On our ‘Freelancers on Freelancing’ series, our freelance community share insights on how they operate, charge and the tools they use for a successful freelancing career.

1. What’s your area of expertise?

I’m a freelance B2B & B2C copywriter and PR consultant

2. When did you start freelancing?

I’m not sure where the time’s gone, but I’ll have been freelancing for seven years in March next year. The time has flown by; I’d like to think it’s because I’ve loved every minute of it. I spent 18 years working for employers before going freelance and so wish I’d made the move sooner!

3. How do you get new clients?

When I first started SK Copy Co, I generated work by proactively approaching organisations and informing them of my offering; this was in person at networking events and via social media.

These days, particularly over the last couple of years, most of my work has come from clients recommending me to others. This is my preferred and favourite type of lead because people’s first knowledge of and interaction with me comes from a positive, proven perspective.

In the meantime, social media, particularly LinkedIn, has always been invaluable for getting my name and services out there and winning work on an ongoing basis.

4. How do you charge? (Project/Day/hourly?)

I charge by the day for on-going work and hourly for ad hoc projects that take less than a day to complete.

5. What tools could you not live without as a freelancer?

Ooohh, that’s a good question! Well, I definitely couldn’t be without my laptop and internet connection, that’s for certain.

In terms of other tools…e-meeting tech, e.g. Teams, Zoom etc. is extremely valuable these days. In fact, most of my meetings are virtual, which is extremely valuable because the time that used to be spent travelling is now used delivering outputs for clients. Don’t get me wrong, face-to-face meetings are my preference, for instance, I did a client site visit the other day and interviewed them about some case studies, but in-person meetings can be tricky to fit in if I’m fully booked up with work.

My growing bank of testimonials are crucial for helping reinforce why prospects should choose me over my competitors. As soon as I complete a project or finish working with a client, I always reach out to them for a testimonial, which I upload to my website and share on social, which is my final must-have tool. I’m on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – social media enables me to stay current, raise my profile and generate work too.

6. How to keep in the know about the latest industry trends?

By taking part in training courses. For example, I’ve just refreshed my HubSpot Content Marketing Certification. I also logged into a few of the virtual sessions during ProCopywriters’ Copywriting Conference last month (October).

Historically, I’ve taken part in BrightonSEO training and, as a CIPR and PRCA member, I sign up to their courses too. In between all of that, I log into relevant webinars and have subscribed to numerous industry newsletters and other bulletins that pop up in my inbox most days.

7. What services are your clients asking for in 2022?

This year, most of my time has been taken up with content production, which can range from press releases and PR features, to blogs, social media posts, newsletters, case studies, website copy, reports, emails and more.

8. What skills do you think will be most in-demand next year?

The need for customer-centric, benefit-led copy will definitely continue to be a priority. So too, will social media strategies and content that stays up to speed with the latest developments.

9. What’s your top tip to maintain happy clients?

Be responsive and transparent and always deliver what you say you are going to deliver when you say you are going to deliver it.

10. Describe freelancing in one word

Rewarding.