Good things come to those who wait, right?

Let’s just go with that.

I’ve been receiving SO many sweet emails from aspiring and new copywriters who ask me to mentor them or at least give them some tips on how to get started.

I always respond back, but sometimes I’m so flattered that I hardly know what to say. I’ve been answering emails and DMs privately for months now, but I wanted to start creating more a public resource for people who want to get started with freelance copywriting.

I decided to take five questions that I’ve received from different people through private messages and make my responses public so everyone can benefit.

Joyce: How do you get past the fear of putting yourself out there as a new freelance copywriter?

Before I began working as a copywriter, I published weekly blog posts for three years. Before that, I was sharing my (sometimes angsty) poetry online for hundreds of thousands of readers on a Tumblr blog. (If you look hard enough, you’ll probably find it… happy hunting!)

I mention this because it would be easy to say, “Well, I’ve always been good at sharing my work”, but it wouldn’t entirely be true. I had years of practice writing for myself before I ever thought about writing in someone else’s voice. This kind of practice is invaluable for writers.

That’s why I always recommend new copywriters spend time building and writing for their own personal brand before they start writing for others. This is how you’ll discover your style, build your expertise, cultivate a community, and start laying the groundwork for a successful business.

The more you understand the nuances of your own voice, the more skills you’ll have developed for writing in someone else’s voice. Your ideal clients will be the people who already resonate with the style of your voice, but they will bring a different tone, story, and mission that is unique to them.

To get past the fear of putting yourself out there, start cultivating your talent behind-the-scenes and share your work publicly. Just get started where you are and with what you have!

Faith: What is something you wish copywriters knew before becoming copywriters?

I would shout this from the rooftops if I could. Start detaching your value and worth from your work as quickly as possible. Seriously.

This piece of advice may seem odd, but when you work as a copywriter, clients will constantly be critiquing your work. Even the most talented copywriters receive edits from clients. It’s a part of the job, but it can be hard for some of us who are sensitive to criticism (like me!).

My friends and family know me as a highly sensitive creative who reportedly came out of the womb seeking approval. Maybe you can relate to feeling hyper-sensitive to the thoughts, emotions, and comments of those around you. But it doesn’t have to keep you from building a profitable, sustainable copywriting or freelance writing business.

The reason I recommend taking your value and worth out of your work is that you can’t go into a client project expecting perfection. This self-inflicted pressure is usually why most new copywriters either quit or never get started.

Be proud of the work you are producing, but don’t put your whole identity into it. Take it from someone who did and went through the roller coaster of a lifetime. I want to save you from that wild ride!

Helena: Where have you found most of your clients (outside of referrals)?

This is one of the most common questions I receive in my Instagram DMs! Here are some of the places I’ve been able to find clients. Some of them may surprise you!

• Good ol’ Google: Most of my client leads now come from Google, which is wonderful because that means my site is #winning at SEO. It’s also been a great selling point for my copywriting services because clients can see I know a thing or two about using keywords. *wink*
• Instagram Stories: Yes, that’s right. I’ve met some of my favorite clients not from my Instagram feed but instead from my (sometimes goofy) Instagram Stories. I share videos that show who I am, what I’m working on, how I’m building my business, and what a day-in-the-life looks like (even though it’s not glamorous at all). I’ve had a few clients say that my Instagram Stories sealed the deal when they were looking to work with a copywriter.
• Local groups and masterminds: When I had a consulting business, 95% of my work came from online relationships. Now it’s a little more 50/50 or 75/25, depending on the month. This is also great practice as you start to tailor your elevator pitch. The more you know how to sell what you do (in a non-icky way, of course), the better!
• And yeah, the rest are referrals!

Kelly: What are your best practices for choosing ideal clients?

Most people recommend niching down to a specific industry, which is a great move for copywriters who want to stay really specialized. It’s not good to be a generalist, but I’ve learned it’s okay to work with people in different industries, too.

Take me, for example. My most ideal clients are usually people who are visual creatives (like photographers, designers, artists, etc.), but I happily work in other industries too. I have a background in working with tech and SaaS companies, which I absolutely love throwing into the mix.

I’ve also found that working style and communication has a LOT more to do with how “ideal” a client lead really is. Too many of us focus on niching down in an industry rather than niching down audience characteristics. Both are important, but there’s always some wiggle room.

I learned quickly that I like working with people who are hands-on in the vision and voice development process, but who can also be hands-off when it comes to the actual writing process. I like to collaborate on items upfront, and then I like to be left alone to do my thing. It’s not a style for everyone, but that’s the point. It works really well for the right people, and that’s how I find the right clients.

I’ve had clients that say my month-long website copywriting process isn’t long enough since they are used to working with agencies that have a three month turnaround time. That’s fine! They just aren’t my ideal clients. The same goes for client leads who say my process feels too simple. It’s been streamlined for a reason!

Listen to what your client leads are asking for and see if it aligns with how you work. What you write is important, but I’ve found that the relationships and communication behind the writing can matter even more when you’re in the copywriting business.

It’s about the tangible product and the overall experience, so keep tweaking it until you find people who fit whatever your best work environment looks like. It takes some practice, but you’ll get there.

Read More: Digging Deeper Into Your Ideal Client Profile 

Obi: How did you determine what your copywriting style is?

I love this question! I often tell this story to new copywriters I mentor. When I was transitioning my consulting business into a copywriting business, I wondered if anyone would resonate with my style of writing.

Everyone around me seemed to fall into two categories of copywriting: (1) feminine, romantic, poetic, Mary Oliver-type copy or (2) sassy, explicit, in-your-face, no-BS copy. There didn’t seem to be an in-between at the time, so I definitely was an outlier.

I wasn’t overly witty or charming. I didn’t cuss, but I wasn’t necessarily super buttoned up and professional either. Instead of feeling like there wasn’t a market for my style of writing, I looked at the success of my blog as an indicator that other people loved what I was creating (which is another reason to write for your own brand first!).

To determine your copywriting style, you first have to accept that it won’t (and shouldn’t) look like anyone else’s style. If you try to emulate the way someone else writes, you’ll start to cultivate a style that doesn’t even feel like you. And who wants that?!

You will probably find that your style has aspects of different styles. For instance, my tone is very warm and welcoming (which I consider to be my “Minnesota Nice” charm rubbing off) but it’s also concise, purposeful, and story-driven. Oh, and I throw in a few goofy side notes to add some personality to otherwise educational, helpful content.

It’s a style that works for me, and I’ve been able to find 40+ clients (and counting) that it works for too. You’ll also be able to find a market for your style. Just keep cultivating your voice!

Record yourself speaking, ask your friends and family to look over your copy to see if it sounds like you, create your own writing project, find accountability partners as you begin to write, take yourself through your own brand voice development process… the possibilities are endless!

The post Ask a Copywriter: Freelance Copywriting Q+A with Minneapolis Copywriter Sindie appeared first on Sindie.

As a sequel to my blog post last week on how to rock your rebrand, I decided to ask some of my awesome followers on Twitter what they wish they knew about the rebranding process. Totally honest questions with totally honest answers. Let’s start.

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@kayla_hollatz How can a blogger strategically re-brand and not lose initial audience?

— Briea Curington (@BriCurington) July 9, 2014

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This was something I was initially nervous about. Okay, let’s be honest, really nervous about. No blogger or business owner wants to think about losing the audience they’ve worked so hard to build. Although this was naturally a worry of mine, it shouldn’t have been as big of one.

What helped me was that prior to my rebrand, I focused on making authentic connections with my readers through social media channels. My readers stayed with me not necessarily because of my content, but because they felt connected to me. I took the time to build a community that supported me, regardless of the direction I was headed in. This made it a lot easier for me to rebrand because I knew my readers just wanted to see me passionate about what I was writing about, and now I am again.

Here are a few things you can do during your rebrand that can help you not only keep your initial audience, but help you grow your readership further.

• Keep your readers in the loop about your brand. Post important updates on your social media channels. It will create some healthy suspense and get your audience really excited about what’s to come.
• Let your readers feel like they are a part of the process. I’m a huge believer in this. Wondering about what categories your readers want to read blog posts about or what services they would be interested in? Who better to ask than your readers? Reach out to those you admire through social media, email, any way that works best for you.
• Offer incentives for readers who stick around. It’s human nature to respond to incentives. Offer a giveaway of your services or feature readers in a blog post to give them exposure.

Don’t let the fear of losing your initial audience keep you from rebranding. When you share how passionate you are about your rebrand and ensure your readers how excited you are about it, they are sure to stay with you in your online journey.

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@kayla_hollatz How to keep the ‘random’ (not always consistant) followers following after a rebrand!!

— Rachel (@rgord) July 9, 2014

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This can be tricky, but there are a few hacks that might help you with these more random followers.

• If you have random followers on just one or a few of your social media channels that you don’t want to lose, be sure to let them know what your new username is. Also, you can go through your old list of followers and follow them on your new account if you wish to start over. Communication is key!
• One place where I have random followers is on Bloglovin and this is pretty common. I was originally worried about losing those followers I had under exPRessionPR because my domain name was changing, but I was able to transfer all of them over easily and quickly. You can learn more about this process here.

I would suggest you focus more on keeping the consistent followers because they keep coming back and will bring you consistent blog traffic.

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@kayla_hollatz I’m in the process of rebranding… so what I want to know is, what does it feel like to know you discovered your brand?

— emily vontom (@emilyvontom) July 10, 2014

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This is a big question. My first instinct is to say, “Whoever really knows if they’ve truly discovered their brand?” I think we are all constantly rediscovering our brands. As we grow, our brand will naturally grow as well.

I think a lot of brand discovery has to do with trial and error. What feels right? I always follow my gut and listen to what my instincts are telling me. Follow where your passions are taking you.

I think the best brands welcome evolution. Your audience will continue to look for different things from you, so growing with your audience’s needs will determine your success. Good luck with discovering your own! I think it’s a lifetime process, but at least it’s an exciting one that keeps us on our toes!

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@kayla_hollatz what inspired you to rebrand? how long was your rebranding journey?

— Lauren (@PRGirlLO) July 10, 2014

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I shared a part of my rebrand story previously, but long story short, I was feeling uninspired with exPRessionPR for two months. I kept getting ideas for blog posts, but quickly was deflated when I realized they didn’t fit my current brand at all.

Along with graduating next semester (WEE!), I’ve started to think about what life will look like when I enter post-grad life. Since I will likely try to secure a job in the PR or marketing field, to blog about it when I come home after work every day about the same subject meant one thing for me – burnout.

I fall into the life of a workaholic a bit too easily, so I knew my blog needed to change to support the work-life balance I want to create. It gives me an excuse to blog about all the creative things I’m passionate about but still keep the community of both professionals in my field and beyond. To me, it’s the best of both worlds. I’m kicking myself for not doing it sooner. It just feels like the perfect fit.

It took me two months of uncertainty to commit to rebranding. I then started the brainstorming process for about two weeks before I hired my blog designer, Mo. We spent about a month in the design making small tweaks here and there to be sure everything was right by the time we launched.

The big takeaway is that every blogger’s timeline is different. Follow what feels natural to you.

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@kayla_hollatz How do you find balance between consistency for your reader & wanting to rebrand your site?I.e. how important is consistency?

— Paige Vaughn (@PRGirlPaige) July 10, 2014

@kayla_hollatz If your content is changing would you keep a similar aesthetic? Is keeping some familiarity a good idea?

— Hannah I Lewis (@alittlevoice) July 10, 2014

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Since these two questions from Paige and Hannah above are very similar, I’m going to answer them both together. Consistency is big, but shouldn’t take over your entire process. There are certain things you can keep consistent without sacrificing your new vision for your rebrand. For me, I kept the same two fonts, my post signature created by the lovely Gera, my accent color, and a similar aesthetic. What you keep consistent is completely up to you.

One of the greatest (but more overlooked) places for consistency is showcasing what hasn’t changed – the person behind the brand, aka YOU! Use headshots your readers recognize from your previous brand. Faces are powerful branding tools. Once your readers see you’re behind the new name, they will put the pieces together.

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@kayla_hollatz For someone who gets tired of things fast, how often is too often to add subtle facelifts?

— Megan Newton (@_megannewton) July 10, 2014

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You are speaking my language. I am known for growing tired of things quickly. I think it comes with the creative territory. First, know that you are not alone.

I think it’s better to focus your energy on improving some of the smaller things. Rather than feeling bored with your website and feeling you need a new design every month, revamp other parts of your brand. Give a facelift to your email newsletter or start a new column. Add a new about page graphic and tweak your sidebar copy. The possibilities are endless.

Becoming passionate about another area of your brand will shift your focus without raising confusion. See what sticks and what doesn’t. There’s always more to optimize, so just have fun with it!

The post Q&A With Kayla | Rebranding appeared first on Sindie.