The copywriter's guide to bouncing back from a quiet spell (and building a more resilient business)
Going through a quiet spell and need more than reassurance…?
Running a business can be the most exhilarating, stressful, unpredictable journey.
This time last year (early 2022) was my quietest spell in 12 years as a freelance copywriter. I had very little work between January and June and 3 months with almost no income at all. I had no pipeline, no real leads, and although I was trying not to panic, I equally wasn’t sure how to kickstart it.
I always knew it could happen at some point. Like a lot of freelancers, I’d been incredibly lucky with a steady stream of work in my earlier years. Without much deliberate marketing and with a heavy reliance on word of mouth and referrals, copywriting projects genuinely did seem to just appear. I didn’t have a strategic pipeline as such, but was always busy.
I was conscious that couldn’t last forever though – particularly as I wasn’t actively marketing my services, or even being very specific about the projects and clients I genuinely wanted to attract.
So then it stopped. And the quiet spell came out of nowhere – in fact, I’d just finished two really exciting projects with European clients in probably my busiest ever period. Confidence was high. Feedback was great.
But the new enquiries stopped. Existing clients went quiet. And eventually, I even started questioning whether I’d need to get a ‘proper job’.
Thankfully, within 6 months (which felt like SIX YEARS), work picked up. By the time the summer holidays started in July, I was up to capacity (brilliant timing).
It’s now May ‘23 and, 12 months on, I’m almost at capacity and have a pipeline of interesting projects for the next 6 months. I’m getting great leads every week, delivering more copywriting workshops, I’ve just finished another round of my online Write With Confidence course, and I’m doing more mentoring to junior copywriters.
Work is good. Oh, and I’ve just taken 4 weeks off to have amazing holiday in Australia. (Work is good, holidays are even better.)
So what changed? How did I bring it back round? See below…
But first, what went wrong? How can you avoid this kind of quiet spell in the first place?
Instinctively, I’d say: ‘I have no idea.' Which is completely unhelpful – both for me in the future, and for you reading this in maybe a similar position.
In hindsight, having such a busy period was my downfall. My networking became less focused, LinkedIn posting was sporadic. All my energies went into surviving an onslaught of client work. My own messaging, which may have been a little shaky to begin with, became stagnant and uninspiring.
I’m making every effort not to fall in that trap again, even when client work is taking all my headspace.
Mondays are now devoted to my own business. Always. Planning, strategy, marketing, networking, messaging, content writing. Clients don’t get a look in on a Monday – I need that time to actively keep the business going in the background.
Back to the Great Slump of 2022. How did I claw myself out? Ten things made the biggest difference, and I’ve listed them below.
So if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, and you’re fed up of motivational posts on LinkedIn telling you to ‘hang in there’ but failing to provide any practical tips, this is what worked for me:
(Note, these tips might sound a bit blunt😅, but sometimes you need practical, proactive ideas to go along with all the positive thinking…)
10 practical things that can help you find copywriting clients
When clients stop calling, Stripe stops dinging, and you’re feel a bit demoralised…
Decide what you want to write and who you want to work with. Be very definite about this – I promise it will help. You’ll feel more connected to what you offer, and potential clients will feel more connected with how they will benefit. You don’t need to specialise by sector, but choosing something to focus on is really helpful for prospective clients or agencies. It might be a style of writing, or a type of client, or a type of content. Or all 3! Don’t just say ‘I’m a copywriter and can write anything you need’.
Once you have that clarity, refine your messaging (your elevator pitch or whatever you call it). And then refine it again. Get super clear on why someone should work with you (see below for what not to say). And distil that down to a sentence or two: What – who – why. Make yourself an easy referral – it should trip off the tongue both for you and everyone in your network. I used to get super frustrated that people in my networking group were referring me for terrible projects, but it was entirely my fault. I hadn’t positioned myself for the stuff I actually wanted.
Don’t say you’ll save people time. You’re worth more than that. As a copywriter, you’re offering a business an invaluable service that will attract clients, make sales and grow their business. Writing copy is a skill they don’t have – you do, and they’re paying for the fact that your skill and experience can have a tangible impact on their business.
Now review ALL your profiles – especially on LinkedIn. Is your new messaging reflected consistently? Does the same wording pop up everywhere, cementing it in the brains of anyone interested? Are you reminding people of the benefits and outcomes and results that your copy can generate? (If you’re a member of ProCopywriters, check your profile there too. I updated mine last year and within a month, I’d had 500 extra views and 3 good leads.)
Update your website. Stop nervously telling people, ‘My website actually needs updating’ – make this an absolute priority. I know it’s the worst job in the world, but it’s really important. And getting it up to date will give you a confidence boost, make it even clearer in your mind what you offer, and of course, help the right clients find you.
Look at your own marketing tactics. I spoke to a new copywriter recently who said they ‘Didn’t see the need for a website, hated social media and couldn’t stand the thought of networking'. And they couldn’t work out why they didn’t have any clients. And I GET IT! Self promotion sucks! But people need to know what you do! So choose a couple of options, and stick with them. You don’t need to be visible on every platform and in every group. But you need. To. Do. Something. Networking can be fantastic over the long term, but is not a quick fix. Social media works more quickly, but you have to put the time in. Don’t just post and run once a week, then wonder why it’s not working. Keep commenting and engaging – I find commenting works just as well as actually posting.
If you’re on LinkedIn, remember to post promotional posts too – not just the easy educational and conversational ones. People follow you or sign up to your newsletter because they’re interested in what you offer. So tell them! What do you offer, how do you work, why is the investment worth it? And don’t expect loads of engagement on these posts, people are cagey on LinkedIn and don’t like to show their hand publicly. But they’re always watching. Don’t lose heart! Some of my best clients have come from LinkedIn (as well as people who’ve joined my courses) and they’ve never once engaged with or reacted to my posts. Crazy!
Look at where good clients have come from in the past. Who’s been a good referrer? Send them a quick email, just checking in. The number of times I’ve done this and then received a response saying, ‘Great timing actually…’ Follow up with past clients too. You don’t need to pitch for more work, just ask them how their copy’s working for them. Is their messaging still relevant? That kind of thing. It’s a prompt to get you back on their radar. If you haven’t had a lot of previous clients, creative agencies are a great place to start and are often looking for copywriters. The best agencies I’ve met (and I could write a-whole-nother post about what makes a good agency) have been through networking, but you can always just get in touch with a few local ones.
Points 1-8 mostly apply if you’re not generating enough leads (or good leads). If you do have people getting in touch but they’re not taking it further, review your pitches, proposals and sales calls – are you positioning your value? Are you including proof points and outcomes? If people are saying it’s cost-related, are you transparent about what you charge before you get to the proposal stage, so they know not to come to you with a 2-figure budget? See if you can signpost them to a pricing guide before you both waste time in a discovery call. (And if you find discovery calls hard, I’ve got a script you can use for any type of client and project, and it helps you deal with all the tricky pricing questions too. I’ve linked to it on this page: https://www.realcommunication.co.uk/copy-mentoring – it’s only £29).
Set up an accountability group with people in a similar position, or similar industry. I joined up with two other creatives last year and we catch up religiously every 2 weeks. It’s been brilliant for encouraging each other, getting different insights and perspectives, throwing around ideas and getting stuff done. Twice a year we have a strategy / planning day too with a lovely lunch and cake. We’re all invested in each other’s success, and have fun at the same time.
If you’re going through one of the dips on this crazy copywriting rollercoaster ride (and I haven’t even touched on AI🤣), I’ve been there and feel for you. Try the steps above (yes, including number 5!!) and see where they can take you in the next couple of months. If there’s anything I haven’t covered or you have questions, just email me at rachel@realcommunication.co.uk and I’ll try my best to help.