Have you ever sent an email, a message or a proposal...
to a potential client, and all you got was...
...*crickets*...
Yeah. Here are 5 reasons why… and what you can do about it.
Hey guys! It's Alex and this video is dedicated to many of you new and aspiring copywriters out
there who have commented on my videos and slid on into my DMs asking...
Alex, how do I reach out to clients??
What do I do, and what do I not do?
Well, in this video, I am counting down the 5 absolute worst ways to approach new clients,
and what you should be doing instead.
This list is inspired by my own experience – both as a copywriter and as a business
owner who HIRES writers – as well as the freelancing horror stories I’ve heard from
my team and my entrepreneur friends.
These 5 things will absolutely destroy your chances of getting a client, so let’s fix
it shall we?
And if you’re looking to learn the copywriting, marketing, and branding skillz you need to
pay your billz…you are in the right place, I’m your girl.
Hit subscribe below to join the copy posse here on YouTube!
I release a new tutorial every single week dedicated to helping you start and scale your
copywriting business.
Alright guys now here they are, five ways NOT to approach clients and what you should
do instead to flip that slip.
So, if I were to ask you what your specialty as a copywriter is and what kind of niche
you write in best, would you have an immediate, and confident answer?
And if I looked you up online, would I be able to easily access your portfolio and find
out everything I needed to know about you and the work you do on your social media accounts?
As a freelance copywriter (or digital marketer, or a social media manager, or a designer — I’m
talking to all you freelancers out there)...
Branding is an essential element of your online business…
And no, I don’t mean a logo, and a color palette and a font, and all those things that
make up a visual brand – I’m talking about a clear Brand Voice that is consistent across
all of your online channels.
Sure, you can sign up for freelancing sites and start pitching to prospective clients
with a basic profile and proposal and hope that they’ll notice you...
But remember, in this scenario, you are the product, and your client is the customer.
So if you don’t have a well defined personal brand, you’re just like everybody else.
The copywriters I know that no longer have to search or advertise to get clients have
well-defined brands that catch the attention of prospective clients.
These writers are also more likely to get referrals from past or existing clients.
So put some time and effort into conceptualizing and defining your own personal brand.
Ask yourself, how do I want to present myself?
What do I specifically do?
And how do I want to get that message across?
Give your potential clients the opportunity to look you up and be impressed by what they
find.
So while having a blog or a website is a great idea, it’s not absolutely necessary to get
started.
You can define your personal brand through your various social channels, especially the
ones you plan on contacting your clients through.
You’ll also want to thoughtfully complete your profile on freelancing sites like UpWork
to make yourself different than everyone else, or try writing guest blog posts on authority
sites like Medium.com.
And you can even write articles and samples on your own LinkedIn profile!
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve gotten DMs, or emails, or comments or messages
from people asking me to hire them or coach them…
And then when I click through to their profiles they are essentially ghosts, there’s no
bio, there’s no description of what they do, their profile picture is completely blurry
or not even a picture of them, and sometimes their names aren’t even on their accounts.
Guys… what?
Newsflash – if you’re asking for work on a channel like Instagram, you might want
to put in a little bit of effort into looking legit.
If you don’t want to use Instagram professionally, that’s totally cool!
Optimize your LinkedIn profile instead.
This doesn't just boost your credibility, but it also makes you more relatable to the
kind of client you want to attract.
Okay, moving on to big ol’ mistake number four...
Chances are, you will never get hired if you reach out to a potential client and say “Hi,
I’m a copywriter and I will write copy for you.”
If you do...
That’s just like some sort of sorcery and you’re a real life miracle.
But for the rest of us mere mortals, we need to be specific about the benefit we offer.
“I will write copy for you” is not a benefit guys.
It’s your offer.
And this is marketing 101…
You need to communicate a specific benefit if you want to convert your prospects into
paying clients.
So think long and hard about what you’re truly able to help your clients achieve.
And add some zhuzh to your offer to make it more compelling.
There are several ways to do this, but I suggest looking at what your potential clients already
have going on, and then pivot and innovate!
Sure, they might have a sales page already – but that doesn’t mean they don’t need
copy help! Copywriting is about way more than just sales pages or website copy guys.
Think outside the box and also offer assets that most businesses (and yes copywriters)
tend to completely forget or don’t even know they should have…
Like cart abandonment sequences, retargeting copy, or upsell pages!
Then all of a sudden your offer goes from “Hi, I’ll write copy for you” to “Hey,
I see you have an awesome sales page, and I’d love to help you boost your revenue
per user by writing a cart abandonment sequence for you.”
Um, hello!
Now THAT is valuable.
So, put some thought into what you want to offer to your clients that is unique to you
and beneficial for them.
Alright, moving on to number 3...
So a client gets back to you (bah exciting, right?!)
I know, they got back to you and they ask you for a quote.
You’re so excited you just blurt out some random number on the spot.
Look I get it, it’s exciting when you hear back from those potential clients.
You can almost smell the money rolling in.
But naming your price without first finding out what the project entails, or how much
you can truly help them is a huge mistake.
If you’re lucky, they say yes on the spot and the gig turns out to be the most amazing
thing you’ve ever worked on, and client is amazing, and it’s one of the best experiences
you’ve ever had as a copywriter.
That hardly ever happens guys.
So, if you’re not so lucky, you either…
1) Scare away the client with your price because you haven’t done enough to justify it yet
and they were just looking for cheapie.
Or 2) They accept but you completely misunderstood the job scope and you end up putting way more
time and energy into completing that project.
And then you discover that the client is a total nightmare… and you end up hating the
entire experience.
So, instead of leading with price, lead with value.
Say, “Hey thanks so much for your message!
But before I can give you a quote, I’d love to get a better idea about your brand, and
your company and what you specifically need so I can understand the best way to be of
service for you.
Can we hop on a quick call?”
That initial exchange alone will create so much rapport and value between you and the
client.
They’ll feel like you really care to do a great job and you’ll be able to set proper
expectations and all of this will make it so much easier to get a “Yes” to your
price because of the value that’s been built.
And, to help you get crystal clear on how to price your copy projects, check out my
video on my 8 Pricing RULES right here.
Alright, moving onto #2 on the list...
You’ve heard me say this a million times guys.
ALWAYS be real and transparent about how much or how little you know when it comes to copywriting...
So many freelancers out there are claiming to be experts at something they know nothing
about.
So just don’t be one of those people.
Please.
I know it’s tempting to say yes to a job and to a client because you really need that
experience and the money, but the last thing you want to do is embellish your skill or
knowledge.
For starters — it’s just NOT COOL.
Plus — it has a high, and almost definite chance of backfiring in your face.
You can come across as unprepared or uneducated.
Or worse — produce really shit copy that will ruin your chances of ever being hired
by that client again, or having them refer you to someone else.
Your reputation is all that matters in any business, so be legit.
If you’re brand spanking new to this whole copywriting thing, that’s cool!
Let a client know.
Be honest and upfront about your capabilities and your expertise.
Trust me, passion, and a willingness to learn and dedication go a long way, so always take
time to really understand your client’s business and market so you can express genuine
interest.
If you’re approaching a new client because you are SO excited about their brand and business
and are willing to start in the trenches so that you can learn and grow, you’ll have
a lot better chance of getting hired.
And maybe do something other than copywriting to start, like content writing or social media
management to get your foot in the door and then work your way up.
I can promise this will NOT make you look bad.
It will actually do the opposite, it can help you gain trust and support from a prospective
client and make them likely to hire you again and again and again.
Alright, we have gotten to the #1 biggest mistake on my list and that is...
As I mentioned before, it’s not enough
to just fill in the blanks on a freelancing site.
So many freelancers make the mistake of just sitting back after they’ve created a profile,
or put up a website, and they wait for a client to magically appear in their inbox.
Meanwhile, all the badasses hustlers out there who are proactive about getting clients (and
following all the steps that I’m talking about in this video) are raking in clients
left, right, and center.
You don’t want to be the copywriter who sits on the sidelines.
You want to be the copywriter who hunts, gathers, plays and SLAYS… yes those are my 4 methods
for finding clients and I’ll link to that video at the end of this video so that you
can watch it next.
So guys, if you want to be your own boss, you gotta act like it.
This is all about business and business is all about sales.
So you need to put yourself out there to earn the success you deserve.
So once you get a handle on the 4 points I mentioned earlier, make marketing part of
your modus operandi.
Alright?
Get active on social media and join relevant groups and communities to spread the word.
Make it known to your network and even your groups of friends that you are available for
hire as a copywriter…
Jay Clouse, the founder of Freelancing School, suggests sending out an email to 5 potential
clients a day.
He also recommends adding some urgency to your emails by offering a special price for
a certain period of time.
Or offering a specific package of services for a limited number of clients.
And be sure to have your portfolio ready so you can attach and share immediately on request!
Even the ones that say ‘NO’, might come back later and say YES, which is why it is
so important for you guys to follow the steps I just talked about in this video.
So that you can come across as a pro.
And, if you want step-by-step guidance and support directly from me and my team as you
start and scale your copywriting business, click the link in the description below to
learn more about my Copy Posse Launch Pad.
In this coaching program you’ll learn how to create a portfolio of high-converting,
high-paying copy assets so that you can ignite your copywriting business in only eight weeks.
Next up guys, as promised check out my video on the 4 ways to get clients.
You can watch that right here.
And as always, thank you so much for watching and subscribing!
I will see you next week.
Until then, I’m Alex. Ciao for now!