So you’re wanting to learn how to start a freelance copywriter business? It’s not as difficult as you would think to start a copywriting business. You can follow this step guide for a general idea of how it works and how to get your foot in the door to begin your copywriting journey! To start, you have to know what copywriting is. Essentially, a copywriter is a writer that’s hired or booked to write content for an individual or business whether it’s for advertisements, professional emails, official documents, etc. Many businesses and corporations hire copywriters all the time, so finding work isn’t difficult if you know where to look.

Now you know what a copywriter is, but what does a freelance one do? A freelance copywriter is simply a copywriter who works for themselves rather than for a company. They can make their own hours, take on as many or as few jobs as they please, control their pricing and market themselves how they see fit. 

Alright, now that you have a generalized understanding of freelance copywriting, let’s discuss the steps you can take to become one, and a successful one at that!

Step 1: Learn the Basics of Copywriting

If you want to become a successful copywriter, you have to learn the basics of the career. You won’t win a football championship without knowing the basics of football, you probably won’t have a popular bakery if you don’t know the basics of baking. So you can’t blindly go into copywriting without at least base-level knowledge. 

A tried and true method to learning the basics is to find books on copywriting and its principles. There are a plethora of them out there. Reading one or two will get you enough to kickstart your career, but make it a habit to reread and refer back to them throughout your career to keep that momentum and stay true to the fundamentals of the copywriting field. Dr. Jeffry Lang and Robert Bly are some fantastic authors to look into for learning the trade.

Another great way to learn how to be a freelance copyrighter is the internet. There are so many blogs, websites, videos, etc., all with great information on the basic knowledge needed to be a successful copywriter. A quick Google or Youtube search will be all you need to access this.

Step 2: Finding Your Niche as a Copywriter

Finding a niche is one of the best business moves you can make for yourself as a beginner copywriter. It may take time and a few trial-and-errors but eventually you will find a specific type of client you like working with, a type of document you enjoy writing, or a field you prefer to target for business. The jack of all trades is a master of none. If you can find a niche and get good at it, you will find that business will grow exponentially in that niche because you will be a reliable and consistent copywriter in the eyes of your clients. It can also ensure that clients return time and time again for more business. 

Step 3: Get Yourself a Copywriting Website

Okay, so you have learned the basics and found a niche to squeeze into. Now what? Now the best thing you can do to level up your business, even more, is to get yourself a website! Tracking all of your copywriting projects and deals through DMs and Text messages can get messy. And your persona on social media is great but you need to have a place to house your business. A website is a great way to display your portfolio, list out your services and what they intel, and have a localized form of communication between you and your clientele. If nothing else, a website will help to elevate your image as a freelance copywriter.

 A good website helps you look professional and give your audience a good idea of your services. There are many ways of getting a website, you can hire a website designer to go in and design a website for you, or sometimes designers will make portfolio website templates geared towards copywriters.

  If you want a simple, cost-effective way to get your website up and running in no time, you can check out the template shop linked below. 

All of these templates were designed specifically for copywriters and have plenty of space for you to write out all of your words.

Step 4: Practice and Grow Your Copywriting Portfolio

You may be asking yourself, “How do I build a copywriting portfolio?” Practice makes perfect, a mantra that is true for every career, hobby, or sport that is out there. And the same is true for copywriting. A great way to start practicing is by asking friends, family, or local businesses to write for them. You can start by writing ads, rewriting documents, etc. This will all simultaneously grow your copywriting portfolio for you. The more practice you get and the bigger your portfolio, the more impressive you will look to bigger clients down the road. Another potential practice exercise you can try out is getting randomly generated prompts online and writing for them. It will help you tackle a variety of challenges throughout your career and widen your scope. Once you have a few projects under your belt, you can add them into your website so that potential clients can get a feel for your work. The copywriter website templates mentioned above even have a portfolio page for you to highlight your best work. 

Click Here to view some amazing Website Templates perfected for Copywriters

Step 5: Market Yourself as a Freelance Copywriter

Now that you have learned the basics, found a niche, and gotten yourself a website you have to start marketing yourself as a freelance copywriter. This can be achieved in many ways. One of the easiest ways is to use social media. Instagram is one of the best platforms to brand and advertise yourself. Following trends with reels, posting stories about your day-to-day as a copywriter, interacting with your followers, and engaging with potential clients can get you tons of business. It will help solidify your career as a copywriter. The more positive interactions with your community, the more they will recommend you to others. Your freelance business will grow organically over time. Now, Instagram is just one of the many ways to market yourself in the infinite world of the internet. Other social media platforms are just as good; Facebook, Tiktok, Linked-in, and Pinterest are just a few more examples of amazing places to grow the scope of your business and reach as many clients as possible. 

You can also have affiliates which can be extremely useful in growing your client base. You can offer them a discount or set dollar amount for every new client they recruit for you. It’s a win-win, you get more business while your affiliate gets paid! Now, social media and affiliates are not the only way to advertise yourself; word of mouth, podcasts, local ads, fundraisers, and so many more are each just as effective and all help grow your business.

Summary

Now that you have a basic idea of how to become a freelance copywriter, it’s your turn. You can begin your copywriting journey, be it a hobby for some extra money here and there or a full-time career. You just have to remember to follow these five steps: learn the basics, practice your trade, find your niche, market yourself, and get your website!

Upwards and Onwards,

Bailey Thibodeaux

Founder of Honeywave Creative