6 Figure Freelance Copywriting Beginners Guide [2023 Edition]

Looking to ditch the soul sucking 9-to-5 and dive into the world of freelance copywriting?

Who says you can't be your own boss and create your own future?

Imagine, working remotely, getting paid to write…

All while traveling South America with a coffee in hand and cash rolling in.

A few years ago I never would have imagined this could be my life, but copywriting is the transformative high-demand skill that made this happen.

It’s possible. Keep reading and I'll show you how I did it.
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The Demand For Freelance Copywriting

According to Career Explorer, stats forecast a 7.6% surge in the demand for copywriters come 2026.

Prepare to ride the wave.
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With the rise of AI you might think that copywriting has one foot in the grave.

But the truth is this…

The demand for skilled freelance copywriters, those who understand how to harness the true power of writing, has never been higher.

The copywriters that are replaceable are the ones that dont understand this simple fact:

Copywriting is a mechanism to transfer one person’s thoughts to another.

And virtually every business on the planet needs high quality writers.

I’ve always loved writing, but I had no idea that I’d end up making more money each month than some people make in a year by teaching others how to write, create content, and build a personal brand.

Building a personal brand is absolutely essential. This is how you stand out in a crowded sea of wanna be writers. It’s how you become an authority and it's the number one way to future-proof yourself as the internet’s creator economy exponentially scales.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Here's what you need to know…

What Is Copywriting?

Copywriting is the art of writing content that sells a product or services, with the intention for a reader to take action.  

Freelance copywriters can earn a six-figure income by generating creative and compelling messaging.

The demand for skilled freelance writers has never been greater.

The Skills You Need For Freelance Copywriting

Getting your start as a freelance copywriter might seem overwhelming, but the road is wide open for those willing to embark on the journey of building a new business.

The foundation of that journey is developing your writing skills and understanding how to leverage emotion and storytelling through persuasive copy.

Copywriting is 40% research, 40% psychology, 20% writing.

It comes down to continually improving your skill stack, networking, and persistence.

The demand for high quality work already exists, and you can learn everything you need to be successful (for free) on your own terms, and your own time.

Your job is to:

• develop your skills
• find/attract the right clients
• position yourself as a reliable copywriter that has a reputation for meeting people’s needs.

To scale your writing chops, you can read books, research youtube videos, and just consistently consume content about copywriting...

But you've gotta put the active reps in.

That means writing. Daily.

The best way I've found to do that is writing daily on Twitter.

It creates accountability to build your skills in public and you’re doubling up on your efforts because you end up building your personal brand in the process.

I had no idea how important Twitter would become in my writing career and how instrumental it would become to make money as content writer and creator.

It's opened up doors I never knew existed and allowed me to build a Ghostwriting business from scratch that does over $50k a month.

Now it's worth mentioning that you don't have to climb this mountain alone.

You can learn from those that have gone before you...

By hiring a mentor to fast track your progress.

I hired Dan Koe to mentor me early on. And let me tell you…

Deciding to invest in my future was game-changing.

In turn I ended up mentoring Taylin Simmons and Legacy Builder. Helping them both launch their own ghostwriting agencies, scale their personal brands, and most importantly quit their 9-5s.

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After the success of 1-on-1 mentoring I decided the best way I could help the most people was to develop a one of a kind cohort program that provides a roadmap to create your own freelance writing business.

Whether you want to be a freelance copywriter, a social media ghostwriter, or just build your personal brand while learning from some of the most successful writers/creators that are defining the new creator economy...

Then Growth Ghosts might be the path for you.

Starting A Freelancer Business

Depending on how much of an entrepreneurial spirit you have, choosing freelancing over a salary position as a copywriter is an important choice to make.

While the upsides are tremendous to owning your own business and setting your own rates, you also have the responsibility of running the entire business on your own as well.

There is an important piece of leverage for your clients when you are their go-to hired gun for all things copywriting.

Depending on the clients needs, and size of their business, many copywriters actually function as a marketing and sales consultant, helping to shape the messaging and drive conversions that become instrumental for the growth of a business.

Now it's worth mentioning that finding clients is hands down one of the most difficult aspects of building your solo business.

Wouldn't it be great if there was a proven method to create ongoing inbound leads to have clients come to you?

I'm glad to say that there is.

But we will touch on that shortly…

If you can write, you can get attention.

If you can write, you can land clients.

If you can write, you can make money.

Learn to write.

— Dakota Robertson (@WrongsToWrite) January 8, 2023
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2023 Freelance Copywriter Average Rates
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According to thecopywriterclub, the average annual earning of over 600 surveyed freelancers currently sits at $68,586.

This is completely dependent on the niche you focus on, how effectively you can create content that aligns with people’s values, and ultimately how well you can deliver for your clients.

What this looked like for me, was breaking into Social Media Ghostwriting.

A niche that most people don’t even know exists.

I've been able to leverage Ghostwriting to build an incredibly successful business where I can charge clients $10,000-$25,000 for my services.

And in turn I've been able to teach others how to do the same thing.

Now, I know what you are probably thinking…

How do you figure out what to charge when you are starting out?

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How Much Should Your Charge?
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Your Experience
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Depending on your level of experience, the way you can price your services will have a broad range.

Writers who have no experience, will probably have to charge at the low end.

The great aspect of this is that as you level up, you can increase your prices accordingly.

It will also depend on exactly which services you are providing. The going rate for SEO content writing vs technical writing vs proofreading are all quite different.

But that just goes to show you how much opportunity there is, as you can choose your own skill stack specialization.

I spent hours consuming courses, reading books, watching Youtube videos to build my skill and level of knowledge. At the time I was making $0 online, but I knew that this time and energy was an investment in my future self and in my business.

And as I began to find my first client, I started to understand the true importance of providing value to others as a service based business.

When figuring out your price, consider:

• Number of pages
• The value your client is getting
• What other services you will need to hire (ie. copywriting)

As you refine your process, you'll be able to charge higher and higher prices

— Dakota Robertson (@WrongsToWrite) July 26, 2021

Value Based Pricing

Sounds fancy right? Let’s keep this shit simple:

Value-based pricing means the rate you charge isn’t associated with the number of hours it takes to knock out the project, it's based on the quality of work you provide and the specific deliverables that your client needs.

How To Find Your Niche
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If you want to stand out from the crowd you have to find your niche.

This is true in any business, and especially true in the copywriting game.

There’s 2 main pieces here.

1: the type of copywriting you specialize in.

(sales pages, VSLs, ghostwriting, in-house copywriting, product descriptions)

or

2: the submarket/type of client that you focus on writing for

(the fitness industry, SaaS companies, social media agencies)

Of course you can combine the 2 pieces in a unique way.

And this is exactly what the most successful freelance copywriters do.

They create their own niche.

Who you are puts you in a niche of one.

Lean into your story and personality.

— Dakota Robertson (@WrongsToWrite) May 31, 2023

Where To Get Freelance Copywriting Clients
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Twitter
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Twitter is an incredible spot to find (and land) clients.

Everyone from Startup Founders to CEOs to Coaches and Agencies are all on Twitter looking to network and find people to support their missions

You’re only a cold DM away from connecting with the right people and building a base of potential clients.

Plenty of the Growth Ghosts cohort members have found ALL of their clients on Twitter.

As you grow on the platform, it becomes easier and easier to generate inbound leads just by creating social media posts with your writing.

Leads that are already interested in your content writing services, and willing to pay thousands of dollars for a solid freelance copywriter.

Ghost Wrote

I've created a one of a kind directory of world class ghostwriters, for one simple reason:

Connecting clients with writers.

In the process of scaling my brand as a ghostwriter on twitter, myself and others have helped to define this space and create an incredible demand for these types of services.

Ghost Wrote is like upwork for ghostwriters, and there’s nothing else like it.

Check out the Ghost Wrote platform here:

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Linkedin
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LinkedIn is the go-to online community for finding talented professionals.

And It's super under-utilized.

Tons of people use it to post job opportunities or request recommendations from their connections.

To find these active posts, start by using the LinkedIn search bar.

Look for phrases like "Looking for a freelance copywriter" or "Hiring a contract copywriter."

(Make sure to sort your results by Posts and then by Latest to see the most recent listings)

Once you've found relevant posts, take the time to engage with the individuals who posted them.

Comment on their posts or send them a message to introduce yourself and your services, just don't be a potato.

Think of this as building friendships and business relationships over time.

This can certainly lead to finding new freelance opportunities.

Facebook groups

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Facebook groups can be a great resource for freelance copywriters looking to find new clients.

If you join a few relevant groups, you can connect with others who are actively growing their client base and on the lookout for opportunities…  

By becoming an active member in industry-specific groups, and understanding where your ideal clients spend their time online, you can build relationships with potential clients who may need copywriting services in the future.

It’s also a great way to share a referral in the case you find someone looking for a service that's outside of your wheelhouse.

To make the most of these types of opportunities, it's important to engage with group members regularly, share valuable insights and resources, and establish yourself as a solid freelance.

Upwork

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Upwork is a quick and easy way to land clients and earn some cash when you’re starting out on your hunt for a freelance copywriting job.

You can create a free profile to explore one-off copywriting gigs and a wide range of paying freelance jobs.

The quality of work is going to generally fall on the lower side of the spectrum, and it's not going to be top dollar pay.

But if you’re willing to compete on an active and open marketplace it can help you get some jobs under your belt while you grow your personal brand, portfolio, and freelance copywriting business.

Cold Pitching

The key to creating opportunities is to seek them out.

Play the numbers yes…

But play the numbers while building your brand on social media.

This is exactly what I teach inside my cohort.

The Daily Actions:

• Writing
• Engaging with others
• Sending DMs to potential clients.
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The fact of the matter is that building your brand creates leverage. As you invest this time in yourself, you sharpen your skills and actively seek paying clients.

And the greater presence you build online with this method, the easier it becomes to sign clients, crush copywriting gigs, and earn some money while you create content.

Growth Ghosts is the best way for me to share with you what I've learned along the way.

Not to mention weekly guest masterclasses from incredible creators like:

• Dan Koe
• JK Molina
• Justin Scott
• Kieran Drew
• Joey Justice
• Nicholas Verge
• Cold Email Wizard

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A Freelance Copywriting Gig That Can Make You $2K - $10K/ month
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If you want a proven method to launch your copywriting career with a path to hit $10K a month in the next 6 months, then apply for my Growth Ghost cohort.

In it, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about:

Growing on social media

The fundamentals of business (marketing, sales, systems, AI)

How to start a ghostwriting business

If you want to quit your 9 to 5 and get paid $2,000-$10,000+ a month to write 3-15 tweets a day, per client…