How I got 90% of my freelance copywriting clients cold pitching on LinkedIn

Have you been told not to send cold messages on LinkedIn? Did you hear that the “right” way to use LinkedIn is to consistently publish valuable content and engage “organically” to avoid being salesy? 

Spoiler alert: they’re wrong! 

You can build your entire freelance copywriting business on LinkedIn by sending cold messages. And you don’t have to publish original content or “put yourself out there.”

I built my full-time freelance copywriting business by sending connection requests, cold pitch messages, and passively engaging with likes, comments, and shares. As an introvert, I still worked the algorithm to my advantage, and you can too.  

Here’s why you should be cold-pitching clients and cold pitching to get clients:

1. It works—I'm proof

As the title of this post says, cold pitching on LinkedIn is how I built my entire freelance copywriting business. It’s how I landed my first client in less than 30 days. It’s how I began making a  full-time income in 4 months.

Cold messaging not only worked for me, but it also worked for most of the other successful copywriters I speak to. Did I have an advantage because my previous career in sales had me sending hundreds of cold messages? Maybe.

But other than that, I’m not special—anyone can succeed with LinkedIn as long as you’re sending the right messages.

2. LinkedIn is a business-focused social media platform

LinkedIn was created exclusively for recruiters and job seekers. It helps professionals to connect and grow their businesses. 

LinkedIn's professional focus makes it different from social media platforms like Facebook. Cold messaging and connection invitations on LinkedIn aren't like DMs on Instagram.

If you’re hesitant to send cold messages, let me remind you that: 

• You are not a telemarketer calling someone in the middle of dinner.
• You are not an MLM boss babe asking someone to join your pyramid scheme.
• Offering your copywriting services to marketers in need does NOT make you sleazy!

The people you’re messaging are already tasked with searching LinkedIn and other job sites to hire writers. You’re simply putting yourself in that lineup of writers.

3. Companies use cold-pitching to generate business 

A company cannot exist without generating revenue. That’s why, in some form or another, all companies have a sales function responsible for bringing in new business.

I was in sales for ~10 years and brought in thousands of dollars for the companies I worked for by—you guessed it—doing cold outreach for them.

Companies of all sizes pay hefty salaries for sales reps because they know it works. Someone has to hit the phones, write emails, or knock on doors to find customers.

The advice that you shouldn’t be taking advantage of cold-pitching is just plain unfair. Why shouldn’t we be able to build our freelance businesses the same way other company do? 

The bottom line on cold pitching

Cold outreach works. I know this because I built my entire freelance business by sending cold messages on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is a business-focused social media platform, and you have every right to use it to conduct business. 

Companies, regardless of size, use cold outreach to get customers and generate revenue. You’re not just a freelancer, you’re a business owner. You have every right to go out and acquire clients—in fact, your survival depends on it. 

If you want to know exactly what to say in your LinkedIn messages, download my free cold outreach template for LinkedIn.

If you want to learn how to use LinkedIn to land high-paying clients and build a lucrative freelance copywriting business, join the waitlist for The 30 Days to Paid Copywriting Course now!