Your Freelance Writing Sweet Spot: How to Find It, How to Nurture It

I can’t tell you the last time I actively marketed.

That’s a confession coming from me, the one who hammers “market constantly” into your brain.

Aren’t I the one who convinces you to send those LOIs every day, follow up every week, and repeat the cycle often? And here I am, saying I’ve not practiced what I’m preaching.

Except I did.

For about 13 years since going full-time freelance, I’d marketed myself into a stupor. Twitter, LinkedIn, one annual trade show, LOIs, and pitches to magazines. Yep. I walked the walk.

Yet, in the last few years or so, I’ve not. At one point a while ago, I’d realized it had been a month since I’d followed my marketing schedule, which I’d cut back on since the work was steady with no signs of stopping.

But work stops, doesn’t it? So I kept my hand in the social media marketing, hanging out with current and former clients online, and just touching base via email now and then. I wasn’t ready to think I had it made. Been burned far too many times to convince myself of that narrative.

So I sat there that particular May (I remember it was May — Writers Worth Month) and realized that I was about to hit my fifth month of coming close to meeting or exceeding my earnings goal, and I hadn’t worked at finding new clients.

Instead, they were finding me.

So I did the unthinkable —

I sat back and waited.

And yes, everything in my being was screaming “You fool! You fool! Market! Market! Market!”

But I was curious. How long would this streak last? (And I put together a few quick queries that I intended to send out once the bottom dropped out.)

It’s still lasting.

How? How is this happening? A few reasons come to mind:

• I specialize in something not too many people specialize in
• I showed up regularly at trade shows and talked to anyone and everyone
• They now know my name

That last part — that’s the money right there. Well, to be fair, it all matters. And no, you don’t have to go to trade shows. It helps, but it’s not a requirement. But it is a damn good leg up if you’re able to swing one show a year.

So what did all this add up to?

My brand.

Stop groaning. And I saw that eye roll. My “brand” is simple — I provide great writing to people in the insurance and related industries. It’s not complicated. It’s the thing that makes people remember you and want to work with you.

That’s all it is. And yet it’s everything.

I promised you a sweet spot where all this marketing stuff can be ignored and the clients come running to you. Imagine a world in which you’re beating them off as they flock to you like paparazzi to a rock star.

Okay, maybe not completely like that. But wouldn’t it be great to market when a particular project or business appeals to you? To market by gabbing it up on social media instead of cold emails?

Here’s what has worked for me:

Step one: market like crazy.

Stop complaining. You can’t build something without a foundation, right? Marketing is still your foundation. Until you have name recognition, you have to build. Every day, send something, talk to someone, connect with someone. That’s your homework.

Step two: be present.

You don’t have to attend trade shows, but if you can, you’ll get such a bang for your buck, you’ll be glad you spent the money. If you can write for an industry prior to a show, you’ll most likely be able to get a press pass. That will save you the cost of attendance. Hotel, airfare, taxis and meals are on you — but they’re tax-deductible. At the show I attend, they provide a box lunch every day. At night, there are hospitality suites and parties. I haven’t paid for my dinner at these events in years. Make the most of the perks, which also give you access to potential clients.

Step three: do excellent work.

The best way to get name recognition and be known for something is to deliver the goods. Not your goods — theirs. They want it a certain way, so give it to them that way. Don’t think you’ll write it your way and they’ll see how brilliant your suggestion is. That’s arrogant, and it’s probably based on no information other than your hunch. Listen. Hear. Deliver. Repeat.

Step four: ask for referrals.

And do one better: talk about what you do to everyone. My referral last week came from a longtime friend I saw at a party. She ran into someone at the gym, and now they’re wanting to talk to me. Also, make friends with other freelancers. Learn what they do/specialize in. Tell them what you do/specialize in. Give a referral when the opportunity arises. Don’t expect one — if they give it, it’s because they trust you. So work on building trust instead of begging for work.

Step five: define your concentration.

Notice I didn’t say specialty. That’s because a lot of you don’t specialize. But you do have little pockets of concentration you’re known for. So when you’re talking with people or your tweeting, mention that concentration. Focus your marketing on that. You could do that for all of your concentrations if you like.

Step six: always be present.

At the risk of repeating myself, I can’t teach you how to be a professional when you’re in front of a client prospect, but I can tell you that being in front of them is most of the battle. Show up in online conversations. Check in now and then to see how that vacation went or if they’ve seen that article that might interest them. Be in the groups they belong to and the conversations they’re in. With social media, this one is a no-brainer. So stop overthinking and show up.

Step seven: repeat until you don’t need to.

I’d say steps two through six are ones you’ll always do. They’re painlessly simple, and they’re what will define you to your clients. That first step? That’s up to you. I’d keep at it as clients are like dandelion seeds in a tornado — they’re gone before you even knew they were there. How often you market — that depends on how well you’ve marketed in the past. If you’ve built on a solid foundation, you should see less need for it as time goes on.

Writers, how often did you market at the beginning of your career? When did you start marketing seriously? Define “seriously.”
What do your marketing efforts look like these days? Have you scaled back or ramped up?