How to Build a Successful Freelance Copywriting Business

HomeHow to Build a Successful Freelance Copywriting Business

Because becoming a copywriter is about more than words...

How to Build a Successful Freelance Copywriting Business is ideal for copywriters who want to maximise their revenue opportunities.

You’ll discover how to:
Charge more and increase your income
Develop strategies to get more clients
Build an impressive copywriting portfolio
Position yourself as an expert
And much more

“It hasn’t even been six months since I started the set of copywriting courses with AWC and already I’m on my way – I’ve had four jobs so far and I’m so thrilled – it feels really real! DO IT! You absolutely won’t regret it.”
– Kathryn Dalziel, How to Build a Successful Freelance Copywriting Business graduate

See more reviews

Key information
Key information:
This is an online course Duration 1 This is an online course Opens: Monday 12 August 2024 Start any time during the week Opens: Monday 12 August 2024 Start any time during the week Duration: 5 weeks Allow 3–4 hours per week Duration: 5 weeks Allow 3–4 hours per week Feedback: Weekly Feedback: Weekly With: Bernadette Schwerdt With: Bernadette Schwerdt $550 Can’t make this one? Just fill out this form and we’ll be in touch when there’s a course date that suits you.

Work smarter, not harder

Learn the inside success secrets to building a home-based, freelance copywriting business on a budget.

Copywriting is the art of writing words that sell for brochures, websites, blogs, advertisements and other marketing material. Our job is to write words that sell.

For those keen to make a living from writing, you’ll be pleased to discover that copywriters are some of the highest paid writers in the world, but to become a truly proficient and profitable copy expert, you’ll need to do two things:

Invest time and energy in studying the craft (see our Copywriting Essentials course)
Invest time and energy in setting up your freelance copywriting business (and that’s what THIS course is all about).

The secret to being a successful freelance copywriter is having a consistent flow of paying clients. After all, without clients, you don’t have a business so it really does pay to complete a course like this before you get started.

When you understand the business behind copywriting, you can turn on the “tap” of paying clients so that you control the flow and volume of work – which means you can charge what you want, work with who you want and decide when and where you work.

If you love the thought of writing copy but don’t know how to set up a successful writing business, this course is for you.

Becoming a copywriter is the quickest and easiest way to make money from writing so take the time to learn the business fundamentals of being a freelance copywriter and take control over your future.

Even if you’ve completed a small business marketing course before or have a background in business, nothing will set you up for success like this tailored course specifically designed to help freelance copywriters build a successful business.

You will learn how to:

develop the confidence, mindset and attitude needed to set up, create and sustain a successful home-based business
develop a marketing system that generates high-quality, high-paying clients without you having to “sell” your services
navigate the “mechanics” of setting up a successful small business – building a website, sourcing the ABN, choosing a name, creating marketing collateral and other basic “tools of the trade” to get you started
charge top dollar for your copywriting work and “bundle” your services to generate on-going revenue streams and convert one-off clients into long-term advocates
niche your service offering to take advantage of your previous work experience, passion project or hobbies to become a recognised “copywriting expert” in your field
develop a copywriting portfolio that impresses and inspires clients to do business with you, even if you’ve never written copy before
create simple but effective email marketing campaigns that deliver never-ending sources of new business leads
find copywriting clients with ease and use clever marketing strategies to leverage your existing network of those who may need copywriting
move away from the limiting “per hourly rate” mindset and into a “value-based” model so you get paid what you are worth, not for the hours you put in
work collaboratively with other businesses to fast-track your success and dramatically increase your income without increasing your workload.

Please note: This course covers the business of copywriting (not how to write copy) so if you’re already working as a copywriter but want to make more money and find more clients, this is the course for you.

If you’d like to learn the art and craft of copywriting, enrol in our very popular Copywriting Essentials course.

“I absolutely LOVED this course. I have enjoyed listening to each
module several times. I particularly love Bernadette's teaching style.”

Megan Slattery

Reviews of How to Build a Successful Freelance Copywriting Business

“I felt like this was the best course to complete to motivate and give me the tools needed to start my own copywriting business. Bernadette’s teaching style, feedback, mindset-building, and support are fantastic. Listening to her is really inspiring and made me want not only to become a much better copywriter but gave me the confidence to do it on my own. All of the AWC copywriting courses are fantastic!”

Christine Bostock

“It was a course which proved more valuable than I could have ever imagined! Bernadette is such
an engaging tutor and learning from her is made so easy thanks to her warmth and knowledge.”

Donna Webeck

“It was a privilege to come in contact with Bernadette through my Copywriting course at AWC. All the feedback provided by Bernadette was a futher learning opportunity. I took up a career which was totally unplanned and unexpected. Bernadette gave me lots of confidence.”

Boby Tariq

“The content of the course is balanced and spot on. I feel like I have the knowledge, I have a kick start in motivation and now I just need to keep going on this trajectory to get my business running and successful. There are also enough bits to go back to when motivation flags, to re-motivate me.”

Kathi Satchel

How does the online course work?

When you enrol:

You’ll receive login details to access your online course
Your course contains five weekly modules, each with audio lessons and handouts
Each week, you can submit a small assignment and receive feedback from your tutor
There are no set class times – complete each module when it suits you during the week
We suggest allowing 3-4 hours per week to complete each module and assignment
You can post questions and comments in the classroom and get to know your classmates
You’ll be able to enjoy access to the course for a full year – plenty of time to revisit your lessons and refresh your knowledge whenever you need.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Who should do this course?
A: This course is brilliant for any creative freelancer or small business owner so if you’re an editor, proofreader, graphic designer, photographer or consultant, this course will be invaluable.

Q: Why do I need this course?
A: Learning how to write copy is one thing. Learning how to find clients, take a brief, set up a business, charge for your work, invoice, build a website, create marketing collateral, network and create a sustainable business is another skill set altogether.

In fact, those who are great writers often find the business side of being a copywriter so difficult they give it up copywriting completely. Don’t let the business of being a freelance copywriter stop you from pursuing your dream. It is learnable and once you have your systems established, your leads will flow in and you can start focussing on the part you do love – writing copy!

Q: Which course should I do first – Copywriting Essentials or this one?
A: It’s a personal choice but if you’re keen to really get started as a professional copywriter, nothing focuses the mind more than a paying client waiting for their copy. For that reason, getting your business up and running is the fastest way to making money as a copywriter which is why this course could be a good starting point.

It also gives you a very practical overview of what it takes to be a freelance copywriter so it’s a good way to see if this career is right for you.

Q: Who will present the course?
A: The tutor for this course is Bernadette Schwerdt. She is also the tutor of our Copywriting Essentials course. She has trained some of Australia’s most successful freelance copywriters and knows exactly what it takes to run and sustain a copywriting business.

Bernadette brings to the table over 25 years of freelancing experience, decades working as a copywriter (she doesn’t just teach copywriting, she writes copy too so she knows exactly what traps to watch out for) and is a highly successful online entrepreneur who will show you how to leverage online tools and strategies to create a low-cost, high impact copywriting business that will generate a steady stream of clients with minimal effort.

Q: Why should I become a home-based freelance copywriter?
A: People love working as a freelance copywriter because there are few, if any, barriers to entry. You don’t have to pay for rent, staff, stock, franchise fees, overheads, or any of the usual costs associated with starting a business. And it doesn’t matter how old you are, how much experience you have or what you look like, because all clients care about is whether you can write great copy.

Best of all, you can get started straight away – all you need is a computer. It’s truly as simple as that. Sure, it’ll require effort and commitment but if you’re getting paid well to write for a living, you won’t even consider it work because it’ll be stimulating, challenging, and filled with variety.

If you like the sound of this, then you should consider enrolling – you won’t regret it!

Our training works

This inspirational course has kick-started the business careers of some of Australia’s most successful copywriters. Their writing skills combined with their ability to attract and retain clients has enabled them to earn excellent money whilst they pursue their other passions be it to travel the world, bring up their children, write their novel or find a new career path after retrenchment. For many, the attraction is being able to develop that all-important work-life balance that is virtually impossible to find whilst working for other people.

Enjoy exclusive access to our AWC Graduates’ Club

Want to know where all the cool kids hang out? The Graduates’ Club of course! Now, calm down – there are no cigars, leather armchairs or loud ticking grandfather clocks here. But it IS exclusive invitation only (on completion of a course) and it’s free! Meet other writers online and share successes, seek help or just get something off your chest. Many students believe this ‘legacy learning’ is one of the most valuable things about our AWC community, and who are we to argue? So if you want to receive feedback, support and a heads-up on opportunities … join the Club!

“It was a course which proved more valuable than I could have ever imagined! Bernadette is such an engaging tutor and learning from her is made so easy thanks to her warmth and knowledge.”