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Author: lwidmer

10 Avoidable Marketing Mistakes

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Late March, Death March by Frightened Rabbit Piper welcoming us to the Tattoo What a weekend. It’s Tartan Week in New York City, and the festivities began Friday. We took part of the day off Friday and headed up for Saturday’s kirkin o’ the tartan and the parade, which we participate in…

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Free Advice Friday: This Job, Not That Job

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Middle Brother by Middle Brother After a slow beginning, this year just became busy — really busy. I spent this week working on two articles, scheduling interviews for a third, and researching a fourth. Plus, I did a good bit of marketing. I heard from a few regular clients about work…

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Monthly Assessment: March 2014

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: How to Save a Life by The Fray I don’t remember blinking for that long. March is really over? Crazy, but here we are in April. I spent the weekend driving back home (300 miles/5 hours each way) for a bridal shower, then driving back in a snowstorm that ended 100…

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Free Advice Friday: Working with Magazines

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Take Off Your Sunglasses by Ezra Furman & the Harpoons It was a heavy workweek. I have deadlines everywhere and plenty of assignments. I’d say TGIF, but there’s a lot to do before 5 pm. I did finish one article, but have one more to complete and two more to start….

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Marketing Redux: SWOT’s in it for You

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: I Will Wait by Mumford & Sons Aside from yet another forecasted snow storm expected today, this week is shaping up into a great ending to the month of March. I’d been waiting for some promised projects. They’re starting to come in now, as is new work I’d marketed for while…

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Free Advice Friday: The Client Discount Debate

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: The Wild Hunt by The Tallest Man on Earth It’s been a good week, albeit short. Even with Monday off for celebration and self-contained debauchery, I accomplished a good bit on my work list. I finished interviews for one article, started them for another, and organized a two-part article, which I…

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Grammar Gaffes Redux

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Enter Sandman by Metallica There are times I’m just thrilled I don’t have to commute anymore. Yesterday was one of those days. Thanks to a huge sewer main break in Valley Forge Park, traffic, which is usually a huge pain during rush hour, was an absolute nightmare. It was ironic that…

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Freelance Writer’s Guide to Correcting Grammar Gaffes

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Crazy Love by Poco Sign outside Molly Maguire’s on St. Paddy’s Day Just 363 days until St. Patrick’s Day…. not that I’m counting. I shouldn’t be. I behaved myself, but only barely. I made new friends I’ll probably never see again, especially one unforgettable woman: Pamela. She’s unforgettable because she introduced herself…

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Personal Holidays

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Galway Girl by Mundy Cead Mile Failte! What a day. I wait 364 days for today, and when it arrives, it’s like Christmas. Happy St. Patrick’s Day to everyone! I’ll be celebrating at my favorite haunt. If you live nearby, stop in. I’d love to celebrate with you. Two years ago,…

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Free Advice Friday: Building a Specialty Writing Niche

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Late in the Evening by Paul Simon It’s been a slooooow week. Where normally I’m inundated with work, I’m sitting idle. I’d be concerned if I didn’t know I had some projects about to appear. Still, I market as though nothing is in the works. You never know when a project…

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  1. Cathy Miller Avatar
    Cathy Miller

    As you know, Lori, my specialty is healthcare and employee benefits. After a 30+ years in a corporate career in that niche, it was a no-brainer. 😉

    I am launching a separate niche – more for me than anything – that stems from over a decade of participating in the 3-Day Walk for the Cure. We'll see where the journey takes me. 😉

    Reply
  2. Eileen Avatar
    Eileen

    When you specialize, it makes it easier to market because you have a focus. You know what companies and people to target. When I went from a generalist to a specialist, I almost doubled my income the first year.

    I specialize in writing copy for dietary supplement companies, which is nuanced and has regulatory issues that marketers must be aware of. A lot of copywriters are drawn to this market but can't grasp the nuances involved to stay legal in their copy. Add to that a different perspective from each client on what's legal and what's not, and you really have to have wisdom.

    Lately, I've refined my pitch even further, pointing out to prospective clients that one thing I'm particularly skilled at is taking scientific language and putting it into plain English that is also compliant with FTC/FDA regulations.

    Reply
  3. Lori Widmer Avatar
    Lori Widmer

    Cathy, I love both your niches. 🙂

    Eileen, you have a fantastic specialty. I think it points to the fact that a specialty can require research and study. How long did it take you to come up to speed with the legal nuances?

    Reply
  4. MsJWoodard Avatar
    MsJWoodard

    Lori,

    Thanks for the article. I want to write and market for the financial services industry, the problem that I find is that many in this area do not understand what keeping an updated website/blog can do for their business, they are stuck in the old ways of doing business and many are afraid of compliance issues. I have worked some clients in this with marketing and it is difficult for them to not make the writing boring and technical. Many are completely afraid of social media and the larger firms either have staff or make their brokers use canned articles. Many also do not understand that social media is great for engagement and want to know when they are going to get clients, they understand nurturing in the way that they have done things in the past but not nurturing clients through social media.
    Any suggestions on to break past these barriers?

    Jenn

    Reply
  5. Lori Widmer Avatar
    Lori Widmer

    Jenn, I've run into similar situations in my specialty, too. You can lead the horse to water, but…

    Have you tried making a case study showing the benefits of fresh content? If you don't have client successes in that area yet, you might want to interview some of the companies that are doing it right. Then you could perhaps present an article/blog post to your potential clients showing the results.

    Some clients just won't see the value, but the more courageous will. For some reason, some clients are still a bit gun shy when it comes to the Web.

    Reply
  6. Paula Avatar
    Paula

    Another link to my old LOI guest post? I'm honored!

    My main niche sort of crept up on me. I started out writing business articles – sales, marketing, promotions, incentives, advertising. A lot of the advertising and promotion pieces dovetailed with entertainment (what networks or shows were commanding the big ad dollars, or how a company boosted sales with a promotional tie-in to a feature film), and before long the bulk of my articles were for entertainment trades.

    Back then a writer friend cautioned me against focusing on one area. But I never really did that. I love the variety of assignments you get as a generalist so I've always tried to mix it up a bit, while keeping my main focus on the entertainment sector.

    The funny thing is a few years later the same friend told me I was wrong NOT to specialize in just one area. I realized that particular writer wanted to feel like a freelancing expert, so whatever I did – or didn't do – would be wrong.

    I actually like having a couple different areas of expertise. That helps keep the job interesting.

    Reply
  7. Eileen Avatar
    Eileen

    Lori, there are some copywriter-generated study courses to get up to speed in the dietary supplement niche on the regulatory issues. The FDA and FTC also have guidance documents available. So I've certainly used those, but mostly it's about experience and learning from my clients. It's a gradual thing. And I'm still learning. Right now I have a Canadian client who is doing two versions of copy, one for Canada, one for the U.S. So far there's typically only a difference in a phrase here or there and even I have to stare at it for awhile until I can figure out what's appropriate for each version.

    Jenn, I am wondering if you're finding the right fish in your pond for financial services. It seems to me the best prospect is going to be the marketing and communications directors at corporate levels, not branch levels. Small independent financial service companies will not have the budget to hire you, nor will they understand the value you bring to the table. If you have to spend time educating a client as to why they need a copywriter, IMO, they're not a viable client.

    Reply
  8. Lori Widmer Avatar
    Lori Widmer

    Eileen, thank you for the additional info. It's helpful to those starting out for sure, but I appreciate it, as well. It's not just motivating to know that there are courses and such to help — it's essential to learn all you can, in my opinion.

    Great suggestions for Jenn, too.

    Reply
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