Yesterday was a lesson in wheel-spinning. I got one article completed, then set out to get my new website put together. The one I have I really don’t like, so I’m revamping everything. Websites should show personality, not what you think clients want to read. So they’re getting me this time around.
The copy is going well, but the design, well….
I finally heard back from a client who’s trying to get me on board as a freelancer. The trouble is there’s a ton of paperwork and some questions regarding the contract terms, so once we iron those out we can get down to work.
Going on our theme this week – to help those DM writers who are interested in doing better for themselves – let’s get busy on marketing. Nothing is more frustrating than crafting targeted queries or emails that fall short of any assignments. It could be that you’re doing everything right, but you’re missing one or two things that could push your efforts over to the win column.
FYI, don’t forget – if you’re a former content farmer, head over to Jenn Mattern’s All Freelance Writing blog. She’s spelled it out for you as succinctly as you’re going to get. Learn from her and you’ll have a stronger career.
Whether you market once a day or once in a while, you can improve your marketing results by applying some simple fixes to your current marketing plan. Here are ways you can better reach your client prospects and improve your chances of getting the gig:
Follow Up. If you want to increase exponentially your ability to close the sale, you have to follow up on your initial contact. It’s the easiest, yet most overlooked step in the marketing process. Follow up on emailed queries in three weeks, letters of introduction in two months, and client-generated calls or emails within a few days to a week.
Increase Points of Contact. I attended a conference in May, and I made sure to have at least four interactions with potential clients – 1) an introductory note prior to the show, 2) a meeting at the show, 3) a follow-up note and mailed marketing materials after the show, and 4) a note a week after the mailings went out to invite questions or projects. Also, I’m now following potential clients on Twitter and LinkedIn, plus I’ve joined several industry forums in order to communicate with them in an informal setting.
Schedule It. I make time in every day to market. That includes following up at least once a week. Find a time of day that works best for you, and make sure to spend at least 30 minutes each day contacting new or existing clients.
Ask for Referrals. Every time I finish a project in which the clients and I have worked well together, I thank them for their business and ask them if they know of others who need my services. Last year, the bulk of my work was referral work.
Reintroduce Yourself. You know that PR rep because she helped you locate article sources. But does she know you do more than just article writing? Take time to reacquaint your current contacts with your full background. I’ve secured some lucrative contracts recently by sending my resume to marketing folks I worked with ten years ago. One guy said he had no idea I “did more than just journalism.” Now he does.
Do you track your marketing strategies? What method seems to work best for you?
How do you increase the success of your current marketing efforts?
What’s your biggest marketing sin – forgetting to follow up, not marketing regularly, etc?
How often do you get referral work?
4 responses to “More Bang-bang in Your Shoot-em-up”
My biggest marketing sin would probably be not asking for referrals. Granted, the bulk of my work is for magazines, and editors don't often refer their best writers to the competition. (That said, Favorite Editor once suggested sending one of my pitches she couldn't use to a friend of hers who had a start-up magazine. He bought it.)
I do get a different type of referrals from publicists. When I contact them seeking ideas for specific issues of certain magazines, I usually ask them to pass it along to their cohorts. Some are in huge network or corporate PR departments, others are one of several publicists in boutique agencies, and yet others are independent publicists who work with all of the above. I did that the other day and my in-box was flooded with article suggestions – and the possibility of a (somewhat unlikely for a freelancer) set visit in Romania.
I feel like I'm hitting another plateau, so in early November I'm going to do a re-assessment and see what I want to change.
A new marketing push will be part of that.
I'm spending too much time teaching, and it's not the most financially viable best usage of my time. So I need to get a few other things going again.
Paula, that's one I commit, too. And it's funny – that was the majority of my work last year. I didn't ask, but they came in. A sign I should be asking.
Devon, I've been feeling the same and wondering if there's an astrological reason for it. (Always willing to blame stars over my own actions!). You've been deep in the teaching side for a while now too – maybe you need a side project to refresh, eh?
Well, we've got four retrogrades going on — Pluto (what's hidden is revealed); Neptune (my ruling planet, so I'm always out of whack when that's retrograde, and it's creativity); Uranus, the great awakener (it's retrograde, so we can feel rumbles in the sleep), and Jupiter, the planet of physical expansion — this is the time when money can get tight, contracts are cancelled, things go wrong in the house, but also a time for looking within.