Copywriting guidance?

Zisel · Sep 25, 2006

[EDIT: Okay, I JUST realized I mis-spelled “guidance” in the thread title. (Thanks Soloset for the heads up.) I’m not really that illiterate, I just posted the thread at 4:30 in the morning after I’d been up all night worrying about how to get clients. Well, talk about shooting yourself in the foot! No wonder no one wants to work with me personally (except Angelinity, I mean

)! Sigh. Human imperfection strikes again. It looks like users can't alter the post titles, though, so I'm stuck.]

Hello all,

I’m just wondering if anyone here might be able to help me out a bit with finding copywriting clients. I have a small amount of experience and a Web site with samples for the industry I’d like to work with.

My goal is to find some clients for fairly simple things like fliers, print ads or even basic sales letters within the next few months.

I’d really like to find someone I could bounce client-finding ideas off of and, ideally, someone who could suggest a few methods that typically give good results. I do have some ideas, but I'm not sure which ones to try and which would be a waste of time and money. I don't need daily hand-holding e-mails or long-term help, just a push to get started.

I realize it sounds a bit silly for someone who wants to write marketing material to be unable to market herself, but I think it’s some kind of mental block on selling my own service. :crazy:

I’ve sold fairly hard-to-sell things before.

Of course, I’m willing to reciprocate with anything that I might be of help with (well, you know, almost anything).

If anyone could give me a little push, I’d be very grateful.

Thanks in advance!

Z

Angelinity · Sep 25, 2006

try your local market

starting out is always challenging, isn't it? high-paying gigs are usually difficult to break into, since big clients already have their preferred providers.

guess i would start by canvassing your local market, including charities - maybe do a couple of freebies for the latter so you can have something to show in your portfolio. in time, local markets can generate steady work with higher pay than web-based gigs, since on the web you would have to compete against world-wide low-bidding.

web gigs are more difficult to follow-up for payments, and you'll find a lot of crooks out there looking to get something for nothing. i've spent many days researching and writing for what sounded like solid gigs - and the 'client' just dissappeared into the maze of 011010 after receiving the fruit of my hard work.

take a look at some of the freelancing websites (google 'freelance copywriting'), and you'll see most want 500-1000 word 'original' articles for $2-5 dollars. the sad thing is, they often get it whether or not the quality is there. some of these guys expect five to ten articles a day, which means you would have time for nothing else while making peanuts - assuming you even get paid for it.

so my advice - your local market is a solid place to start. it gives you a chance for face-to-face interaction, you can build a long-term relationship with your clients, plus you get word-of-mouth referrals.

good luck!

Zisel · Sep 26, 2006

Hello Angelinity,

Thank you for the reply. I really appreciate the front-lines information. That’s the kind of thing I’ve been having trouble finding.

I’d go to the local market, but I live in a country that speaks a language other than the one I usually work in. I speak the language of where I live fairly well, but I don’t know if I’d really trust myself to do copywriting in it. I just don’t feel the nuances of words as well as I do in English. What’s more, within half a year or so I’ll be moving to somewhere where I speak even less of the language. Excuses, excuses, eh? I hope I don’t sound like I’m snubbing your advice. Just wanted to explain the situation.

I don’t know, maybe I’m on the wrong track trying to get started when I can’t meet face to face. It might be better to just stick to article writing.

Anyway, I’m sorry to hear about the trouble you’ve had with disappearing clients. How annoying.

Thank you again for your input and good luck with your work, too.

Zisel

Angelinity · Sep 26, 2006

if you already have a steady clientelle for article writing, maybe you can let them know you're branching out. most likely they will know people in the business who need freelance copy writers - if they're happy with your work, i'm sure they'll recommend you.

maybe you can have your link on their web, even take a little banner.

other than that, go on and bid on freelance jobs - there are good gigs out there too, you just have to hunt them down

Zisel · Sep 26, 2006

...clientelle for article writing clientelle for article writing, maybe you can let them know you're branching out.

You know, I hadn’t even thought of that. Worth a try. Thanks!

As for bidding, I used to bid at rentacoder.com. May try that again just to pick up some work. Although, like you say, there are an awful lot of $5/article offers that are less than tempting.

Thanks again :Sun:

,

Z

Copywriting guidance?

Zisel

Angelinity

absent

Zisel

Angelinity

absent

Zisel