Here we go again – another month, another assessment of the marketing and business plan. And once again, I invite you to share your own results, be they good or be they not so good.
It was a bit of a transitional month for me. I had just returned from vacation two weeks prior and was tied up with a deadline on a large project, so my absence and lack of marketing in that time showed. Not much new going on at all until this week, when I was contacted for a new ongoing gig.
Queries:
I sent out six targeted magazine queries, none of which has garnered a response even to the follow-up email. I’m tempted to return to snail mail in hopes that someone will have the decency to at least send back a “No thanks” in the SASE. Since I shifted my focus from magazine work a few months back, this wasn’t my primary marketing area anyway but damn, why can’t editors at least say “No thanks” in email?
Job postings:
I applied for only those jobs that passed my stink test: no language that indicated low pay, no hiring “writers”, no low-paying gigs, no high volume. That left just a handful, and of those only a select few were interesting or challenging enough. In all, I applied to four job postings. No results yet, either. No surprise.
Existing clients:
I lost a client by choice, and I don’t regret it. Having freed up that time, I soon scored that ongoing job through a contact I’d worked with in the past. This has some decent earning potential, which is going to help next month’s total look that much sweeter. Also, an ongoing client gig has seen an upturn in projects, so I was able to invoice a bit more this month than the last three. Thank God. I was beginning to wonder if the mall was hiring.
I contacted about five clients each week to say hello, to ask if there’s help needed, to send along a news item, etc. The goal is to stay in front of them and top-of-mind should a project come up. Also this week, a small note on my availability I’d left on LinkedIn prompted a long-ago contact to reach out and say he’d be in touch. That’s using social networking effectively!
Earnings:
I don’t have the heart to tally it, but I can say it’s dismal. In my head, I’m seeing half my targeted amount, which has been on par with other months post-recession. I won’t use the recession as an excuse, however. It isn’t one.
Bottom line:
I’m once more revamping my marketing approach. What isn’t working will be cut back. What is will be stepped up. With three ongoing gigs, I’m less inclined to spin my wheels with magazines until their budgets return (if ever).
How was your September? What did you do that worked? What didn’t?
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