Comments on: 11 quick ways to kickstart your slow freelance business http://www.procopytips.com/kickstart-freelance-business Copywriting Tips for Smart Copywriters Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:38:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Dean Rieck http://www.procopytips.com/kickstart-freelance-business/comment-page-1#comment-3026 Dean Rieck Sun, 28 Mar 2010 17:15:23 +0000 http://www.procopytips.com/?p=379#comment-3026 Chris, Yes, that's not a bad idea if you're just starting out. You have the time and there's no opportunity cost. Later in your career, you likely won't have time for that. A variation on this would be to simply contact target clients and make simple suggestions for improvements. You run the risk of insult, but there's a chance it would work. Chris,
Yes, that’s not a bad idea if you’re just starting out. You have the time and there’s no opportunity cost. Later in your career, you likely won’t have time for that. A variation on this would be to simply contact target clients and make simple suggestions for improvements. You run the risk of insult, but there’s a chance it would work.

]]> By: Chris Mower http://www.procopytips.com/kickstart-freelance-business/comment-page-1#comment-2978 Chris Mower Sun, 28 Mar 2010 03:29:52 +0000 http://www.procopytips.com/?p=379#comment-2978 I realize I'm a couple months behind the times commenting on this blog post. (I found your blog today from an article you shared on Men with Pens.) I haven't started a copywriting business yet, but I'm thinking about it. While reading through your post I thought of another way to snag potential clients. Find a client you want, and create a sample work based off their current website or materials. Send them a copy with a short letter praising their company and offering your services. It sounds a little arrogant I suppose, but you never know when they're looking for a copywriter to help with a new project. I'd be interested to know your thoughts on this, or if you suggest a spin to it. By the way, this is an AWESOME blog. Thanks :). .-= Chris Mower's last blog ... <a href="http://www.chrismower.com/0326/why-you-should-care-about-who-you-recommend/" rel="nofollow">Why You Should Care about Who You Recommend</a> =-. I realize I’m a couple months behind the times commenting on this blog post. (I found your blog today from an article you shared on Men with Pens.)

I haven’t started a copywriting business yet, but I’m thinking about it. While reading through your post I thought of another way to snag potential clients.

Find a client you want, and create a sample work based off their current website or materials. Send them a copy with a short letter praising their company and offering your services. It sounds a little arrogant I suppose, but you never know when they’re looking for a copywriter to help with a new project.

I’d be interested to know your thoughts on this, or if you suggest a spin to it.

By the way, this is an AWESOME blog. Thanks :) .
.-= Chris Mower’s last blog … Why You Should Care about Who You Recommend =-.

]]> By: Freelance Writing Jobs for January 26, 2010 : Freelance Writing Jobs for Web and Print http://www.procopytips.com/kickstart-freelance-business/comment-page-1#comment-710 Freelance Writing Jobs for January 26, 2010 : Freelance Writing Jobs for Web and Print Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:56:14 +0000 http://www.procopytips.com/?p=379#comment-710 [...] 11 Smart Ways to Kickstart Your Slow Freelance Writing Business at ProCopy Tips [...] [...] 11 Smart Ways to Kickstart Your Slow Freelance Writing Business at ProCopy Tips [...]

]]> By: Tweets that mention 11 quick ways to kickstart your slow freelance business -- Topsy.com http://www.procopytips.com/kickstart-freelance-business/comment-page-1#comment-708 Tweets that mention 11 quick ways to kickstart your slow freelance business -- Topsy.com Tue, 26 Jan 2010 01:18:21 +0000 http://www.procopytips.com/?p=379#comment-708 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by James C, Roseli A. Bakar, Laurie PawlikKienlen, Sharon Hurley Hall, SheilaAtwood and others. SheilaAtwood said: RT aEzyBlogger 11 quick ways to kickstart your slow freelance business http://bit.ly/5wR4py [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by James C, Roseli A. Bakar, Laurie PawlikKienlen, Sharon Hurley Hall, SheilaAtwood and others. SheilaAtwood said: RT aEzyBlogger 11 quick ways to kickstart your slow freelance business http://bit.ly/5wR4py [...]

]]> By: Dean Rieck http://www.procopytips.com/kickstart-freelance-business/comment-page-1#comment-707 Dean Rieck Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:59:47 +0000 http://www.procopytips.com/?p=379#comment-707 Brian: Deal. Brian:
Deal.

]]> By: BrianJUY http://www.procopytips.com/kickstart-freelance-business/comment-page-1#comment-706 BrianJUY Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:52:02 +0000 http://www.procopytips.com/?p=379#comment-706 Dean... I'm on the verge of going off on a tangent, but I won't digress... well, maybe a little. There are a couple of freelance websites I've signed up with in the past... Not to name names, but one might begin with "E" and end with "lance." Jackholes would bid... Like $50 to write an eBook... Or $30 for 10 pages of website copy... Or $6 an hour to write 500 word articles... This devalues copywriters in a couple of different ways... 1. Companies who don't know better see those offers and think that's the "norm." (Then they try to low-ball us.) 2. When they award those jobs to those jackholes, the jackholes perform to the quality they were paid. (Copy on the lines of... "Me is a well righter") 3. The companies then get a bad taste in their mouth for hiring freelance writers... (Then you hear... <i>"Oh, we've done the freelance thing before and it didn't work out... We're going to stick to in-house... But thanks anyway."</i>) Dean, I'd be more than happy to choke those jackholes while you're thumping them on the head. My apologies for the digression... ;-) .-= BrianJUY's last blog ... <a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Mlmebusiness/~3/62TQZBBSnHk/how-i-learned-about-authority-from-a-guy-at-the-bar-.html" rel="nofollow">How I Learned About Authority from a Guy at the Bar...</a> =-. Dean… I’m on the verge of going off on a tangent, but I won’t digress… well, maybe a little.

There are a couple of freelance websites I’ve signed up with in the past… Not to name names, but one might begin with “E” and end with “lance.”

Jackholes would bid… Like $50 to write an eBook… Or $30 for 10 pages of website copy… Or $6 an hour to write 500 word articles…

This devalues copywriters in a couple of different ways…
1. Companies who don’t know better see those offers and think that’s the “norm.” (Then they try to low-ball us.)
2. When they award those jobs to those jackholes, the jackholes perform to the quality they were paid. (Copy on the lines of… “Me is a well righter”)
3. The companies then get a bad taste in their mouth for hiring freelance writers… (Then you hear… “Oh, we’ve done the freelance thing before and it didn’t work out… We’re going to stick to in-house… But thanks anyway.”)

Dean, I’d be more than happy to choke those jackholes while you’re thumping them on the head.

My apologies for the digression… ;-)
.-= BrianJUY’s last blog … How I Learned About Authority from a Guy at the Bar… =-.

]]> By: Dean Rieck http://www.procopytips.com/kickstart-freelance-business/comment-page-1#comment-705 Dean Rieck Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:09:07 +0000 http://www.procopytips.com/?p=379#comment-705 Brian: Then again, I've seen online offers for writers offering $5 for a blog post or $50 for a sales letter. And that's just not the way to go. In fact, I'd like to thump every writer who accepts offers like this because they devalue the work of every other copywriter. Brian:
Then again, I’ve seen online offers for writers offering $5 for a blog post or $50 for a sales letter. And that’s just not the way to go. In fact, I’d like to thump every writer who accepts offers like this because they devalue the work of every other copywriter.

]]> By: BrianJUY http://www.procopytips.com/kickstart-freelance-business/comment-page-1#comment-704 BrianJUY Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:02:31 +0000 http://www.procopytips.com/?p=379#comment-704 Hi Dean, As always great advice. One thing a person can do specifically goes right along with "Welcoming a different type of client" and "Offer your services in a less expensive form to smaller clients"... If someone is slow and needs work; go to Craigslist and Backpage and look in the Marketing Sections. I know it sounds obvious, but here's the key. Most companies who advertise on Craigslist and Backpage are small companies and they have no clue about marketing... hence why they hire a Marketing Specialist/ Manager/ Director... etc. If a company is searching for a person to fill a marketing position; that typically means they don't have someone in place or the person in place is not performing... The point being, they will typically be more open to proposals because that's what they are searching for... Just because a company is seeking someone for a full time marketing position doesn't mean they wouldn't be open to fill that position on a freelance basis... Paying a copywriter $75 an hour for freelance work is A LOT cheaper than having a copywriter on payroll. Not to mention, if they don't have someone in place; they will typically have the budget for a good proposal... .-= BrianJUY's last blog ... <a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Mlmebusiness/~3/62TQZBBSnHk/how-i-learned-about-authority-from-a-guy-at-the-bar-.html" rel="nofollow">How I Learned About Authority from a Guy at the Bar...</a> =-. Hi Dean,

As always great advice. One thing a person can do specifically goes right along with “Welcoming a different type of client” and “Offer your services in a less expensive form to smaller clients”…

If someone is slow and needs work; go to Craigslist and Backpage and look in the Marketing Sections. I know it sounds obvious, but here’s the key.

Most companies who advertise on Craigslist and Backpage are small companies and they have no clue about marketing… hence why they hire a Marketing Specialist/ Manager/ Director… etc. If a company is searching for a person to fill a marketing position; that typically means they don’t have someone in place or the person in place is not performing…

The point being, they will typically be more open to proposals because that’s what they are searching for… Just because a company is seeking someone for a full time marketing position doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be open to fill that position on a freelance basis… Paying a copywriter $75 an hour for freelance work is A LOT cheaper than having a copywriter on payroll.

Not to mention, if they don’t have someone in place; they will typically have the budget for a good proposal…
.-= BrianJUY’s last blog … How I Learned About Authority from a Guy at the Bar… =-.

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