Gabrielle McPherson joins us on the show and tells us exactly what a freelance copywriter does. She shares her story about quitting her job to pursue freelance work.
Season 2 Episode 18 – RDs Who Quit Their Jobs To Pursue Freelancing Ft. Gaby McPherson MS, RDN, LDN
More Information About Gabrielle:
- She spent several years working with families and pediatric patients
- She is a devoted mom and lives in the states
- When she was in college she had to decide between nutrition or nursing (I bet many RDs can relate to that!)
- The best place to reach Gabrielle is through her LinkedIn
Writing Was Always Present In Her Life
Writing had always been present in Gabrielle’s life. She remembers journaling as a child and entering writing contests in elementary school. Even in college, she was still putting pen to paper.
In 2019 she found other dietitians who were making money from freelance writing. Gabrielle was thrilled that she found a way to tie her two interests together: nutrition and writing.
How Do People React When You Tell Them You Make Money Writing?
Gabrielle says it sounds crazy to people. They don’t understand how you can be a dietitian and make money without seeing clients or patients.
When you become an entrepreneur you need to create a solid elevator pitch describing what you do. Even with a detailed explanation, some people may never understand what you do, and that’s OK. It is a normal part of the entrepreneurial journey.
What Kind Of Freelance Projects Does She Work On?
Gabrielle works on a few different projects:
- Blog writing for health websites
- Nutrition articles for online publications
- Content for wellness brands or media outlets
- Copywriting website content
Her preference is long-form blog writing but she is enjoying the challenge of copywriting.
What Is The Difference Between Blog Writing And Copywriting?
Content blog writing and copywriting serve two different purposes for a business. Content writing is informative while copywriting is designed to sell a product.
Businesses invest a lot of money into copywriting because it can lead to more customers buying their products.
What Does A Freelance Copywriter Write About?
Here are some ways you can apply copywriting to help you meet your business goals:
- Your writing should be persuasive
- You address problems that potential clients might have
- You are leading them to buy a product or service and need to use action-oriented language
A test of good copywriting is to check how you feel at the end of the sales page. A good copy should persuade you to buy the product without feeling like you were coaxed.
How Do You Get In The Zone To Write Good Copy?
There is a fine line between writing compelling copy and creating cheesy content. To help get you in the copywriting zone Gabrielle recommends:
- Read great copywriting that convinced you to buy something!
- Practice writing as often as possible
- Take breaks between projects, especially if you are transitioning from blog writing to copywriting
- Keep a list of phrases or strategies that you think are effective
- Ask your clients what has worked well in the past
Every business will have a unique audience and you should get to know them as well as possible. You need to tailor your copywriting to appeal to them, otherwise, it might flop.
Why Did You Decide To Quit Your Job?
In 2019 Gabrielle had been working in a traditional RD role and she was ready for a change. Although she loved helping people she felt burnt out from all the counselling.
Deciding to leave her job was hard but necessary. The pandemic changed her work routine significantly and Gabrielle felt like it was the right time to leave.
How Did It Feel To Give In Your Notice?
Hitting the send button and submitting her resignation was hard. It felt bittersweet because she would miss her boss and co-workers, but she was excited about her new trajectory.
She says, “When I was writing the email it was surreal. It was like, wow, this is, this is happening. I dreamed of this day, but there’s a little bit of dread there too.”
Looking back on that moment Gabrielle reports having no regrets. “It’s hard making transitions but there is also something refreshing about it too.”
How Do You Book New Clients?
Dry spells are hard and a common occurrence for every freelancer. To get out of this rut Gabrielle recommends:
- Prioritizing tasks that will directly secure new clients
- Pitching clients every day (she recommends video pitching, which she explains in more detail in the interview)
- Researching potential brands or businesses you want to work with
- Updating her LinkedIn and profile
Gabrielle follows Marketing Mondays in her business. Every Monday she spends time reaching out to possible clients to secure work and bring money into her business.
Ready to learn more from Gabrielle? Hit play on the episode widget below to hear her tips on video pitching, her rates, and what’s next for her business.
Did you miss last week’s episode? You can listen to it here: RDs Who Quit Their Jobs To Pursue Freelancing Ft. Kelsey Lorencz, RDN