How To Get More Clients: The 4 Most Effective Ways to Get High-Paying Copywriting Clients

by John McIntyre

If you want to know how to get more clients and make more money, this page is for you.

One uphill battle that many copywriters seem to always face is the struggle to get new clients. And not just any clients, but high-paying ones.

Well, fear no more.

In this post, you’ll discover how to get more clients. It’s time to remove the “no clients” hurdle from your copywriting career once and for all.

By following these four simple strategies, you will not only have clients coming to you, but you may have to actually turn some away because you just don’t have the time. (This is when you KNOW it’s time to raise your prices!)

Also, everything I recommend here is what I actually do. No theory. No fluff. Just real world tactics based on lots of trial and error.

So, let’s get started and let the healing begin.

#1. Attend PAID Conferences

These are literally the holy grail of high-paying copywriting clients.

Why paid-only you might be asking?

Because conferences that don’t cost anything tend to attract those not looking to spend. They’re there to find someone to pay them instead…

So don’t waste your time. (I’ve already done that for you.)

Even if the meetup or conference is only $10, that alone will weed out a lot of the low-hanging client fruit and allow you to meet the kinds of clients you’re really seeking.

As a general rule, if it’s free, it’s not worth your time.

When it comes to choosing a conference to attend, the exact nature of the conference doesn’t matter too much. Anything business or marketing-related usually works.

Here’s a rundown of how I like to tackle paid conferences with the goal of snaring top-paying clients. Once I get to the conference, here’s what I do:

Dress sharp – Yes, this means a suit. Ties are optional but I usually lean toward yes.

Why dress sharp? Because it creates the exact kind of first impression you want: that you’re a professional to be taken seriously. (I’ve also found it allows you to charge more as well.)

Studies show that people tend to keep the impression they form within the first 2 seconds of meeting you. So never waste a first impression.

Find the most relevant talks or meetups – By relevant I mean those with the highest probability of having well-paying clients to meet.

Most of these talks will have a Q&A session at the end, and this is where you’re going to strike.

Come up with one relevant question to ask – During the talk, you’re only goal is to come up with one (or two) relevant questions to ask the speaker during Q&A.

Ask the speaker your question publicly – When Q&A time rolls around, you’ll raise your hand and someone will bring you a microphone…

Congratulations, YOU now have the floor, and an opportunity to introduce yourself to everyone in the room under the guise of an intelligent question for the speaker.

Here’s what I’ll say:

“Hi (Speaker’s First Name), my name is Ryan Brown and I’m an email marketer who specializes in eCommerce sales, I just wanted to know what you think about X… ?

And remember to speak very slowly and clearly.

You’ve now just “introduced yourself” to EVERY potential copywriting client in the room!

Guess what happens afterward…

You’ll start getting approached by audience members.

Sometimes A LOT of audience members, one after another.

(There must be some unspoken rule that a large percentage of conference attendees always need a good copywriter… I don’t know.)

I’ve literally NEVER not landed a high-paying client from doing this.

And after you do a good job for them, they’re always happy to recommend you to their high-paying friends…

While walking around and meeting people individually can certainly yield results, why make it harder on yourself?

It’s much easier to flip the script and have those same people approaching you instead!

#2. Reach Out to (Local) Digital Marketing Agencies

Digital marketing agencies are always looking for good copywriters.

And if given the choice, many will tend to give locals a chance if they show some initiative.

I’ve gotten copywriting work from several digital marketing agencies simply by reaching out to the owner (or one of their executives) and introducing myself. Phone calls and personal emails through LinkedIn both work well for this.

Often what happens is they’ll ask for some samples of your work and what you charge. If you don’t have much (or any) work to show initially, offer to do something for free to establish a working relationship.

This immediately shows real initiative and gives the impression that you really want to do good work for them.

I’ve literally never had ANYONE turn down a free work sample as a bridge to future paying gigs.

While you may not make a killing doing this initially, by submitting great work in a timely manner, you are often quickly able to raise your prices as well as have a consistent stream of new work coming your way.

#3. Join BNI or Another Networking Group in Your Area

One of the biggest obstacles to copywriters getting new clients is that they tend to be somewhat introverted.

I certainly am.

Unfortunately, if you want to get high-paying clients and establish relationships, you’re going to have to close the laptop and leave the house…

You can only do so much online. Eventually you’re going to have to leave cyberspace and enter “meat space” if you want to land larger and higher-paying jobs.

Shaking hands and introducing yourself ALWAYS trumps writing emails when it comes to getting new clients.

And one of the best ways to make this transition as easy as possible is to join a local business networking group. BNI is a great choice and there is almost always one nearby no matter where you live.

I’ve been a regular at several groups (in numerous cities) and they never cease to deliver. Everyone there is looking to meet potential business contacts.

And most, for some wonderful reason, always need a good copywriter…

BNI, for example, meets every week and offers numerous opportunities to meet business owners and establish connections.

Membership fees are ALWAYS worth the cost and are usually recouped by the first paying client you meet at the events.

These groups often become the gift that keeps on giving!

#4. Write Guest Posts on Popular Copywriting/Marketing Blogs

When it comes to getting more clients purely online, this is the best tactic by far.

It has a lot of the same benefits of attending a paid conference:

  • It brings the audience TO YOU
  • It allows you to deliver value to others through an established and popular platform
  • It establishes instant credibility and trust

Most of the initial hurdles of getting new copywriting clients online are instantly removed using this tactic.

Just make sure that the blogs you choose to contribute to (such as The McMethod) already have established credibility and enough readers to make it worth your effort.

By providing valuable content to readers and including a link back to your own website, all copywriting roads will lead to you!

Summary

Gaining new copywriting clients requires both online and offline efforts.

Each of the above strategies will work well on its own, but combining them is where you’ll start to see real progress. It can actually be a little unsettling at first when you go from no attention to A LOT of it…

But believe me, it’s the kind of problem you’ll be glad to have.

You now know how to get more clients with these easy tricks. It’s time to enjoy all the high-paying clients you can handle as a result!


This is a guest post by Ryan Brown. If you’re looking for a killer email marketing campaign that will dramatically boost your sales, contact Ryan for a free 30-minute consultation.

Leave a Comment