Monday, November 10, 2008

Becoming A Freelance Copywriter

By Ray Edwards

Many people have found that becoming a freelancer was one of the best moves they have ever made. Why? Because that way you become your own boss, you get to determine your work schedule, and you can work from anywhere that has an Internet connection.

BECOMING A FREELANCE COPYWRITER

One of the industries where freelancing is growing rapidly is copywriting. With the help of the Internet, more and more copywriters are discovering the benefits of freelancing their services. Delving into freelance copywriting as a professional or part time job will require some planning and preparation. If you are already a copywriter, or just starting out, and you want to work as a freelancer, here are some of the things you might want to consider.

1. Build yourself a website. Many copywriters do not have web pages and building one could give you an advantage over some of your competition. It also acts as a shop front for clients looking for a copywriter.

It should be cross-browser compatible, easy to read, and professional looking. Don't use pre-existing personal sites. You should build a new site that is dedicated to promoting your services as a freelance copywriter.

2. Build a portfolio. Your portfolio will function as your resume as potential clients consider hiring you. It should include examples of your best work, a sales letter explaining why you are the best copywriter for the job, and testimonials from clients.

3. Advertise yourself. It doesn't matter if you're the best copywriter in the world, if no one knows about you then you won't have any clients. Marketing is vital; therefore invest time and money into it.

4. Don't expect to make too much in the beginning. Being a freelance copywriter can help you earn a lot of money if you already have a stable and steady list of clients in the field. But if you are just starting out, don't expect projects to rush in. Getting paying clients in the beginning is hard, so you may have to do some pro bono work to start out. But know that success is definitely possible; you just have to work hard and put a lot of time and energy into your business.

5. Keep learning. The best copywriters are constantly learning how to improve their product. There is enough information out there to study for a life time, so it doesn't matter how good you are you can always learn something new that will improve your product.

6. Stay with your day job for a while. You're going to need your regular job as you start out to meet your financial needs. You may have to work double time, but it will be worth it. You only need to keep your day job for a little while, as soon as you can you should quit. This way you can focus all your resources on your freelancing business. You won't see real success until you're solely focused on your freelancing career.

These points were supposed to give you a general idea about freelance copywriting. Hopefully this article helped you see what was included in freelance copywriting. You never know, freelance copywriting may be the career move for you. You should do some more research to find out. - 15790

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