You’ve got the copywriting skills, now you need to know how to get more copywriting clients so that you finally get paid to write!
When you’re standing on the precipice of a new career or side hustle in copywriting, it can be so tough to know where to start. And since you get clients and experience by pitching, that is the best place to start (yes, even before you create a website, portfolio, or decide on your niche).
There can be a lot of conflicting advice out there that would make it hard to know how to get clients as a copywriter. The good news is that businesses everywhere need marketing help…and there are much better alternatives to cold pitching and relying on job bidding sites.
That’s why I made a foolproof list to get you started. This is the same advice I walk through with the copywriters in my mentorship program – and the results speak for themselves!
Where Can I Find High Paying Copywriting Clients?
“How do I find clients?!” is the most common frustration among newer freelance copywriters. We don’t want you to just find clients…we want you to find good clients – ones who value copywriters AND pay well because they understand the ROI (return on investment) of our work.
There are four things you need to know to get the right clients:
- Define who you’d love to work with. What qualities make them the perfect client? With each new client, make a list of what you loved about working with them (maybe it was their mission and vision, or how they made you feel valued as a writer) and what you didn’t love so much (did they offer too low of a rate for the project? Not respect your time?). Remember that every “bad” client helps you get closer to hooking the right ones.
- Make a “no more” list. What will you no longer tolerate? What traits have you experienced from other co-workers, managers, or bosses that you will no longer deal with. Here are some examples to get you started: no more low pay, no more scope creep, no more unclear communication. One of the best things about freelancing is that you get to choose who you work with. Don’t choose the people that still treat you like an employee or don’t see the value that you bring to the table.
- Consider where they would be hanging out. Getting clients is similar to fishing. Where are you fishing? And how many poles do you have out to catch fish? If you’re trying to catch a tuna fish but you’re fishing in freshwater, you’re never going to catch it because they live in saltwater. Similarly, if you’re trying to connect with CEOs but you’re hanging out on Instagram, they likely don’t have time to spend scrolling. LinkedIn would be a better option to tap into their professional network. If they have a Facebook group, actively engage with their content and their community. Another aspect to consider is how many fishing poles do you have out? These are assets working for you, like evergreen SEO blog posts or having a freebie opt-in that builds your email list. It doesn’t have to take any more of your time, but it will increase your odds of getting a catch.
- Use the right bait. Create evergreen content (that can be reused and repurposed!) that speaks to your ideal client in your power. While you might not always feel like an expert, you’ve taken a course or read a book or have otherwise taken the time to learn the craft of copywriting whereas others have not. Even if you are just a few steps ahead of them, you are still in a position to serve them with your gift of writing. Create content. Have the courage to publish it to your blog and your social media. Even if no one “likes” or “comments”, know that they are still lurking and listening. I cannot tell you how many times I have been on a discovery call and they’ve mentioned a post I wrote that I thought barely got any attention, but it actually turned out to be a factor that helped them click to my Calendly to get on a call with me!
Create Your Dream 50 List…and Get On Their Radar
If you could write for anyone in the world…
…who would it be? 
Allow yourself to dream big here – even if it feels unrealistic right now!
Don’t limit yourself by thinking:
“They would never hire me.”
“I don’t have what it takes.”
“I need more experience first.”
Not everyone is looking for highly experienced copywriters (many clients appreciate the fresh perspective newer copywriters bring!)
Not everyone is YOU – and being a great personality match and culture fit is often a decision-making factor.
So, who is on your DREAM list? Write it down and make it real. (and share in the comments!/respond to this email) 
Here’s where you can start to generate ideas from…
- Email lists you love to read.
- Podcasts you subscribe to (also, “see similar” for more podcast inspiration).
- Who you follow on social media.
Write down their names…
…then get on their radar! 
Connecting with your dream clients doesn’t have to be scary. 
Many entrepreneurs and business owners are actually looking to hire writers that don’t have a lot of experience…because that means they have already developed a certain way of thinking and writing style that can be hard to change.
All of these leads can feel overwhelming so it’s important to track your leads to keep everything organized. You can use a project management system like Asana or keep it simple in Google Sheets. (Both options are easy and free!).
Here is what a lead tracking system can look like in Google Sheets or Excel.
Here is what a lead tracking system can look like in Asana.
(I use in Asana to keep my leads and my entire business organized…and I give away the exact templates that I personally use in my business to members of my Mentorship program!)
Now that you know how to find good copywriting clients (and keep track of them!), let’s discuss some of the common pitfalls to avoid.
When Looking for Online Copywriting Jobs, Avoid These 3 Mistakes!
The top pitfalls of finding good copywriting clients are using job bidding sites (like Upwork) and cold emailing. It’s not impossible to get clients this way…but it does tend to take longer, be a lot more work, and they don’t pay as well.
DON’T Use Job Bidding Sites (like Upwork, or similar)
If you’ve even thought about freelancing, there’s a good chance you’ve run across websites like Upwork, Fiverr, and other job bidding sites. Buuuut, there are a few issues with sites like these:
Job bidding sites aren’t created to foster long-term working relationships.
While it’s possible for you to have an ongoing relationship with a client after you’ve worked for them, there isn’t much in the way of preemptive relationship building on these sites. I prefer platforms like LinkedIn that allow you to lead with relationships and then offer your services. You’re a lot more likely to find bought-in, dream clients who particularly like you if you start out with a relationship rather than just trying to pick up odds-and-ends jobs on bidding sites.
Many clients on job bidding sites are unreliable.
This is a common complaint of freelancers on job bidding sites. Clients are more likely to post a job and then abandon it, ghost you after a few messages, or procrastinate or even neglect paying you!
A big part of this problem is that they aren’t seeking you out. It is better to use methods where clients find you on their own and decide that they want your services, rather than you having to hound them to let you write for them, then communicate with you, then pay you.
They take your money (in more ways than one!)
Remember that job bidding sites exist for profit, which means they’re looking for ways to get your money. Many of these sites make you pay just to bid for jobs, and then they take a cut of your earnings. Is the cost worth it for the services these sites provide? You are better off connecting with clients where you don’t have to give away your earnings.
DON’T Cold Email Potential Clients
Most major copywriting courses teach you to cold email potential clients…but that’s an outdated, “bro marketing” tactic that’s becoming less effective. Can it work? Yep, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best option. It takes a significant amount of (unpaid) time and effort to send out hundreds of cold emails every week until something sticks. Instead of having to convince someone to let your write for them (that’s a hard sell!), wouldn’t it be better to find someone who wants you to write for them? There are better methods where you won’t be wasting your time trying to pursue people who will likely just delete even the most well-written emails.
DON’T Settle For Low-Paying Jobs
If you want to be a well-paid writer, STOP tolerating low-paying jobs. 
It’s as easy and as hard as that.
It’s hard to say “no” to a job that we know is paying too low, and we justify it because something is better than nothing, however…
Logically, we “know” that getting paid pennies for our craft is unsustainable and unfair…but 9-5 jobs have conditioned us to believe that we deserve low pay as a beginner and we need to climb the corporate ladder to be successful. 
But the beautiful part of entrepreneurship? Your success can be exponential! 
The client does NOT call all of the shots. You are entering an equal (and mutually beneficial!) partnership. Command respect. (That does NOT mean being rude or confrontational…of course that goes without saying!)…but it also means NOT being conflict-avoidant or just accepting what we perceive is the status quo.
We tend to put prospective clients on a pedestal…but they are human beings just like us.
But the truth is that YOU teach people how to treat you. And YOU teach people how to pay you and what your work is worth. 
“I will no longer tolerate low-paying clients.”
You can decide that today. 
The Problem With Getting Clients As A New Freelance Copywriter
Copywriting courses sell copywriting as a lucrative career (and it can be!)…but after you’ve completed the course, it’s easy to wonder “where are all those high paying clients waiting to work with me?!”
The truth is…
Just because you are an excellent copywriter, doesn’t mean that clients know how to find you or look for you.
You have to put yourself out there.
You have to get visible.
You’ve got to put work into outbound methods to get more clients at first…and then as you get established with clients, it will be easier to switch to inbound methods to bring clients in (clients will come to you, instead of you always reaching out to them!).
As you get more work, you can get more clients through referrals and by appropriately sharing the results that you get for your clients.
It won’t always feel this hard to get clients.
It’s like pushing a big boulder. It takes a lot of effort and what feels like all your strength just to get the boulder to roll an inch. But as you keep pushing forward, the boulder begins to pick up momentum and eventually will keep rolling on its own with little effort from you.
The road to consistent clients is simple (but not always “easy”):
- Take action consistently on these 15 ways to get clients as a copywriter.
- Don’t let rejections stop you (it’s a normal part of the journey!)
Join our free Facebook community to connect with other copywriters on the journey!
How To Get Copywriting Clients – even with no experience!
Could you get a new copywriting client this week if you needed to?
There are many ways to create cash flow fast as a copywriter…
They don’t require:
having a huge network
knowing the right people
cold emailing a zillion business owners
All it takes is a few well-positioned messages along with some confidence and consistency. 
Try these 15 ways to get clients as a freelance copywriter.
- Reach out to local businesses. The businesses in your own town enjoy working with other locals (and tend to be more willing to take a chance on beginners!) You already have a connection point to make in your pitch (you live in the same area!) and that can start to build trust.
- Network with other freelance copywriters. 81% of freelancers refer clients to each other, according to Freelancers Union. We’ve seen this happen regularly inside the Group Mentorship program and even within our free Facebook community! Connecting with other copywriters is not competition – even if you offer the same services (like email copywriting, for example) in the same niche (like coaches), you are each going to connect with the prospects in a different way based on your personality and past experiences. If another copywriter fills out her calendar for one month, she can pass opportunities on to you. If you connect with a prospective client whose needs fall outside of what you offer, you can pass the opportunity along to another copywriter who is a better fit.
- Partner with agencies or other service providers. Expand your network to other service providers who serve your same niche but in different ways. For example, website copywriters can partner with a SquareSpace designer and together you can offer a full package website service. Or, direct response copywriters can become a contractor for ad agencies who regularly need ad copy written for their clients. Copywriters can connect with business coaches who could hire you as a copy consultant for their clients. Think about ways that you can complement another’s services and reach out to explore how you can collaborate together to serve the clients at a higher level.
- Join a Mastermind or group coaching program. These programs are great to not only get coaching and direction, but also because of the other people you will meet. By connecting with other business owners, they will become your best natural referral partners – and may even become a client of yours as well!
- Ask your friends and family for recommendations. Who do they know that has a small business? What small businesses do they know and love? These connections can help you get your foot in the door. Getting an introduction or a recommendation from someone who knows you is especially helpful as you’re starting out.
- Google the brands and businesses that you want to work with. Notice what kind of ads are served to you on your Facebook feed. Reach out and let them know that you’re interested in working with them, what copywriting services you offer (and how it can help them), and that your values are aligned with their brand. In your pitch, you can share what you noticed about their copy and marketing that you really liked and ways that they can improve (and how you can help them with that). This strategy is a great way to demonstrate your expertise (especially if you don’t have a portfolio yet!), it gives them value that is personalized and helps them regardless of if they hire you, and it shows that you’ve done your homework to research their brand.
- Follow up with stale leads. If you’re sending pitches, it’s likely that you have a long list of business owners that you never heard back from. And that’s okay! It’s part of the process. Track your leads and circle back to follow up with them. They will admire your persistence – and feel honored that you cared enough to keep them on your radar! You’re not being “annoying” by messaging busy people; they will be flattered by your desire to work with them and that you see something in their brand that’s worth elevating!
- Ask current clients for more work. If you are currently enjoying your work for a particular client, make a strategic suggestion of how more copywriting can benefit them. For example, if you wrote their website copy, you could suggest writing their blog posts as a natural next step. If you wrote a sales email sequence, offer to write their weekly nurture emails next.
- Guest post on niche-specific blogs that your ideal clients are reading. This is great way to show your writing skills, increase your visibility, and it can be included as a piece for your portfolio! Win win win!
- Pitch podcasts that your ideal clients are consuming. Search for top podcasts in your niche or look at where others are being featured. Consider how you’ll tell your story of how you became a copywriter (and why you’re so awesome at it!) and give some copywriting tips (that will make them naturally want to opt in to your freebie!).
- Attend conferences targeted at your most ideal clients. If your ideal clients are moms, the Mom 2.0 conference would be a great place to meet and connect with those who could use your services. If you enjoy writing social media, consider Social Media Marketing World. There are endless options – both virtual and in person – to build relationships with those in your niche.
- Ask for referrals. Referrals tend to be the best leads for two primary reasons: there is little sales pitch required because the client referring you has already sung your praises! And the introduction typically means they are ready to hire and are likely pre-qualified since the referrer feels that you would be a good fit to work together. Freelancers named referrals as the top way to find and land ideal work, according to research from the International Freelancers Academy. When you deliver high quality work, your clients will be happy to recommend you to everyone they know! Word of mouth referrals are one of the easiest, most reliable types of leads. Plus, setting up a referral system for your current clients where you provide bonus offers or special gifts can give your clients an incentive to keep those referrals coming in.
- Be active in online communities. Choose one social platform and go all in. Curate your profile to be like your online business card. Create and post content that documents your days as a copywriter and share tips that can help your prospects. LinkedIn is a great place to connect with other professionals. Also, there are tons of Facebook groups where your ideal clients are hanging out. Find what works for you and start having conversations with other business owners! (This is how I got my first client! Catch that story in my free Facebook group for copywriters).
- Find copywriting clients on LinkedIn. When it comes to getting copywriting clients, LinkedIn is a great place to pitch because it is full of professionals who are already looking for copywriters. You can get a lot of information from their profile to find a point of connection so that you can authentically start conversations and build long-term working relationships. Make sure your profile is updated to represent who you are, how you help, who you help, and what makes you different. Include an approachable yet professional profile picture. Then, start posting regularly. Create posts, articles, and other resources that bring value to your ideal clients and naturally demonstrate your expertise. Comment and interact on others’ posts. Finding clients based on relationships and letting people seek you out is the most enjoyable, sustainable, genuine, and profitable way to form your copywriting business!
- Write SEO blogs. Constantly reaching out to new prospects can be both daunting and exhausting! Since we are writers, let’s play to our strengths. When you write search engine optimized blogs (that you can also repurpose as LinkedIn articles and posts on Medium!) it will bring prospective clients to you who are searching for the solution that you offer (instead of you always reaching out to them!)
Get Your First Client As A Copywriter!
It’s easy to feel discouraged because you will receive a hundred “no’s” (or no response!) before you get a YES. But remember: every single business requires words that sell so that people buy their offers and the business remains profitable. And that means that every business can use a writer! Copywriting is a skill that will never go out of style (and even global pandemics will only increase the need for good copywriters to help keep businesses afloat and thriving!)
It’s easy for imposter syndrome thoughts to creep in, like…
Do you really deserve to be paid hundred(s) of dollars for an hour of your time? Are you worthy of being paid well for what you can deliver? What do you believe about yourself?
Do you believe you have to take low-paying jobs to cover the bills? Or can you say no to low-ball offers because you know that your dream client is out there hoping that you will find them? What do you believe is available for writers like you out there?
If you’ve thought this too and would like personalized help with finding clients, there is still space for you to join my mentorship program! Let’s create your ideal copywriting career.
