Are you a wannabe, newbie, or established freelance copywriter? No matter which, here are seven tools of the trade every freelance copywriter can use.
They'll not only enhance the quality of your copywriting, but also your professionalism.
I know, because I've used them to promote my freelance copywriting business for more than 20 years.
A Branded Domain Name for Email Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc-sure they're free, but they do nothing to set you apart from the mushrooming legions of freelance copywriters.
Worse, they do nothing to support your brand.
(Yes, you're a brand, and you need to start thinking of yourself that way.
) For less than $15, you can register a domain name.
And for about $2.
00/month, you can use it for your email address.
For the details, just search on "domain name for email.
" A Simple Website Hey, as long as you have your domain name, why not put up a website for your freelance copywriting services? Nothing fancy-just five pages: Home, Portfolio, Services, About You, and Contact.
It's cheaper than you might think.
Ask the company you registered your domain name with.
You can get 5-page website built with hosting and 1 email account for less than five bucks a month.
And since you get a free email account with it, you can quit paying for the one above.
Promotional postcard Old is now new again.
Forget email blasts; you need an opted-in list to send them.
Consider a snail-mail postcard.
Hardly anyone uses postcards anymore, so yours will stand out.
You can print 100 4-color, promotional postcards for around twelve dollars.
Just search on "postcards" and take your pick of vendors.
Make the card clever and show off your creative talents.
If they like your postcard, they'll like you.
Mind Mapping Software (Free) You can get this for free.
Just search on "mind map" (gee, what a surprise).
This simple-to-use tool can help you organize and focus your thinking.
It's especially handy for brainstorming, outlining, and developing creative concepts.
Online Reference Sources (Free) It's easier to break the rules of grammar and punctuation when you know what they are.
So add a new folder to your browser's bookmark bar and name it "Reference.
" Then add links for a free online dictionary (I recommend Wordnit), thesaurus, quotations, conversions, and a style guide or two (try the University of South Carolina's and the Economist's).
Keep adding sites.
Boilerplate (Free) As a freelance copywriter, never be at a loss for words, especially when you're writing a proposal for new business.
Consider this exercise part of your personal brand development.
Write a paragraph (or two) that describes your freelance copywriting services in a way that separates you from the pack.
Use this description on your website, your blog, on proposals, verbally in an elevator or an airplane, and anywhere an "about me" statement is needed.
It doesn't have to be dry.
In fact, it shouldn't be.
Tagline (Free) Along with your boilerplate paragraph, a tagline goes a long way in differentiating you from other freelance copywriters.
It is the punctuation mark for your personal brand.
Your goal is to create one that gives the reader a sense of who you are as a writer and reflects your identity as expressed in your boilerplate paragraph.
It should be short, clever and engaging.
An example, albeit an overused one, is "My Copy Sells.
" Three word taglines are also effective, like "Quick.
Smart.
Creative.
" These are just feeble examples.
You can do much better.
They'll not only enhance the quality of your copywriting, but also your professionalism.
I know, because I've used them to promote my freelance copywriting business for more than 20 years.
A Branded Domain Name for Email Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc-sure they're free, but they do nothing to set you apart from the mushrooming legions of freelance copywriters.
Worse, they do nothing to support your brand.
(Yes, you're a brand, and you need to start thinking of yourself that way.
) For less than $15, you can register a domain name.
And for about $2.
00/month, you can use it for your email address.
For the details, just search on "domain name for email.
" A Simple Website Hey, as long as you have your domain name, why not put up a website for your freelance copywriting services? Nothing fancy-just five pages: Home, Portfolio, Services, About You, and Contact.
It's cheaper than you might think.
Ask the company you registered your domain name with.
You can get 5-page website built with hosting and 1 email account for less than five bucks a month.
And since you get a free email account with it, you can quit paying for the one above.
Promotional postcard Old is now new again.
Forget email blasts; you need an opted-in list to send them.
Consider a snail-mail postcard.
Hardly anyone uses postcards anymore, so yours will stand out.
You can print 100 4-color, promotional postcards for around twelve dollars.
Just search on "postcards" and take your pick of vendors.
Make the card clever and show off your creative talents.
If they like your postcard, they'll like you.
Mind Mapping Software (Free) You can get this for free.
Just search on "mind map" (gee, what a surprise).
This simple-to-use tool can help you organize and focus your thinking.
It's especially handy for brainstorming, outlining, and developing creative concepts.
Online Reference Sources (Free) It's easier to break the rules of grammar and punctuation when you know what they are.
So add a new folder to your browser's bookmark bar and name it "Reference.
" Then add links for a free online dictionary (I recommend Wordnit), thesaurus, quotations, conversions, and a style guide or two (try the University of South Carolina's and the Economist's).
Keep adding sites.
Boilerplate (Free) As a freelance copywriter, never be at a loss for words, especially when you're writing a proposal for new business.
Consider this exercise part of your personal brand development.
Write a paragraph (or two) that describes your freelance copywriting services in a way that separates you from the pack.
Use this description on your website, your blog, on proposals, verbally in an elevator or an airplane, and anywhere an "about me" statement is needed.
It doesn't have to be dry.
In fact, it shouldn't be.
Tagline (Free) Along with your boilerplate paragraph, a tagline goes a long way in differentiating you from other freelance copywriters.
It is the punctuation mark for your personal brand.
Your goal is to create one that gives the reader a sense of who you are as a writer and reflects your identity as expressed in your boilerplate paragraph.
It should be short, clever and engaging.
An example, albeit an overused one, is "My Copy Sells.
" Three word taglines are also effective, like "Quick.
Smart.
Creative.
" These are just feeble examples.
You can do much better.
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