If you’re a freelancer worrying about summer being slow for you, don’t. Summer is always slow time for inquiries.

It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in business, how awesome your offerings are, or how much you market yourself. It’s just slow.

People are on vacation.

They’re not thinking about their website copy or Pinterest management or Dubsado setup or content creation or brand design or finance help or SEO or social media.

They’re tanning by the lake, immersed in their beach read.

They’re eating fresh watermelon salsa by the pool.

They’re backpacking through Europe.

They’re biking around the rail trail.

They’re taking their kids to the zoo.

They’re busy doing LIFE.

You’ve heard tons of marketers and online business owners share this same “summer is always slow, don’t worry sugar plum, fall will be better, use this time to work on yourself, and, hey, while you’re at it, be GRATEFUL you have this time to slow down!” advice—and even though they’re 100% right… that advice doesn’t make you feel better. 

So, even though it’s awesome to put a positive spin on a slow season and feel really grateful for the opportunity to work in/on your own business, you’re still allowed to want to earn more money.  

So, this blog post isn’t another one of those “cheer up, wait it out, do some self care instead!” vibes.

(No tea no shade—I’m on board with those vibes—that’s just not what I’ve got planned for you today.)

Instead, I want to tell you how I’d go about getting more leads if I were feeling anxious about a slow season.

>> Because let’s be real – all the “wait it out” and “have faith” and “trust the process” advice doesn’t always soothe our anxiety like we wish it would.

So, if you’re feeling like being a little bit more proactive about bringing in business, keep reading for 7 things you can do to increase your chances of making it happen. 

⭐️ For each of the 7 ways I suggest, I’m going to share how it could look in practice, using my own biz as an example! ⭐️

#1 — Rekindle an old collaboration flame

Consider reaching out to people you’ve collaborated with on projects before, tell them how much you enjoyed it, and mention that you’d love to do something similar again.  

BTL example: I could email Sarah Kleist and say “hey, I loved working on Monocle’s website with you, and I’d love to work on more collaborations like this—can you tell me more about the types of people you like to work with / projects you like to work on so I can recommend clients to you?” 

#2 — Recreate your last ‘ideal client’ project

Send an email to a past client who fits the “hell yes” category for you; someone who was an ideal client in every way. Tell them how much you loved your project, and casually ask if they have any friends just like them who need what you have to offer.

BTL example: I could email Celeste Moore and say “congrats on the launch of your website, Celeste! I absolutely loved my time spent collaborating with you—if every client were like you, I’d be happy as a clam! If any of your friends or colleagues happen to need a copywriter, I’d love if you’d consider sending them my way – if they’re anything like you, I know we’d be a great fit!”

(You could even combine this with a feedback/testimonial request if the project is recent!)

#3 — Scour Facebook groups and comment your info

Even in the depths of the slow summer season, people are looking for freelancers to work with. Hop in your favorite FB group, search for your type of offering, then filter by ‘recent’ and comment on the posts with your info.

Even if there’s tons of other comments, and even if the post is a couple weeks old—still do it. People use other people’s posts as a search tool of their own when they’re looking for someone, so even if the original poster doesn’t hire you, someone else might. 

(This has happened to me 3 separate times that I know of!)

BTL example: I could go into Create & Cultivate or Women In Marketing, search for “website copywriter” or “website copy” and comment on a post of someone looking for a website copywriter, and say something like “Hi there! My name is Sara and I specialize in website copy—I’d love to connect with you! You can find all of the info about my services and pricing at betweenthelinescopy.com/copywriting-services :)”

#4 — Blog more, and Pinterest more

Don’t sleep on the blog-and-Pinterest combo—there are 400 million monthly users on that platform that could become clients. AND, if you meet the requirements, you could even be accepted to the creator fund and start earning actual cash money from posting pins. 

I’d give a BTL example for this one, but let’s be real, Sarah Burk has it handled.

And speaking of my amazing Pinterest manager who I have to thank for countless inquiries, sales, and creator fund status—she’s telling you EVERYTHING about how to make your blog-and-Pinterest combo successful inside of Site Series. 

#5 — Tell your biz friends you’re looking for work

That’s it. Just ask. If they’re true friends, it’s not weird. 

In fact, they’ll probably appreciate it, and then tell you they’re looking for some new projects, too, and then you can help each other. 

BTL Example: I could text Abbey and say “hey, I’m looking to fill 1-2 spots for August, do you know anyone who needs copy right now?” or “hey, jsyk, I have the time to add 1-2 more projects on this month if you happen to have any current clients or inquiries that need copy!”

#6 — Post your availability on your socials

This one’s easy—no explanation needed!

BTL Example: I could post on my Instagram story with my available start dates and a link to contact me, or I could post on my feed about all the services I offer & their respective ‘starting at’ rates, then share my availability in the caption. 

#7 — Make sure your Services page is ready for all your new inquiries!

After all your efforts to bring in new business, you’re gonna need a Services page that converts! 

For the BTL example, read my blog post on how to write a minimal services page! 😏

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Want to keep learning about the best copywriting strategies for service-based business owners?

If we haven’t had the chance to *virtually* meet yet, hi! I’m Sara Noel—website copywriter and marketing mentor for creatives, copywriters, and all-around cool people. If you like my content and you want even more BTL in your life, here are a few ways you can connect with me:

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Check out my services. I write website copy, sales pages, email sequences, blog posts, and brand messaging guides for entrepreneurs of all kinds! Maybe you’re my next favorite client.

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Sign up for my web copy course. Actually, it’s not *only* about website copywriting—I also teach modules on copywriting basics, developing your target audience, search engine optimization, blogging, and email marketing.

Enlist me as your mentor. I have an entire in-depth blog post about my one-on-one consulting process for new and aspiring copywriters, if you’re interested in having a big-sis-style mentor to help you grow your freelance copywriting business & get results.

To get in touch with me directly, send me a DM or email sara@betweenthelinescopy.com. Have a great day!