Today, more and more copywriters are pursuing freelance copywriting because it opens the door for better opportunities. If you are interested in freelance copywriting, then you should familiarize yourself with freelance copywriting basics.
1. You need to be able to say "no." Clients will sometimes have a vision about how they want their product to be sold, and as a freelance copywriter you must be able to say "no" when needed. You're the copywriting expert, your client is not. Therefore in some cases your client's suggestions may hinder the sale of their product and you will have to say "no."
If your client persists, then you need to learn how to compromise without surrendering. If you can manage persistent clients, then your work environment will be far more harmonious. But there will always be clients who are not willing to compromise. It is best to know when and how to get out these of bad situations. They are not worth the money or the trouble.
2. Learn how to be polite, persistent, and professional. You must always communicate professionally with your clients. You should also be polite and listen to your clients very carefully. You need to learn persistence as well. You should pursue projects persistently and stand by your skill when facing difficult clients. These assets will help you make you a far more successful copywriter.
3. Make sure you are constantly increasing your skill and expertise. Learning is a never-ending process. As a freelance copywriter, you must always be learning how to write better copy. There is plenty of material out there, and one could spend their entire life studying the field. Successful copywriters see themselves as life-long students.
4. You need to relax. Escaping a hectic job is a reason why someone becomes a freelance copywriter; so creating another hectic work environment at home will neutralize one of the main benefits of freelancing. Therefore you must learn to relax. Also, relaxing will improve the quality of your work and help you become a more successful copywriter.
5. Make sure to have fun even if the going gets tough. You must love your profession if you're going to be successful, so learn to keep a positive attitude. Just like any other job, if you let yourself be consumed by the stresses of your work, you will eventually learn to hate what you do.
6. Nurture your personal life. Make it a point to enjoy your personal life so that when you experience stressful work, then you will have something to fall back upon.
7. Practice honesty and good ethics. Don't make promises that you can't keep and always be honest with your client if you can't deliver what they want. Don't lie, never compromise if you can't follow the agreement, and always be ethical in conducting business arrangements.
8. Be a good business-person. Since a freelance copywriter runs their own business, you must make sure you know how to run a business effectively. Read-up on owning your own business and make sure that you know your rights.
You should be aware of the most recent ethical standards, laws, and tax reforms. You should also update yourself with the current pricing guidelines, effective negotiation skills, ways of maintaining records, and organizations you can join.
9. Don't take rejections personally. As a freelance copywriter, you will be rejected often, and taking rejection personally will severely hurt your abilities at becoming successful. Be professional when rejected and move on to the next potential client.
10. Do not miss deadlines. Being your own boss doesn't mean that you can miss deadlines. Missing your deadlines will keep you from gaining any sort of success as a freelance copywriter.
Hopefully this article illustrated some freelancing basics for you. Freelance copywriting is a very rewarding and flexible career, so go ahead and do some more research if you're interested in pursuing it more intently.
About the Author:
For an inside look at the techniques of a top direct response copywriter, check out the membership site of Copywriter Ray Edwards. There you'll find a daily podcast, video tutorials and copywriting advice.
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