What’s on the iPod: Through Smoke by Needtobreathe
It’s funny how as the birthday of one Robert Burns draws near, I’m finding myself quoting his To a Mouse. If the best laid schemes indeed “Gang aft agley”, that was yesterday. Try as I might, I couldn’t get beyond one project, which quickly morphed into three. I’m paid to turn them around quickly, so they did have to take priority. That meant the article revisions sat untouched, as did the marketing ideas going out. I never thought three little projects would take all day. Yet there you go.
That means all those plans for today are now pushed back until tomorrow. I want to hit it hard today and get these projects out the door so I can A) invoice, and B) move on. I was thinking of starting down the Schedule C road, but that won’t happen today. Amen. Taxes give me pause, grief, agita, stress, and any other miserable feelings or thoughts you can imagine. I think it’s because I’ve lost faith in the IRS since his debacle with them deciding he owes them money, them sending him the same amount he’d paid two weeks later, then demanding it right back; and my own encounter with them making mathematical errors. Nothing doing, people – that’s my job.
So now on to new marketing plans. I did very well with last year’s plan, but I want a raise, and I’d be thrilled to find new clients who value my skills as much as my current clients do. So I’m going to test my marketing scheme – targeting conference exhibitors and their PR firms – to try capturing some of the wealth of material copy writing that exists.
It made me think of other areas in which I’m not looking that could be lucrative. Here are a few:
1. Conference attendees. Mind you, not individuals, but the companies that send their employees to conferences. They’re already finding value in the information and are willing to spend money to gain more information.
2. Conference speakers. I’ve heard their speeches and sat through their sessions. There is plenty of room for improvement, and I’m quite willing to help. Plus, I have the writing expertise and understanding in their fields in order to get the right message out.
3. Printers. I work with one printer now, but how nice would it be to partner with a few more and capture some of their referrals for writing work? If any new clients work with particular printers, I’m quite willing to introduce myself and suggest such a partnership.
4. Associations. Someone is putting on the conference, and many times it’s an association. They’re usually planned by a small group of people (one very large one I attend has one person running the entire conference planning). Why not offer to help someone who’s already stretched beyond capacity?
5. Industry Magazines. They all want to cover the large conferences and events, but often can’t afford to send a staffer. I’m able to pay my way (tax deductible) and write on whatever angle is necessary.
Think about the prospecting you’re doing right now. Are you approaching these markets/clients to capture as much business as you can, or are you targeting one small corner of it?
Good morning, Lori! FWIW, a friend of mine has gotten steady work editing association magazines. She got the gigs from another friend, who is a graphic designer who specializes in designing association publications. Perhaps knowing these little tidbits will give you at trail to follow in searching out some prospects.
I think associations are a market worthy of explanation. Many of them are laying off staff or firing their expensive agencies because of the economy. That's going to leave a nice, freelancer-sized opportunity wide open.
Oops. That should be worthy of "exploration," not "explanation." Haven't had my tea yet.
LOL! I know how that is, Eileen. Believe me!
Thanks for the suggestion. It's a great idea!
Great ideas, Lori. I've had some good experiences partnering with graphic designers/design firms. I'm currently working on a project with a client that was referred to me by a graphic designer friend and I send referrals her way as well.
The only thing that could be considered "ghost writing" that I do is speechwriting — I use my playwrighting skills and ability to capture cadence for it. I really enjoy it.
My marketing has fallen by the wayside, and I need to get back on top of it. February's nicely booked, but I'll have a very lean March if I don't get my act together.
Maybe my brain is still stuck in Monday, Lori, but I'm not sure what you meant with idea #1. How could/would a writer or editor help attendees gain information? (Other than writing up reports for the trade show dailies, that is.)
I really like idea #4. I deal with a lot of marketing and PR people in various associations, so I probably have a huge untapped resource.
I've done #5 (it was better back in the days when magazines paid travel expenses), but it can also work on a speculative basis if you stick with local events to save on hotel and airfare. I've attended random trade shows in Chicago, sent queries when I got home and landed several assignments for multiple publications. Sure, my feet were so sore for the next week that I couldn't bear to wear shoes, but that's a small price to pay since I'm used to constant foot pain.
Howdy, all. With conference speakers, another good niche is helping them with their "one sheets" — basically, it's just a simple marketing spin on a resume, with a quick hit of their main speech or seminar topics, etc. Most of them are pretty awfully written and poorly designed. It's a quick $250 or $300.
The other good thing is that, once you've helped one speaker, they are a good referral source.
Great idea, Kim! I've partnered with one designer, but haven't seen much from it as he isn't a full-time designer.
Devon, you sound like me. I'm looking a few months out, too. 🙂
Paula, I mean that companies willing to spend money to send their employees to conferences aren't afraid to spend money, and they might value writing because they're showing a pattern of spending in order to gain knowledge and grow their businesses. No, I'm not suggesting writing up things in order to help attendees gain info – they're already there doing that. I'm saying their companies are showing signs of spending in order to gain a competitive edge.
Jake, you've just proven my point that resumes aren't dead. 🙂 How did you contact your first speaker?
Oh, jeez. It was long enough ago that I don't remember — actually, I think she contacted me originally to help her with her website, and that spun off into the one sheet.
That said, if someone was interested in finding some folks who want help, I'd recommend contacting a local speakers bureau or your local chapter of the National Speakers Association. http://www.nsaspeaker.org/
Awesome! Thanks, Jake.