how to find your first clients as a copywriter

Getting your career started as a copywriter is exciting. But it's also daunting as you contemplate how to find clients and generate enough funds to support your lifestyle. 

No solopreneur journey is without bumps in the road. Learning to navigate the bumps is part of the process when it comes to being self-employed. 

When I began my career as a copywriter, I found it very useful to glean insightful tips from experienced copywriters and entrepreneurs who had walked the path already.  I hope that sharing the story of how I started out as a copywriter and went on to found a digital marketing agency Sendabee, will help to inspire you to get started as a copywriter or marketing professional. 

Below I’ll share some useful tips on how to find clients and make money as a copywriter. I'll also give my insights on how to expand your business and how to retain clients. If you’re interested in tips on strategies for starting a business on your own, read my article about getting started in solopreneurship. 

How to start a career, find clients and make money as a copywriter

One of the keys to a successful career in copywriting is to make sure you are able to find clients. And once you find them, the magic lies in retaining them and growing your reputation. 

It’s important to keep your existing clients as loyal customers and this can be achieved through high quality work and collaboration, being responsive and always producing your best work.

Back in 2013, I started my digital marketing agency, Sendabee. I started off as a freelancer, then quickly founded my agency. In order to get my first clients, I had to actively pursue leads and network. It was hard work at first, but it all paid off. 

How I found new copywriting clients at Sendabee

These are some of the ways in which I was able to find new copywriting clients:

• Networking with other professionals in related fields (such as graphic designers, web developers, etc) with a view to collaborating on projects;
• Cold-emailing potential clients and offering copywriting services;
• Using social media platforms (such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook) to share my insights about digital and content marketing,
• Establishing myself as an expert in my field as an authoritative source;
• Building a portfolio of successful projects and case studies to showcase my services and abilities;
• Relying on word-of-mouth referrals;
• Expanding the number and type of digital marketing services I offered (such as website design, search engine optimization, content marketing, etc).

The trick to making it as a copywriter is to ensure you have a constant flow of clients and work. Your cash flow will therefore be uninterrupted and you'll have a relatively stable source of income each month. 

It may seem nice to have one large client. But relying on just one can also put you at risk if that work suddenly dries up. You may want to consider a diversified source of funds by taking on a variety of clients, one of which may be your anchor client.

How to expand and grow your copywriting business

Once you’ve established yourself as an excellent copywriter, you may want to expand and grow your business. As you’re limited by the number of hours in a day you can work as a copywriter, the main avenue for expansion is to hire staff and take on more clients.

This doesn’t have to be done in a traditional sense. You can scale your business on a budget by strategically hiring other freelancers on a contractual basis.

I spent two years establishing Sendabee and growing my reputation before taking steps to expand the agency. My strategy for expansion included:

• Hiring additional team members as freelancers, with complementary skills and expertise to my own;
• Collaborating with other agencies and freelancers to offer a wider range of services to clients; and
• Building a reputation as a reliable and trustworthy agency through word-of-mouth referrals and testimonials.

In business, change happens rapidly. So as you grow, it’s important to continuously update your skills and knowledge in the digital marketing field. It’s equally important to consistently deliver high-quality work and excellent customer service. This helps you retain clients and grow your network through word-of-mouth. 

8 top tips for finding copywriting clients in 2023

How to find clients as a freelancer is a common pain point for many copywriters. You may have excellent wordsmithing skills. But if you can’t find the clients to support your work, you might get off to a bumpy start. 

And even if you have established yourself as a copywriter or a digital marketing agency, you’ll still need to know how to get clients to remain in business. 

That’s where having a solid business strategy and plan in place can be really useful. Your business plan can help you identify where to find clients, how to market yourself to these clients, how to price yourself competitively, which services to offer, what skills to develop, and how to retain clients and grow your business over time.

Below are my top eight tips on the ways in which successful copywriters find new clients.

1. Join an agency

If you don’t have the time or skills at the moment to navigate finding your own clients, consider joining an agency. Marketing agencies are responsible for finding clients, so you can focus on what you do best: writing. Working for agencies can provide freelancers with consistent work. It can also be a great way to boost your skills and learn how to collaborate, manage projects, and deal with diverse clients.

2. Signup to freelancing platforms

There are a host of freelance writing platforms like ProBlogger, WritersWork and Contently. On these platforms, writers can sign up to find work offers and pitch for jobs. 

Many of these freelance platforms offer copywriting positions that are part-time. By taking on several clients you can hone your skills and learn to work flexibly. This might mean using a range of tools and applications or working with diverse content managers and editors. Either way, it'll help you build a portfolio of work and gain references to showcase to prospective clients. 

3. Sell your articles online

Another option for freelance writers is to sell pre-written articles online. Some websites like ConstantContent, Article Market and Crowd Content allow writers to signup and submit articles for sale to clients. You typically get paid when someone buys a blog article you’ve pre-written, which the client then gets the right to use and edit as they like. 

A word of caution though. It can take time and effort to build up a profile, portfolio and reviews on sites like these. So look into how they are structured before you dive in to see how you could benefit. 

4. Network to find clients

Like in all industries, growing your network can help provide you with many introductions to new job opportunities. You can network within your local community by attending relevant talks and workshops. Or network online in relevant communities of practice. Find those that are established around a particular writing niche you may have or that suits your skills or interests. 

There are also many opportunities you may unlock through active networking - including with other businesses. You can collaborate on projects that other agencies or freelancers are working on, where you complement their skills. Business-to-business (b2b) networking and collaboration can be fruitful if you’re strategic. Just search online for “b2b how to find clients” and see how many opportunities are out there!

Joining established networks like Estonian e-Residency is another excellent way to find clients and business partners. The e-Residency team facilitates many online and in-person meetups and events. There, you’ll get to hear from other founders about their journeys. You may also find mentors and potential partners for projects or future business endeavours.

5. Market yourself on social media

Many people wonder how to find clients online. One of the primary tools for this is of course using social media. You can establish yourself as an expert writer using platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter to showcase your portfolio, your clients, and also your expert skills and knowledge. Or start a podcast series or a YouTube channel about copywriting or digital marketing. This will help you build your reputation as a leader in your field. 

6. Create a portfolio of your work

Create a portfolio to showcase your expert writing skills. This is a great way of showing clients what you’re capable of. It’s important that you think of this when taking on new clients and jobs. 

Some copywriting jobs may allow you to be the author of your stories or blog posts. While others may prefer you to be a ghost writer who receives no official acknowledgement. 

7. Master new skills

The digital marketing landscape is rapidly changing and evolving each year, as new technologies and industry standards come into being. It’s important to stay up-to-date with all new technologies and trends in the digital realm. This will ensure that the services you offer are relevant and cutting-edge. 

For example, if you’re a copywriter for any online publications, then you’ll want to keep updated about the latest trends in search engine optimization (SEO) to ensure that all your content ranks well on Google and other search engines for your clients. 

8. Find a community and become its storyteller

More recently, in addition to founding a digital marketing agency, I started a blog and online community for digital nomads. 

Through hosting a blog, newsletter, social media channels and a range of guest articles and guides on remote work and digital nomadism, I have been able to establish myself as an expert in this popular and growing niche. 

And through creating an engaged digital community of freelancers, nomads and location-independent professionals around the world, I have also been able to expand on my copywriting and marketing services. 

You could establish your own niche community. Or find a network or community that needs a storyteller where your skills and expertise could be put to good use. This may help build your reputation and client base. Or it could spark collaboration with other entrepreneurs or even a whole new business. 

How to retain your clients once you have them

Once you have a thriving writing business established, you will want to retain your clients so that you have a consistent flow of work and a reliable source of income. This is particularly important as you consider any steps towards expanding. 

It’s important to take time to carefully nurture all of your client relationships, to remain responsive and to communicate effectively and personally. Clients like to feel that you are personalizing all of your expertise to work on their brands. So, take the time to check in with clients, get to know them, and build up a friendly working relationship. 

It’s also important to maintain excellent quality standards for your work. Make sure you have systems in place to ensure that your clients receive original, error-free work. Be highly responsive when it comes to making the edits and changes requested. 

At the end of the day, your work is your reputation. Managing your client relationships is one of the most important aspects of your business. If you take the time to invest in your clients, they also feel invested in continuing to support you. 

This article was written by guest contributor and seasoned digital nomad Andy Stofferis (www.andysto.com).