Sunday, December 21, 2008

How To Become A Freelance Copywriter

By Ray Edwards

The Internet has created a lot of new opportunities for freelance copywriters today. If you are a copywriter looking to make more money then you should look into freelancing your services. Freelance copywriting frees you from the confines of a full-time job and allows you to dictate your own work schedule, load, and paycheck.

There is skill involved when writing copy; you must know your audience, which mediums that effectively reach them, and you have to be able to motivate your reader into buying your product. A lot of copywriters go to seminars, take workshops, and perform some research in order to improve their skill level.

Freelance copywriters have a lot of opportunities not found in other vocations. Freelance copywriters can work in the world of commerce, web marketing, publishing houses, direct response mail ad campaigns, and many others. Freelance copywriters work on a project-to-project basis and are hired by clients in these fields in order to help them more effectively sell their products.

SOME POINTERS ON BECOMING A FREELANCE COPYWRITER

Freelance copywriters can choose their projects, handpick the jobs that are in their area of expertise, and bring in more money. Since you are your own boss as a freelancer, most experts agree that freelance copywriting is one of the best fields in which to work.

The most important thing you need to know is what your customers want and how to give it to them in a creative and effective way. If you're an aspiring freelance copywriter here are some things you should know:

1. Set some goals. It is important to set some tangible and attainable goals before you set out as a freelance copywriter. This way you have a target to shoot for and a practical way of measuring your success. Try to develop a business plan that helps you utilize your skills and achieve your goals.

2. Build a portfolio. Your portfolio is your resume in the freelancing world. It shows potential clients your past work and what they can expect from you. It should have examples of your best work, a sales letter explaining why you're the best for the job, and testimonials from past clients. Your portfolio needs to be neat, organized, and professional looking.

3. You should construct a website. A website gives your potential clients an easy way to access your material and portfolio as they consider your bid. Also, many copywriters do not have a website, which gives you an advantage over some of your competition.

4. Build good working relationships with your clients. Working on the Internet means that business is conducted virtually with no real person-to-person contact. This can make it difficult to cultivate good working relationships; therefore you need to work harder at getting to know your clients. The more a client knows you, the more likely they are to either hire you again or recommend you to others.

If you find out that you live near your client, let them know that you're available to meet in person if they like. Also let them know that you are always available if they need to contact you with any questions or concerns. Make yourself personable, the more you seem like a real person to your clients, the greater the success you will see in your business.

5. Don't be afraid to educate your client. You must listen to your client and mold what they want with what will actually sell their product. It is important to remember that you are the expert and that they have hired you to sell their product. Their ideas may not sell their product, so try to gently educate them on how you think their product should be marketed. Don't be rude, instead, considerately explain why you think your ideas will more effectively sell their product.

These were just a few ideas to help you get started thinking about your new freelancing career. Hopefully you found this article helpful. Freelance copywriting allows you to choose when you work, where you work, and how much you work. You can't find that kind of freedom in too many other jobs. Freelancing is a very liberating and exciting career.

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