How to Get Hired Repeatedly as a Freelance Copywriter (Tips on Retainers!)
When I first started freelance copywriting, I thought the only way to earn was to keep finding new clients.
Finish a project. Send the invoice. Then start looking again.
It felt exhausting. And honestly, the cycle of always hunting, always pitching, always wondering where the next project was coming from is what makes a lot of freelancers burn out or give up before they find their footing.
What changed things for me was understanding the retainer model. Not just what it is, but why it works, how to position it, and how to actually bring it up with a client without making things awkward.
That’s what this article is about.
What Is a Retainer Client & and Why It Changes Everything
A retainer client is a client who pays you a fixed fee every month for ongoing copywriting work.
Instead of hiring you for a single project (e.g. one landing page, one email campaign, one set of ads) they would bring you on as a consistent part of their marketing.
You agree on a scope of work, set a monthly rate, and show up reliably every month to deliver.
It sounds simple. But the implications for your freelance income are significant.
Without retainers, your income looks like you’re paid in one month and become completely broke in the next month. You will constantly be doing outreach, waiting to hear back, negotiating rates, onboarding new clients who don’t know your process yet. A lot of your time and energy goes into work that isn’t billable.
With retainers, you wake up knowing that a portion of your income is already secured. You’re not starting from zero every month. You can plan ahead, manage your workload properly, and focus your energy on actually doing the work well (rather than constantly finding clients).
Even two or three retainer clients can transform the feel of freelancing entirely. 3 clients at RM1,000 per month each is RM3,000 in consistent, predictable income.
Why Retainers Work for Clients Too
Retainers are not just ideal for freelancers, they are ideal for the clients too.
When a business works with the same copywriter consistently, that copywriter gets better at their job over time.
They learn the brand deeply (the voice, the audience, the tone, what’s worked before and what hasn’t). So they will need less briefing.
They can produce work at a faster rate. They become, in a very real sense, a quiet member of the marketing team.
Compare that to a business that hires a new freelancer for each project.
Every time they spend hours briefing someone new, there’s a period of adjustment where the copy doesn’t quite sound right yet. And they will have to take a risk on someone they don’t know well.
A retainer solves all of that.
For the right client, it’s not a favour they’re doing you. It’s an arrangement that makes their marketing more effective.
When you understand this, pitching for retainers can become much less intimidating.
What to Do Before You Even Think About Pitching a Retainer
Before you pitch a retainer to anyone, there’s groundwork to do. This isn’t about tactics. It’s about earning the right to have the conversation.
Deliver consistently good work first.
The retainer conversation only makes sense after a client has experienced your work and found it valuable.
You can’t walk into a first project and immediately propose a long-term arrangement. Usually you will have to prove yourself first especially if you are NEW to them.
This means meeting every deadline, communicating proactively, and producing work that genuinely moves the needle for their business.
When clients see that you deliver (reliably, constantly) they indirectly start thinking of you as someone they’d like to keep around.
Show measurable results where you can.
If you wrote an email that got a strong open rate, share it. If the landing page you worked on improved conversions, mention it.
If the ad copy performed better than their previous version, point to it.
You don’t need to be boastful about this. A simple follow-up like does the job.
“I noticed the email we worked on last month got a 22% open rate — happy to break down what I think worked if it’s useful”
a) it shows you’re paying attention to results, and b) it reminds the client that your work has real impact.
Clients who can see the value of what you do are much more receptive to the idea of keeping you around on a consistent basis (retainer).
Stay in touch after the project ends.
This is one of the most underused strategies in freelancing, and it costs nothing.
When a project wraps up, don’t disappear. Check in after a few weeks. Ask how the work landed.
Share a resource or idea that might be relevant to something they mentioned.
Show genuine interest in their business beyond the immediate project.
Most freelancers are transactional or at least have a transactional attitude (which is understandable).
But if you want to survive for long and make this career sustainable, you can’t just show up, do the work, send the invoice, and vanish.
Being the person who actually follows up and stays engaged sets you apart immediately, and it keeps the relationship warm for when you’re ready to have the retainer conversation.
How to Pitch a Retainer Without It Feeling Like a Sales Pitch
One common mistake is freelancers pitch a retainer too early, before they even prove themselves. And sometimes freelancers pitch too directly in a way that makes it sound like it’s entirely about their need for steady income.
“Hey, would you be interested in putting me on a retainer?”
Believe me, this will hardly work.
It puts the client on the spot and gives them no reason to say yes. Remember that this also doesn’t give you the “upper hand”.
What works instead is positioning the retainer as a solution to a problem they already have.
This requires you to pay attention during the project:
- listen for your client’s pain points
- identify clients’ recurring needs
- listen to the things they keep mentioning that aren’t quite solved yet (copywriters are great listeners 😉)
Then, when the timing is right, you bring it up in a way that’s specific to them.
For a client who launches new products regularly:
“I’ve noticed you have a new collection dropping every six weeks or so. If it would help, I could put together a monthly package that covers your email copy and product descriptions for each launch — that way you’re not scrambling for a copywriter every time. Would that be worth exploring?”
For a client whose social media content is inconsistent:
“I know you mentioned that keeping up with content is a real challenge. If you’re open to it, I could take that off your plate with a monthly retainer — regular content planned and written in advance so you’re never scrambling for what to post.”
For a client whose sales are growing but copy isn’t keeping up:
“You’re clearly in a growth phase, and I imagine the demand on your content is only going to increase. It might make more sense at this point to have someone on a consistent basis rather than project by project — happy to put together a proposal if that’s something you’d want to look at.”
Notice what all of these have in common?
- They lead with the client’s situation, not your income needs.
- They present the retainer as a solution to something they’re already dealing with.
- And they end with an open question rather than a hard push.
How to Structure and Price a Retainer
Once a client is open to the idea, the next step is putting together something concrete.
Be specific about deliverables.
A retainer without a clear scope is a recipe for scope creep — where you end up doing far more than you agreed to for the same monthly fee.
Before you agree to anything, define exactly what’s included: how many pieces, what types of copy, how many revision rounds, and what the turnaround time looks like.
For example: “The monthly retainer includes four email campaigns, one landing page, and up to two rounds of revisions on each piece. Anything beyond that scope would be quoted separately.”
Be clear on the job scopes upfront to protect both of you.
Price based on value, not just hours.
The temptation when pricing a retainer is to calculate your hourly rate and multiply by estimated hours.
That’s one approach, but it often leads to undercharging — because it doesn’t account for the value of consistency, the deep brand knowledge you develop over time, or the peace of mind the client gets from having someone reliable.
Think about what the work is worth to their business. A monthly email campaign that consistently drives sales is worth more than the four hours it took you to write it. Price accordingly.
Start with a trial if they’re hesitant.
If a client is interested but uncertain, suggest a one-month trial
This removes the pressure of a long-term commitment on their side and gives you a chance to demonstrate the value of the arrangement in practice.
Most clients who try a retainer month don’t want to go back to project-by-project after. The convenience alone usually sells it.
Building Toward a Retainer-Based Freelance Business
The goal, once you’ve landed one retainer client, is to build toward a small number of these relationships that together form the stable core of your income.
Two to three retainer clients who each pay you consistently every month means you’re not starting from zero at the beginning of each month.
Your outreach style shifts from survival mode or finding anyone who will hire you to a much more strategic one which is to find the right clients who are a true fit for long-term work.
It also changes the quality of the work.
When you’re not anxious about where the next project is coming from, you show up differently. You think more carefully. You communicate better. You do better work.
That’s the version of freelancing that’s actually sustainable and retainers are exactly how you get there.
A Quick Recap
- Retainers = monthly fixed fee for ongoing work. Predictable income for you, consistent quality and convenience for the client.
- Earn the right to pitch one by delivering consistently good work first and staying genuinely engaged after the project ends.
- Pitch it as a solution to their specific problem — not as a favour they’re doing you.
- Define the scope clearly before agreeing to anything to avoid scope creep.
- Start with a trial if they’re hesitant. One good month usually does the convincing.
Retainer clients don’t fall into your lap. But they don’t require luck either.
They require good work, genuine relationships, and the confidence to have the conversation at the right time.
I believe that’s something that any freelance copywriter can build and move toward.
