Imagine it’s just a normal Monday. You are at your house, which is near the beautiful ocean, you are at your balcony sitting on your chair having a cup of coffee, and you are comfortably working without answering any annoying boss.
Sounds Unreal?
No, it could become a reality if you become a freelance copywriter.
But there is a problem: most people dream about becoming a freelance copywriter, but they don’t understand what a freelance copywriter does, how clients hire them.
They just get random advice from unauthentic resources or people, which makes them feel overwhelmed or stuck.
Are you one of those who are just confused, just because of too much wrong advice, and want to know the following:
- What is a Freelance Copywriter?
- Why is this career booming?
- How can you start as a freelance copywriter from scratch?
If your answer is yes, this guide is for you because in this guide, you will get a clear, complete roadmap about a freelance copywriting career, and by the end, you will have clear knowledge on how to start your freelance copywriting career.
So are you ready to take complete control of your income and work?
If so, let’s start!
Brief Introduction
What is a Freelance Copywriter? (Clear & Simple Definition)
Freelance copywriter works as self-employed professionals. They craft self-driven, persuasive content for marketing and sales for different businesses and organizations.
A freelance copywriter works on a project basis directly with clients. Unlike an in-house copywriter who is answerable to their managers, there is no boss role. Freelance copywriters directly engage with a client.
Freelance Copywriter might write:
- Website landing pages, such as product descriptions, landing pages, etc.
- Email campaigns for ecommerce brands could include a newsletter, sales sequence, etc.
- Ad copies for print media or digital mediums such as Facebook ads, Google ads, etc.
- SEO traffic-driven blog post.
- Video script for TVC or digital media, such as a YouTube video.
Why is Freelance Copywriting popular nowadays?
The freelance copywriting market has been booming more than ever in recent years. Now it is not considered a side hustle. It’s a full-blown career path because of creative freedom, flexibility, and huge earning potential.
Reasons to choose Freelance Copywriting:
Preference For Remote Work: Most businesses nowadays prefer hiring globally because, according to research done by Buffer they mentioned that 98% of their respondents want to work remotely for the rest of their career.
This global market shift opens new opportunities, especially for freelance copywriters who want to work for clients from anywhere, anytime.
Businesses Need More Copy Than Ever Before: Content marketing is at the peak on digital media, whether businesses run paid ads, need social media content, or want content for websites. They need a copywriter to create persuasive content to fulfill their content needs.
Why Do Companies Hire Freelance Copywriters?
Nowadays, companies prefer to hire freelance copywriters because of the following economic and strategic reasons such as:
Flexibility: Hiring an in-house copywriter as an employee is difficult because a full-time resource is expensive. A company is responsible for giving them extra benefits and a salary.
But on the other hand, hiring a freelance copywriter company gets a flexible resource that can be brought on as needed.
Specialized Skills On Demand: Companies have a range of options to hire the niche-specific specialized copywriting resource as per their need because freelance platforms provide access to global talent.
Lower Overhead = Higher ROI: Companies hire freelance copywriters on a project-based model where they pay them when the freelancer completes their task.
On the other hand, in the case of hiring in-house permanent employees, they are bound to pay a monthly salary and extra benefits even though there is no project in the pipeline.
Hence, hiring a freelance resource is cost-effective compared to hiring a full-time resource.
Essential Skills That Every Freelance Copywriter Needs
To become a successful freelance copywriter, you need more than a good writer because you need to master a range of different things, along with good writing skills such as professionalism, creativity, and strategy.
Let’s discuss the core abilities that every freelance copywriter needs to build:
Writing That Sells
Don’t write the content that only describes. You must develop the skills to write content that persuades and engages your audience to take immediate action.
There are four main key traits of high converting copy, such as:
- It should be crafted in a concise and clear language.
- It should focus on benefits instead of just focusing on features.
- It should trigger emotions.
- It should have a strong Call to action (CTA).
Research Skills
Research is the foundational skill necessary for every freelance copywriter because it makes you capable of deeply understanding your audience and competitors. Without proper research, you never write a copy that converts.
Brainstorming And Creativity
Originality and creative ideas are essential to write the copy that stands out. It’s the job of a freelance copywriter to come up with fresh ideas with unique angles.
So, to achieve this task, brainstorming ability is necessary for freelance copywriters because brainstorming allows you to find unique aspects that can make a difference.
Communication Skills
Being a freelance copywriter, your communication skills are very important because these skills make you capable of building a good and long-term relationship with clients.
Time And Project Management
Time and project management skills are very important for freelance copywriters because they have to handle multiple projects having different deadlines, so it is essential to identify which work is most important.
Even talented freelance copywriters struggle to stay afloat without time and project management skills.
Basic Marketing Knowledge
To understand basic marketing, you don’t need to complete a degree, but as a freelance copywriter basic understanding of marketing concepts is essential to how they work.
This concept will significantly help you enhance your ability to craft highly impactful copy that achieves your client’s goals.
Step-by-Step Process: How To Become a Freelance Copywriter
In this section, you will get a step-by-step complete roadmap to explore each stage essential to start your freelance copywriter career, from mastering the foundational skills to grabbing your first client and building a sustainable and smooth career.
So let’s start and discuss each step one by one:
Step 1: Master the Basics Of Copywriting.
Before starting your career as a freelance copywriter, the first thing is to understand the core principles and techniques of copywriting.
You need to understand the psychology of persuasion, formulas that help you write your copy, such as PAS, AIDA, SLAP, etc.
To master the basics, there are some valuable resources, such as:
Books (You should read):
- The Copywriter’s Handbook by Robert Bly.
- Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy.
- The Boron Letters by Gary C. Halbert.
- The Adweek Copywriting Handbook by Joseph Sugarman.
Affordable Courses (Resources):
- Udemy.
- Skill Share.
On these sites, you can find top copywriting instructor courses at a low cost.
Free Resources:
- Copymaister.
- Hubspot.
- Youtube.
Step 2: Build Your Portfolio (Without Any Client)
After learning about copywriting in detail, the second step is to build your Portfolio because clients never hire you without proof.
But here is the problem in the beginning, when you don’t even work for a single client, how can you make your Portfolio? This is where most beginners get confused.
But you don’t need to worry because here is a good news solution: “You can build a standout portfolio even if you don’t have a single client”.
Let’s discuss how you can do that.
- First, select your niche you want to work for, such as seo copywriting, ads copywriting, email copywriting, etc.
- Select the brands that you think produce great pieces of copy. It can be Cocke, Nike, etc.
- Analyze their copies where there is room for improvement, then rewrite them better.
- Ensure to add variety and make different copies, such as writing in different tones, styles, formats, etc., to show your versatility.
Best Resources to showcase your Portfolio:
Once you have made your Portfolio, then after this showcase your Portfolio on any platform as per your ease, such as:
- Journo Portfolio: Here you can choose a built-in template. This platform is tailored for writers.
- WordPress: This is a free cms where you can create appealing websites easily and showcase your Portfolio.
- Contently: Designed for content professionals on this platform, you can easily host your Portfolio.
Step 3: Find and Land Your First Client
Once you have created your portfolio, start working to build your freelance copywriter profile and find clients there:
Top Freelance Platforms For Copywriters:
Upwork: This is one of the best freelance platforms where you can secure long-term contracts, but it’s quite competitive and expensive for beginners, but here you can find highly freelance jobs.
Freelancer: This is less expensive than Upwork. You can find multiple clients here, but on this platform, there is a huge competition where hundreds of freelancers bid for a single project.
Fiverr: On this platform, you need to create gig-based services from which you can offer different copywriting services in the form of packages at set prices. Fiverr is good for getting initial experience and getting reviews.
On all these platforms, you must build your profile, upload your portfolio, add your bio, who you are, what you offer, etc. To apply for a job, you must create proposals and cover letters.
Direct Reach Clients:
Direct reach is another way to get a freelance client. There are different mediums which you can use for direct reach, such as:
Social Platforms: Platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook, you can use to reach clients, especially on LinkedIn, where you can find high-paid jobs. On the other hand, on Facebook, you can get work from different groups and communities.
Cold Pitching: All you need to do for cold pitching is gather a list of emails of key decision makers who work for different organizations. The best way is to make a list industry-wise wise such as for healthcare, make a separate list, and for the finance industry, make a separate list and then pitch them separately.
One most important things when setting your portfolio or direct reach client is to set pricing smartly. There are different pricing models you can choose when working with clients, such as:
- Per hour: In this model, you set your hourly pricing, how much you charge for one hour.
- Project-Based: In this model, you mention the total cost you charge for the entire project.
- Per Word: In this model, you set your pricing as how much you charge per word.
Step 4: Deliver Great Work And Grow Your Business
Once you have landed your client, your real work starts. Do your best to provide high-quality work; this is the only way to get referrals and repeat business.
When you are onboarding your client, show professionalism by following these steps:
- Make a contract mentioning all terms and conditions, then send it to the client.
- The best way to set clear timelines and payment schedule is to get upfront first, in case of the direct client on freelance platforms, set payment milestones.
Another important thing is when working with any client, give respect and handle their feedback with grace, if they want revision, provide them until they get happy with your work.
If there is any confusion in the mind of the client during the project so clarify their confusion.
Challenges Freelance Copywriters Face (And How To Overcome Them)
A freelance copywriter indeed enjoys many benefits, such as autonomy and flexibility. But on the other hand, there are many unique challenges that freelance copywriters face.
In this section, you will explore freelance copywriters’ major challenges and how to overcome them.
So let’s discuss each challenge one by one.
Uncertain Income Cycle
The income of freelance copywriters is unpredictable. Sometimes you are flooded with work, but sometimes you struggle to find work. This “feast-or-famine” could cause uncertainty and financial stress.
Why does this issue happen?
Three main reasons are the main causes of uncertainty in the income cycle of freelance copywriters, such as:
- Inconsistent marketing efforts.
- Short-term agreement or no retainer agreement.
- Lack of consistent client pipeline.
How to Overcome it?
- Instead of focusing on specific things, diversify your income stream and offer services such as web, email, sales pages, copywriting, etc.
- You can build your digital product, such as an ebook or copywriting template, and sell it.
- You can sell your online course.
- Make retainer offers appealing, give discounts in the form of packages that engage clients to go with retainer contracts instead of one-time hiring.
- Build your emergency fund and try to save an amount that helps you survive at least 3 to 5 months.
Dealing With Difficult Clients
Not always, you don’t always get smooth clients who pay on time, follow the contract, and understand your explanations. Most freelance copywriter has to deal with the client:
- Who oversteps boundaries pays slow.
- Give insufficient feedback.
- Have unclear expectations.
- Ghost halfway through the project.
But freelance copywriters must deal with these situations professionally to make business operations without any problem.
How To Deal With a Difficult Client?
- Make the contract properly set a clear scope of work, revision limit, and deadline.
- Always sign the agreement before starting any work.
- Communicate like a professional, make each meeting note, and send it to the client on things you and they agree on.
- Document everything through email.
Managing Multiple Projects
Dealing with multiple projects being a single freelancer can lead to missed deadlines and stress, especially when every client wants work in a fast paced.
In this condition, common challenges a freelance copywriter faces are:
- Not having enough time and losing mental focus.
- Everything gets mixed up between twitching different formats or brand voices.
How to Overcome It?
- Do effective project management tools like Trello or Try Notion to organize tasks and deadlines?
- Don’t make a promise with a client you can not fulfill.
- Batch similar tasks will help you to streamline your work.
Staying Motivated While Working Alone
Freelancing offers flexibility, but it becomes challenging because you must work alone. In this condition, staying motivated without social interaction like you have in a traditional office environment is difficult.
Why is it hard?
- There is no one for external accountability.
- Lack of feedback.
- Work in insulation can cause a creative lock and hurt mental health.
How to Overcome It?
- Reward yourself after achieving a task.
- Decorate your work desk with the things you like most.
- Invest in coaching and mentorship.
- Prioritize your self-care, eat clean, do exercise.
- Join the freelance copywriters community and attend a virtual meetup with other mates like you.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is Freelance Copywriting Hard?
Freelance copywriting gives you high rewards, but it can be challenging because of several factors, such as:
- Dealing with the client’s rejection.
- Required discipline.
- Income fluctuations.
Rewarding Parts:
- You have creative freedom.
- You can work from anywhere.
- High income potential.
Do I need a degree or formal training?
A degree is not required to become a successful freelance copywriter; it is purely a skill-based job. The things that truly matter are:
- Understanding the core principles and frameworks of copywriting.
- Understanding of your audience you are writing for.
- Adaptation of tone and voice.
Can I become a freelance copywriter with no experience?
Yes, you can become a freelance copywriter without any prior paid experience. Many successful freelance copywriters started from scratch.
The only thing that can help you succeed is your effort, strategic approach, and dedication.
Four valuable tips can help you start a freelance copywriting career:
- Make spec ads: choose any real or imaginary brand and write or rewrite product descriptions, emails, SLES landing pages, etc.
- Offer discounts or free work: Make a good deal with clients by giving them heavy discounts or free work in exchange for testimonials.
- Showcase your writing style skills by starting your blog.
How long does it take to get your first client?
It depends on your approach and your effort. With the help of using the right strategy and proper dedicated working, you can get clients within 1-2 weeks; otherwise, it can take months.
Tips to get the client fast:
- Reach 5 to 10 potential prospects daily through cold email, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.
- On freelance platforms, apply for relevant jobs consistently.
How to avoid non-paying clients or scammers?
Unfortunately, there are lots of scammers and non-paying clients who just waste time to avoid these things. Follow these rules:
- Don’t start work without an upfront amount.
- Always use trusted getaways, such as PayPal, to get payment from the client.
- If working on freelance platforms, tell clients to set milestones and release right after the task you achieve.
- Don’t reply to unprofessional emails.
Conclusion
A freelance copywriting career offers you a flexible career path, creative freedom, and gives you real income potential. In this guide, you have explored what freelance copywriting is in reality and why it is booming worldwide.
Through this guide, you have learned:
- What essential skills do you need to start your career as a freelance copywriter?
- Step-by-step process from building a portfolio to landing a first client.
- Challenges freelance copywriters face, such as handling difficult clients, unstable income, etc, and how to overcome those challenges.
- Lastly, you have to get common answers in the FAQs section, such as how to avoid scams, how to start with no experience, etc.
After completing this guide, you now have a complete idea about the freelance copywriting career, but still, if you have any questions, you can ask me in the comments or email me.