10 Essential Quick Tips Every Beginning Copywriter Should Know (And Use)
Here are 10 tips from AWAI to help you go after – and land – your first paid assignments.
- Find a list of target prospects that match your experience. For example, if you were a nurse or you used to work in a health food store, a promising group of potential clients for you to go after will be health product and service companies in your area.
- Prepare a pitch letter and sample fulfillment package – check out Bob Bly's website at www.bly.com for samples.
- Plan to contact 50 prospects by mail – and follow up each one with phone call.
- Discuss your experience doing follow-up phone calls with other beginning copywriters. Talk about what happened and try to figure out how to improve your approach. The best way to do this is to find an AWAI buddy on the student forum page of our website.
- When contacting a client be prepared with a list of your strengths as a writer (a.k.a. benefits you can bring to your client). Some suggestions would include your background and experience if you have any in their particular industry.
- When you get a good lead for a job, get guidance from AWAI on how to negotiate and close the deal. Simply summarize your potential client/upcoming project in an email and send it to memberservices@awaionline.com.
- When negotiating, keep in mind that the fee is secondary. When you're just starting out, it's more important to get your clients to promise samples and referrals/references.
- Do peer review of your copy to make sure it is A+ before you send it to your client. Again, try fixing yourself up with a partner (an “AWAI buddy”) and see if you can bounce ideas off each other. (See issue #39 of The Golden Thread on our website to review Michael Masterson's Panel-Review Technique.)
- Consider getting a coach/mentor. This could slash years off your development time as a copywriter. Email Denise at studentservices@awaionline.com for more information.
- Send a thank-you note to every contact you speak with – whether you get the job or not.
How to Land Clients in 21 Days with Just Your Computer
How do I land my first client? It’s a question every aspiring freelancer asks eventually. Now, there’s a proven system for landing clients that removes the guesswork. Best of all? No cold calling. Learn More »
Published: January 20, 2003
“That first paycheck told me I could do this. Recent paychecks and referrals are confirming that I’m on my way to living the dream.”
If yes, you could be in big demand, earning big money, writing just a few hours a day from anywhere in the world you choose to be.
Get Nick Usborne’s step-by-step system for creating money-making information websites.
In just 6 hours and 35 minutes, you can be in business earning $60 – $150 an hour writing simple resumes.
Learn the secrets behind succeeding in this in-demand career.
The work is plentiful … the pay scales are generous and the competition is scarce!
Get the answers to the hundreds of questions and concerns commonly asked in specific, step-by-step details.
Use this eight-step plan to make the leap from aspiring copywriter to professional copywriter this year.
Let your fellow AWAI members show you firsthand the easiest, most powerful way to land your first client … BEFORE you finish the program.
Writing for the web is a huge opportunity for copywriters. Let web expert Nick Usborne show you how to write blockbuster web copy in record time … even if you're a complete internet “rookie”!
It’s an opportunity to make $50,000, $75,000, $100,000 a year or more … working just a few hours a day.
A once complicated profession is now something you can do on a standard computer – even if you have little or no “artistic” ability.
It’s one thing to have a website. But if your website can’t be found by the search engines, it may as well not exist.
The Internet creates new income possibilities every day. The biggest among them: online video marketing.
Get the very techniques top-performing copywriters use to rattle off one groundbreaking control after another.
In his new book, Michael Masterson teaches you his very own formula for powerful persuasion and how to apply it to direct mail sales letters as well as online promotions.
Guest, Leave a Reply
Please Note: Your comments will be visible by everyone.