Copywriting is a great career. It is one of those jobs that can weather a recession pretty well. Since businesses need to advertise their products, despite the condition of the economy, they will always need copywriters to do it effectively. A good businessman knows that cutting the advertising budget only means weaker sales, so there is always a demand for good copywriters.
Freelance copywriting combines the security of copywriting with the benefits of freelancing. These include the ability to dictate your own work schedule, your paycheck, and you can work from anywhere in the world as long as you have an Internet connection. You can also make more money as a freelancer because you don't have to deal with a parent company or advertising agency. You get to determine how much work you do and you get to keep all of your profit. This gives you greater control over your career and success.
As a freelancer, you work on a project-to-project basis. You apply for a project, the client examines your bid, and if you win the bid they give you a contract with a deadline for completion. This means you can dictate when you work because you only need to get the project done by the deadline, other than that your schedule doesn't matter. Be sure to keep your deadlines though, because missing deadlines will hurt your career. As a beginner in the field you will need help finding work, here are a few short "how-to's" in order to get you started:
Get On The Internet
Freelance copywriting has found its success on the Internet. The World Wide Web has now opened many doors previously closed. The easiest way to find work is through an online freelance marketplace like www.elance.com. These sites help copywriters and clients find each other. You can build a profile, post examples of your work, and bid on projects. These sites can also automatically alert you to jobs that you may be interested in.
You should construct a website. A website can host some of your work and act as a shop front window to potential clients. Your site needs to be easily read, neat, and professional looking. A sloppy site won't get you any clients.
Network Yourself
You need to get your name into the market and industry. Otherwise you will have a very difficult time getting clients. Go to seminars and get to know other copywriters. Do some free projects in order to build a client base. You can also partner with other copywriters on larger projects. These things will help build a stable place for your business to grow.
Continue Your Education
No matter how skilled you currently are, you should always work to educate yourself and improve the quality of your copy. Since your writing is the foundation to your business, you should work extra hard to keep yourself competitive. There are plenty of online tutorials that help teach freelancing strategies. There are also different coaching course options by successful copywriters. These allow you to learn from the best copywriters out there and incorporate their success into your business. Check out some books by Dan Kennedy as well, he is a foremost expert in the field and his books can help you greatly.
You should also write everyday. Stephen King once compared working-out at the gym to writing: the more you do it the stronger you become. Therefore you should write everyday, this will help your writing improve immensely.
Hopefully this article has helped you understand how to start a freelancing career. Freelance copywriting is a very rewarding and flexible job. It gives you a level of freedom you can't find in most careers. If you want to learn more about freelance copywriting, then you should do some more research into the subject. - 15465
Freelance copywriting combines the security of copywriting with the benefits of freelancing. These include the ability to dictate your own work schedule, your paycheck, and you can work from anywhere in the world as long as you have an Internet connection. You can also make more money as a freelancer because you don't have to deal with a parent company or advertising agency. You get to determine how much work you do and you get to keep all of your profit. This gives you greater control over your career and success.
As a freelancer, you work on a project-to-project basis. You apply for a project, the client examines your bid, and if you win the bid they give you a contract with a deadline for completion. This means you can dictate when you work because you only need to get the project done by the deadline, other than that your schedule doesn't matter. Be sure to keep your deadlines though, because missing deadlines will hurt your career. As a beginner in the field you will need help finding work, here are a few short "how-to's" in order to get you started:
Get On The Internet
Freelance copywriting has found its success on the Internet. The World Wide Web has now opened many doors previously closed. The easiest way to find work is through an online freelance marketplace like www.elance.com. These sites help copywriters and clients find each other. You can build a profile, post examples of your work, and bid on projects. These sites can also automatically alert you to jobs that you may be interested in.
You should construct a website. A website can host some of your work and act as a shop front window to potential clients. Your site needs to be easily read, neat, and professional looking. A sloppy site won't get you any clients.
Network Yourself
You need to get your name into the market and industry. Otherwise you will have a very difficult time getting clients. Go to seminars and get to know other copywriters. Do some free projects in order to build a client base. You can also partner with other copywriters on larger projects. These things will help build a stable place for your business to grow.
Continue Your Education
No matter how skilled you currently are, you should always work to educate yourself and improve the quality of your copy. Since your writing is the foundation to your business, you should work extra hard to keep yourself competitive. There are plenty of online tutorials that help teach freelancing strategies. There are also different coaching course options by successful copywriters. These allow you to learn from the best copywriters out there and incorporate their success into your business. Check out some books by Dan Kennedy as well, he is a foremost expert in the field and his books can help you greatly.
You should also write everyday. Stephen King once compared working-out at the gym to writing: the more you do it the stronger you become. Therefore you should write everyday, this will help your writing improve immensely.
Hopefully this article has helped you understand how to start a freelancing career. Freelance copywriting is a very rewarding and flexible job. It gives you a level of freedom you can't find in most careers. If you want to learn more about freelance copywriting, then you should do some more research into the subject. - 15465
About the Author:
For an inside look at the techniques of a top direct response copywriter, visit the site of Copywriter Ray Edwards. Claim your podcasts, marketing tips, videos and copywriting advice.
