Product Launch Series: Agitate Email
For Freelance Copywriters & Marketers
- The Goal: To validate the reader’s struggles while making the problem feel more concrete and urgent.
- The Approach: To “twist the knife” on the initial problem. The copy focuses on specific, relatable mistakes to make the reader’s pain feel more tangible and urgent.
Subject: The biggest mistake freelance copywriters make (I’m guilty of it too)
Yesterday I told you about how I quit my restaurant job to pursue freelance copywriting full time… and didn’t get a single client response.
And that’s because I was focusing on the wrong things.
I spent days perfecting my portfolio website…
I spent weeks crafting what I thought were brilliant cold emails…
I spent far too long agonizing over every word in my service descriptions…
And in the end, after all that effort… I got zero results.
I was devastated. And tempted to go back to waiting tables.
Well today I want to make sure you never make those same mistakes so you never have to feel the same way I did:
Mistake #1: Spending all your time creating the “perfect” portfolio
Truth is you can have the most beautiful portfolio website in the world with stunning case studies and impressive testimonials…
You can have slick animations, professional headshots, and an elegant contact form…
But it doesn’t matter if you’re reaching out to the wrong people.
As you won’t land any clients and all that time, money, and effort you spent will be wasted.
Mistake #2: Spending all your time perfecting your pitch emails
No doubt about it, your pitch matters.
But it’s not the be-all and end-all of getting clients.
Even the greatest cold email written by a master copywriter won’t convert if it’s not speaking directly to the specific needs of a well-defined audience.
Wrong audience = no clients.
Mistake #3: Spending all your time on your service offerings
Obviously you don’t want to offer subpar services (and you shouldn’t).
Though trying to create the perfect service package for everyone is a bottomless time sink. You need to accept that specialization is power.
Instead, get an 80/20 version of your services defined for a specific niche as soon as possible so you can focus on reaching the right people.
Because no matter how comprehensive your service menu, wrong audience = no clients.
And you can always expand your offerings after you start landing clients.
So now I’ve told you three things to make sure you NEVER do when trying to land copywriting clients…
What should you do instead?
Focus on getting your services in front of the right people.
I never even thought about that — resulting in no one responding to my outreach.
I figured if I offered good copywriting services, clients would come… and I couldn’t have been more wrong.
But targeting the right people changed everything!
The right people hire you without needing a fancy portfolio…
The right people hire you without needing the world’s most perfect pitch…
The right people hire you without needing you to offer every service under the sun…
Getting in front of the right people makes everything EASIER.
Tomorrow I’m going to show you how to almost guarantee getting your services in front of the right people…
So that every single person who reads your pitch isn’t just another prospect, but someone who immediately sees the value in what you offer.
We’ll chat tomorrow,
Donnie
P.S. Hit reply and let me know if you’ve ever made any of these three mistakes in your freelance journey.
