Starting a freelance copywriting business

[stephenpollock]

I've been an advertising copywriter for many years, working at big, international agencies. Now I've gone freelance and I'm keen to get people's input into ways I can maximise my exposure. Obviously, I've built a site, had it listed and all that jazz but I'm up for ideas on the best way to actively target clients (rather than wait for them to contact me).

There's some interesting posts on related subjects on this forum but I'd love any feedback from people who have taken the same career journey as me.

All hail independence

[Kevin Williams]

Become a war room member, post a wso, post a classified, etc.

Offer a couple discounted or free salespages to get reviews and feedback - the online market is the same copy that has been written for hundreds of years though so that shouldn't be a problem.

[Alex Cohen]

Originally Posted by stephenpollock

I'm up for ideas on the best way to actively target clients (rather than wait for them to contact me).

In the freelance world, you get more respect (and higher fees) if you position yourself rather than prospect for clients.

Perry Marshall wrote a good article on the subject...

Marketing 02

Alex

[Dean Jackson]

Pete, he said he's worked for agencies, so I don't see why that would make him appear as less of an expert??

Anyway Stephen, how much experience do you have marketing online?

I checked out your site, and although I like the music and design, Google doesn't

Your letter should be direct and to the point for people looking for what you have to offer... make it easy for them!

All the best,
Dean

[briancassingena]

Yes but why discourage people from asking questions on the forum - isn't that what it's for? There's no such thing as a stupid question...

[briancassingena]

P.S. Stephen - As a freelancer you'll be relying on results, so what you used to do at an agency may not fly with clients who want a solid return on investment. (Not saying you don't have client results)

[stephenpollock]

Only one day older and already wiser. Thanks people

Alex, I liked that article about positioning. It's very true. You don't want to come across as a peddler. Although certainly in agency experience, every junior client is a self-proclaimed copywriter extraordinaire. I don't think they do that in the doctor's rooms... Still, at least they care!

And Dean, interesting about my site, I'vejust had it built and now people are telling me Google doesn't like Flash. I mean come on, this is 2011, surely they must have figured out how to crawl into every dark crevise. Or maybe they dont want to.

Anyway thanks for the advice - and if anyone has anymore, feel free. I have a thick skin

[Don Schenk]

Hi Stephen, and welcome to the warriorforum.

When you were writing for the agency, you wrote headlines. A good headline brings readers to the first sentence, which makes them want to read the second sentence, yada, yada, yada.

You know the drill. You have lived with it for years now because it works - great headlines work. You have written many.

Uh, why doesn't your website take me to a great, benefit laden headline instead of playing music (which may not be the type of music a clients likes) and giving an uninteresting, no benefits menu?

The opening page does not give me any reason to enter the site. Oh, hum! There is nothing to get me excited.

One of the warriors, who happens to be a copywriter has this site: (I am not an affiliate) Miami Internet Marketing Expert Consulting which makes potential clients want to know more.

Flash not only gets in the way of Google, but it gets in the way of quickly presenting a benefit filled, "big" promise headline.

Just my 2 cents worth.

:-Don

[maximus242]

Depends on who your targetting, a lot of corporate clients sneer at that kind of approach. His website works for a certain client base, like taking someone into an expensive art gallery. If the website is used as a sales brochure type strategy along with strong personal selling skills then it will probably be more effective than a direct marketing strategy with hard sell copy.

If his website exists as a portfolio and additional information source, then it works to develop a certain type of image and further sell a traditional advertising based company. The DM offer is unnessecary in his case if hes selling them in person.

Many factors have to be analyzed from his approach to marketing & selling, who his market is, price of his services, how he will generate leads, the purpose of the website, etc.

You must cater your approach to your market.

If he is trying to generate leads online for medium to large size businesses with branding and client relationship building as their core focus then its a different strategy from trying to sell small sized internet marketers consisting of 1-2 employees focused on DM.

I would suggest a PR campaign to start, get into the advertising and business magazines. Then leverage your PR for several high quality direct mail campaigns, telephone follow up and perhaps a corporate luncheon through the chamber of commerce to meet your prospective clients in person. Do a presentation + sales pitch for services and have a follow up campaign to touch every 2 weeks for the next 10 months. This should yield at least a 50% conversion rate if properly executed.

[Alex Cohen]

Originally Posted by stephenpollock

And Dean, interesting about my site, I'vejust had it built and now people are telling me Google doesn't like Flash. I mean come on, this is 2011, surely they must have figured out how to crawl into every dark crevise. Or maybe they dont want to.

If you wait around for your site to make it to the first or second page of Google, it could be a long wait.

You could try PPC. It works for many copywriters. Just be sure to write an effective ad. Amazingly, some of the ads I see by copywriters are downright awful.

Alex

[stephenpollock]

Thanks for the welcome and the advice, guys. I do appreciate it.

I take your point re flash sites. I'm getting an Wordpress site built and will run it in conjunction. It will be slighly hard-hitting and informative but as Maximus points out not all clients are into that. A lot of prospects go for the Less is More approach so with two sites, I hope to capture both.

Well, that's the grand plan as it's unfolding

[Rezbi]

Originally Posted by Dean Jackson

Pete, he said he's worked for agencies, so I don't see why that would make him appear as less of an expert??

Anyway Stephen, how much experience do you have marketing online?

I checked out your site, and although I like the music and design, Google doesn't

Your letter should be direct and to the point for people looking for what you have to offer... make it easy for them!

All the best,
Dean

Just what I was thinking.

Also, the site should be simple to access. As it is, it's not.

[methomas]

The problem with a Flash site is, to Google, it don't exist!

To Google it is invisible as the Google search engines can't read it.

Google loves content and with WordPress you can add content and have your sales page to.

M E

[John_S]

The problem with a Flash site is, to Google, it don't exist!

Untrue. Search engines have parsed flash for the last few years. You can find this out quite easily. But Flash still presents problems.

If there is no text content, just images of your work with no supporting text, then you're in trouble SE wise.

When a site is done in typical fashion, it is one big .SWF. To search engines this presents itself as one page. With one set of keywords. Usually, the SEO savvy like to optimise each page with its own set of keywords.

This is not possible with a single .SWF.


Related:

Google Can Now Index . . . Flash!