29 Ways To Stand Out and Do Good as a Copywriter in 2024
A question I get fairly often from new copywriters is,
“How do I stand out? There’s so much noise!”
I’m suggesting we go back to basics. What I see these new copywriters doing instead of getting these foundations right…
Wasting time recording endless videos talking directly to the camera, dancing and pointing at nothing for more views (views don’t equal sales), taking car selfies, and tinkering with their websites for hours, thinking they haven’t gotten a client yet, so they must need a rebrand.
Instead, focus on these ways to stand out.
In a world of chatbots, ignored emails, and snail-pace turnaround times, you can easily stand out by being a good human and embracing excellence in your services.
Update your email signature once a month. I’m always linking to what I’m promoting and some constants, like my blog and books.
Update your email signature regularly AND update it for your personal email too. I’ve attracted new ghostwriting clients this way while sending personal emails!
Send clients personal birthday greetings.
Keep track of your clients and potential clients — reach out to a handful of them once a month. Put it on your calendar (I suggest doing this around the full moon).
Overdeliver. Instead of focusing on how much time something takes, deliver exceptional service and results.
Communicate often — think daily and/or weekly client summaries depending on the size and length of the project.
Unfollow anyone in the same business as you. The online world feels noisy when you’re listening to people selling the same things as you.
Allow non-related parts of your business to weave into your current business. As an example, I used to teach plant-based cooking workshops for busy people — I can weave this into the work I do with helping entrepreneurs write.
Share the books you love on social media more than you share what you ate for breakfast.
Leave book reviews on Amazon for the books you read and loved — especially if they’re from self-published authors.
Write recommendations for anyone you hired or partnered with on LinkedIn. Even if they taught a free workshop you attended — these little love nuggets go a long way to helping another business owner gain visibility and momentum.
When someone asks to “pick your brain,” — say yes if you have the time. Consider it giving back.
Send snail mail thank you cards.
STOP using AI to draft your personal messages, blogs, and social content — we can tell, and it’s harming your business.
Become a ridiculously good listener. This will make you a better communicator. Being a better communicator makes you a better salesperson and writer, which makes you a better business.
Follow your clients on social media and authentically engage with their stuff.
Subscribe to your client’s emails and reply when they write something that inspires you.
Create 50-100% more content than you did last year — make sure it’s useful.
Change your profile photo on social media once a month.
Send clients a welcome letter with tips on making the project go smoothly and outlining your boundaries and communication policies.
Surprise and delight your clients with mid-project gifts, cards, or extra help that’s outside of your scope of work.
When you wrap with clients, send what I call a “See You Soon Kit” outlining ways they can work with you in the future, pass your name along, or write a testimonial.
Do at least one uncomfortable thing a week — attend that networking event, chat up the owner of the new cafe, visit the grand opening of a new business — you never know what opportunities will come from these actions.
Make one ask a day and track them in a spreadsheet. This is super useful if you struggle to ask for what you want.
Write fun out-of-office messages instead of the snoozer… “I’m sorry, I’m out of the office. I’ll respond upon my return.” Grab my free swipe files for fun messages.
Put your artwork on notecards and send them in the mail.
Send your business friends or prospects surprise gifts when they mention something they love or need.
Make recommendations that are outside of what you do for clients, but you can send them to someone you know.
Give a potential client other people to work with if they’re thinking of hiring you for things that wouldn’t be cost-effective for them to do so.
Focus on your energy, do writing you love doing that has nothing to do with your business, and watch your clients get even better results.
Running a copywriting business has never been more fun. You can truly infuse your energy into everything you do, lifting up every person your business touches.
I’ve been copywriting and coaching clients for 10+ years, and I couldn’t be more in love with the exciting work I get to touch and the amazing clients doing big things.
If you’re a copywriter growing your business, explore private coaching in the writing community.
