Revealed: The Marketing Tactics Six Successful Copywriters Use to Build a Better Income

You know the score.

You see other writers making mega bucks. Yet you’re just slogging away for peanuts.

You long for clients who value your work and pay you the rate you deserve.

And you dream of working for all those big brands just like the top copywriters do.

So if only you could speak to writers who’ve been there and done it. And find out just how they do it.

Well, actually you don’t need to. Because I’ve done it for you.

What’s in This Post?

For this post I’ve rounded up six of the best UK copywriters to get their insights into marketing a successful copywriting business.

Each has a strong online portfolio and a healthy mix of direct and agency clients.

What’s more, they each have their own individual angle and story. So be sure to read them all.

And, at the end of the post, you can also get access to their exclusive bonus tips.

But what stands out about all these writers is that they’re not necessarily prolific bloggers or social media superstars.

What’s different is that they’re real commercial copywriters, with real professional experience. And they understand what goes into making a prosperous copywriting business.

So pay attention …

Leif Kendall

1. What Marketing Do You Currently Do?

I don’t do nearly as much marketing as I once did, as my services are now in good demand.

But I still write blog posts at least once a month.

I also manage an active Twitter profile. Though I think it’s important to stress you won’t get any benefit by just setting up an account and posting the occasional tweet. This simply won’t get you anywhere. Instead, you really need to engage with others, be helpful and share people’s stuff.

2. Which Marketing Methods Do You Find Most Successful?

Both blogging and Twitter have worked well, as well as in-person networking.

But here’s the thing about networking.

The best prospects are often far too busy to attend the small local events. So what you’ll find is everyone’s in the same boat – all just desperately looking for work.

At the better events, there are businesses looking to share ideas and build connections with potential suppliers. That’s where you want to go.

But don’t expect immediate results. It takes time to build those relationships.

3. Do You Have Any Specific Types of Target Client?

Yes, web and marketing agencies.

4. How Do You Find or Identify Them?

I drew up a list of agencies and rang each of them up. Agencies get most of their enquiries by email. So I think making a phone call is more effective, as it really helps you to stand out.

I also attended events for web professionals. Whenever I did any in-person networking, I made sure I got to know the right people, such as web designers.

5. What’s the Worst Marketing Mistake You Ever Made?

I’m quite fortunate that I’ve not made any really major mistakes. I think it’s because I’ve never put all my eggs in one basket. As I try different things, I look at what works and what doesn’t. Then I adjust my marketing to focus on the things that do.

6. What’s Your Top Marketing Tip for Freelance Copywriters?

I can’t tell you what a big difference it makes to have a professional-looking website and great content on it.

Sarah Turner

1. What Marketing Do You Currently Do?

These days I don’t have to do any, as pretty much all my business comes from word of mouth and repeat business. I also get a lot of enquiries from my website.

But when I first started out 10 years ago I marketed like mad and used loads of different methods.

I sent out newsletters, contacted ad and marketing agencies, attended networking events and even did some cold calling.

But as I gradually became established I needed to do less and less. The tipping point was after about 4 – 5 years. By then clients were nearly always coming to me.

2. Which Marketing Methods Do You Find Most Successful?

Cold calling. I only did it a couple of times. But it worked surprisingly well and I got quite a bit of business from it.

When you speak to someone on the phone, you have an opportunity to build up a rapport – which is why it can be so effective.

3. Do You Have Any Specific Types of Target Client?

I always say the clients you want are the ones who pay your bills on time, regardless of sector. But if I had to describe what my target clients are then they’re companies with a decent budget who believe in what you’re trying to do.

4. How Do You Find or Identify Them?

These days they find me. But I can identify a time-waster pretty quickly: Anyone who emails you from a Hotmail account. And anyone who says ‘Can you do a deal for this project as there will be tons more work coming your way’. Guess what? There won’t be.

5. What’s the Worst Marketing Mistake You Ever Made?

Really early on I spent £200 on a database from Thomson Directory. I could’ve found out the same information on the Internet. Annoying.

6. What’s Your Top Marketing Tip for Freelance Copywriters?

Try a lot of channels. Try them all. See what works for you and do more of it. Also seek out other freelancers who offer a complementary service such as graphic designers and web developers. Don’t forget to make friends with other copywriters too. They can give you work.

Laurence Blume

1. What Marketing Do You Currently Do?

In-person networking. I have a strong professional network, which I’ve built up over the last three decades. But I’m always looking to build new relationships.

I also share carefully selected content on social media

On top of that, I do paid search and regularly advertise on LinkedIn. These are great ways to put you in front of serious businesspeople. What I mean by that are people who are purposely on the lookout for professionals they want to hire.

I also follow up anyone who’s viewed my LinkedIn profile.

2. Which Marketing Methods Do You Find Most Successful?

Word of mouth is definitely my most effective form of marketing.

And that makes sense, as people are always more inclined to follow a recommendation made by someone they know and trust personally.

PPC also works well, although the market has become increasingly competitive. So it isn’t as efficient as it once was.

All the same, it still gets you business – because you’re bringing yourself to the attention of people who are looking for someone like you at that very specific moment in time.

3. Do You Have Any Specific Types of Target Client?

No – they can be anything from a solo entrepreneur to a global corporation.

But what is important is that they value and respect what I do. In other words, they’re not someone who simply wants to get a job done quickly and cheaply. They want to build a meaningful relationship, fully appreciate what I do and understand what I can achieve for them.

I also view every prospect from the perspective of a potential new relationship rather than simply a new project.

When you start working with a new client, you have to go through the process of getting to know them and what their needs are.

But with long-term clients, both of you know the score. You value each other. You become more than simply someone who writes copy. You become more like a consultant. And you gradually become an intrinsic part of what they do.

These kinds of clients will phone you in advance to find out when you’re next available – because it’s you they want and not anyone else.

4. How Do You Find or Identify Them?

I don’t find clients. They find me.

So it’s more a question of how I go about deciding which prospects are right for me.

I do this by listening. Or more specifically, asking questions, listening and making judgements.

You’ll often know the type of client you’re dealing with within the first few seconds of the conversation. For example, it’s always a bad sign whenever someone immediately asks about price.

5. What’s the Worst Marketing Mistake You Ever Made?

Being over reliant on the golden goose of Google.

It’s great to be able to depend on a consistent flow of work through my website.

But as I experienced for myself last year, you never know how your site might be affected by the next Google update

So you can’t afford to be without a Plan B, as anything can happen quite literally overnight.

6. What’s Your Top Marketing Tip for Freelance Copywriters?

Build relationships. Because relationships deliver work.

Caroline Gibson

1. What Marketing Do You Currently Do?

I’ve been in the business a long time, so I no longer have to do any proactive marketing. All my work now comes through client referrals, repeat business and enquiries through my website.

At one stage, though, I did try breakfast networking clubs. But these didn’t work particularly well for me. First, I had a young family. So it was hard to commit to regular early morning meetings. Secondly, many of the prospects were simply too small and had only limited marketing budgets.

One thing I still do is keep regular contact with former and existing clients. Every year I send them a digital Christmas card. Each time I come up with a different creative concept. For example, last year I sent everyone a specially designed CD with a selection of Christmas songs.

I also feel it’s important to maintain a strong visible presence online. So I try and keep up an active profile on Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.

2. Which Marketing Methods Do You Find Most Successful?

I remember a particularly effective marketing tactic at the time I was looking for my first copywriting job. Shortly after I graduated I did a mailshot in which I sent out Valentine’s cards to creative directors. That really helped me stand out and get on people’s radar. And it got me a whole load of job interviews.

Another thing I’ve always put to good use is my past work background.

I worked at various London ad agencies and also spent a year at Wolff Olins as their first in-house copywriter. Having this branding consultancy experience gave depth and breadth to my offering when I went freelance.

What’s more, I’d also won a few awards including D&AD. This helped me to get even more recognition and attract better clients.

3. Do You Have Any Specific Types of Target Client?

Yes, I prefer to work for bigger clients. I also generally avoid start-ups – as the less experienced the client, the more time they usually need.

4. How Do You Find or Identify Them?

Nowadays clients come to me. But when I do get an enquiry, I’ll often spot signs that a particular prospect isn’t for me.

Some very obvious examples are people who:

• Send out a blanket email without referring to me by name
• Contact me outside normal working hours, such as late in the evening
• Request a quote for something like 30 blog posts – as they clearly want quantity over quality

5. What’s the Worst Marketing Mistake You Ever Made?

Sometimes in the past I’ve let my social marketing fall to the bottom of the pile. Even now, I’ll often only think about the work in hand. Making clients happy and getting money in the bank are your prime focus. But you still also need to think ahead.

6. What’s Your Top Marketing Tip for Freelance Copywriters?

Get yourself a professional-looking website that does the work for you. Take time to think about your content – especially your points of difference. Whatever you do, don’t rush it or do it on the cheap.

Derryck Strachan

1. What Marketing Do You Currently Do?

We mainly focus on PPC advertising and SEO. But we also actively market to digital and search agencies. We also get a lot of work through word of mouth.

2. Which Marketing Methods Do You Find Most Successful?

We get good results from all the marketing we do.

As our own preference is for search engine marketing, we don’t do any direct marketing, cold calling or networking.

That doesn’t mean to say they’re a bad choice for other copywriters.

That’s the great thing these days – you have so many different ways you can market yourself. So virtually anyone will find something to suit their own particular business.

3. Do You Have Any Specific Types of Target Client?

Yes. But, as most of our marketing is inbound, we tailor our website to target specific industry sectors.

4. How Do You Find or Identify Them?

We have several landing pages aimed at different writing markets, such as legal, travel, property and financial copywriting. We also target the type of clients we want through the case studies we choose to share.

5. What’s the Worst Marketing Mistake You Ever Made?

I wouldn’t say we’ve made any really big marketing mistakes. Sure, we’ve tried some types of marketing, which have brought us few or no leads. But that’s how you refine your marketing ­­– by experimenting and learning what works and what doesn’t.

6. What’s Your Top Marketing Tip for Freelance Copywriters?

Don’t expect opportunities to simply fall into your lap. Instead, be prepared to put in the time and money to market yourself professionally.

John McGarvey

1. What Marketing Do You Currently Do?

I keep up an active Twitter profile and blog. But finding time to blog is difficult when you have so many other work commitments.

All the same, I do generally update it once or twice a month.

2. Which Marketing Methods Do You Find Most Successful?

My website provides a good steady flow of leads. But a good proportion of these are not a particularly good fit for my business.

I also do networking, focusing on like-minded people who are aligned to my business in some way. Although I get fewer enquiries from this, far more of them end up becoming clients.

3. Do You Have Any Specific Types of Target Client?

Yes. It’s important to me to have a good working relationship with clients. So I look to work with people who actually get the web and do interesting things on it.

A good client will see the value of quality content, appreciate good design and understand how they work together.

4. How Do You Find or Identify Them?

Most of my work is for digital use. So I regularly attend networking events where web designers, web developers, digital creatives and other like-minded people hang out.

And when I get an enquiry, I consider several things before deciding whether we’re right for each other. For example:

• What’s their budget? Is there room for negotiation or changing the scope?
• Do they have a clear brief? Do we share the same understanding of what’s required?
• Does the client understand their own obligations? Are they co-operative? Will I get the information I need to complete the work?

5. What’s the Worst Marketing Mistake You Ever Made?

Being slow to respond to new leads and being far too preoccupied with existing clients. This can be a habit that’s hard to break. But one you definitely should. Because you never know where that enquiry might lead.

And another thing.

For my first website, I just used a run-of-the-mill WordPress theme. It neither stood out nor represented what I could achieve for my clients.

Then recently I invested the time and money in a professionally designed custom website. This said so much more about me and the audience I was targeting.

My only regret is that I hadn’t done it sooner.

6. What’s Your Top Marketing Tip for Freelance Copywriters?

Do something.

It’s hard knowing where to start. But don’t waste time agonising on what to do first.

Whether it’s setting up a website, starting a blog or taking to Twitter at least make a start. This’ll help you to develop a network of contacts and build up your own digital footprint.

And don’t do the hard sell.

Be helpful. Be useful. Then prospects remember you for positive reasons if ever they need a copywriter.

Have Your Say

How do you market your own copywriting services? Do you have any marketing tips of your own? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

In our next post: We reveal the magnetic copywriting technique top bloggers use to keep readers glued to their posts.

About the Author

Kevin Carlton is an IT copywriter and blogger based in Staffordshire in the UK. He is owner of freelance copywriting service Write Online, which helps technology companies get the most out of their online presence.

You can follow him on X or connect with him on LinkedIn.