How to find new copywriting clients

Create a kickass website highlighting your copywriting skills.

That’s it. That’s the answer.

But since I can’t have a blog post with only two lines, I’m going to elaborate a bit. Because if you’re a copywriter who knows anything about writing for websites, then you probably know that not just any website you throw up will do the trick.

Choose a search-friendly platform for your copywriting website

I recommend WordPress. This site is created in WordPress using the Thesis theme. It’s not done yet. Especially the blog portion still needs help. But I’m already ranking in the first few Google listings for far-reaching search terms like “online copywriter”, “website copywriter”, “seo copywriter”, and so on.

Of course it helps that my site has been online since 2003. And that I had been listing it in directories and building links gradually over time. But even if you start now with a site created in WordPress, you can rank for highly targeted terms quickly.

Target niche terms to build a flow of inquiries quickly

It can take years to rank for the types of terms I do now. But if you start out targeting narrow niches, you can build a flow of traffic for those search terms. Start with local search strings, even if you offer your services nationally. There will be less competition, and you can see immediate results as your broader areas take their time to grow.

Don’t be afraid to specify what you’re good at. If you do your best when writing about food, go ahead and target terms like “food copywriter florida” or even “food copywriter gainesville”.  Each page you create on your new site can be dedicated to a specific niche industry you want to write for.

Get your website up and keep adding to it

Your website will never be perfect. But you need to get it up right now to start building momentum in online searches. Add to it and sculpt it as you go, but just get the dang thing up fast.

Partner with a talented web designer and offer your services in trade

There’s no need to spend thousands on a great design. Just like you need help with visuals, those who are more graphically gifted often need help with wording. You can come out of it with a unique, stunning website design and perhaps even a new piece for your copywriting portfolio!

Reach inside yourself and find what makes you different

My website is my sole source of copywriting leads. I get probably an average of 5 inquiries a week. Many are from people who have read through my site and feel convinced that I am the copywriter for their online project. I believe it’s because I am very straightforward about my beliefs in how good copywriting plays out, and I also specify directly who I feel I work best with.

But when I started out, it was sooo tempting to tap into the usual “I meet every deadline”, “my copy sells”, and so on. Honestly, those generic claims are just the expected baseline for a copywriter. To really be persuasive, you have to go deeper and find the thing that matters for you and those you want to write for. Then plaster that everywhere throughout your site.

So, get your website up and start attracting new copywriting clients today!