Comments on: Why Marketing is Simple

By: Deadline

Deadline — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 17:00:54 +0000

@Jake P.: Well, there's a couple of reasons why I did stop there–not that I'm not rectifying the mistake now. #1 I felt like I was maybe bothering all these people, and if all of these people were ignoring my samples maybe they weren't good enough yet. So that was a confidence issue. #2, I did used to be in sales, and when I didn't realize the ad agency market was bad I was trying to figure out what had went wrong, because in my sales background 100 calls would typically net me 25 positive results. I was used to a ratio, and I'd never seen a ratio of 0:100 before. So inspired by these posts I am going to take marketing in a new direction, but in the meantime I am also a single Mom who needs to hit a certain monthly figure to stay afloat, and Elance is where I was managing to consistently do that. I didn't have a Plan B or C to work with…now I do though! 🙂 –Carmen

By: Lori

Lori — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:26:14 +0000

Consistency is key, and you've proven that! It's why I try to market every week, even just a little. The more your name is out there, the more likely you'll be considered when there's work to be done.

By: Mridu Khullar

Mridu Khullar — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 06:41:22 +0000

I remember a period during my first or second year of freelancing when I was faced with a similar problem. I think I sent out 100+ queries and introduction letters within a span of a week. I targeted everyone I could think of – publishers with editing needs, magazines, newspapers, ad agencies, etc. Needless to say, I quickly found myself back on track again.

By: Lori

Lori — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 11:33:53 +0000

Or it could be that the fish are on to us, Wendy. LOL

By: Wendy

Wendy — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 10:46:34 +0000

Jake's granddad is a very wise man. The flying fish bit is very cool. How often do those who fish tend to blame the bait, the line, the lake, the boat, the weather, etc. when we don't catch fish? It could be something as simple as casting out a little bit further, throw the line in at another spot or using a different kind of bait. For the person who made the 100 calls and got nowhere, maybe call #101 could've been the jackpot. Who knows.

By: Lori

Lori — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 20:15:55 +0000

Eileen, that's really cool that by chance you found that new market! And I think I want to tattoo that comment on my arm - adapt or die. Amen!

Great idea, Cathy! I do a few of these myself. There's a bigger market in those articles than seen at first glance.

Wendy, you've managed to capture my fishing heart and my writing heart at the same time. :) As I've said here before, like you I fell into my specialty. It's one I'd never have considered, and it's built my career.

Thanks, Jake. It's a recycled one from here, but it's still relevant. :) And I think you're right - some are after that flying fish.

Wow, she is competitive, Paula! You did what was right for you. Your career led you to some extent, too. Nothing wrong with that!

Anne, you're right. Persistence is the takeway. And another one is in order! Yes, please! I'd love to read your take on it.

By: Anne Wayman

Anne Wayman — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 19:33:42 +0000

You know, as I read the comments here and over on Lori's great article on my site (bragging!) I'm also seeing that almost everyone of us has a different ao0000(cat tracks)approach… the real constant is persistence.

Hmmmm… yeah, I've done an article on that… maybe another is in order?

By: Cathy

Cathy — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 17:42:07 +0000

Wendy & Jake-love the quote and the flying fish! 🙂

By: Paula

Paula — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:22:45 +0000

This reminds me of some "advice" I got from a highly competitive freelancer who was then writing for many of the same markets I wrote for.

After I came to my senses and dumped one of my biggest clients (the trade mag that had 100% turnover in the editorial department, replacing competent editors with ignorant hacks) I was having a hard time breaking into new markets. I'd begun edging into covering the TV industry, so I refocused my efforts there, but it was an uphill battle. The fellow writer kept telling me TV was "fluff" and I needed to diversify my markets, like she did. (Little does she know: the shows may be fluff, but the industry isn't.) While cultivating that niche, I still pursued other trade and consumer markets.

Fast forward a couple years. During the post-9-11 economic free fall, one of my $1/word TV trades folded. It used to assign long articles, too, so that was a huge blow to my income. I was desperately querying consumer magazines and sending LOIs to all kinds of trades, but finding steady new markets was rough back then. That's when the same fellow writer said, "You should specialize, like I do."

I don't think she realized she'd done a complete 180. Then again, her advice is often less about helping you than it is about making her feel superior.

The best marketing approach is probably somewhere in the middle. Have abroad area of interests, but have an area of specialty, too. And when you don't hit the target you have two options: Improve your aim, or get a bigger target.

By: Jake P

Jake P — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 15:21:35 +0000

Nice article over there, Lori--interesting how Carmen's comment jumped off the page. What caught my eye is that she bailed after just 100 calls. That's a pretty low threshold without experimenting with Plan B or C.

Wendy, I love the Ovid quote! Whenever we went fishing with my granddad, he'd always yell at us for reeling in too often (as little kids are wont to do) to check the bait. "You're not going to catch anything out of the water, unless it's a flying fish!" I think a lot of freelancers are hoping for a flying fish...