In this article, I’m going to show you 4 great ways to find freelance copywriter jobs as well as 4 freelance websites you should definitely avoid!
The 4 Freelance Websites to Avoid
- oDesk.com
- Elance.com
- Freelance.net
- Fiverr.com
You should avoid all 4 sites, as well as other international freelance sites, if you’re a copywriter wanting to earn good money from your copywriting skills. If you apply for jobs posted by employers in those sites, you will find yourself competing with other freelancers from developing countries who are willing to do the same work you do for $2-$5 an hour.
4 Ways to Find Freelance Copywriter Jobs
- Post Free Ads on Craigslist.com and Gumtree.com.au
Though these are also international websites, they allow you to post your ad only in your local city (e.g. www.sydney.craiglist.com.au). Gumtree.com.au is much like Craigslist in a way that you can choose to post an ad that only business owners in your local area can see and respond to.
Another great way to find freelance copywriter jobs is through Facebook. There are two strategies you can use; one is to post a status update on your own Facebook wall. Something that says “Need a copywriter? Hi, I’m a freelance copywriter and I’m availabile this month to work with one more client. If you’re interested, send me a private message and we’ll talk.”
One of your friends might be interested or may refer you on to someone who is. It provides a great networking effect, and I’ve done this before and found it very effective in finding freelance copywriter jobs.
- Meet local small business owners.
Something as simple as getting a cup of coffee in your local coffee shop or dropping off your dry cleaning, chatting with the owner, and casually mentioning your copywriting services can result in a potential lead. You don’t have to sound salesy – just mention that you’re a copywriter in the area while you make friendly conversation.
- Respond to local or national newspaper ads.
Many businesses still run ads in newspapers, and as newspaper advertising is quite expensive, they are going to want a return. This opens an opportunity for you. A good strategy would be to look for large ads in a local or national paper that you could potentially improve. Wait a couple of days after that issue of the newspaper was released, call the contact information, and ask to speak to the person responsible for the ad. Often, you will get the business owner on the phone, and when you do, say something like …
“Hi, I noticed your ad in Wednesday’s newspaper, and I just want to know if you’re the person who wrote that ad.”
Most likely, they’ll say yes. Then you’ll say …
“I’m a freelance copywriter in your area and I’ve identified a few things about your ad that could definitely be improved.”
But before you mention some of your ideas, ask the owner first about what kind of response they’ve had from that advertisement. If the owner tells you that they did not receive the kind of response they expected, you can then say that you’re available and that you have a few more ideas to share on how you can improve their advertising. If the owner is open to free ideas, you’ll definitely want to impress the owner with your knowledge (e.g. how to write headlines that grab the attention of readers). You can suggest rewriting the ad or offer to write their next promotion for them.
I’ve used this same strategy to pick up 3 freelance copywriter jobs in a single afternoon, and found that it’s a great way of networking and putting yourself out there as it’s easy and low-risk.
