The key to all effective advertising is not the production of new and tricky words and pictures, but one of placing known words and pictures into new connections,” remarked Leo Brunett, a pioneer in the advertising profession.
Copywriting is a creative yet successful job that requires sufficient talent to aid in the sale of your company. It’s similar to any other business, except that companies pay these “freelance copywriters” to help them market their products.
Start planning for your own business if you’ve been influenced by this copywriting service and want to create a career out of it. Don’t worry if you don’t have an entrepreneurial bone in your body. A copywriting business can be started in the same way that any other small business can. Even though it has fewer risks than most other firms, you can overcome the risk of a severe economic downturn with a strong and successful business strategy.
Copywriting is one of those uncommon skill sets that are both easy to learn and lucrative to earn.
Businesses are hiring copywriters like crazy, and good copywriters can easily earn six figures. Most copywriters now work remotely, and they don’t require any formal schooling or training.
In this book, I’ll show you how to become a copywriter and earn six figures in the next calendar year, step by step.
I’ve been a freelance copywriter since 2013. I went full-time in 2016 and earned around $80,000. The following year, I earned $130,000, and the following year, $220,000.
I’m not the world’s best, fastest, or brightest person. I’ve dealt with copywriters who earned six figures in their first year and well over $300,000 by their third year.
But, unlike many others who succeed for a variety of reasons, I understand WHY I was able to meet my goals and build my company.
As a result, you won’t only learn how I became a six-figure copywriter in this guide. You will also learn how to become one. We’ll show you how to start copywriting business in this post, with step-by-step instructions on how to get started.
How to Start Copywriting Business?
Imagine copywriting as the craft of artfully stringing words together to gently guide readers towards a specific action. While many may associate this action solely with making a purchase, the reality is more nuanced. Before a potential customer decides to make a buy, they embark on a journey through various stages of awareness, a concept beautifully elucidated by Eugene Schwartz.
For someone still grappling with awareness, the concept of making a purchase isn’t even on the radar. Instead, they crave information to grasp the intricacies of the problem at hand. In such cases, the objective is to entice them to click the “learn more” button. Conversely, a straightforward “purchase now” offer suits someone already well-versed in the subject.
As a copywriter, your role is to engage with user queries and gently steer them toward the right action, helping them ascend to the next tier of awareness. It’s crucial to acknowledge the impossibility of covering every nuance comprehensively.
The most successful freelance copywriters, steering six-figure copywriting enterprises, often find their niche in a specific awareness stage. They tailor their services to achieve distinct goals, such as leveraging content marketing to introduce a brand, crafting landing pages for lead conversion, composing engaging emails for lead nurturing, and fashioning highly optimized sales pages.
These specialists understand the potency of niche copywriting, allowing them to command premium rates. Mastery as a copywriter doesn’t entail outshining 90% of the population; it’s about discerning what to study and practice. Numerous resources abound with excellent guides on copywriting exercises and how to start copywriting business.
While a wealth of opportunities awaits those who invest effort in becoming adept copywriters, it’s pivotal to recognize that the journey of copywriting education and training is perpetual. Even after a decade in the field, seasoned copywriters remain avid learners and adapters. Following a structured program can set you on the trajectory of becoming a thriving freelance copywriter, securing coveted jobs, and steering clear of lower-paying positions on bidding sites.
This comprehensive guide delves into pivotal facets of working as a freelance copywriter and how to start copywriting business for a six-figure income, intricately weaving in keywords related to copywriting business, freelance, initiating a copywriting business, freelance copywriter, freelance copywriting business, niche, copywriting course, portfolio, freelance writer, LinkedIn, SEO, thriving copywriting business, copywriting client, potential client, initiating your own copywriting business, copywriting services, freelancer, business proprietor, commencing your copywriting business, launching your copywriting business, landing page, copywriting vocation, business requisites, copywriting projects, copywriting occupations, commencing copywriting, commencing writing, new client, online course, learning copywriting, finding clients.
Ride the Wave and Start Your Copywriting Business Today
Exploring the recent statistics sheds light on a significant trend among freelancers and consultants over the past few years.
To put it succinctly, the outlook is optimistic, and the reasons for it are quite apparent.
Given that 90% of businesses turn to freelancers to achieve their objectives, the opportunities are plentiful.
Freelancers, in particular, earn more than 70% of the average worker’s income, and their overall satisfaction and optimism surpass that of traditional employees.
Over my decade-long experience as a freelance copywriter, interacting with various freelancers, I struggle to recall anyone who deemed establishing a business a negative venture.
Now is the time to start, especially for a new copywriter like you. The journey involves developing essential copywriting skills, building a captivating copywriting portfolio, and delving into influential copywriting books. Launching your copywriting venture and starting your own business can be a rewarding endeavor.
As a new copywriter, consider the importance of growing your business strategically, keeping your experience level in mind. Explore online copywriting opportunities to become a freelance copywriter, tapping into the vast realm of freelance writing and the expansive writing business landscape.
Journey to Six Figures as a Freelance Copywriter
STEPS FOR SETTING UP A WEBSITE FOR YOUR COPYWRITING SKILL
While not mandatory, having a website significantly streamlines the process of attracting clients, and when executed effectively, it can passively drive more business your way.
To ensure your visibility on Google, and Linkedin, given that 81% of people conduct a Google search before making a purchase—it becomes imperative to create an online presence.
Website content emerges as a potent lead generator, surpassing other forms of marketing, as emphasized by 57% of marketers.
Crafting a website as a competent copywriter brings several advantages. It not only enhances your Google ranking, allowing you to connect passively with new audiences but also serves as a captivating showcase for your portfolio. This dual functionality, coupled with the establishment of your authority, paves the way for generating leads and attracting clients.
If you are wondering how to start copywriting business, consider incorporating relevant keywords like “how to start copywriting business” strategically on your website content. This can further boost your online visibility and attract individuals actively seeking information on starting a copywriting business. By providing valuable insights and showcasing your expertise, you position yourself as a trusted resource in the field, potentially turning visitors into clients. Remember, optimizing your website with the right keywords is a crucial step in building a successful copywriting business.
To embark on creating your own website and start copywriting, consider the following steps:
- Choose a Domain Name and Hosting: For your freelancer website, carefully select a domain name (the user’s entry point into your site) and host it. For this purpose, HostGator is highly recommended. Its cost-effectiveness (starting at $2.75 a month), impressive 99.9% uptime rate, 24/7 live chat support, high-speed servers, assistance with website relocation, and easy WordPress installation make it an ideal choice. The accessible C-Panel further aids in the seamless organization of your site.
- Utilize WordPress as Your CMS: Opt for WordPress as your content management system (CMS). Although platforms like Wix, Weebly, and SquareSpace offer quicker setups, they lack the customization and Google ranking potential that WordPress provides.
- Incorporate Relevant Keywords: Ensure your website content includes relevant keywords for better search visibility. Whether you’re building a successful copywriting business, uncertain about starting a copywriting business, looking to join a copywriting community, or seeking ways to initiate a freelance copywriting career, strategically incorporating these keywords will enhance your online presence. Reaching out to people, exploring in-house copywriting positions, and understanding how a copywriting business grows are vital aspects to cover. Create a copywriting strategy, find the right way to get your first project, and connect with freelance copywriters looking to collaborate. Understand the fundamentals of copywriting to thrive in your freelance career, and discover how freelance copywriters earn and navigate a freelance writer’s journey. Remember, it’s not just about getting started; it’s about realizing that it’s possible to get there.
Of course, with the appropriate promotion, you can save a lot of money.
Step 1 – Choose your Hostgator Hosting plan.
Navigate to HostGator, and you’ll encounter the following. Click on ‘get started now.
Upon clicking, you’ll be directed to a page resembling the one below. If you’re registering only one website, the hatchling plan should suffice.
Next, you’ll encounter a comprehensive page prompting you to provide information. Begin by choosing your domain name.
Step 2 – Select your domain name.
Keep it straightforward and easy to pronounce.
An excellent strategy is to opt for a name variation of your own, offering versatility to promote a range of services.
If your given name isn’t available, choose something that is:
- Simple to recall
- Easy to explain
- Has a simplified spelling
- Avoid unusual characters, like hyphens in have-a-word.com.
I often ponder, “How easily could this be explained on a podcast, getting people to type it into their browser?”
Simplify it if a 5-second explanation seems challenging.
Also, steer clear of names closely tied to the business you aim to enter. Given the likelihood of changing niches over time, selecting “AutoCopywriter.com” might pose problems if you switch from the auto sector.
Therefore, keep it concise, focused on you and/or your service. Additionally, pick a domain extension beyond the.com.
Securing the.com extension can be challenging, but alternatives exist. Explore how readers perceive various extensions by visiting the HostGator signup page.
Upon finding a suitable option, enter your name and choose a.com suffix. The registration cost (typically $10) will be listed next to them.
Proceed to complete the remaining information on the page once you’ve found a preferable option.
As you reach the optional extras, take a moment to consider. Additionally, ensure your website addresses topics such as reading copywriting books, learning how to create effective copywriting, how to start copywriting business, establishing your copywriting presence, managing small business accounting, attracting freelance copywriting clients, utilizing a copywriting guide, initiating a successful freelance journey, undergoing copywriting training, developing a freelance writer website, registering your business, accumulating years of copywriting experience, understanding the dynamics of copywriting and content creation, effectively pitching your copywriting services, mastering the art of running a business, and navigating the nuances of running a copywriting business that requires professional copywriting services – especially if you’re new to copywriting.
Step 3 – Optional options to pick from for setting up your freelancer website landing page
Observe that two of these options come pre-selected.
For beginners, none of these are necessary. The website includes a complimentary SSL certificate, and the additional options are not essential for newly established copywriter websites.
Deselect all these checkboxes, proceed to input your details, and submit the form.
Congratulations! You now possess your personalized professional freelance copywriter website to proudly showcase. In addition, kickstart your own copywriting business by ensuring your business cover addresses all the business needs.
How Much Investment Does Copywrite Business Requires?
The initial expenses are reasonable, and most individuals only require a computer and a dependable internet connection to commence. Additionally, you’ll need a business PayPal account or a merchant account, along with invoicing software if you’re engaged with more extensive corporate clients.
The cost of a new computer can range from $400 to $2,500 or even more.
Merchant account fees exhibit variability, encompassing both a fixed cost and a per-transaction fee. Some entities, such as Paypal, impose a set fee for each transaction alongside a percentage of the transaction amount. Merchant accounts and payment gateways may levy a monthly fee, a percentage of sales, and a flat per-transaction cost.
These considerations will help you initiate your journey into new copywriting, build on your previous copywriting experiences, and explore different aspects of copywriting.
For professional purposes, consider using Free Invoice Generator to save several hundred dollars per year.
Advertising represents another variable expense in your business. Pay-per-click advertising, in particular, tends to be more costly compared to other forms of advertising, such as referrals or email marketing.
As you establish a sizable agency with full-time staff, your expenditures can escalate significantly. In this scenario, investing up to $10,000 in high-end computer systems and conference software becomes a possibility.
The ongoing costs in this business primarily revolve around the operation of electronic devices (computers, lights, etc.) and the maintenance of merchant accounts and invoicing software. If you decide to bring other copywriters on board, you’ll also need a payroll system.
For business owners in the copywriting realm, especially those embarking on new ventures, it’s crucial to manage costs efficiently. Additionally, staying updated with the demands of your clients, such as specific content management systems (CMS), adds to the operational considerations. Whether you’re starting your own copywriting business or venturing into various copywriting jobs, the initial investments and continuous expenses are factors to carefully evaluate as you begin your journey into the realm of business ownership and start writing compelling content.
How Much Can You Earn As A Copywriter?
The pricing for a freelance copywriter is contingent on their level of experience and the type of copywriting services they provide. Copywriters may opt to bill based on the word count, per page, hourly, or for the entire project. Hourly rates for freelance copywriters can range anywhere from $25 to $100.
For freelance copywriters deliberating on their pricing structure, it’s essential to consider the following:
- Market Comparison: Assess the rates charged by other copywriters in your locality for similar services.
- Business Tenure: The duration of time you’ve been operating as a freelance copywriter plays a role; generally, longer business tenure correlates with higher fees.
- Overhead Expenses: Factor in your overhead costs, covering expenses like rent, insurance, utilities, software, and marketing.
When determining hourly rates, take into account the time spent on various non-client-billable tasks such as meetings, phone calls, pitches, research, invoicing, bookkeeping, and other administrative duties. This comprehensive approach ensures you appropriately account for business expenses, leverage your years of experience, and position yourself competitively in the copywriting industry. Whether you specialize in website copywriting, aim to find freelance copywriting opportunities, or aspire to get hired in the dynamic copywriting world, your writing experience contributes to the value you bring to your clients and helps you get better results.
Some Tips To Take Your Copywriting Business To The Next Level
1. Cover the Fundamentals
You must first master the principles of running a freelance business before you can start a copywriting firm. To begin, ensure that you have everything you’ll need to operate as a copywriter, including a computer, internet access, and a website to sell your services. If you purchase something new for your business, keep track of the cost so you can deduct it from your taxes. You may also need to register your company and buy insurance.
Make a strategy for your copywriting business.
Create a strategy that outlines your objectives, business approach, and target clients. Examine your competition by researching other freelance copywriting businesses in your area to see what services they provide and how much they charge clients. You’ll also want to devise a long-term promotional strategy for your company.
2. Selecting Your Services
What types of services will your freelance copywriting firm provide to its customers? You might wish to focus on a particular type of copywriting, such as advertising copy, website content, email marketing copy, and so on. If you have experience with a specific type of writing, you might choose to concentrate on it while starting your copywriting business.
3. Create a Personal Brand
A strong brand will help your firm stand out from the competition and give it a personality that customers can relate to. Your brand includes your company’s tone and style, as well as its graphic appearance, which includes your logo, fonts, and color palette. Once you’ve developed your brand, you may use it on all of your marketing materials, including business cards and your website.
4. Determine Your Fees
Setting the fee you’ll charge your clients is a vital step, but it may also be one of the most difficult for novice freelance writers. To begin, look at what other copywriters in your area charge in order to develop a reasonable range for your city’s industry. Determine the rates of other copywriters who provide similar services and have similar degrees of experience as you. Setting both an hourly charge and a per-word rate to provide clients some flexibility is a good idea. When determining your rate, keep in mind all of the business expenses that must be covered by your revenue, such as rent, utilities, and health insurance premiums, among others.
5. Collect writing samples
If you worked as a copywriter for an agency or brand before starting your own copywriting firm, you’d want to gather writing samples from your time there to illustrate your talent and the variety of media, industries, and customers you’ve worked with. You’ll still need writing samples to present to potential clients if you don’t have any prior copywriting experience. Consider conducting freelance work to demonstrate your abilities. Spec employment entails creating advertisements on behalf of a company without actually working for them. Even if they don’t work for the company, new writers frequently compose copy for large companies to demonstrate the type of work they’d do to make an impact for them.
6. Create a digital portfolio
After you’ve chosen all of your writing examples, you’ll need a place to showcase them so that potential clients can see them. Create an online portfolio that includes writing examples, a list of services, and a bio so that clients can learn more about you and your history. You can utilize WordPress or SquareSpace portfolio templates or engage a web developer to create a custom site for you.
7. Improve Your Skills
Copywriters should constantly strive to improve their writing abilities or learn new skills that will help them grow their enterprises. If you want to learn about technical writing, SEO principles, or another new skill, consider enrolling in classes at a local institution or signing up for online courses that you can take from anywhere. Udemy and Skillshare are two online learning sites that can help you master new skills quickly and affordably.
8. Make a Legal Agreement
You’ll want to have a templated contract ready to present to potential clients when you’re just starting out as a freelancer so that you can protect yourself and clearly explain the work you’ll be doing for them. The services you’ll provide, as well as the timeframes for completion and the amount your client will pay you, are all detailed in a contract. Both you and your client should sign the document. Create a legally binding contract for your small business with this step-by-step tutorial.
9. Create a Bookkeeping System
You’ll need an accounting system in place to file and record customer payments as well as manage your invoices once they start coming in. To begin, make sure you understand all of the fundamentals of small business accounting. Then, pick an accounting system that suits your needs. You can do your small business accounting manually, recording payments and making invoices in Excel or Word, or you can use a cloud-based accounting solution to make it easier.
10. Pitch Your Company
You must persuade clients to engage you in order to run a profitable copywriting firm. You can promote yourself to new clients by sending pitch emails. Pitch emails should include an introduction to yourself and your skills, as well as a compelling argument why you’d be the ideal freelance copywriter for their company. Advertising agencies are a fantastic location to start sending proposals because they frequently engage freelance copywriters on a project-by-project basis.
Participate in networking events
Networking events provide freelance copywriters with an excellent opportunity to meet future clients. To keep your copywriting firm afloat in the early years, you’ll need to consistently seek new clients. Networking events aren’t limited to the marketing or advertising industries. If your city hosts a tech startup networking event, it could be a great method to meet startup owners who may need freelance copywriting skills.
11. Inquire about referrals
Don’t be afraid to ask clients to refer you to their friends and colleagues. Usually, they’ll be delighted to do so. Because a person is receiving a recommendation from someone they know and trust, word-of-mouth referrals are some of the most powerful leads you can acquire. Clients might also be rewarded for bringing you new business. For example, if a client refers a buddy to your services, you can give them a $50 discount on their next payment.
Conclusion
Starting a copywriting business can be difficult at first, but as you get into the groove of things, it becomes much easier. Now that you’ve learned how to start a copywriting firm, it’s time to put your strategy into action. So, what exactly are you waiting for? Get started right away!
