To gain free copywriting services for your next project, you may consider posting your wishes on an online classifieds site. In many cases, you may get inexperienced writers who are looking to build a portfolio of work in order to gain paying clients later on. You may also discuss options of trading labor with a budding or professional writer to offset the cost of paying for copywriting services.
Often, you will be able to get free copywriting services by hiring a writer who has little professional experience. This does not necessarily mean that the writing will not be of good quality. Most writers who are willing to go through the trouble of writing for no payment are serious about their craft and want to do a professional job in order to gain employment or clients in the future. Keep in mind that since you are getting services at no charge, you may have to endure longer turnaround times and you may be limited in the services you can request. For instance, a writer with plenty of sales letter samples may not offer a sales letters at no charge.
Another way to get free copywriting services is by bartering with professionals in the field. This is mostly accepted by freelancers rather than ad agencies or firms. Just be sure that you have a service or product to offer that is of similar monetary value as the writing you'd like to have done. If the copywriter you are working with does not have an accurate quote for the project, you may have to do some research to get an idea of what a particular service is worth.
On occasion, if you work for a nonprofit organization, a religious institution, or an educational institution, you may be able to find a professional who will offer free copywriting services to you as an act of charity. This is not always the case, but there are those writers who yearly or monthly offer services to such organizations at no charge. To find someone, post an ad online or write to a copywriting association for names of such writers, if available.
If you can't find free copywriting using any of these outlets, you may be able to find services at much lower fees than normal. Freelancing websites abound, and many writers bid on projects in competition with one another. This allows you to get the lowest price available. Keep in mind that these sites allow writers of all skill levels, so to get quality services you must read samples carefully.