward success as a freelance writer or copywriter. You should start by finding a niche you enjoy because if you don’t enjoy writing about your topic, it will be very difficult for you to write articles about it regularly.

Not only should your chosen niche be something that interests you, but it should also be something that will allow other people to trust and respect your expertise otherwise, why would they hire you?.

This means that the audience needs to know what they can expect from an article written by someone who specializes in this area (i.e., they need consistency). If they invest time reading one of your posts and get some value out of it, they’re more likely to come back again!

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Find A Target Client, Not An Audience

As a copywriter, you’ll be tasked with creating content that appeals to your target audience that’s your job. But the key here is that you must find a target client and not an audience.

One of the major mistakes that freelance writers make is trying to appeal to everyone, which leads them to create generic content that doesn’t resonate with many people. Instead of making this mistake, focus on finding a specific type of client who will appreciate what you do (and vice versa).

Specialize In One Kind Of Content

You can’t be a jack of all trades and expect to get paid well. Instead, you need to specialize in one kind of content. This is especially important if you’re looking for clients and want them to come back again and again.

For example, let’s say you write about the latest technology news on your blog. That’s great.

But if your goal is to make money from that blog, it’s going to be difficult because there are so many other people who are also writing about tech updates online and most of them probably have a bigger following than yours does at this point.

You’ll want to do something different from them by finding a niche within the larger category: perhaps mobile technology or video games? Or maybe drones? Or how about self-driving cars? Find something specific that no one else has covered yet (or hasn’t covered as much), then dig deep into it until there’s nothing left for anyone else but you!

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Learn How To Pitch Clients Without Sounding Generic

One of the biggest mistakes freelancers make is sending out generic pitches and proposals. When you’re trying to attract clients, you want to sound like an individual who can help them achieve their goals not some faceless entity with no personality or sense of self.

To make sure your pitch is personal, focus on the client’s business goals and how they could be achieved by working with you.

The best way to do this is by writing a paragraph about them in advance so that when it’s time for sending out emails or filling out online forms (like Upwork), all you have to do is type in their name and hit “send.” You may also want to include some details about yourself in your pitch so that potential clients know where your expertise lies.

For example: “As someone whose background includes working as a freelance writer for several years, I am familiar with all aspects relating to copywriting.”

The more specific and concrete information about what kind of results can be expected from having hired (name) versus hiring someone else is conveyed here; along with how meeting these needs will benefit both parties involved this helps ensure an easier decision-making process while also strengthening relationships between both parties after initial contact has been made.”

Don’t Underestimate The Importance Of Branding

When it comes to freelance writing & copywriting, branding is everything. The more you can differentiate yourself from your competitors and build trust with clients, the better off you’ll be.

A great way to do this is by creating a blog (or website). A blog serves as an invaluable resource for potential clients looking for information about your services and it gives them a glimpse into who you are as a writer or copywriter.

You can also brand yourself through social media sites like LinkedIn or Twitter, where people can see what kind of work you’re into and how long you’ve been doing it. When done correctly, branding will help get more clients and charge higher rates because of all these things:

It builds trust between writer/copywriter and client
It makes it easier for writers/copywriters to stand out from competitors

Craft Your Value Statement And Map Out Your Portfolio Strategy

If you’re new to marketing, it might be helpful to start by defining some terms. A value statement is a one-sentence description of your business that sums up why customers should buy from you. It explains what makes you different and how you can deliver results for your clients that they could not get elsewhere.

A portfolio strategy is how you’ll use freelancing or copywriting as part of your overall business plan. It includes three key components:

Your target audience (who do I want to reach?)
The type of work (what types of projects am I offering?)
The scope of the services offered (how am I going to provide them?)

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Research The Client Before You Pitch Them

The first thing you should do when approaching a prospective client is to do some research. The more you know about the business and its audience, the better your chances of landing the job.

Here are some questions to consider:

What are the company’s goals? Is it looking for a new website design or content marketing strategy? Will, it need help with social media management or lead generation efforts?.

Knowing what you can do for your client will help them understand how valuable your work could be for them, which could increase their willingness to pay.

Who is their target market? Understanding who makes up their customer base will give you insight into what types of content they might need to be created and whether or not it aligns with what you excel at producing.

For example, if most of their readers are men over 35 years old who have been married at least 10 years (like my husband), then there’s no point in pitching copywriting ideas that focus on millennial moms (like me).

Make Sure Each Portfolio Piece Has a Purpose

As you’re building your portfolio, it’s important to remember that there is a purpose behind each piece. Every single blog post, social media update, and article has a specific intended audience and goal. Your job is to make sure you are writing content that matches those needs as closely as possible.

Not only will this help you identify better opportunities for freelance writing jobs and copywriting gigs, but it will also ensure that any potential clients can see exactly how valuable and relevant your skills are for their business or organization.

Create A Pitch Template For Each Kind Of Job You Want

To make sure you’re maximizing the effectiveness of your pitches, create a template that you can use for each kind of freelancing job you’re going after. It should include:

A clear description of the job. Include details such as how much time it will take and what kind of writing skills are needed (or preferred).
A link to your portfolio. If possible, include links to samples of previous work so potential clients can see what they can expect from you before hiring you.
Contact information and links to other supporting documents such as your resume or cover letter so potential clients don’t have to waste time looking for this information elsewhere, which could mean losing an opportunity if someone else submits a more complete pitch first!
Availability and rates (if fees aren’t negotiable).

Always Ask For The Sale (Or The Interview) At The End Of Your Pitches

If you’re pitching a freelance writing job or copywriting job, always ask for the sale (or interview) at the end of your pitch.

The last thing you want to do is leave your interviewer wondering what they should do next. You want to let them know exactly how they can hire or work with you so that all communication moves forward smoothly for both parties.

You might be thinking, “Well if I ask someone if I could write their newsletter right now and they say ‘no’, then it would probably hurt my chances of getting hired later on down the road.” And yes this is true! But this doesn’t mean that it’s not worth asking in some circumstances.

Sometimes asking early on can help clear up any misunderstandings about scope before things proceed too far along without being addressed (and situations like this one tend to happen often). Best case scenario: Your prospect says yes and hires you immediately.

Worst case scenario: Your prospect says no but still wants more information about what kind of writing projects are available at company X – which means there’s still hope for working together somewhere down the line!

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Respond With Follow-Up Pitches When You Hear Nothing Back From Prospects

Once you’ve sent out a pitch and heard nothing back, it’s normal to wonder if the prospect got your message. But don’t worry they probably did.

It happens all the time: writers send out pitches and hear nothing back. It can be frustrating! You put a lot of time into researching and writing a great pitch, only to have it fall on deaf ears.

There is one thing you can do to increase your chances of getting responses from prospects: follow up after sending them an initial email or proposal.

And when I say “follow up,” what do I mean exactly? Well if someone doesn’t respond right away or within a couple of days of receiving an email, then send another email that includes some sort of link (like a PDF) where they can download something related to the previous correspondence (for example the proposal).

In other words, make sure there’s continuity between each message so that prospects understand why they’re getting more information from you now (and hopefully start taking action).

Make Sure Your Contract Is Very Specific About What’s Being Delivered And When

Make sure your contract is very specific about what’s being delivered and when. A freelance contract should include a clear description of the deliverables, including all materials that are necessary for the client to use it as intended (for example, if you’re writing an article for a website, make sure it includes links to any images or other media used).

Include a payment schedule. Whether you’re working on an hourly basis or have agreed on some flat rate per project, make sure the payment schedule is included in your contract so that both parties know when they’ll be getting paid. It’s always better to include this right away (and before working on any projects) rather than leaving it open-ended until later.

Include a clause about what happens if the client doesn’t pay on time or stops working with you without cause.* Include a clause about what happens if you don’t deliver as promised in your agreement.*

Keep Scope Creep In Check Whenever Possible By Negotiating Upfront For Any Scope Changes

Scope Creep is a very real problem for freelance writers, as well as clients. Scope creep can be avoided by negotiating upfront with your client about the extent of your responsibilities and what your deliverables will entail.

You should also make sure that you have a clear agreement on how much money is involved in any potential scope changes that may arise during the project. If you don’t want to negotiate every single detail before taking on a client, here’s how to avoid scope creep:

Make sure you know what they want from you and how much time it will take upfront. Before taking on any projects, ask them exactly what they need from their writer(s). Then stick to it

If a client wants changes after agreeing (and this happens often), ask them if they are willing to pay extra for these services or if there are available funds set aside for those kinds of fees in their budgeting process at all times (which might not be possible).

Ask them if there’s anything else they’d like added (or taken away) from the original proposal before making any commitments and then stick with those terms!

Cultivate Relationships With Your Clients So They Come Back To You Again And Again For More Work

You should always be responsive to your clients. If they have a question, you should get back to them as soon as possible. If they need changes made, try to do it right away (but don’t forget to ask the client what they want first). You can also be proactive in your communication.

For example, if you notice that a client hasn’t answered an email in three days and needs something done urgently, send an email asking if everything is okay and whether or not their request is still valid. This way, you won’t waste any time on projects when there’s no urgency at all!

Another important thing for freelancers is being flexible about deadlines and delivering quality work consistently across all clients this will build trust with them over time which leads us to our next point.

Automate As Much Of Your Business As Possible

If you’re a copywriter or freelance writer, you might have noticed that there’s a ton of competition out there. It’s not easy to break through the noise and get noticed by clients.

One way you can stand out from other freelancers is by creating free visual assets that show off your skills as a writer and it doesn’t matter if they’re used on your website, on social media, or even in emails to potential clients.

For example, Canva offers tons of templates for things like business cards, flyers, invitations, and more all completely customizable using their drag-and-drop interface. It’s so simple anyone can use it even if they aren’t the most tech-savvy person (although if you need help getting started with Canva there are plenty of free tutorials online).

Plus any time someone sees one of these beautiful designs created with Canva they’ll think “Wow! This person must be talented!” which will only help establish trust with potential employers when they’re searching through portfolios before making hiring decisions!

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Use A Tool Like Canva To Create Free Visual Assets Accompanying Any Blog Post

You can use Canva to create visual assets that you can use on your blog posts, social media posts, and other content you create for clients. This will make your content stand out in a very crowded space.

Not only is Canva easy to use and free, but there are dozens of pre-made templates available that you can modify to suit any purpose from business cards and birthday invitations to product advertisements and wedding invitations! You don’t need any graphic design skills whatsoever!

Final Thoughts

Ok, so now you know everything I do to freelance as a writer and copywriter and to teach others how to do the same. As with anything in life, it’s important not to rush this process; take your time, focus on going deep rather than wide in terms of skills development, and don’t be afraid to reach out for help when needed.

Remember that freelancing isn’t easy work: It’s fun, fulfilling work with some challenges thrown into the mix every once in a while (like all jobs). But if you have a passion for writing and want to make money doing something creative that also gives you flexibility over where or when you work each day? Freelancing might just be the perfect career path for you!