How LinkedIn Got Me Where I Wanted to Go as a Writer
By Lisa Bjornstad

For a long time, I had dreamed of being a copywriter.

Living the writer’s life, being my own boss … Setting my own hours, working when — or even if — I wanted from wherever I wanted.

I’d taken all the necessary steps to get there. I had completed several copywriting courses (thanks, AWAI!) and — if I may be so humble — received rave reviews on my Spec Assignments. I joined the Circle of Success. My mindset was primed and ready. (“I can do this! Nothing, but nothing, is going to stop me now!”)

Heck, I’d even been to Bootcamp!

There was just one thing missing: my first client.

Enter LinkedIn

Now, I’d heard about LinkedIn and what a powerful tool it can be for attracting leads. So I signed up for a free account and began to explore. I soon concluded that it was way beyond my expertise. It seemed so complicated!

I confess, I got a little depressed.

I thought about it for a few days and got further down in the dumps. My mindset was quickly deteriorating and was in drastic need of a motivation injection.

Then one day, I had a thought: “Lisa, this isn’t you! Don’t give up! You’ve conquered bigger things than this!”

My thought was right, and I vowed then and there that an online service was not going to get the better of me. I did some research, became acquainted with the ins and outs of LinkedIn, and the intimidation I once felt melted away.

Mindset restored!

Fun and Easy Steps to Success

Here’s an outline of my steps to success:

1. First, I crafted a strong LinkedIn profile, and then searched for as many connections in my field (mental health) as I could possibly find. My goal was to make 20 connections per day. For each potential connection, I wrote a short message introducing myself. As of this writing, I now have 3,300 connections. These days, I rarely go looking for connections. Rather, people routinely find me and ask me to connect with them.
2. In addition to making 3,300 connections, I did a LinkedIn search for mental health groups and joined as many appropriate ones as I could find.
3. (Caution: Super Fun Part Ahead!) Then, using Canva, I designed and posted relevant memes to my personal profile and to LinkedIn mental health groups.
4. But that’s not all. I wrote and posted articles and blogs on LinkedIn and alerted my connections to the new postings (LinkedIn has a cool way to do that). Whether an article, blog, or meme, LinkedIn proceeds to display comments people make and also indicates the number of views your post has had.
5. And, last but not least, I not only “Liked” other peoples’ posts and articles, but I commented on them using more than two sentences (this is important). The more you Like and comment, the more the LinkedIn algorithm will spread your name around and let others see your posts and comments. People quickly get to know you — who you are, what you do, and how you can help them.

It didn’t take long for folks to begin messaging me on LinkedIn, inquiring about my availability to write blogs. (Since those early days, I have done other copywriting projects in addition to blogs.) I quickly got three very lucrative clients, and I charged $100 per blog. For just one of these clients alone, I wrote 12 blogs per month on mental health topics — easy, because I wrote about what I already know.

Now I ask you, who couldn’t use an extra $1,200, just like that (snapping fingers)?

Fast-Forward to the Present Day

Nowadays, I routinely get emails from LinkedIn saying, “People are looking at your profile.” In fact, I got an email just today telling me that 50 people had found me, and it told me who they are. I can then connect with them if they are suitable. (Warning: Some people make inappropriate use of LinkedIn as a dating site. Be careful.)

LinkedIn has evolved from a formidable nemesis to my best marketing friend. It’s not an exaggeration to say that I don’t know where I’d be without it.

So dive into LinkedIn. Do it!

You just may see your business take off like a rocket (here’s a meme I designed for this article) …

For more insights into best practices for getting great clients via LinkedIn, watch this Inside AWAI webinar.

Do you have any other questions about getting started as a copywriter? Share in the comments so we can help.