If you enjoy writing and have an interest in marketing, copywriting may be the career for you. In the age of AI, unique and creative content is becoming more valuable.
Whether you’ve been a copywriter for years or you’re new to the industry, here's our ultimate guide to starting your own copywriting business.
What is copywriting and what are the benefits?
Copywriting is the act of writing content for use in marketing and advertising. This can include blogs, website content and email marketing to name a few.
There are many benefits to starting your own copywriting business.
Flexibility
One of the biggest perks of having your own copywriting business is the freedom over your hours. As long as you meet the final deadline, you can choose your own working hours and where you work from.
Creativity
You may find that your current job limits your creativity and you can't do the writing you'd like to. Starting your own copywriting business allows you to offer the services you want.
Control
The best part of starting your own copywriting business is that you (and only you) are in control! This might seem scary at first but you have full control of the direction your business goes in.
Getting started
So now you know what copywriting is and the benefits to starting your own business, where do you start?
Pick a niche and set your services
The first thing you should choose is your niche and services. By choosing a niche, you can become a specialist in your industry and become the go-to place.
Once you’ve defined your niche, you can also decide on which services you’d like to offer. If you’re brand new to copywriting, you may want to start with one service and expand over time. Blogs are always a good service to start offering for beginners - we’ve all read a blog online before!
Define your strategy and goals
By setting a business goal and strategy, you have direction and focus on what you want to achieve.
For some writers, copywriting is extra income alongside another job. Decide on your own hopes and goals and write them down to remember why you started.
Start setting out processes
It’s important to start thinking about your customer’s journey before you have your first client.
Consider deciding on a rough process - this is bound to change as your business grows and adapts over time! You will find which parts of your process work well and which don’t as you grow your business.
Sort the legal side
There are a few legal things you should consider when setting up your own business. As someone who is now self-employed, it will be your responsibility to track your income and how much tax you owe. Using an invoicing system like Stripe can help you keep track of this.
If you’re based in the UK, you will also need to register with the ICO to make sure you’re covered under GDPR.
Build a portfolio
The best way to show potential clients what you’re capable of and what you can do is by creating a portfolio. A portfolio is a collection of work you’ve completed to use when cold-pitching clients.
Building a portfolio can be as simple as creating a shareable Google Drive folder with your work. Over time, you may prefer creating a website to showcase your portfolio with websites such as WordPress, Squarespace or Elementor for a more creative way to advertise your skills
Start networking and pitching
Once your portfolio is ready, you can start finding your first client. The best way to do this is through networking, social media and pitching. Make a social media page and create connections with people in your industry to start attracting clients.
Whilst your social media is growing, the best way to find new clients is through cold pitching. This can be through calls, email or social media messages. When you’re cold pitching, always make sure you include your portfolio.
Create a writer’s toolbox
If you ask copywriters which online tool they use the most, the answer will be different each time. Everyone has their own preference over which systems work the best so you may want to try a few options. Do some research online and use writing websites like The Author’s Pad to get recommendations.
When it comes to creating content, the first step in a new project will be research. Keyword search tools such as Google Ads or SEMrush can help you research and compare different keywords. Sites like Answer the Public or Also Asked are also great tools to find alternative searches people may have been making.
Once you’ve done your research and you’re beginning to write, producing accurate content is key. Editing tools like Grammarly, Hemingway Editor and Yoast can help keep your content error-free.
Get organised
One of the most challenging parts of running your own business is staying organised and on top of things. Decide on what sort of organisation system works best for you and start keeping track of your work.
For client management apps, sites like Notion, Monday.com and Trello can help keep you organised.
Get started
Once you’ve defined your services, built a portfolio and found your first client, it’s time to get started! Make use of the processes you’ve defined and use your toolbox to start your copywriting career.
