On a LinkedIn forum recently, a friend of mine who moderates the forum posted the reason why the group is moderated. It was just mid-month, and she’d already filtered out nearly a dozen posts that were self-promotional. Some of them weren’t even related to writing, while others were offering work for “exposure” to professional writers.
Good luck with that.
If only all social media had similar moderation. If only job boards did, as well. Can you imagine? There’s a rainbows-and-sunshine pipe dream for you. I’m more likely to see unicorns.
However, most writers I know market their services. They don’t rely on job boards, though it can be said that on the rare occasion, actual legitimate work does appear. But the time you have to invest just to find that one job and then the luck you’d need to be selected…
Find your own clients. It’s so much easier.
But that self-promotion is where a lot of writers screw up. And to be fair, it’s not all their fault. There are far too many writing “coaches” and “gurus” who push this idea that you have to self-promote everywhere and always.
That’s BS.
You have to network and build relationships. And the idea that you have to do that everywhere is a bit, well, scattered. You should be comfortable with how and where you’re reaching out to people. That’s the filter you should be using, not these made-up criteria from people who charge you too much and give you bad advice.
Even so, there are some marketing methods in use right now that, well, could use a little work. Here are some of the more common ones, plus some substitutions that can set you right again.
Over-promotion.
The weekly “Hire me” tweet hasn’t gotten you hired ever, has it? Then why continue? It makes a person sound desperate, and it’s not exactly explaining why anyone should bother to reach out.
The fix: Start sharing more. A LOT more. Share things you didn’t write (please, dear God, please don’t share just your stuff). Retweet interesting studies or tweets from potential clients that offer the most info to the most people. Put the “social” back in “social media” and stop pestering people who look at your LinkedIn profile. Instead, invite them to read a study you dug up or join a LI group you think they might benefit from. Being helpful is much, much more interesting than saying “I saw you looking at my profile! Are you looking for a writer?” because that, my friend, looks as desperate as it sounds.
Forgetting who needs to benefit.
It happens — we oversell ourselves. We send those letters telling the potential client the laundry list of our accomplishments. We’re so used to sending out resumes for the full-time jobs that hey, show them our accomplishments, that we forget they need to know this: What’s in it for them?
The fix: Why is it so hard for writers to shift the perspective to the client? But that’s what we should be doing. Instead of “Hire me — I’ve got 15 years of experience in your industry” which admittedly could pique some interest, shift to this: “My 15 years working in the healthcare industry has helped clients increase response rates and improve brand recognition…” Who wouldn’t want that?
Ignoring your previous clients.
Yes, it may have been a one-and-done project, but have you kept in touch? If they needed a writer once, who’s to say they won’t need one again?
The fix: Easy one — reach out to clients you’ve worked with. If they were a one-and-done, maybe every six months, send a “How are you?” note. Doesn’t have to be anything more than “I hope you’re well. If there’s anything I can do to help you with your workload, please feel free to reach out.”
Skipping follow-up.
How much work have you lost merely because you forgot to follow up on that LOI or that tweet/LinkedIn comment? There’s this odd thinking that goes on in freelancing that I can’t quite fathom — the “I don’t want to bother them” thinking. Honey, they may in fact need your services. But you’re busy shrinking away like you’re trying not to be noticed.
The fix: Be noticed. Seriously, assume everyone needs your services until they tell you otherwise. And when they say “We have in-house help” don’t let that be the last word. Say “Thank you” before moving on. Acknowledgement is a simple step that scores serious points in the professionalism column. How hard is it to say, really?
Whining in public.
This blog right here is the closest you’ll see me get to whining in public. I get heated, I get frustrated, and I get downright livid sometimes. But the whining? It’s channeled into what I hope are helpful posts that help people correct bad behavior or alert them to scams that just take the breath away. However, look on Twitter or Facebook and the whining and whingeing is rampant. Writers complaining openly about freelancing, complaining that no one will pay them huge dollars to stay home, or complaining openly about actual clients. Yep, right there where they can see it.
The fix: Shut your clam trap, zip up your pie hole. Think about that one client you’ve always wanted to impress. Pretend they are the one you’re communicating with. If you can’t pretend that, assume they’ll see it instantly. Now ask yourself: Is that really a message you want to send out? Didn’t think so.
Writers, what marketing mistakes are you seeing? What’s your fix for it?
What are some of the worst instances of bad marketing that you’ve encountered?