We’d all love to have the rock star clients, right?The ones that look great on your client list because everyone knows their names.
The ones you try to slide into conversations with other copywriters and prospects whenever possible, the way I did for a year after I worked on a project with Dan Kennedy.
The ones that spend a lot of money on copywriters, like a big financial company I worked for once. (They still spend lots of money on copywriters, just not on me. I didn’t beat the control.)
There are lots of ways to make money in this business, and today I’m just going to talk about two: the Rock Star Way and the Boring Way.
The Rock Star way is kind of fun while you’re in it. I’ve written controls that had a short run of two or three printings, along with numerous online campaigns.
Inevitably, someone comes along and writes something better. Then you’re done, and looking for the next gig.
The Boring Way?
Find one client who needs a service month after month. Be easy to work with. Over-deliver. Get a testimonial.
Then find another similar client who’s not a direct competitor of theirs and do the same thing.
Over time, secure 5-10 of these type of clients, and you’ll be making a comfortable living.
So what are these services?
It could be writing a monthly newsletter, crafting regular email marketing messages, acting as their social media manager, or many other seemingly mundane things.
I’ll give you one example. I’ve written monthly newsletters for a number of clients in different industries.
I wrote one for a little over four years straight, and I wrote another one for eight years in a row.
I can tell you this. They’re not rock star clients. Most people have never heard of them. The money isn’t great, but it’s good, about $110 an hour or so for my time.
But here’s the thing. It’s steady income. If you do a good job, clients like these don’t shop around for other copywriters, so it can be long-term if you want it to be. The writing is fairly easy, and it’s fun.
If I wasn’t involved in running the Premier community at Cafe Writer, doing business coaching, and hosting live events, I would do a lot more of this.
Once you get the system operating on all cylinders, it’s not too hard to make $40-50,000 a year working about 10 hours a week.
The best part about that? It frees you up to…
Work on Your Business, Not Someone Else’s
If you’re already a rock star copywriter, stick with it. If you want to be a rock star copywriter and go through million-dollar training for million-dollar clients, go for it. The living is good.
Or are you ready for a different approach?
Try the Boring Way.
Stay under the radar. Make some good money, and then start using your writing skills to build your own business.
If you want more details, consider joining our Premier Community when we open our doors again soon. (We’re closed now, and open at the beginning of each new season – spring, summer, fall, and winter.)
We don’t show you how to become a better copywriter. We show you how to build a business. Your own business, not someone else’s.
We show you what’s working in the trenches now, not what worked five or ten years ago when the marketplace and landscape were a whole different ball game.
And we focus on helping you get better at making connections, having great conversations, and developing long-term relationships.
That’s what it’s all about.
It’s not flashy, sexy, or hip.
It’s kind of boring, actually. But hey, money is money, right?
