The advent of the internet age has made it possible for enterprising regular Joes to set up shop despite limited financial resources. Just ask Cedric Solidon, 26, who offers his copy writing services via his website www.YourArticleResource.com.

“As a copywriter, I help my clients write their brochures, sales letters, web copy, autoresponder emails, product descriptions, and the likes. Aside from that, I also help them with their online marketing needs up to a certain extent,” says Solidon.

For more than a year, Solidon worked as a writer and later as an editor for a web development company until in 2007, he decided to strike out on his own and become a freelance internet writer.

“I felt that I would be more comfortable working at home rather than in an office and that I would have more control over my time,” explains Solidon.

He initially thought of offering his services as an article writer, hence the name of his website, until he decided to shift to copywriting which served more as a challenge to him.

“With articles you strictly rely on research and it’s over, but with copywriting I help clients market their products,” he says. Solidon says that newbies in the biz can get as much as P10,000 to P15,000, but those who have more experience and consistently markets their services can get P20,000 or more each month.

GOOGLE IT

“Since I mostly work with clients online, people in my line of work should have at least a basic idea of how the internet works. From looking for clients online, to learning how to set up your own website, buying your domain name, web hosting and the likes,For those unfamiliar with these concepts, a simple search on Google and Yahoo will give you tons of information about them,”  he said.

Aside from learning to navigate the ropes of the technical aspect of the job, Solidon stresses the importance of marketing.

“One should be able to market himself. Don’t be ashamed of telling people about what you do. Also learn how to ask for work from people who can give you work, especially if you don’t have any clients yet. But never be too pushy. That would put off your friends and prospects,” he shared.

LEARN HOW TO MARKET YOURSELF

It wasn’t until August 2008 that he decided to put up a website to make it easier for prospective clients to find him.

“The idea actually came up from the need to make it easy for my prospective clients learn about what I do. I just point them to my site, or they visit it and they’ll immediately know what I do, what services I offer and my contact details,” he says “But more than that, I also put up a website to tell prospects that I am the real thing and that my business is legit,” he continues.

Although the website was a key factor in bringing in clients, Solidon did not stop at that “[I also visit] online forums where I participate in discussions, then I also get referrals from my friends. I also occasionally cold-contact businesses and offer to help them with things that I think they need to run their business better or get more customers,” he explains.

An inclination in interpreting business trends was also a big help to Solidon. “Tastes change, trends change, so you should be sensitive to those things. And be flexible, because once your business model starts to fail, you should be able to create a new one and adapt to the current trends,” he advises.

STAY ON YOUR TOES

Cyberspace is known to be a volatile industry with its share of shady characters, and Solidon has had his share of these “Since I work mostly online, there’s the chance of getting scammed by clients who refuse to pay after I’ve given them the deliverables. To avoid this, I require a down payment from my clients before starting any work,” he says.

As exciting as freelancing might sound, the absence of a traditional office structure might still come as a shock. Solidon says that if you’re not naturally business-minded, it would be particularly hard to adjust to becoming your own boss.

“I had to change my mindset about my work, dealing with clients, pricing projects, etc. Books and websites on freelancing and marketing greatly helped me on this one,” he points out.

As a fluid business, freelancing will always have unpredictable lean months. “That’s especially the case when I was just starting and only had a few clients. Once I’m done with their project, I was practically out of work and I had to look for a new project again. Unlike having a day job, freelancing doesn’t come with a guarantee of a steady paycheck. But having a stable set of clients, combined with consistent marketing prevents this,” he advises.

NEVER STOP LEARNING

To survive in the freelancing business, Solidon constantly emphasizes on the importance of selling “Copywriting is a selling business. You don’t simply write things that your client’s customers would read. You should also convince these customers to take the action that your client would want them to take, whether it would be to buy their products, call them on the phone or send them an email,” he says.

Although competition is hard to determine in cyberspace, as vast as it is, rest assured that someone is also offering the same services. That;s why knowing how to sell counts for a lot. “You must show to your prospective clients why they should choose you over other people offering the same services. [This skill] also helps you determine where to market your services and what types of clients you have to cater to,” he said.

“There are books that can help you with that. Or find people you could work with who are good at selling and let them help you sell your services. Finally, continue learning. Things change in any form of business. And once you stop learning, you get left behind, and failure would most likely follow,” Solidon explains.

The following are Solidon’s recommended reads: Guerilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson (Marketing), The Copywriter’s Handbook by Robert W. Bly (Copywriting), Call to Action: Secret Formulas to Improve Online Results by Brian & Jeffrey Isenberg and Lisa T. Davis (Online Marketing), Copyblogger.com (Copywriting), and Six-Figure Freelancing by Kelly James-Enger (Freelance writing)

Contact details:

Mobile: +63 918 922 4982

Email: Cedric@YourArticleResource.com