Do you have excellent copywriting skills? Can you write ad copies and sales letters that arouse readers’ interest and make them eager to buy or sign up? Are you interested in starting a copywriting business from home? Do you need a sample copywriting services business plan template? If you answered YES to any of the questions above, then I advice you read on.
The awareness is increasing among small and big businesses that responsiveness to their ads and marketing collateral hinges largely on how well their ad copy is written. Refining Ad budget and attracting huge traffic is useless without optimum conversion to leads and sales.
Only when online and offline content are well designed and cleverly written can they successfully attract readers and convince them to purchase the advertised products or services, or take any action as desired by the advertiser.
If you are a stickler for perfect grammar—with stellar writing skills—and have a knack for crafting words in a way that they can compel readers to act by them, then you sure have some copywriting talent in you. And you can make a fortune by starting your own copywriting business from home.
Do you think you have what it takes venture into the copywriting business? The following tips will help you get started successfully.
Starting a Copywriting Company from Home – Sample Business Plan Template
1. Learn more about the business
Learning more about any business before starting it is very important. You need to contact a seasoned copywriter—or many of them—to find out more about the copywriting business. Ask about the requirements for starting the business, the challenges to be expected, the average rates charged, the shortcuts to success, and other things you need to know about the business.
You can also search the web for information on the copywriting business, what it entails, and what you should expect from it once you start. Most importantly, you must study on your own and practice on your own. Read more on human psychology and find out, how humans think and what type of words move people.
Finding out more about the business will help you avoid all pitfalls and prepare you for the challenges ahead. Being prepared for these challenges means you will handle and overcome them easily when you face them.
2. Define your services and rates
You must figure out whether you will be writing copy for online or offline media. Since most copywriters write copy for both media, you can consider being an “all-rounder,” too—at least from the start. Using your past research findings, you can proceed to set the rates for your copywriting services. Direct response copywriters who write long copy usually charge by the number of words they write.
Copywriters who focus on shorter copy, such as those used for offline display advertising, usually charge per hour spent on developing the copy. When you are just starting out, you will need to lower your rates slightly to attract clients. With time, as you gain more credibility and attract more clients, you can increase your rates.
3. Set up your home office
Since you will be running your copywriting business from home and are providing a service that has no inventory, your startup costs will be very minimal. You will have to invest in an appropriate computer, software packages, and a printer. You will also need to acquire basic furniture, such as a working desk and a comfortable chair.
You should also consider having a standing desk, too, to prevent working for long hours in the sitting position, since this is bad for your health. In addition, you will need a reliable phone line and a high-speed internet connection for effective communication with your clients.
One of the ways to please your clients and retain them for a very long time is to be responsive to communication. It goes without saying that your home office must be totally free of distraction and noise.
4. Set up your website
Since you will attract many prospects through the internet, you should have a professional website that tells more about your copywriting services and doubles as your portfolio. If you cannot set up the website yourself, you will need to hire the services of a professional web designer.
However, you must ensure that your website is built in a professional and compelling way, as a nice design will send signals that you’re competent at what you do.
5. Start hunting for clients
When you are just starting out, the only way to attract clients to your copywriting business is to proactively hunt for them. So, you need to adopt both online and offline marketing strategies to reach out to potential clients. Offline marketing methods include advertising in local newspapers, using business cards, printing brochures and flyers, cold calling, and leveraging the power of word-of-mouth marketing.
Proven online marketing methods include advertising on blogs often visited by your potential clients, forum marketing, online classified ads, email marketing through the publication of newsletters, pay per click advertising, social media marketing, and so on.
Conclusion
I want you to know that copywriting is now big business with a lot of potential. Advertisers, in their bid to edge out their competition, are looking for skilled copywriters to craft their promotional copy.If you are highly skilled and are dedicated to the business, you can earn thousands of dollars every month while working from home as a copywriter.