Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Insights Into Freelance Copywriting

By Ray Edwards

More and more copywriters are looking into freelance copywriting because of the freedom it offers. If you're interested in freelance copywriting, then here are some ideas to help you see what's involved in freelancing.

1. Know when to say "no." As a freelance copywriter you have to learn when to say no. Sometimes you have to say no to projects because you're schedule is overloaded or sometimes you also have to say no to poor suggestions made by your clients. In this situation you need to remember that you are the advertising expert, not your client. They are hiring you to sell their product, so you have to learn when to say "no" gently enough not to make your client angry.

Sometimes clients will insist on a particular point, if this is the case then you have to learn how to compromise without surrendering. Learning how to manage persistent clients will make your life a lot easier. There are also situations from which you just need to walk away. These kinds of clients are not worth the money or the time.

2. Be polite, persistent, and positive. Always communicate professionally with your clients. Listen intently to your clients and be persistent with your ideas if you must. Your persistence must be two fold: You must constantly look for work, and persistently stand by your ideas on how to market your clients' products. This will help improve your success dramatically.

3. Become a constant learner. The most successful copywriters understand that you can never stop learning. You must be learning how to improve the quality of your copy constantly. This keeps you competitive and will help you climb the ladder of success. There is plenty of material out there, so go out and start learning how to be the best at what you do.

4. Remember to relax. Most people switch to freelancing to escape their stressful work environment, so it doesn't make much sense to make your new work environment as equally as stressful! So make sure that you relax, put it in your schedule if you must, but just make sure to do it. Consistent relaxation also helps you write better and faster. So in the end, you'll be happier and more productive if you take time to relax.

5. Learn to keep a positive attitude. In order to be successful, you have to love your job, even in the hard times. If you let the stress of your work consume you, then you will come to hate your job and miss out on all the great opportunities that freelancing has to offer. So learn to keep a positive attitude now.

6. Actively nurture your personal life. Your life should be well rounded. You need to take care of your personal health and spend time with your friends and family. Even though you're working to become more successful, what will it profit you to gain the whole world but spend your life alone? Your work is an important part of your life, but not the most important.

7. Always practice honest work ethics. You need to be a person of love, honor and integrity. Therefore, don't make any promises you can't keep. Be honest with your clients. Tell them if you're failing to meet a requirement and try to make it up to them. Never give moral ground in order to gain economic prosperity, and always be ethical when conducting business arrangements.

8. Be a good businessperson. Freelance copywriters run their own businesses and therefore have to manage their business well. Make sure to read-up on operating a small business and learn about your rights as a small business owner.

Keep up on the most recent ethical standards, laws, and tax reforms. Make sure you're also up to date on all the current pricing models and searching for new ways to organize your business more effectively.

9. Never take a rejection personally. This is a business and your self worth should never be wrapped up in what you do. Try and maintain a level of professionalism and don't take rejection personally. There are plenty of reasons someone might pick another copywriter over you that have nothing to do with your ability to write good copy.

10. Do not miss deadlines. Missing deadlines will severely hurt your chances at success, so you must make every effort to manage your time well and get your projects completed on schedule.

Hopefully this article helped you see what's involved in freelance copywriting. There is plenty of information out there on freelancing, so if it interests you, go ahead and do some more research about this exciting career.

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