How to Get Copywriting Clients: Tips for New Copywriters

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You’ve done it. You’ve taken the time to learn what copywriting is, and you’ve set realistic expectations about earning potential, especially in the beginning. You’ve hung out your virtual shingle, but now you’re wondering how to get copywriting clients.

I remember those fraught early days (ahem, I mean years) when I was trying to figure out the answer to that question. Plenty of YouTube gurus might have you convinced that all you need to do is take their course and you’ll be writing for brands you love in 30 or 60 days. And who knows? YOU might be a unicorn and have instant success.

But for the rest of us? It’s probably more of a slow burn.

I’m here to tell you that this is normal and to stick with it. It took me five years before I was making an income that could pay the rent. (Here’s how much I made from copywriting in the early days, and here’s how much I made from copywriting in 2023.)

The steps I outline below might seem basic, but I followed many of them to great success.

The key to building a business is consistency. You have to keep at it and focus on doing things that will move you forward rather than the stuff that makes you feel like you’re busy and productive, even though you’re just spinning your wheels.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s discuss how to get clients when you’re a new freelance copywriter.

How to Get Copywriting Clients

1. Focus on people you know who own a small business or who know someone who does.

I can almost guarantee that you know someone who owns a small business (and probably more than one person). Or your friends and family know someone.

Here’s the thing: Small businesses need marketing and writing help. Remember, copywriters do so much more than simply write. You must understand marketing, and to successfully compete today, you must be willing to do other things besides writing. Become adept at layout and design using Canva. Become a wiz at keyword research. Learn WordPress.

If you know someone who owns a business, reach out to them. Explain you’ve launched a freelance copywriting business and would love to talk to them or someone in the marketing department. Say this: “Even if you don’t have a need right now for marketing writing, I’d still love to connect.” <<< This is key. Once you start talking to people and they begin to understand the depth and breadth of what you do, you will most likely get some bites.

It might not be buckets of money or big projects that sustain you for months. But I began by doing lots of little projects for small businesses. And the best of those projects went into my copywriting portfolio.

It’s important to give examples of the work you do and to clearly articulate all types of writing you do from websites to emails, social media posts to print ads. Why? Most folks who hear the word “copywriter” don’t know what it means. Even within the world of copywriting, people have vastly different definitions. When it comes to defining copywriting, I tend to take a broad view. To me, it’s any writing that markets a product, service, or cause. Synonyms include content marketer, content writer, marketing writer, and website copywriter (to name just a few).

If the business in question has a marketing manager, ask for an introduction. That’s the person who would assign you a project. If it’s a one-person shop, the goal is to let them know how you can make their life easier with their marketing. Are they having trouble getting out a monthly newsletter? Creating an engaging website? Keeping up a lively social media presence? Let them know those are the sorts of things you can help with, either as one-off projects or ongoing monthly work.

The ultimate goal is to get regular monthly work. If you can blog a couple of times a month for a client and do their email marketing newsletter, that’s a nice piece of work you can count on, month-to-month. From there, build and get other clients who give you similar work each month. Mix in one-off projects as well.

And lest you think focusing on small businesses is a fool’s errand, consider the monthly search volume for these phrases, according to Semrush, my go-to keyword research tool.

  • small business copywriter – 210 searches per month
  • copywriting services for small businesses – 50 searches per month

And that’s just the beginning. Nope, not everyone who searches on those phrases is necessarily looking for a copywriter who can work for small businesses. But I’m willing to bet some are, which brings me to my next point.

2. Optimize your website for copywriting niches.

Lots of copywriters ask if they should focus on a niche. When it comes to your website, I say yes. If you have expertise in a specific area—maybe it’s medical writing, beauty writing, retail, whatever—you can parlay that expertise into paying gigs by optimizing a service page on your website around your area of expertise, aka your niche. This doesn’t mean you have to only focus on this niche. Nor does it mean you have to introduce yourself as a “beauty copywriter” on your home page if you want to expand beyond that area.

But! I’ve seen plenty of hyper-focused searches on “X copywriter” (where “X” is a specific area or specialty, like beauty copywriter or food copywriter) with low competition, meaning you could create a kickass service page on your site about that area. And instead of pounding the virtual pavement trying to figure out how to get copywriting clients, the clients can find you online.

And good news, kittens: I’ve written a juicy post about optimizing your site for copywriting niches.

3. Network, network, network.

You have options. When I first started out, I joined Business Networking International (BNI). BNI is a commitment—it costs a pretty penny to join—but the value is that you’ll be the only copywriter occupying a seat in your chapter. The idea behind BNI is to generate referrals for one another—a “givers gain” philosophy.

PRO TIP #1: Before joining a chapter, visit it (I believe you can do so two times). Every chapter is a little different. You want to get a sense of the vibe—and whether you’d be a good fit.

PRO TIP #2: Look for chapters with complementary colleagues. By that I mean:

  • Web designers
  • Graphic designers
  • Marketing specialists
  • PR consultants

Those folks need writers—and writers need them. So you create this little power “sphere” of activity where you can bond and help each other out. The web designer who is wooing a prospect can say “I have a great writer who can create SEO copy for you.”

The key to BNI success:

  • Show up. You must attend weekly meetings, often at 7 AM.
  • Do the one-on-one meetings. BNI encourages you to meet one-on-one with people in your chapter so that you can get to know them and their needs—and vice versa.
  • Be willing to serve as a substitute in other chapters. Being active on the sub-circuit means you can expand your reach and visibility even more.
  • Participate in leadership roles. I recommend holding off on this until after you get your bearings, but leadership roles can offer even more opportunities.

Other networking groups:

  • Chambers of Commerce – These often have after-hours meetups and breakfast meetups. The key to maximizing your Chamber membership is making sure you push yourself to take part in these events.
  • Women’s organizations, like Polka Dot Powerhouse
  • College alumni organizations
  • Marketing organizations
  • Meetup groups

4. Keep tabs on marketing firms/agencies.

Many of today’s marketing agencies like to have a stable of freelance copywriters. (And once you prove yourself invaluable, you will quickly rise to the top of their go-to list).

PRO TIP: Look for true firms/agencies, not one-person shops. Check out their careers section. They often list what they’re looking for (and if they’re looking for writers).

Be careful about sending a cold email. If they’re not advertising for freelancers, they might not need them. While it probably won’t hurt to send a polite email, it’s always better if you have some sort of intro. This is where LinkedIn can come in. Look for connections in common and ask for direct intros whenever possible.

A good roundup of agencies that “get” content creation: the HubSpot Solutions Directory.

5. Create relevant alerts on job curation sites that promote freelance work.

The sites below are good places to create a presence and subscribe to relevant job alerts.

Some sites have paid subscriptions, which might be worth trying when you’re starting out (or if you find you have luck with a particular service). The key with these sites? Being the first to pounce on listings. So that adage about the early bird most definitely applies.

6. Make sure you connect with everyone you meet on LinkedIn.

So when you reach out to those business owners, connect with them on LinkedIn. Connect with the marketing managers. Connect with the people you meet when networking. Connect with clients once they officially hire you.

PRO TIP #1: Always send a personal message along with the invite.

PRO TIP #2: Stay in touch. Every quarter, say hi through LinkedIn and remind them you’re there. You’re priming the pump so that when they do need a writer—or they’re talking to someone who does—your name is the first one that pops up. This is a longer-term strategy, but it’s important.

7. Ask happy clients for referrals.

Have you just done work for a client and they loved the results? Ask them for a referral to fellow business owners they know. And/or look at their LinkedIn connections and see if anyone catches your eye. Then, ask for an intro.

8. Get friendly with other like-minded writers.

This might sound counterintuitive. Aren’t “other writers” the competition? No! There is more than enough work out there for everyone—honest. Content makes the online world go round, so there’s no shortage of work. And remember, you’re just one person and there are just so many hours in a day.

I regularly have to turn down work (and this isn’t meant to sound boastful, either). So becoming friendly with writers you can refer business to—and who can do the same for you—is another smart strategy for how to get copywriting clients. Keep in mind that everyone brings their own specialties to the table. I’m not keen on financial writing, but I have two friends/colleagues who are awesome in this area, so I refer to them. (And they have both referred to me.)

A word about content farms/content mills . . .

Should you work for content farms? The short answer is (like so many things in life): It depends. My biggest beef with content farms is the incredibly low pay (we’re talking pennies per word), which devalues the important work writers do.

That said . . .  when you’re starting out, and you’re trying to drum up examples to include in your copywriting portfolio, working for a content farm *could* be a way to get clips and to learn how to work quickly without losing accuracy. My general advice: It’s OK to do it in the short term and/or to have it be one piece of your revenue mix. At some point, you’ll outgrow the farm, and that’s OK—and a good goal to strive for.

On a similar note, DON’T fall into the trap of working for only one or two clients. Diversification is critical. If one client goes silent (or worse—out of business), you’ll be in trouble and scrambling. But if you have a diverse roster of clients and one goes down, you won’t be in panic mode. Yes, you’ll look to fill the open spot, but you won’t be struggling to pay the rent.

Are you new to copywriting? Here are my go-to resources for learning the ins and outs.

I use Amazon Affiliate links. If you use one of the links to buy something, it won’t cost you more, but I’ll earn a small commission. I only recommend stuff that I believe in. I own both of these books.