Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Freelance Copywriters: How to Market for Immediate Results, Higher Paying Jobs & Long-term Clients

Publisher's Note: I apologize for being one day late with this post. I'm swamped after having taken the full Thanksgiving holiday off (something I rarely do, but have sworn to get better at (taking time off)). Today's article is posted below, after this memo.

For those who've inquired about my marathon results: I ran the Atlanta Thanksgiving Day marathon and finished in 4:39:06. I ran the entire thing -- only stopping to fully drink water/juice at designated stations along the way. I'd only trained up to 20 miles, so was worried that I wouldn't be able to finish in under 5 hours (the cut-off time for receiving a medal -- and boy did I want that medal!).

I was really sore for the next two days - but was able to dance my butt off at a party that Saturday night (funny how the body recovers when there's fun to be had). I was then sore again on Sunday, but by Monday felt like my old self. The weather was gorgeous (mid-60s, sunny, lite breeze).

Was it hard? Yes, but not as hard as I thought it would be. I've been a runner for over 20 years, but had never run a marathon. I can comfortably run up to 12 miles and trained for a year to do this marathon, even though I didn't get beyond the 20-mile mark in my training. However, other runners I'd spoken with said that if you can comfortably and consistently run 18 miles, you can do 26, even if you've never done it before. I sure was hoping that was true -- and it turned out to be so.

Would I do it again? Probably not. I enjoy running -- it's a form of relaxation therapy for me. But, when I get to 15-16+ miles, I really have to start concentrating on the running -- this takes the fun out of it for me because I can't think about other things, which is what I like to do when I run. I will be doing half-marathons though. I really enjoyed the camaraderie of the other runners and I'm now going to turn my attention to training for a half-triathlon.

Okay, enough about that -- on to today's topic: Freelance Copywriters: How to Market for Immediate Results, Higher Paying Jobs & Long-term Clients

Implement these three ideas to get immediate results, long-term clients and higher paying jobs from your freelance marketing efforts.

1. To get immediate results, pick up the phone: In the article, 10 Ways For a Freelance Writer to Make Money – Fast! (Part 2 of 2) (my Thursday, September 07, 2006 post), I detail exactly what to say on “cold calls.” Read Tip #6. Don’t cringe, tune out, or set your mind against doing this.

I know that this may frighten the heebie jeebies out of many, but trust me, once you do it 5 or 6 times, it’s old hat. You CAN do it and it will pay off big – almost immediately.

With the short, to-the-point script I laid out in the aforementioned article, you will see that it’s just like making a call to gather information, much as you would calling a restaurant to get directions.

Another immediate response marketing effort – email. Make sure you don’t spam though. How do you accomplish this? By actually taking the time to do some research on the prospect you want to email.

Your research doesn’t have to be in-depth, but does have to be enough to make the recipient feel like you’ve taken the time to get to know their product/service. Reference an article on their site, their current marketing campaign, marketing statistics pertinent to their sector, etc.

Your initial email should include the following: 1) evidence to prove that you know/are familiar with their product/service (eg, the research tip mentioned just above); 2) the reason for your contact; 3) why/how you can help them; 4) a brief professional bio; and 5) a link to your website (you do have one, right?).

Your website should include at least the following: a full bio on you, links to samples of your work and contact info. Testimonials, articles on/about your industry, a media page and a link to your blog (if you have one) is some other info you might want to add.

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2. To get long-term clients, think beyond the initial contact: I detailed how to do this in the article, Freelance Writers: How to Turn a Client Meeting Into a Windfall of Work (this blog's Wednesday, November 08, 2006 post).

To briefly recap, when a client contacts you, always, always, always think beyond the initial job. A personal story:

I recently did all the web copy for a client who is starting a title insurance company. When I sent in the final copy, I also presented him with three marketing ideas that help turn referrals into paying clients. Of course, they were all ideas that I could help with.

Why Proactive Marketing Breeds Success!

As I’ve mentioned before, being proactive in this manner helps in three ways:

a) it shows clients that you are professional and on the ball enough to be forward-thinking;

b) it lets them know that you understand their business; and

c) it gives them a reason to come back to you.

Many freelancers will simply turn in a project and say something to the effect of, “Keep me in mind if you have other projects I can help you with.” This is NOT effective. Be specific.

By offering specific ways in which you can help clients increase their bottom line, you become their go-to resource. This brings me to my last point:

3. To get higher-paying jobs, educate yourself: Freelance copywriters much be more than just proficient wordsmiths, they must be knowledgeable about marketing in general. This knowledge can easily be attained via trade journals, online reading, first-account articles, etc.

As a specific example of how this helps you make more money, I will use the recent client I mentioned above. This client had never had a website before and didn’t know too much about online marketing. I gathered this from our conversations about his web copy.

When I wrote his copy, I told him the reasons why I added, cut, embellished, etc., text. One specific exchange went like this:

“In marketing, it is a fact that if people are confused, there is too little info, or they don't fully grasp a concept, they rarely pursue it. Following this wisdom, it's always better to overstate an idea. Hence, the change I made was adding more of your ideas to this section, not cutting info.”
Explaining the reason behind your actions illustrate to the client that you are knowledgeable. Knowledge – especially when it is imparted in a manner that proves to the client that it helps their bottom line – is something that people are willing to pay more for because this, after all, must make you an “expert.”

Clients rarely question the fees of experts and are much more likely to feel that they’re getting more than “just” a freelance writer -- they’re getting a marketing expert who just happens to write.

Whether you are 3 months or 10 years into being a freelance writer, implementing these three ideas will increase your earnings for years to come.

May be reprinted with the following, in full:
Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com to learn how.
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