What I'd Do If I Had to Start Over In 2024

Hey friend! Welcome to Storey Time. If you were forwarded this email, add your email below to make sure you receive my next issue in your inbox.

5 years ago I quit my job to write online.

Since then, I’ve made nearly half a million with writing.

Here’s what I’d do if I had to get to six figures again as fast as possible in 2024:

1. Completely Immerse Myself in Copy

When I first started out, I spent 4+ hours per day on my copywriting business.

And that was all on top of my 12-hour day job.

I didn’t get much sleep back then.

But, I didn’t care. My mission was to create a life for myself, my wife, and my future kids.

So I’d wake up at 5-6 am and do “power writing sessions.”

I’d just write for 30-60 minutes straight in a Google Doc with no topic in mind.

On the way to work, I’d listen to marketing and business podcasts.

Same thing on the way back from work.

After work, I’d handwrite winning sales letters and ads from copy legends like:

• Gary Halbert

• Gary Bencivenga

• Eugene Schwartz

• David Ogilvy

• Joseph Sugarman

After that, I’d read copy books and go through courses.

Then, I’d go to bed.

That’s it.

Almost every waking moment, I was swimming in copywriting.

You should do the same: copywriting inputs and outputs all day long.

Buy the books, courses, and coaching for copywriting inputs.

Write as much as possible for copywriting outputs.

People always want to know what the secret to “fast” success is.

Complete immersion. Obsession. Narrow-minded, laser-focused, on a single track.

Americans call it “crazy.”

Brits call it “mental.”

I call it “winning.”

You could screw up your strategy, learn some of the wrong things, make mistakes in your tactics, and be misguided for part of the way.

But, sooner or later, if you’re on this all in path, you’re going to find your way.

Thankfully, there are a few other ways to speed things up.

2. Specialize & Niche

Back in 2019 when I first started writing, I quickly realized something…

You need to differentiate yourself in the market.

I learned this when I picked up the book “The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing” by Al Ries and Jack Trout.

You can’t just be another copywriter or ghostwriter.

You can’t just be a generalist.

Or you’ll die.

Well, not literally.

But, your business will die.

Why?

Because everyone and their uncle is a copywriter nowadays.

It’s easier than ever to make money online as a writer.

The internet, smartphones, and social media have obliterated every barrier to entry.

This is a beautiful thing.

But, it’s also a double-edged sword.

Easy entry = more competition.

If you want to get to six figures as a copywriter — or even $5k/month — you need to stand out.

You need to position yourself in the market.

This is where specialization and niching comes into play.

I realized this 5 years ago when I first started.

Why?

Because I was constantly learning from copywriters and marketers who had been in the game for years.

So, I specialized my writing:

Blog posts.

Yes, I know. “That’s content writing, not copywriting.”

Doesn’t matter. I incorporated copy elements into my content which made it better.

And, I niched what I wrote about:

Marketing topics.

Surprise, surprise… The thing I loved learning and writing about was the niche I dove into.

Blog posts (specialty) about marketing (niche).

You need to pick a specialty and niche.

Here are a few examples:

• Landing pages for fitness

• Web copy for pets

• Tweets for SaaS

• Emails for MMO

• Ads for finance

It’s a one-two combo.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t learn other types of copy.

And I’m not saying you should never try to pitch a business owner who’s outside your specialty or niche.

Just focus primarily on building a specific portfolio and position yourself as the go-to guy in a single lane.

It’s easier.

3. Pitch Offline Friends, Then Pitch Online

Learning how to be a great copywriter is hard.

Want to know what’s even harder?

Landing clients.

This is where most people give up on their freelance copywriting journey.

They get scared, they pitch a bit, and they think it’s too hard or not for them.

And they throw in the towel and quit.

Mainly because they’re doing outreach wrong.

Or they’re setting the wrong expectations.

News Flash:

You’re not going to hit $10k in your first 30 days.

Get that out of your head.

Set goals, but be realistic.

I landed my first client in 45 days. That’s fast.

But, I only made $60 in my first month.

It took me about 7 months to reach a full-time income.

Know that this is a long game. It could be months till you hit your first $1,000 month and several months later till you hit $5-10k/month.

Here’s how you can speed things up (exactly what I’d do if I started over today):

1. Pitch friends, family and co-workers.

Pitch your current network. Open up your phone. Look at your contacts.

Which ones have businesses?

Make a list of every single person in your contacts who has a business.

Then, reach out.

Here’s the best way to reach out:

Go look at their website and copywriting first. Look at what they currently have. Sign up to their email list. Look at their website, ads, social media, everything.

Write them an audit. Just open a Google Docs and write down everything you’d do to optimize their site and then send it to them.

Here are some examples of tips you could offer:

• Put a call to action above the fold

• Give a lead magnet, don’t just ask to sign up to the email list

• Show more social proof like testimonials on the site

• Fix the welcome email by adding a preview text

• Add a “from” name in the welcome email

• Add a CTA to the email

• Use a P.S. at the end of the email to tease the next email

• Post more case studies on social media

• Show off more practical how-to’s in your content

• Put link to your lead magnet or email signup on social media

And more!

Then, if you want to take things to the next level, write them a free sample:

• New blog post

• New landing page

• New welcome email

• New social media post

Then, message them, say Hi, let them know you checked out their website and you saw a bunch of different ways they can improve it to get more revenue and grow their business. Send them the Google doc audit and free sample.

Wait for their response. If it’s possible, push to work with them. If they can’t afford you, do it for free. 

Build a case study that shows off:

• The work you did (live copy samples)

• The results (numbers showing how it improved their business)

• Testimonial (ideally video) from the client

2. Pitch warm leads online

Then use that case study from your local network to land higher-paying clients.

Ask them to refer you to their friends and anyone they know.

Then go online and do the same strategy but with warm leads.

Build 2-3 case studies as fast as possible, even if it’s all for free.

Those case studies will get you to a full-time income.

There you go.

The exact steps I’d take if I had to build up my copywriting business to six figures all over again in 2024.

-Brandon “full immersion” Storey

P.S. If you want more help landing clients, check out my $59 course, Six Figure Writer, for free.

I cover every single way I’ve landed clients over the years.

• Read the text-based Notion guide

• Watch the full video course

• Listen to the audiobook

Grab the course for FREE now (direct link to Notion)