Ever wanted a job where you can spend all day, every day, writing clever and inspiring prose? Yes? So do not become a freelance copywriter!
Do not get me wrong, this is a big job, and for some of us it is an invitation not to be denied. I definitely do not get to write clever and inspiring prose. It's just that it does not do all day, every day. In fact, when you sit down at the end of the day and think about what you've done, the percentage of time spent writing is surprisingly low.
So what is a freelance copywriter do other than write copy? So, basically, they run a business. This article discusses 11 daily rituals involved with running a freelance website copywriting or advertising copywriting business (other than writing). It also offers some advice for them to perform successfully.
1) the submission of
Freelance copywriters serve many masters. They usually have plenty of clients, and spend very little time quoting on new jobs. When you read, you're calculating how much to charge for the job. For a freelance copywriter, there are several important factors that influence citation. You must have some way to accurately estimate the time. Generally the best way to achieve this is to be diligent in their monitoring. If you know how long past jobs you take, you'll be much more confident and accurate in the assessments. You know how much time you have spent it on writing (as you should try to cover as much of this as possible). You need to have a feel for what the client is willing to pay (they are big or small company, how high they seem to value copy, etc.). You know how your competitors are charging for the same thing. You have to understand what is different from your competition. You have to think about how bad you want or need to do. And, of course, you must estimate how much time the client will be.
2) the proposal
quote is not the same as prijedlog.Citat usually located within the proposal, but it is not the same thing. When you submit a copywriting proposal, you are marketing your skills, your decision, your work ethic, your customer service, their commitment, and your experience. Basically, you're justifying your price, and distinguish yourself from the competition. And not just about what you say. Also, how to say and how you present it. All of the motion plays a role in the decision of the client! If possible, include additional useful information. Use the title page, contents, headers, footers, I introduce at the beginning and summary at the end. Include your price, but call it "investment" rather than "price". Show the client you thought your job through summing up their claims. The structure of your proposed solution. And most importantly, give the client a clear call to action ("Where to from here ?").
3) chasing yet
a freelance copywriter is almost never the bottleneck in a copywriting job. In 99.99% of copywriting jobs, the bottleneck is the review process. Most clients take a long time for review. In fact, about a third of customers must be requested at least once before they will get back to you with their changes. It is not uncommon for one day writing job to take a full month to sign-off - or longer. Some clients will put up for review backburner for months (just another reason to request a deposit before starting work)! As a result, a freelance advertising copywriters and website copywriters spend a lot of time chasing reviews. Be sure to factor in delays and clutter in their time quotes best you can. I always record which clients take a long time, so you can be prepared when discussing deadlines on the next job.
4) Project scheduling and tracking
Whether you are working on large projects or small, project scheduling and tracking are vital. You must know the exact status of all works in progress (monitoring), and should also be aware of what is coming and how you manage it (planning). If you do it right, you should use for monitoring and planning tools several times a day. In fact, they should be the center of your business. TIP: A good way to track projects, copywriting is the use of a job (and contact) tracking database. I created my own database using Microsoft Access. Click to download 208KB working copy for FREE [http://www.divinewrite.com/downloads/contacts% 20and% 20jobs.mdb]. You will need Microsoft Access 2000 to run. I am not an expert database, so it's not a work of art. It certainly will get you started though. (TIP: When using a database, press Ctrl +, to enter today's date .)
5) Accounting
invoicing, processing payments (and part payments), chasing outstanding invoices, recording expenses, managing bank accounts, putting tax aside ... It all takes a lot of time. Do not be fooled into thinking you can handle your accounts manually (or with Microsoft Excel). Even if you only have a few clients, you need a proper accounts package like MYOB or Quicken (they both offer small business versions). You'll understand why the first time you do your GST reports or annual taxes. In fact, you'll understand why every time you need to chase down outstanding invoices
6) Visiting clients
Although the wonders of modern e-mail a freelance copywriter for about 95% of their work without leaving the office, it is sometimes still a good idea to do things 'old fashioned' way - especially if you expect to work with them very little. Shake hands and put a face to the name. I remember everything about the meeting reflects on you and your business. As with their suggestions, think about what you say, how to say, how you present. Always arrange a meeting with a lot of information, to confirm the day before the meeting, be on time, meeting summary, and provide a call to action. (Try to do these last two, and at the end of the meeting and via e-mail after the meeting .)
7) Office admin
Even for a low overhead business like copywriting, there's always something! Changing phone plans, upgrading / fixing the computer, Internet service is down, your website is temporarily unavailable, you are increasing your procedures for data storage, you need a new printer or fax ink cartridges ... Office administration takes up a surprisingly large piece of the day. Make sure you allow for it. This means having enough time to do, and factoring in your time to read. If not, you will always work in the wee hours and / or losing money.
8) marketing strategy
How do you generate business? Cold calls? (See.) Web site? (See the numerous web sites and SEO articles.) Networking? Word of mouth? Repeat business? Agency? (See also for some advice about succeeding as a freelance copywriter.) Regardless of what your strategy, you must give the time it deserves. It's a good idea to average about an hour a day to reflect on the implementation and marketing strategies.
9) Industry research Stay up to date with the latest copywriting industry research. Read research on usability, readability and scannability (or visit and subscribe to their newsletters). Read up on search engine optimization (see, or try subscribing to the newsletter or). Try to follow as the day-to-day language is changing (what buzz words to use, what buzz words to avoid, what rules are overlooked in the English-speaking, it sounds to make a positive impression on people, etc.). Know the difference between writing for the web in relation to the writing of the press in relation to writing for search engines (see some relevant articles). If you want to scratch the surface, spend 10 minutes every day.
10) The subject of research It was a web copywriting and advertising copywriting, to do a good job, you need to know a lot about his subject matter. This means that both specific knowledge about the client's product or service, as well as general "domain knowledge. Clients tend to not supply enough information. Make sure you interview them thoroughly. And then let them know you'll probably have to ask further questions. Even then, May you find yourself doing a little independent istraživanja.Internet is your savior, but I always start any kind of information from his client prior to publication. When you are quoting on the job, try to understand how much detail the client will be able to supply. you can even ask them to assess how long will the offer (ie all, most, some, or none). it is a good technique as it gets them thinking about your requirements, while at the same time gives you some idea of how much time you spend researching.
11) Planning
In one important respect, web copywriting and advertising copywriting are no different than any other form of writing, planning is important. For more specific planning information, see i.
Happy writing!
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