Freelance Copywriting .. . You Can Do It

By Stacey Mathis

If you’ve decided to become a copywriter, you’ve made one of the best decisions you can possibly make. There was a time when it seemed that most writers were broke, starving artists. Not today. Yes, many of them still are; however, those who have become freelance copywriters who consistently repeat certain successful practices, have a different story to tell.



It’s like an epiphany when, as a writer, you realize you don’t have to be a writing slave for someone else until you get your big break, which may never come. Actually, freelance copywriting requires consistence and persistence, but it’s not grueling. And the sky is the limit when it comes to how much money you can earn. You set your rate. You decide how many hours you are willing to work to earn X number of dollars.



To top it off, your quality of life improves immensely. Your work environment is whatever you want it to be. If you want to stay in your pajamas and work on your laptap in your bed, you can. If you prefer to sit in your backyard, or walk your dogs and record your copy on your cell phone’s recorder, you can. The choice is yours.



There are three things a successful freelance copywriting business must have, and they are: time-management, motivation and a commitment to marketing your freelance business.



Time Management



Set aside a number of hours per week for your business. Divide this chunk(s) of time into smaller chunks of time and allot a task to each slot. The tasks could include things like: sending out a newsletter, tweeting, blogging, real life networking, social media networking, drafting and mailing sales letters to prospects, cold-calling, learning and applying the latest copywriting techniques and, of course, writing copy for clients. The point is that you want to be certain that everything that needs to get done to keep your freelance business up and running ends up in this schedule you devise.



Motivation



There are many ways to get motivated. One way is to stay in touch with the industry; that is, join the newsletters of successful freelance copywriters. Listen to their webinars; read their blogs, white papers and other information; and drop by their forums and expos or conferences. Stay current with what’s going on with their copywriting businesses and the copywriting industry overall. Many of the leading copywriters share their experiences and reveal how they’ve dealt with certain issues that you may have. A lot of them also talk about their triumphs and tell you exactly how they got there. Moreover, they impart very useful knowledge and let you in on secrets that you would never get from a competitor at a day job. Copywriters are generous like that, and the more successful they are, the more they divulge. If you are genuinely interested in the freelance copywriting, this will help you stay focused and, equally important, motivated.



A Willingness to Market Your Freelance Copywriting Business



Putting a marketing plan into action is not hard. Creative people tend to recoil when they hear the word marketing. However, to be a successful copywriter, you will need to market your business, but it’s not as grueling as you think. The great thing about marketing your copywriting business is that there is a marketing method that suits every personality and every style of work. If you are shy and not a people-person, but don’t mind talking on the phone where no one can see you, you can do cold calling. If you prefer not to speak at all, you can send out a sales letter and sales emails. If you are sociable and like meeting people, there are scores of networking groups, mastermind groups and business groups, many of which offer a great number of opportunities to promote your freelance copywriting business. Of course, there is a right way to network and many wrong ways, so it behooves you to check out one or two articles written about the optimal way to network off line and on line.



Becoming a successful copywriter is not hard. Simply remember to manage your time wisely, stay in touch with the industry so you can stay motivated, and market your business consistently. If you wanted, you could even have a freelance copywriting business up and running in the next 60 days.



About the Author: Stacey Mathis Copywriting/Consulting: Guiding New Copywriters to Successful Freelance Careers. Your Free Information-packed Special Report is available at http://www.staceythewriter.com



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