With so much new technology, is it any wonder that copywriters are also turning to the area of podcast as a means for adding to their client base?

After all, when you consider that some copywriters do advertising for television and radio, copywriting for podcast is in the same field of expertise.

The major difference between copywriting for television or radio and doing it for podcast is that where radio and television are in real time, podcast is not. There are exceptions, whereby the owner may set up the podcast to be in real time, but in most cases, it is a pre-recorded broadcast that is available as an audio or visual presentation using an online media player such as Windows Media Player or Quick Time.

Copywriting for podcast does not necessarily mean that you will be recording the broadcast. You are the copywriter, so your job is to write the text per the client’s specifications. If you have a podcast, the client may ask you to record what you have written, but in most cases, you will be writing only the text just as you would if you were writing content for television or radio.

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There is a large variance even within the industry standard for copywriting. When setting rates, you have to look at several different factors including amount of work to complete the project, size of the project, your experience, and the budget of the client.

It’s possible to make up to $100 an hour copywriting, but that doesn’t mean that all of your projects can justify that kind of income. You will need to look at each project as a separate entity, and not as an entirety. You are not going to charge the same price for a 500-word web content article as you do for a complete advertising package.

Another you have to consider when setting rates is whether you are going to be doing the work yourself or outsourcing it. If you are doing to hire other writers to assist with the job, that will have a bearing on your rate, especially if you are going to pay your writers a fair rate.

If this is a client who is going to provide a large amount of work, you might be expected to develop a bulk rate based upon that. This sometimes becomes more difficult because you want to accommodate your client’s needs and continue to pay your writers a fair rate for their work as well.

When you quote a price for a client you have to take into consideration how much work is involved to complete the project. A complete advertising package is going to take more time, and you want to price it accordingly.

You may be willing to negotiate within reason, but sometimes you will find a client who is trying to get by as cheaply as possible, so you want to make sure that you don’t undercut your costs in order to provide for an unreasonable client.

Allow yourself to have the last word, even if it means that you may have to decline some projects because the client’s budget and yours just don’t seem to see eye to eye. Remember, if you take on a client who wants cheap rates, and you take on another project that pays more, you are going to put the lower paying project on the back burner to finish the one that pays more.

In order to avoid that, stay away from projects that fall too far beneath your minimum rates. If you stand your ground, the clients will soon learn how much you will go and will adjust their budgets accordingly.

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Whether you are working for yourself as a freelancer or working for a company, you still need to be able to develop yourself into a successful copywriter. After all, you are going to be selling a product or service, and even if you work for a company, your talent and creativity will make that business a success or failure. Listed below are some of the most important tips for being a success copywriter.

1. Put your client first.

This is one of the most important things that you can do in any business, and copywriting is a business whether you are working for yourself or for someone else. Your client is the meat of that business, so you need to be able to meet his or her needs 100%. Take the time you need to work with your client, and if it’s a new client, take some time to learn to know him or her and what their needs and expectations are.

2. Make sure you understand your client’s needs on each project.

Whether you converse with a client over the telephone, in person, or via email, make sure that you understand fully what they need for the project that you are about to undertake. If possible, have your client provide samples of what he wants so that there is no question about it. Of course, if you are providing web content or other writing that doesn’t require the inclusion or art, it is less explanation that may be necessary.

3. Make your rates competitive with the industry standard.

Everyone wants to make as much as possible in the copywriting business, but you want to make sure that you follow the industry standard or come close. Do not attempt to underbid the next person at the expense of your writers, and even if you do the work yourself, don’t attempt to become rich at the expense of your clients.

4. Always provide quality work.

This can never be stressed too many times, and it is the one thing that will make or break your business. If you outsource work, it is your responsibility to make sure that everything follows your high standards before you send anything to your clients. Don’t let your client be the one to find an error that one of your writers missed—you should be the one to do that.
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5. Always meet deadlines.

Sometimes things go wrong, but don’t make it a habit to turn in projects late. Make sure your writers know this as well, and allow for emergencies by giving your writers a deadline that is at least a day or two ahead of when you actually need the work. That gives you time to allow for extensions or to find another writer in case the original one is unable to complete the project.

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