Direct Response Copywriter on How NOT to Find Copywriting Clients Part 7

How NOT to Find Copywriting Clients. Part 7.

A Series of Essays for Copywriters and Fellow Creative Professionals.

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NOTE: You're reading a series of essays about how to find copywriting clients ... and how NOT to find them. This series will be extremely controversial. Read the blogs and you’ll discover my experiences with finding direct response copywriting clients … what works and what’s a waste of time. The goal is to help you find “elite” level clients with deep pockets who are looking for top-quality creative talent.

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Method #7. Websites Making Big-Time Promises

What’s crowdsourcing? It’s something you might be asking.

It’s not elance, guru, and all the others of that ilk. The “pure” crowdsourcing sites send out a creative brief then ask writers to write or come up with ideas FOR FREE in the hope the people running the sites will choose the work.

You could literally work for several years and not get paid.

Amazingly, several direct response copywriters – and other creatives – are more than willing to “work” this way.

The people who run the “pure” crowdsourcing sites are the lowest form of pond scum who will happily rip-off ambitious creative types. Avoid crowdsourcing at all costs – especially if you’re a serious direct response copywriter.

The top way to find clients is to create your own list of "ideal" clients then go after them. I have a hand-crafted list of 2,000 potential clients. To get access to this list, click here now.

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I'm a direct response copywriter. I write direct response copy for clients around the world. Enter your information to the right for my free series: Seven Steps to High Converting Copy. Or contact me here when you have a project you'd like to discuss. I'm also a Dan Kennedy certified copywriter for information products.

Direct Response Copywriter on How Not to Find Clients. Part 6.

How NOT to Find Clients. Part 6.

A Series of Essays for Copywriters and Fellow Creative Professionals.

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NOTE: You're reading a series of essays about how to find clients ... and how NOT to find them. This series will be extremely controversial. Read the blogs and you’ll discover my experiences with finding direct response copywriting clients … what works and what’s a waste of time. The goal is to help you find “elite” level clients with deep pockets who are looking for top-quality creative talent.

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Method #6. Websites Making Big-Time Promises

There are sites out there like Elance that match people who need copwyriting with direct response copywriters. Elance is the 900 pound gorilla in the space and I have to imagine it’s highly profitable. There are other big-time sites that essentially do the same thing.

As a result, imitators have appeared. They want you to list yourself … for a fee … with the promise that potential clients will definitely find you.

Some sites are somewhat rudimentary while others are quite technically complex … and well designed. It’s possible you might find a client or two but it’s unlikely. The reason? These sites rarely have any traffic because the site owner doesn’t want to buy traffic. Typically.

I’ve listed myself on some of these sites. I’ve even paid a fee. I hate to say it but many sites are simply trying to scam a monthly fee out of you before you realize it’s all a waste of time.

With these sites, you’re basically HOPING to find the right clients. Marketing is NOT about hoping. Marketing is about being aggressive and taking what you want.

If you're serious about becoming a serious direct response copywriter then you have to go out and find the clients you want.

To find these clients, you need a database ... and you can find it here.

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I'm a direct response copywriter. I write direct response copy for clients around the world. Enter your information to the right for my free series: Seven Steps to High Converting Copy. Or contact me here when you have a project you'd like to discuss. I'm also a Dan Kennedy certified copywriter for information products.

Direct Response Copywriter on How NOT to Find Clients. Part 5.

How NOT to Find Clients. Part 5.

A Series of Essays for Copywriters and Fellow Creative Professionals.

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NOTE: You're reading a series of essays about how to find clients ... and how NOT to find them. This series will be extremely controversial. Read the blogs and you’ll discover my experiences with finding direct response copywriting clients … what works and what’s a waste of time. The goal is to help you find “elite” level clients with deep pockets who are looking for top-quality creative talent.

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Method #5. Trolling Sites Like Warrior Forum.

To be completely frank, I don't spend too much time cruising around sites like Warrior Forum. It's a site for Internet marketers. Sometimes, when I visit these sites, I come across a direct response copywriter who is looking for a gig. Sometimes there are marketers who are looking for copywriters.

I'm sure there are people who love these sites. And some copywriters find gigs this way. But these sites are ultimately like the Wild Wild West: pretty much anything can happen plus you'll find plenty of "black hats" ... people who are not exactly playing by the rules. Yes -- there are plenty of marketers who are fine and perhaps I should spend more time trolling around. But my sense is there are plenty of clients with little or no money ... but massive reputations.

There's a better way to find clients. If you want the top clients then you have to be aggressive and go after them.

To find these clients, you need a database ... and you can find it here.

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I'm a direct response copywriter. I write direct response copy for clients around the world. Enter your information to the right for my free series: Seven Steps to High Converting Copy. Or contact me here when you have a project you'd like to discuss. I'm also a Dan Kennedy certified copywriter for information products.

Direct Response Copywriter on How NOT To Find Clients Part 4

How NOT to Find Clients. Part 4.

A Series of Essays for Copywriters and Fellow Creative Professionals.

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NOTE: You're reading a series of blogs about how to find clients ... and how NOT to find them. This series will be extremely controversial. Read the blogs and you’ll discover my experiences with finding direct response copywriting clients … what works and what’s a waste of time. The goal is to help you find “elite” level clients with deep pockets who are looking for top-quality creative talent.

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Method #4. Major Job Sites Like Monster and Career Builder.

Again, you're going to think I'm crazy. You will place your resume on these job sites ... plus some minor ones. You can get a steady stream of jobs for which you're qualified. Recruiters will also find you.

In my experience, many of the jobs listed on these sites are not the best gigs. They're "jobs" with companies who may or may not respect great copy. You might find a better-paying gig on a site like The Ladders which advertises jobs with higher salaries.

Yes -- you'll find my resume on these sites. I get a call time-to-time from a recruiter. But the recruiter is simply trying to place as many people as possible in jobs. The gig might be good. The gig might be terrible.

I tell everyone to make sure they have an up-to-date and keyword optimized resume on all the big job sites. But … again … it’s PASSIVE and you’re at the mercy of a head hunter.

You're going to have a full-time gig and perhaps you like that. Perhaps you don't. I prefer to have several different clients. If you're a younger copywriter, then the experience working for a larger group might be valuable.

However, ultimately, if you want the greatest clients then you have to GO AFTER THEM. To find these clients, you need a database ... and you can find it here.

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I'm a direct response copywriter. I write direct response copy for clients around the world. Enter your information to the right for my free series: Seven Steps to High Converting Copy. Or contact me here when you have a project you'd like to discuss. I'm also a Dan Kennedy certified copywriter for information products.

Direct Response Copywriter on How NOT to Find Clients Part 3

How NOT to Find Clients. Part 3.

A Series of Essays for Copywriters and Fellow Creative Professionals.

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NOTE: You're reading a series of blogs about how to find clients ... and how NOT to find them. This series will be extremely controversial. Read the blogs and you’ll discover my experiences with finding clients … what works and what’s a waste of time. The goal is to help you find “elite” level clients with deep pockets who are looking for top-quality creative talent.

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Method #3. Inbound Marketing … AKA Your Website

This may be confusing but hang with me for a minute.

With inbound marketing, you optimize your website for the search engines and you get leads.

This works for me and it's been my #1 source of business for the last 3-4 years. Right now, my website ranks #1 for several search engine terms like "direct response copywriter."

Trust me, I'm not complaining. Several great clients have come my way. But I also get a number of poor leads.

"Boo hoo," you say ... and with good reason. I'm sure, if you're a direct response copywriter, you'd like to have this ranking.

Here's the downside. At some stage, someone is going to take my spot and I'll be on page 2 where nobody will see me. This could happen tomorrow due to some Google algorithm change. Or it could happen in a few days or weeks.

I can't rely on this #1 ranking forever. I'm not in charge of this situation. And I fully admit I know little or next to nothing about SEO.

So I need to gain complete control of my marketing. That's why I created a database of 2,000 potential clients.

Armed with this database of direct response copywriting clients, I don't have to rely on being found. I go after the clients I want. That's what direct marketing is all about: going after the clients and customers you want.

Inbound marketing is NOT a pure form of direct response marketing.

To find the "elite" clients, you have to be more aggressive.

If you want access to my database of potential clients, click here.

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I'm a direct response copywriter. I write direct response copy for clients around the world. Enter your information to the right for my free series: Seven Steps to High Converting Copy. Or contact me here when you have a project you'd like to discuss. I'm also a Dan Kennedy certified copywriter for information products.