Cold Pitching- to do or not to do?

The dreaded cold pitch. Putting ourselves out there. Please can we just find companies to work with that fall to us from the sky? Often times, when starting as a copywriter, you will be told that you need to cold pitch companies to in bulk to start landing paying clients who will help you to network for future paying clients. When I say bulk, I mean like, 5 a day until you start getting leads. To any copywriter who has ever done this - they know it’s exhausting! And often times it feels pointless as you get no reply’s, no’s, or half hearted ‘in the future’’s. So- are cold pitches worth the effort?

The short answer is at first, yes. Cold pitches won’t be forever! It is merely a tool to get you started. Annoying? Yes. Lucrative? Maybe not quite, but it can yield you just enough to get your business off the ground a little further, and help you with a network of employers and companies who have worked with you even in a small capacity. And, it can give you things to put on your portfolio, even if you only made 10 dollars from it (for arguments sake). Of course, warm pitches to companies or people you already know are muuuuuuch easier to land, so if you know of anyone in need of copy, be sure to ask them too.

Personally for me, cold pitching hasn’t been the most lucrative thing for my business, but it has landed me some smaller jobs to beef my portfolio with something other than spec ads. It really is something you have to track, keep up with, and overdo in the beginning, After all, if you aren’t putting yourself out there, who else will? Once you rack up enough business and do awesome work, people will be telling all their company owning friends about you! So, hang in there, freelancers, and keep calm and cold pitch on! I promise it won’t be there forever.