How My Network Helped Me Land My First Copywriting Client Without My Even Asking
By Alan Ramsey

When I decided to leave my job and move into the world of copywriting, it was one of the most exciting steps I had ever taken. Thanks to all the training from AWAI, I knew I had the skills I was going to need to succeed. I was pumped and ready to hit the ground running … All I needed now were clients.

Obviously, I knew building up a client base from zero was not a thing that would happen overnight. I knew I was going to have to work at it. Like so many before me, though, I initially was stymied by where to start. There were so many options, like LinkedIn, the local Chamber of Commerce, cold emailing … trying to decide where to begin was giving me a serious case of analysis paralysis.

One bit of advice that really appealed to me was to reach out to my personal network and let them know about my new profession. Talking to people I already knew sounded much less intimidating to start than reaching out to people I had never met. I set about making a list of people I knew who I could talk to.

The Power of Shared Experience

Before becoming a copywriter, I had two major careers. First, I worked as a railroad engineer — yes, I got to blow the horn, and no, I did not yell, “All aboard!” And then I worked at the largest living history museum in North America, where I supervised the interpretive staff who led school and group tours. Both of these jobs were very rewarding, and in both cases I worked with extremely talented people.

Most of the people I knew were people I had met during my time on the railroad and at the museum, and many still worked in those two jobs. This turned out to be a bit of a sticky wicket. As I knew from my own experience working as one of them, railroaders and museum interpreters are not the sort of people who generally find themselves needing the services of a professional copywriter. I’d certainly never needed one.

I had just about put aside the idea of reaching out to my network, when someone from my network reached out to me. She was a former employee of mine who had left the museum shortly before I did, heard I had left, and wanted to catch up.

As we talked, I told her I had recently started a copywriting business. Once I finished explaining that I didn’t work for the copyright office and that I, instead, was a writer writing persuasive copy, she brightened right up.

“Let me tell you what I’m up to,” she said. As it turned out, she’d taken a job with a new startup touring company, based on Virginia’s Historic Triangle — the same area as the museum we’d worked for. The company was offering bus tours that give folks an overview of the history of the entire area, not just of the one museum, and information about all the Historic Triangle had to offer. It was a great fit for her, because the skills and knowledge she’d used when we’d worked together were setting her up for success right out of the gate.

Although she didn’t personally need a copywriter, she knew her boss, who had started the company, had mentioned to her how much trouble he was having setting up the website, figuring out what to write, and trying to optimize the pages for SEO. To her, it sounded like I was exactly the kind of person he needed to help him, and she offered to put us in touch, which I gleefully accepted.

A Connection Is an Opportunity

The introduction she provided led me to an in-person meeting with the owner of the company. We hit it off immediately … I appreciated his position as someone starting a business, because I was just starting one of my own. He liked that I had experience with tours, familiarity with the area, and knowledge of the history he was trying to tell his clients about. It turned out he wasn’t just offering history tours, either. The Historic Triangle has a thriving craft beer scene, and he was offering bus tours between breweries, as well. To me, beer and history were a fantastic combination.

That meeting led to a second conversation, and from there he became my first client. He told me he felt my background would give me the ability to write compelling copy that would reach his target audience. I was hired to audit and rewrite all of the copy on the company’s website, helping him communicate his vision to his potential customers in a language they would understand, helping him connect with them.

I feel it was a great first project. Not only because it gave me a chance to use my past experience in my new career, but also because I found it through one of the friends in my network — a network I had almost given up on as a lost cause.

Advice for Aspiring Copywriters

The big takeaway from my experience is simple. When you’re looking for that first client, it’s always worth it to reach out to your personal contacts, even if you’re sure no one in your circle needs the services of a copywriter. As you can see, although my friend had no direct need for my services, she totally knew someone who did, and that connection is what allowed me to land that first paycheck.

So, don’t hesitate to reach out to everyone you know. Tell them what you’re up to, even if it’s just a quick note. The simplest conversation could lead to an unexpected introduction and, ideally, to your first client.

DISCLAIMER: Alan’s experience does not claim to represent typical results. Any writer’s success depends on many variables that are unique to each individual, including commitment and effort. His story and results are meant to demonstrate what the most dedicated students are doing and should not be considered average. AWAI.com makes no guarantee of any financial gain from the use of its products.