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Looking for a copwriter? Really?

by Raydal
11 replies
I was just thinking that over my 12 years as a freelance copywriter
I've never "won a bid" for a copywriting job.

What do I mean by this?

For example, if someone came to this forum and posted that they
were looking for a copywriter (I've learned to ignore these) but
I've never been "picked". The same goes for freelance sites as
well.

All my clients have come through my own website or referrals.

I'm wondering if there are other copywriters who've seen a
similar pattern?

So for me, when I read that someone is looking for a copywriter,
my first reaction is "Really?" There is a whole list in the stickie
above and you can always Google "copywriter".

So why would a business be "looking" for a copywriter? My
best bet is that they are looking for a "budget" copywriter.

But maybe I've got this all wrong and I lack the midas touch.

I'm listening ...

-Ray Edwards
#copwriter
  • Profile picture of the author angiecolee
    Nah. You're not losing it.

    With the full-time gig, I don't prospect anymore. But it never fails that someone contacts me a couple times a month because they heard of me through someone else. Sometimes I take the gig and sometimes I don't.

    I need to take it down, but I had a Yelp page that I put up back when I started. Funny thing is most people (with a few VERY RARE exceptions) that contacted me through that were definitely looking for a budget copywriter. Most of them didn't work out. I just don't get high quality leads through systems like that.
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    • Profile picture of the author Sajun Becker
      And it never pays to try to educate these would-be "clients" on the value of high-performing copy.

      I have a personal motto that acts as a filter for bottom-feeding prospects: "The only expensive copy is cheap copy."

      As with any other profession, copywriting is a self-sustaining entity compounded by mutual benefit from myself and the client.

      Speaking of Yelp pages, I have found that 99.9% of the people that contact me through a search engine job want quick, cheap, and dirty work. I've refereed several of these folks to the slums of Elance.
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  • Profile picture of the author RogozRazvan
    Usually, it all comes down to budget.

    However, the reasons why someone is chosen are diverse and not always budget based:
    - involvement (spending time with that prospect on Skype, on the phone, in person).
    - strong interpersonal rapport.
    - samples that are very close to what that person may be looking for.

    On places like Elance.com you can find people that are willing to pay $5000 for good copy (with realistic expectations) and people who want to pay $100 for amazing, world class copy. It is a diverse bunch. Some are corporate in nature who don't care how much does it cost and others won't budge a single dollar compared to their initial budget and expectations.

    So no, it is not a black and white situation. The reason why really good copywriters like yourself never get picked on these sites is because you are busy. You are busy writing copy, not establishing a relationship with a cold prospect. And at least on Elance, it is very hard, maybe 1 in 20, to get a project without building some bridge first.
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    • Profile picture of the author Raydal
      Originally Posted by RogozRazvan View Post

      So no, it is not a black and white situation. The reason why really good copywriters like yourself never get picked on these sites is because you are busy. You are busy writing copy, not establishing a relationship with a cold prospect. And at least on Elance, it is very hard, maybe 1 in 20, to get a project without building some bridge first.
      I've never thought about it this way, but that's a great point. I really haven't
      put in a lot of effort to market myself on those type of sites apart from
      having an account/profile. I guess you get what you pay for. If you don't expect
      much results your efforts sought of reflect that as well.

      -Ray Edwards
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  • Profile picture of the author joe golfer
    Copwriters? I always liked "Hill Street Blues."

    Sergeant Estarhaus: "Hey, let's be careful out there."
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    Marketing is not a battle of products. It is a battle of perceptions.
    - Jack Trout
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  • Profile picture of the author Marvin Johnston
    I've never won a bid for marketing or copywriting services. But having a perverted sense of humor, I told someone who wanted me to do marketing for them they were the type of client that needed to be fired.

    Why?

    The back story is I had just gone though a battle describing their board of directors as inept and clueless (they were and are.) If they wouldn't even consider my advice in that situation, there was no way I would work with them. So firing them before I took them on only made sense.

    While I don't like being that blunt, I can be if needed.

    Marvin
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  • Profile picture of the author elmo033057
    Being a Jr. Copywriter, I finally got my first real client. I've had others, but they didn't pay much. The only problem with my first real client, is she tells me what she wants written, and then after I write it, proceeds to tell me what to write.

    I've tried to politely "fire" her twice, but she keeps coming back.

    Not being a quitter, I'm giving it one more try. This time she told me to just re-arrange her words. LOL!

    ELMO
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    Mark "Elmo" Ellis
    "When It Comes To High Response Copy - I've Got Your Back!"
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    • Profile picture of the author jtunkelo
      Originally Posted by elmo033057 View Post

      Being a Jr. Copywriter, I finally got my first real client. I've had others, but they didn't pay much. The only problem with my first real client, is she tells me what she wants written, and then after I write it, proceeds to tell me what to write.

      I've tried to politely "fire" her twice, but she keeps coming back.

      Not being a quitter, I'm giving it one more try. This time she told me to just re-arrange her words. LOL!

      ELMO
      Elmo, did you already get paid? If so, stick to your best effort and tell her to test it.

      There's no other reason she should *ever* tell you how to do your job.

      If the contract didn't call for such round-tripping, just let it be.

      You could quote a little David Ogilvy to her, "you don't buy a dog and then bark yourself"...
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      • Profile picture of the author elmo033057
        Originally Posted by jtunkelo View Post

        Elmo, did you already get paid? If so, stick to your best effort and tell her to test it.

        There's no other reason she should *ever* tell you how to do your job.

        If the contract didn't call for such round-tripping, just let it be.

        You could quote a little David Ogilvy to her, "you don't buy a dog and then bark yourself"...
        "you don't buy a dog and then bark yourself"...

        Ha ha ha haaaaaaaaaa! Man, that's gold...Pure gold!!!!!

        Thanks so much, my friend!

        ELMO
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        Mark "Elmo" Ellis
        "When It Comes To High Response Copy - I've Got Your Back!"
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  • Profile picture of the author jtunkelo
    It's the same for me. Pretty much every client has come from my own websites, from referrals or as repeat business.

    "Bidding" for a job just puts you on a playing field where the lowest bid usually wins. Not worth it.
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  • Profile picture of the author sethczerepak
    Originally Posted by Raydal View Post

    I was just thinking that over my 12 years as a freelance copywriter
    I've never "won a bid" for a copywriting job.

    What do I mean by this?

    For example, if someone came to this forum and posted that they
    were looking for a copywriter (I've learned to ignore these) but
    I've never been "picked". The same goes for freelance sites as
    well.

    All my clients have come through my own website or referrals.

    I'm wondering if there are other copywriters who've seen a
    similar pattern?

    So for me, when I read that someone is looking for a copywriter,
    my first reaction is "Really?" There is a whole list in the stickie
    above and you can always Google "copywriter".

    So why would a business be "looking" for a copywriter? My
    best bet is that they are looking for a "budget" copywriter.

    But maybe I've got this all wrong and I lack the midas touch.

    I'm listening ...

    -Ray Edwards
    That seems to be true, at least from what I've seen.

    If someone contacts me and it seems that they're asking me to prove why they should hire me, asking me to submit a "proposal" or bid on a job, I ignore it. They're not looking for quality, they're looking for someone who's desperate enough to drop their price to some ridiculous rate.
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