I was in conversation with a beginning freelancer a while ago when I realized that the writer was approaching her freelance writing business as if she were an employee. The signs were all there:
- Applying for jobs
- Treating networking like a sales pitch
- Looking for others to tell her what to do and how to do it to succeed
- Not really reading the advice she was given let alone understanding it
It happens. We who were once employees can’t quite get out of that mode. Hungry for sales and checks, we look for quick cash — proposals on the first date kind of behavior.
There are freelancers who wait to be told what they should do next or worse, ask question A, then follow up with more detailed, what I call lazy questions. Example: How do I send a pitch to a magazine? and follow-up questions like, Where do I find the editor’s email? and What idea should I send? The first question is fine. The other two show me you’ve not bothered to do even the basic work. Not that as a beginner you would know, but a few internet searches turn up the answers pretty quickly. If you’re asking those types of questions a lot, you’re not really doing the basic work.
Then there’s the one that really grinds me: Ask for advice then fail to read it, comprehend it or even acknowledge it. There was one writer a number of years ago who would ask the same question. Annually. Don’t think she even realized it. I quit responding. This was someone who wasn’t putting any attention into their own careers.
Yep. If you’ve been successful at freelancing and have decent name recognition among other freelancers, you’ve gotten the same sort of questions, the same sort of inattention to your responses, and the same feeling that this person is going to be waiting for the lightbulb to come on without lifting a finger to flick the switch.
[bctt tweet=”Your #freelancewriting business can’t be successful without your effort.” username=”LoriWidmer”]
That’s right. Asking for advice is one thing. Action? That’s all you, my friend.
If you’re like our hapless freelancer who is probably still asking the same question somewhere, this post will help you understand how to improve your freelance writing business by changing your behaviors. Simple fixes, easy for you to handle. I promise.
1. Learn how to network.
Networking is not marketing. Networking is being interested in people and companies and wanting to connect to share ideas or conversation. Networking, in my opinion, is silent marketing that pays off down the road. For example, that marketing director you shared a cab with at a conference and then had lunch with the next time you met is someone you have in your network: An acquaintance or business relationship that you’ve cultivated and nurtured. You two share common interests and industry knowledge. In five years when she needs a writer with industry knowledge and you’ve bothered to stay in touch, guess who’s going to come to mind?
Networking is meeting people to get to know them. It’s like making a friend. I’d say plenty of the people I’ve met over the years are certainly work friends. A good number of them have become clients, too. The goal: to make connections and learn about someone.
2. Learn how to market effectively.
To me, marketing is only partly sales. My marketing is finding ways in which I can make myself and my work more interesting to those in my network and those on social media. It’s not bragging, endless “Look at me!” type of posts. It’s things like thanking a client publicly (if it’s not against any NDA), sharing industry-wide news or connections’ posts, it’s little hints at what you do: “Just completed my client’s 28-page cyber insurance white paper. What’s on your desk today?”
Marketing does include a sales element, such as a pitch to a magazine or a blog devoted to the industry you write for. It can be a sales letter or a broader social media campaign or even an occasional emailed e-newsletter with marketing and writing advice sent out to your targeted list of clients. Yes, you can ask for the job. But first, build a reputation that makes it damn easy for them to say Yes.
3. Be selective when following advice.
I’ve never believed in a one-size-fits-all business approach. I’ve done marketing in ways that might not work for others because of personality or target audience differences. And vice versa. So when a self-styled guru says you MUST do it this way, run. A great business plan is one that borrows the best bits of all sorts of advice (and you determine what those best bits are based on what attracts you). And it’s a plan that lives — what you do today may change tomorrow. Tweak it. Read. Learn more. Apply things better going forward. Learn from your mistakes and keep looking for your own sweet spot. I can’t tell you where that is. But you’ll know it when you land on it.
4. Make the best use of your social media choices.
I learned long ago that two forms of social media is much more advantageous than being signed up for eight or nine. How can anyone keep up with all those platforms? Choose your favorite few. Find interesting topics to tweet about, post about, talk about and share. Definitely share others’ posts and thoughts. Join conversations. Use the hashtag associated with your intended client audience. I personally get the most mileage out of LinkedIn and Twitter. Find a social media platform that you like and one where your clients and potential clients are.
5. Hold yourself accountable.
Today, identify someone to whom you can report every month. Then do this: Set a monthly earnings goal. If you need to, make a list of which clients you’ll contact and how many prospective clients you’ll introduce yourself to. At the end of every month, contact your accountability partner. Report in. You made $XXXX this month, you worked with Y clients, and you reached out to Z number of prospects. From the first time I checked in with Joy Drohan until today, my business results were noticeably better. The moment you know you have to report your activity you are suddenly laser-focused on your business all month, not just the last week of the month. Right now I’m sitting here thinking about how many days are left in the month for me to hit that earnings target and if I should reach out to one of my clients with an idea.
It works. Try it.
You can be like our hapless freelancer who is waiting for the world to tell her every step she needs to take to build a successful freelance writing business. You can apply for jobs online, hope to be chosen and hope even more that it pays a decent rate. Or you can take control of your business, learn the basics, improve on your own approach, and keep your attention on your success rather than on getting one more client, one more gig.
Writers, when was the turning point in your freelance writing business?
What one or two things did you change that made a huge impact?
Lori–my accountability buddy. Thanks as always for great advice and reminders. I agree that knowing I’ll report my totals to you monthly is a continuing motivator.
As are you, my friend. You’ve helped me be better at what I do. Thank you. 🙂
Having Dava Stewart as my accountability buddy is great — as is seeing her meet and beat most of her very big goals. I learn at lot from her approach, and gain a lot from her encouragement.
That’s very motivating, isn’t it? She would be a great partner, for sure!
Awwww….how nice is it to have a comment in mind, then see people saying such lovely things? It’s nice! Thanks, Paula. And thanks, Lori.
Lately I haven’t been reaching those very big goals, and have even been shying away from setting them. And still, Paula encourages me to do what I need to do.
A networking story: a long time ago, when I first started my business, I went to a couple of Chamber of Commerce events and met a fellow named Doug. He was an engineer turned salesperson, very personable, and encouraging. There was little chance he would ever become a client, but we connected on FB, saw each other at occasional local events and generally just became acquainted. A couple of years ago, I got an email from him, introducing me to the director of marketing at the company where he works. They aren’t a client yet (I need to follow up again, as they’ve had some personnel changes) but it was amazing to me that networking a decade before resulted in a potential client.
You’ve earned the praise, Dava!
Great story! You just never know who is going to be your next client or give you your next referral. I remember a particularly odd man I had to work with for a week. He was incredibly hyperactive; nice guy, but wore me out mentally. I was not sad to see him go. But imagine my surprise when he referred me to a client. That turned into a three-year engagement.
Had either you or I gone into those first encounters with selling in mind, it wouldn’t have happened. No one wants that!
Fingers crossed that you come to an agreement soon.
No 3 – exactly what I needed to read today. And what I wish I’d read and put into practice, years ago.
No 5 – I’ve never thought of having an accountability partner. Usually, I plod on by myself, ticking things off my to-do list.
Thank you!
Hi Sara — sorry, your comment was lost in my spam folder. Glad I found it! You should have no issue going forward, but if you do, feel free to reach out to me privately.
Don’t beat yourself up over not doing these things sooner. Now is as good a time as any! And the accountability will help immensely. It’s that notion in the back of your brain that you have to report in that keeps you on task a bit. You may be doing great without that, but even so, it gives you that much more of a boost.
I’ve been lax on the LOI/new client front lately. It’s going to bite me in the butt somewhat this summer, with the WGA strike (which does effect me, and quite a bit). My own fault; I knew it was coming. However, if/when the promised grant money comes through, it gives me a little breathing room to do some re-focusing work, as far as my targeted postcard list, and being able to go to local events. I have to say, the networking/entrepreneur meetings in this area are SO MUCH FUN. Great people doing interesting things, and recommending each other a lot. There’s a part of me that feels I should be very worried, but more of me that just isn’t, because I’m refocusing and being more careful and specific about the work I’m going after.
As far as social media channels, I’m still on too many, as I learn which ones do what best, and where to focus which projects. The ones I enjoy most and the ones to where my audience has scattered might not be the same. I keep reminding myself that I built my presence on Twitter over 13 years. It won’t happen in 13 hours on a different platform.
I dumped a bunch of the channels I tried and don’t miss them at all, so I know I dumped the right ones! 😉
Maybe the LOI isn’t what you need anymore, Devon. Maybe you’re getting more mileage out of personal interactions and social media networking? It’s tough to say definitively what works best for each writer. You know it when it happens.
I like your experiments with each social media outlet. It’s a great primer for us all to hear your personal experiences.
Yes, I’m happy to jump into social media trenches and share what works or doesn’t and why.
You might be right — it may be more about personal interaction at this point, especially here. And since there are so many artists and creators who are here temporarily, in various residencies, it takes my work farther than LOIs would.
You’ve found your sweet spot. And hey, anytime I’m around a group of like-minded writers, that’s a damn sweet spot. 🙂