I let the worthy-tip-giving exercise go lax while the vacation/holiday interrupted, but now that December’s here and many of us are facing a slim month, it’s time. Idle time is only idle if you do nothing. So let’s do something, okay?
Here’s this week’s prompt to get your business growing: look somewhere else.
Some of the more successful client partnerships I’ve been part of started when I looked outside my usual comfort zone. I reached out to a pharmacy magazine – I’d never written for the industry, but I got the job. That led to the nursing magazine job as the company owned two publications. Now I have clips for the portfolio that expand my work possibilities.
So where can you look? Do you write about fashion? You could reach out to the trade magazines and write about the business side of say shoe sales. Or how about writing about apparel from a business perspective? Do you write about animals? Why not focus on one group, such as dog shows, and hit the trade scene? Do you write copy for corporates? You could turn that into press release and white paper writing for nearly any corporation or mid-sized business. If you’re specific to say the financial industry, why not reach over into accounting or CPA areas?
What do you write about most? What do you love writing about? Tell me at least two areas you could cross over into. Got them? Now do it. Do it today. Ask for the job.
I pretty much write about anything that interests me. I see something interesting and say, "Hey, you can't live without me writing for you and here' why."
One of the areas I'm expanding into that's out of my comfort zone this year into next is environmental issues, and next year, I want to write more about aeronautics and space.
You're channeling me today, Lori. I'm a classic example someone who criss-crosses her way through queries.
After writing a few local color pieces and human interest stories for a local paper, I started writing business articles for a national trade. I didn't have any business experience, but that didn't stop me. A story for them was loosely tied to a popular PBS series. The show's publicist mentioned that repeats of that series had been repackaged for off-net syndication, making it the first PBS show to do so. I pitched that idea to a TV trade and 13 years later I spend roughly 80-percent of my time covering the TV industry for some of the top entertainment trades.
It doesn't stop there. I spun a press release on how sniffer dogs are being trained to locate large shipments of CDs and DVDs in order to combat movie piracy into a feature about for a dog magazine. So what if the trainer was in Northern Ireland? That's what e-mail is for.
Early on, I combined business articles with my love of dogs – and TV. I learned that the production office of one of my favorite shows was dog-friendly. Even the casting director brought her big, intimidating dog "Baby" to auditions. I wrote at least two articles about the pros and cons of dogs in the workplace.
I also spun my love of knitting into an article for the TV trade after hearing that a lot of actresses spend downtime on the set knitting. (I also got some great knitting tips!)
Quite often combining unusual topics is the best way to get the job.
Wait! I put my name it and it called me "anonymous" – that's not fair! I'm Paula.
Paula, are you being mysterious again? :))
LOVE your ideas! I'm going to see how they apply to some of my current projects.
Devon, you should write a book on the ins and outs of expanding the client base. 🙂
I did my "homework" on this one. I was thinking about contacting a company about proposing some work, but for some reason had it in my head that they wouldn't go for it. The post got me thinking about it again and I decided why not try? What's the worst they can do? Say No?
So, I concocted a proposal, called them up and pitched it today. Now is the waiting game to see whether they go for it or not at the price I quoted. If they don't, oh well. I felt good that I tried it anyway.
Thanks for the little cyber kick in the butt to give it a shot.