Get Started with Copywriting

You are confident in your copywriting skills and feel ready to charge for your services. But how to start if you are a no-name with no experience and samples? Who will choose you over highly experienced, skilled and reputable copywriters? Everyone had to start from scratch including those big names. But they did it and you can do it too by following the three simple steps below:

• Step #1: Prepare awesome copy samples. You can’t expect to get a job/project without demonstrating your copywriting skills. What you need is to prepare copy samples. Good ones! The best! Remember that you are competing against who knows how many copywriters all of which are just as eager to get the job/project as you. If you want to beat your competition, you need to be better. Don’t have any copy samples? No problem. Take some time and create great Spec Ads to demonstrate that you’re a great copywriter with a great potential.

• Step #2: Set competitive rates. When selecting the best copywriter for the job, clients don’t only focus on the quality factor but consider the rates as well. They know that big name translates into a big price but they don’t mind paying for it because they know that the investment will return. But when there is an unknown name with the rates of top copywriters, they almost always choose the familiar name. And you can’t blame them. Imagine that you’re choosing between iPhone and a no-name smartphone, and that both have the same price tags. It’s pretty much the same when it comes to everything including copywriters. You may be just as good or even better but you’re a no-name when starting off. For that reason you are highly recommended to set competitive rates (but don’t undersell yourself). Combined with awesome copy samples, they will dramatically increase your chances even against the biggest names in the industry.

• Step #3: Know where and how to get clients. The last step is probably the most challenging one although it is not that hard as it may seem at a first glance. It takes some time and persistence to achieve a breakthrough and get the first client. But if you have the skills, awesome copy samples and competitive rates, the first client is only a matter of time. Advertise yourself online and offline, and look for copywriting jobs/projects at the many online outsourcing/freelance marketplaces.