5 of the Best Project Management Tools For Copywriters

Laptop? Check. Internet? Got it. Great! What’s Next?

Ok, so I’m gonna divert from the common push from some copywriting coaches that enthusiastically tell you that the only things you need to get started as a copywriter are your laptop and an internet connection.

Because it just simply isn’t true.

That’s like saying the only thing you need to get started as a baker is a whisk and an oven. 

Sure, you need a computer and the internet to start a copywriting business, but they’re not the only things you need. Not if you want to be successful. 

If you want to start a career as a copywriter––and you want that career to be sustainable and actually allow you to make enough money to live on, there are several tools and resources you need to invest in.

So, beyond the laptop and wifi, let’s talk about the one of the most important things that you need to get started as a copywriter: project management tools.

The Best Project Management Tools for Copywriters

As a freelance copywriter, you’re responsible for keeping track of all of your client projects. As your copywriting business grows and you take on more clients, the chances of something falling through the cracks grows, too.

You need a way to manage your projects so that you work efficiently and effectively, keeping on top of client deadlined, ensuring that you have everything you need to finish a project, and even track invoicing and payment.

There are several project management softwares that are great for freelance copywriters. Here are the ones that come highly recommended:

1. Monday.com

Transparency: I use Monday.com for my copywriting agency and I’m absolutely obsessed with it. We have multiple clients, Monday.com allows my team to keep track of deadlines, project guidelines and files, and even tracks the status of each project. 

Clients are able to upload a new project and hit a button. When that button is clicked, project managers are alerted and then take the project from there.

Each of my writers has their own board as well, so that progress can be tracked as well as how many projects each writer has for the month.

Monday.com’s easy duplication function eliminates time and allows information to be transferred over to writers without having to do it manually.

2. Asana

Ok, as a copywriter and copywriting course creator, I’m ALWAYS drilling it into your head that you should write about benefits over features. And besides the fact that Asana’s features ARE benefits in themselves, they’ve done this copy perfectly. They’ve listed the features, and then the benefits of each one.

And the benefits are plenty. 

Calendar management, workflows, individual project boards, reporting, goal setting, and automation are some of the top features of Asana, which make it an ultra-useful all-in-one project management tool for copywriters who are starting to book their calendars to the gills. 

And, if you’re an agency owner, you can even see what the workload of your team looks like, which is fantastic.

3. HoneyBook

An ever-popular project management tool for copywriters, HoneyBook is a freelancer’s dream. HoneyBook is a CRM and project management tool all-in-one, helping you track leads, keep track of your projects, calendar, and even invoice and get paid directly through the platform.  

HoneyBook integrates with Google Calendar, Zapier, Gmail, and Quickbooks so that you can manage your freelance copywriting business in a centralized location. 

And, for everything this project management tool does, you only pay $39 a month (or $390 a year if you pay in full). 

4. ClickUp

I’ve started seeing OOH ads for ClickUp on city buses here in Austin. Which, I’ve got to say, definitely caught my attention (and totally makes me consider a bus ad for my agency).

ClickUp is gaining popularity at a pretty rapid pace. And their “Save one day a week. Guaranteed,” tagline is pretty appealing.

ClickUp’s USP (unique selling point if you’re not familiar) is that they are the “one app to replace them all,” which, if you look into everything they do, might be right.

ClickUp is a project management tool and CRM one, PLUS a chat feature, so if you’re a freelance copywriter who likes to add your clients to Slack for quick communication, you could easily switch out whatever project management tool you’re using and migrate everything over to ClickUp and keep everything in one place.

5. Trello

One of the “original” project management tools for copywriters and teams of all types, Trello is perfect for you if you have projects that have a lot of moving parts, such as if you’re a UX copywriter and partner with a web designer. 

Trello’s projects are managed by “boards” and give you a clear view into what you need to be doing, what’s in progress, and what’s done.

Plus, they’re trusted by some of the biggest brands in the world. If it’s good enough for ZOOM, it’s good enough for all of us.

Copywriting Project Management Tools Mean Streamlining Your Business

If you want to run a successful copywriting business, project management is going to be key, and the project management tools you choose will make or break your customer service and customer relationships.

You’re providing a professional service. You need a professional way to manage it. Beyond the laptop and wifi, a project management tool is the next most important thing you need to have to get your copywriting business going.

Talk soon!

-Liz