6 Surefire Ways Copywriting Can Build Your Business
"Where do I go from here?"
Any new copywriter trying to land a first client has asked this question.
Fortunately, you already have the tools you need to find clients: Because the secret to building your success is your copywriting skills.
Here are six copywriting strategies to use to land clients:
Write a sales letter.
When trying to reach a top prospect for the first time, I start with a direct-mail package. I find out who the marketing director is, and I send her a direct-mail letter or full direct-mail package. I reserve the full package for companies that already work with freelancers.
(By the way, if you're not sure where to find companies in your niche and/or the names of the people to contact, check out the Ed. Note at the end of this article.)
The letter introduces me and establishes my skills. It also turns any future phone calls from a cold call into a warm call. I've used this method to contact companies of all shapes and sizes, from real estate brokers to high-tech Internet companies to small non-profit groups.
You've learned the secrets of selling products using AWAI's direct-marketing secrets. Now put them work in your letter to "sell" yourself.
Use the four P's – Promise, Picture, Proof, Push – and remember that you’re “prospect” is the marketing director. Always keep her in mind … how you will make her job easier … her life better.
Write a postcard series.
Sending a single DM letter won't fill your work calendar with jobs. You need to connect with prospects regularly. Postcards are a quick, cheap way to do this.
Write 5 or 6 postcards as monthly follow-ups to each sales letter you send. Include helpful tips or powerful benefits. Eventually, you'll reach a prospect when he has an immediate need for your services and he will convert to a client.
I take a "Top Five Reasons to Work With Me" approach. This gives me the chance to focus on five separate benefits, giving each postcard a single big idea.
Write a case study.
Case studies build credibility. Describe how you boosted a client's response or helped her reach an untapped market. Load your case study with facts, figures, and testimonials from the client.
This strategy is perfect when you have a warm prospect who needs a little nudge to turn her into a client. I use case studies to highlight how I've helped clients in a situation similar to my prospect's. For example, I helped one client establish a better Web presence. I then wrote a case study that helped me land several other clients for similar projects.
Write a white paper.
White papers are articles that provide solutions to common industry problems … for instance, mistakes online copywriters make and how to fix them.
White papers range from simple one-pagers to multi-page productions. Use an objective tone and position yourself as an expert with answers.
When I send hot prospects my full DM package, I include a white paper on the benefits of outsourcing. It overcomes any objections they might have about hiring me. It's a powerful, unbiased way to help prospects rationalize the decision to work with me.
Write an article.
Articles are tremendous expert-image builders. You can write a short article and get lots of marketing mileage out of it.
I use articles several ways. I send them to existing clients to keep in touch, I post them to online article banks to build website traffic, and I publish them in trade magazines.
Keep a notebook and computer file where you jot down inspirations for articles whenever they come to you. Then turn those inspirations into marketing gold.
Write a tip sheet.
Do you know five ways to instantly improve headlines? Or 10 ideas to craft an irresistible offer? Write a tip sheet. These one- or two-page offerings make excellent additions to your first prospecting letter.
I include a tip sheet in my full self-marketing DM package. It covers common mistakes people make when writing copy. It shows that I know my stuff and delivers value, especially to smaller prospects who don't have copywriting experience.
Copywriting is your best tool for building your own business. The six techniques I shared with you today will help you establish name recognition and credibility with potential clients. At the same time, they provide an instant example of your writing skills.
Harness your new copywriting skills to reach more clients … and start today.
[Ed. Note: Heather Robson is an AWAI-trained copywriter who has used all of the above strategies to successfully build her own career. We’re proud to include her in our Wall of Fame.
If you're not sure where to start your search for clients, the two best places are: the AWAI Direct Response Jobs Board (www.DirectResponseJobs.com) and the Who's Mailing What Archives (http://www.awaionline.com/whosmailing/).]
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