Copywriting For Beginners: How To Get Started Fast (With No Experience)
https://youtu.be/OLIrJ5WUFIsBy Alex Cattoni
Show description
Make Money Writing: 6 Steps To Become A Copywriter Join The #1 Copywriting Challenge on the Internet ►► https://go.alexcattoni.com/ignite
So you want to give copywriting a try? 😏 Yeah, you do!
But before you get too ahead of yourself, there are 6 very important steps that you need to do first – before you can find any clients who will want to give you money.
I get tons and tons of emails, Facebook messages, and Instagram DMs from people saying something along the lines of “Hey! I love your videos. I’m new to copywriting. HOW DO I START?!”
While I have LOTS of videos on this topic, I totally get it…
You can get so deep down the rabbit hole of tutorials, videos, and research that you eventually start to feel like your drowning in a sea of information with no idea what steps you actually need to take FIRST.
So in this week’s video, I’m telling you the exact 6 steps that you need to take FIRST.
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So you've watched a
couple of YouTube videos
and decided that you want to give
this whole copywriting thing a try.
Yeah you do.
Well, let me tell you, you
are in the right place.
In this video, I'm sharing the
first six steps you must take
to start a freelance copywriting business,
and make money doing what you love ASAP.
(upbeat music)
Welcome to the raddest, baddest crew
of copywriters on the Internet.
This is the place to be if you are looking
to turn your passion for
writing into a business.
Yes, it is possible, I promise you that.
But before you get too
gung-ho and rearing to go,
there are six very important steps
that you need to take first
before you find a client
who will want to give you their money.
Now, you might remember
that I made another video
pretty similar to this one
way back when I first
started my channel in 2019.
But as you guys know, I am all
about learning and evolving
to stay on top of the latest
trends, techniques, and tactics
that are working today.
As I like to say, I keep it
real so you can stay relevant
and this video is my
latest and greatest spin
on that 2019 classic.
Now, while all the advice in
that video still applies today,
I wanted to freshen it
up with some new tips
that I think you'll find insanely helpful,
especially step number six.
So make sure you watch to
the end for two stories
that will completely
change the way you think
about the right way to get clients.
Hey guys, it's Alex.
As always, I'm here to help you
create the life of your dreams
by building a successful
freelance copywriting business,
so if you're into that,
give me a thumbs up below
and if you're new around here, welcome.
I put out a new copywriting
and marketing tutorial
every single week, so if
you're looking to ignite
your freelance copywriting
business this year,
go ahead and hit subscribe below,
and don't forget to ring
that bell to be notified
when my next video goes live.
All right, now let's dive
right in to the six steps
to igniting your freelance
copywriting business fast.
Step number one, study.
This was number one on my first video
and it will always remain
in the number one spot,
because it is seriously that important.
You have heard me say over and over again
that learning never stops,
and yes, believe it or not,
even after doing this for 10 years,
I am still learning and
growing my copywriting
and marketing skills every single week.
You simply cannot binge on
YouTube videos for one week
and then consider yourself an expert,
it doesn't work that way.
If you really wanna be
successful in this business,
you have to commit yourself
to the continual pursuit of knowledge.
So go out there and listen to podcasts,
watch YouTube tutorials like this one,
buy books and actually
read them, attend events
and sign up for practical copywriting
programs and challenges.
And listen, I got you covered
with all of that and more,
and the first place you
need to be is right here
on my YouTube channel, so you're
already on the right track.
But if you haven't subscribed
yet, what are you waiting for?
After this video, I suggest you dive deep
into the dozens of
other videos that I have
waiting for you on my channel.
Step number two, practice.
All the knowledge in the
world won't do you any good
unless you can actually implement it.
Now I know that everyone wants to learn
what they need to know and
then go out there immediately
and find a paying client,
but I am telling you right now
that you'll definitely
wanna practice writing copy
before you go out there and
call yourself a copywriter.
First of all, you'll
be really hard pressed
to find a client if you
can't actually prove to them
that you know what you're doing,
and second of all, your first few attempts
at copywriting will be bad.
Yes, I said it.
Let's all just accept
this as fact right now,
because I don't care who you are,
when you're first learning this craft,
or any new skill for that matter,
you're not gonna be great
at first and that's okay.
The way you grow as a copywriter
is to first write bad
copy and then fix it,
and that is the Copy Posse golden rule
and the only way you'll
ever get better and better.
So write this down:
You gotta write crappy
before you write copy.
So that's exactly what you
should be doing right now.
With this video or every video and podcast
you're learning something from,
go ahead and actually put
into practice what you learn.
What matters is that you're
getting your hands dirty
because that is the only real
way you'll learn anything new.
My favorite way to practice
is to re-write headlines
that I find online.
So the next time you see an ad,
a landing page, or an email,
try to re-write it in your own words.
Or better yet, head on
over to my Instagram page
and stay tuned for my next edition
of "Can You Make This
Headline Even Hotter?"
It's a fun way to practice
and see what other copywriters are doing.
Moving on to step number
three, find a community.
I truly believe this is the
single biggest needle mover
for those looking to start
a new business in anything,
so you'll wanna do this
sooner rather than later.
Connecting with a community
of like-minded peers
will be massively beneficial to you
because I'm just gonna go
out on a limb and say it,
you probably don't know many
other copywriters, right?
So who can you really talk
to about your struggles?
Who can you ask to review
something you write
and give you honest feedback?
Who can you reach out to
for tips on landing clients,
or what to do once you
actually do land a client
and need support?
Having an online crew
that you can connect with
will make your journey that much easier,
because trust me, you are
going to have some questions
along the way and you're
gonna want support,
guidance and encouragement from people
who get where you're at.
Now you can find tons of
groups and communities online,
like on Facebook, Instagram
and other social media platforms,
my own badass Copy Posse
community included,
and if you wanna join my
premium members only community,
you can do that by joining my
write and ignite challenge.
You can find the link to that below.
But here's the real kicker, you guys,
you need to actually engage
with the people in these groups.
You know, be active and be real
and build a relationship with them,
because people will always
be more willing to reply
to your questions and
posts if you've proved
that you're an active
and value-driven member
of the community first.
All right, step number four,
write your elevator pitch.
So this tip is kind of
like three tips in one,
so make sure you pay close attention.
Once you start practicing
and building confidence
in your craft, it's time to
get clear on how you plan
to serve your future clients.
So think of your elevator pitch
as your personal sales pitch.
You need to be able to quickly
and effectively communicate
what you offer, who you
serve and how you do it,
and you should be able
to communicate that all
in 10 seconds or less,
or the amount of time
it takes an elevator to move a floor,
which means that your
pitch needs to be quick
but it also needs to
position you as the person
who can help your clients
achieve their goals.
So let's break this down a little bit.
What do you offer?
Will you offer copy or content or both?
And go a step further to nail down
exactly what your ideal
niche is, or in other words,
what would you like to be
your area of expertise?
It could be personal
development, online education,
beauty, health and fitness,
the list goes on and on.
So ask yourself, what do
you truly enjoy researching,
learning about and writing about,
and that's what you should
pick as your starter niche,
because remember, you're
gonna have to write
about this topic every day
for the foreseeable future.
But don't worry, picking
your niche right now
isn't a lifelong commitment.
You can pivot at any time.
Next up, ask who do you serve?
Do you want to help coaches,
entrepreneurs or authors?
Female-led brands, local businesses,
natural and sustainable products?
SaaS sites, eCommerce companies?
You should narrow down and get specific
on who your ideal client would be.
And finally, how do you do it?
What services will you offer?
Do you do blog posts, sales
copy, video scripts, emails,
social media, home pages, websites, ads?
There are so many
different types and mediums
of copywriting out there.
Now I know what you're thinking.
You're thinking, "Wait, I
can't narrow it down that much.
"Won't it be super hard to
find clients or get work
"if I am that specific?"
Listen, I know it's scary
and it can feel like
you're cutting yourself off
from tons of opportunities, but trust me,
when you get specific,
it actually helps you
find and land clients.
Let me prove it to you.
Which one of these elevator
pitches do you think
is most likely to land a client?
"I help coaches craft website
copy that is clear, effective
"and personal to help them
attract more leads and sales."
Or, "I'm a copywriter and
I can write copy for you."
Yeah.
It's pretty obvious that
the first one stands out.
It's short, clear and concise.
Now it doesn't mean you
have to turn away work
that falls outside of
this, it just means you now
have a laser focused
approach for finding clients
that you're actually super
excited to work with.
All right, step number five,
start building your portfolio and profile.
So you know all that
practice you've been doing?
Yeah, now it's time to organize it all
into one neat and tidy place,
so that when you have a client
that's interested in
possibly working with you,
you can showcase your skills
in a way that's professional.
The key here is that if you
haven't actually been contracted
to write any of that work yet,
make sure you are very clear
that what you're showing
are just samples, and then
of course you can add in
any other relevant
writing samples you have
that showcase your skills and abilities.
Now I have a video on how
to build your portfolio
with zero experience,
and I'll link to that
at the end of this video
for you to watch next.
But a question that I get
literally all the time is this,
"Alex, which software should
I use to build my portfolio?"
And you guys seriously do
not have to overthink this.
I have every single one of my students
create their portfolios in Google Drive.
It's free, it's easy and
everyone knows how to use it.
It's great because you can add
as many documents as you want,
add folders organized by niche and brand
to make it really easy to navigate,
and it's super simple to share your work.
Remember, all you have to
do is prove to your clients
that you know what you're doing.
Copywriters aren't designers,
so I promise you that your
clients aren't expecting
your portfolio to be pretty.
Well organized and structured, yes,
but fancy shmancy, no.
All right, now last on the
list is step number six,
get visible.
Now this is when you
put yourself out there
and start looking for clients.
There are many different
methods for finding
and creating clients, but
something that I think
is even more effective than
sending cold outreach emails
to 5000 people is networking.
So my advice is get out there
on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook,
attend live and local events,
and start having
value-driven conversations.
Make it super clear who
you are and what you do,
enter your elevator pitch
from step number four.
The key here is to make
yourself as visible as possible,
because sure, you can spend
hours actively looking
for clients, but you could
easily attract clients to you
by showing up and connecting
with the right people.
I am a big big big believer in something
my friend and freelancing
expert Jay Close says,
and that is to ask your
network to advocate for you.
So yes, that means letting
your friends and family
and former classmates,
coaches, bosses, and colleagues
know what you're doing now
and how you can help people.
Now I know a lot of people
shy away from doing this
because it's a public declaration
of you trying something
new and what if you fail?
I get it.
Or worse, what if everyone feels the need
to share their opinions
and unsolicited advice?
Yes, I have been there too.
Now I know it might feel scary
debuting your new copywriting
skills to the world,
but think of it this way,
who is more likely to advocate for you
and send possible clients your way?
Is it people who know, like and trust you,
or people you've never even met?
If you're not letting your network know
about what you're doing,
you are missing out
on a ton of potential
connections and opportunities.
In fact, one of my Copy Posse
launch pad coaching students
shared this powerful story with our class
and I wanna take a minute
to share it with you.
She said, "I have specifically
not told anyone at work
that I'm doing this course
because I'm afraid of retributions.
I'm afraid that they could
say I'm not giving 100%
because my attention is
divided between my job
and copywriting, and I've imagined
100 different conversations
with my superiors
that all end badly."
"Well, tonight my boss
invited me over for dinner.
When we were sitting around the kitchen,
we started talking about
finances and the future,
and after thinking about it for a second,
I decided to tell her."
"I told her I'm in a
copywriting program right now
and looking to get some
freelancing jobs in the future.
She asked a few questions
about copywriting
and I explained a little
bit about what I'm learning.
She was really excited
and said how happy she was
that I was investing
in something like that.
"Then she said, 'Actually,
we could really use some help
with that kind of stuff at work.
I've been writing all of our content
and trying to keep our site updated,
but I really don't have
time for any of that.
Let me know whenever you're ready
and I'd love to give you some projects.'"
Um, what?
Yeah.
How amazing is that?
Now here is another story that
one of my students shared.
"Holy cow, you guys!
I went public on my private
Instagram page last night
and shared a post about my
new copywriting business.
Less than 24 hours later, I
have a client meeting booked."
Yeah!
So now it's your turn.
Get visible, be active,
and put yourself out there
in whatever way feels right for you.
You never know what might happen next.
All right guys, that's it for today.
Until next time, I'm Alex.
Ciao for now.
All right guys, if you enjoyed that video,
make sure to check out the
next one from me right here,
and you can click right
here to get a free gift.
Ah yes, probably the biggest
freelancing catch-22 of them all,
how do you build a portfolio
if you don't have clients,
and how do you get clients if
you don't have a portfolio?
Trust me, there is a way, five in fact,
so keep watching to learn my five tips
for building a portfolio
with zero experience.