Want a simple and effective way you can bring in new clients for your copywriting business – without spending hours every week sending out hundreds of cold outreach emails?
Lead generation is something new and aspiring copywriters are ALWAYS asking about.
When I say “lead generation” for a copywriter, what I’m really talking about is the process of bringing in new clients.
This topic is kind of important when your income literally depends on your ability to generate new leads for your business – right?!
As scary as that sounds, the process is actually pretty straightforward and simple – even for beginners!
But before we get into the step-by-step breakdown of my 20-minute-a-day lead generation routine…
There are 4 steps you need to take FIRST to increase your odds of success – or else you’ll be massively wasting your time…
Step #1: Create A Professional Portfolio
It is absolutely crucial to have a copywriting portfolio to start copywriting. This is the FIRST step.
Most clients won’t even consider working with you unless you have some work to showcase.
Now, if you’re thinking – “Wait a minute, I’m brand new. I don’t have any work to showcase inside a portfolio…”
Ahhh that is what I like to call the Copywriter-Catch 22.
You can’t get hired without a portfolio….
And you can’t build a portfolio without getting hired.
I designed my 8-week copywriter training program – The Launch Files – to solve that exact issue for you…
By the end of the program, you won’t just be a better writer…
You will also have an entire, professional portfolio filled with WORK that you can showcase to potential clients. This is key to being able to find copywriting clients.
Once you have your portfolio, you’re ready to start finding clients. And that starts with defining your copywriter’s USP…
Step #2: Define Your Copywriter USP
If you’re going to offer your services to new clients, then you NEED to get crystal clear on what that offer is.
I hate to break it to ya but, “Hi, I’m a copywriter and I can write copy for you.” ain’t gonna cut it.
So create a short but highly specific sentence that quickly summarizes EXACTLY what you offer.
This is what I call your USP Statement or Unique Selling Proposition.
This is sometimes referred to as an “elevator pitch” because in the time it takes an elevator to move 3 floors, you should be able to communicate who you are, what you do, and how you can help.
This is really important because business owners are busy people.
They aren’t going to spend much time reading an email or message from a person if they have no clue who that person is, what they do, or how they can help.
Your USP should be some version of, “I help [your dream customers] get/achieve [benefit] with [specific solution].”
Next up, you need to identify your preferred niche…
Step #3: Identify Your Preferred Niche
So this one isn’t necessarily a “must-do” if you’re just getting started. In fact, I recommend dabbling in a few different niches before you find your sweet spot…
But I highly recommend at least thinking about the types of business you want to write for to help you narrow your focus…
I recommend selecting a niche that’s aligned with your passions, interests and experience – whether that’s health & beauty, pets, education, finance, whatever you’re into – because that is going to make finding clients SO MUCH EASIER.
I like to think that we all are a beautiful Venn diagram of different skills, interests, and experiences…
And once you add your copywriting skills to that Venn diagram, your previous skills, interests, and experiences don’t just disappear…
In fact, they can help you stand out even more to the perfect client who’s looking for your special mix.
So don’t discount everything you bring to the table! And the last step you need to take BEFORE you start searching for clients…
Step #4: Make Your Dream Client List
Alright, now that you have a portfolio, your USP, and preferred niche. It’s time to make your “dream client” list.
Make a list of 20-50 brands and businesses in your preferred niche you would love to work for.
And while yes, I think it’s great to put a couple of BIG clients on the list…
What I want you to do is approach this list from a more practical perspective.
Rather than selecting 20-50 mega brands like Apple or Nike who probably hire an entire agency to do their marketing and thus would be very unlikely to ever hire you…
I suggest doing some REAL research here.
Find the small to mid-sized brands, businesses, suppliers, influencers or coaches – in your preferred niche – that you would really like to work with.
Who are the people you follow on social media? There are tons and tons of small businesses on social media. And I guarantee you, you’re following a lot of them within your niche.
You can also Google local businesses within your niche.
And take a look at the products in your home…
The brands that you’re already super loyal to and really love.
These are GREAT businesses to put on your list because if you already have and use and love them… then you’re really going to stand out because you are ALREADY familiar with their brand, their voice, and their values.
Put these down on your list until you have 20-50 businesses.
Then sign up for their email lists if you’re not already on them, and follow them on social media if you’re not already.
Alright, so once you have those 4 steps done, you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and start the process of finding new clients…
In just 20 mins a day…
How To Find New Copywriting Clients In 20-Mins/Day
10 Mins: Apply
The first place to start is the public job boards, platforms, and career sites that you jive with most. There are a TON out there – LinkedIn, Fiverr, Upwork, Monster.com, Indeed, Freelancer.com…
I recommend selecting 1-2 of these platforms that you can commit to using daily.
Notice how I said ONLY pick 1-2.
If you try to keep on top of them all, this process will very quickly become too tedious for you to maintain consistently…
And that’s how AMAZING opportunities fall through the cracks. You don’t want to miss a single thing…
BUT do not focus on sending as many trigger applications as possible – send a few personalized and relevant applications a day.
This might take you more time at first. But once you start checking these every day, it’ll really only take you a few minutes or less to see what new postings there are, if any and send an application.
5 Mins: Engage
Pick 1 of the businesses on your dream list and check in with them. A lot of businesses will post any job openings to their website, social media or email lists FIRST – before they go onto the big job boards.
So read any emails they’ve sent out, go check their website and career pages for any updates, and definitely go and see what they’re up to on social media.
Social media is where you should spend the majority of your time. Like their posts and leave comments.
You can also DM them if it feels appropriate or react to their story. Remember, you’re not cold pitching here.
The goal here is really just to start genuine conversations and get your name popping up repeatedly.
Lastly…
5 Mins: Connect
Send 5-10 messages A DAY to people you KNOW! Don’t think of this as “finding clients.” Instead, think of it as letting people in your life know what you’re up to now.
Let them know you’ve started copywriting and are looking for businesses to support (Share your copywriter USP with them!)
Keep it conversational and use it as a way to check in with people you haven’t spoken to in a while!
Don’t forget to ask them how THEY are doing and how you can support them too. This is a conversation, not a pitch.
To keep track of all these messages and applications, I recommend you take note of everything in an Excel sheet to stay super organized and process-driven…
And all you really need is 20 minutes to do this routine.
But the catch is…
You have to do it every day! If you skip a day or a week, it’s going to take a lot longer to get back on track.
The secret to getting your copywriting business off the ground is to consistently plant seeds – over and over again.
It may take some time for those seeds to sprout, and they may happen at different times, but the more seeds you plant, the higher your chances of success…
Then, once you’ve got clients coming in, keep going!!!
You never want to stop planting seeds so that in case you lose a client, you’ll have conversations in progress that you can nurture and turn into a new client.
Every single one of my most successful students followed a process similar to this. When they first started their business, they were CONSTANTLY watching job boards and engaging with prospective clients until something popped up…
And the benefit of doing this daily is that when something DOES pop up…
You’ll be the FIRST to know about it because you’re checking every single day.
Which means you’ll be among the first to apply…
Which drastically increases your chances of getting interviewed.
So get going and good luck, Posse! I hope you found this helpful.
Comment below and let me know what you need help with next!
Until next time, I’m Alex. Ciao for now!
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