When I began freelancing over a decade ago, I greatly enjoyed the challenge of pitching and achieving payment for writing magazine articles. But since the assignments weren’t easy to come by and patience is not one of my top virtues, I decided I’d rather target copywriting opportunities in my own backyard.

My first step was to learn about search engine optimization (SEO) so I could attract clients to my website. That meant creating pages on my site for keyword combinations like “Sacramento copywriter” and “Sacramento freelance writer.” I also targeted a wider area with pages for “Silicon Valley copywriter” and “California freelance writer.”

I decided that I would specialize in electronic newsletters, which included writing, creating, and managing them with Constant Contact. I planned to target my favorite local day spa as my first potential client, but I couldn’t find an email address for the owner (and I was too chicken to pick up the phone). So, I typed up a letter letting him know I was a long-time customer of the spa, as well as a local copywriter and marketing expert. I said that he was missing out on business opportunities by not publishing an electronic newsletter. The day the letter arrived, he called and hired me on the spot.

I wrote and managed his electronic newsletter for $1,100 per month—a contract that went on for several years. And that client referred me to several other day spas nearby where I landed more newsletter clients at similar rates. (Hint: Day spas are used to spending big money on advertising.)

While my newsletter business grew, I joined several local networking groups, including two women’s business groups and the Sacramento chapter of Business Networking International (BNI). Referral groups like BNI and LeTip International conduct weekly meetings where local business owners share details about the services they offer. Among the many real estate agents, insurance brokers, and life coaches, I stood out as one of the only copywriters in the area—at least the only one who was showing up to those events.

At one of the meetings, I met a website designer. He said his greatest challenge was getting his clients to write the copy for their web pages, which caused his projects to slow to a grinding halt. “If you can write the web page copy for them, you’ll make my life so much easier.” I agreed, and he referred three clients to me that first week.

I charged around $200 per page, with a five-page minimum. The pages usually included Home, About, and several services pages. I taught clients that listing their services on individual pages with focused keyword combinations was good for their SEO. This allowed me to bring additional value to their businesses while also expanding the scope of my projects.

I would usually meet with the clients in person or by phone, interview them for an hour or so, and request any available brochures or other marketing collateral. Because most of them didn’t want to write their copy anyway, they rarely requested many edits or revisions. After we finished the project, I would often up-sell them on electronic newsletter services.

It wasn’t long before I began attracting clients outside of the area, thanks to the SEO I’d applied to my website. Several Silicon Valley companies hired me for various copywriting projects. One company actually hired me to write a unique greeting for the company holiday card. Just two lines of text, billed at my minimum project rate ($500)!

My copywriting business grew so quickly that by the end of my first year, I stopped attending all those local networking events because I couldn’t handle more business. A good problem to have. And aside from all the business I generated, I made a lot of local friends along the way—including many who are still part of my life years later.

If you’re hungry for new ways to boost your writing business revenue, consider getting out in your local community. There are more business networking events than ever before. Aside from those I’ve already mentioned, check out your chambers of commerce, service groups like Rotary, and groups organized on Meetup.com. With a little effort and a dash of luck, your business could grow quickly, too.

BIO: Stephanie Chandler is founder of The Nonfiction Authors Association, a vibrant community for writers featuring fresh content weekly, educational teleseminars, a year-round book awards contest, local chapter meetings across the U.S. and U.K., and Nonfiction Writers Conference events held ONLINE twice yearly (no travel required!). NonfictionAuthorsAssociation.com and NonfictionWritersConference.com.