Know what I’m sick of? Empty posts full of keywords that are meant to get traffic, not help the reader. That was my experience yesterday when I went searching for ways for freelance writers to create multiple streams of income. I’d read Diane Parkin’s post about how she’d employed an Income Octopus Method two years…
Marketing
Refining Your Freelance Message
Sometimes these posts just write themselves. I was in the company of someone a few months back who’s a real talker. Mind you, I like a good conversation, and I love hearing other opinions. What I don’t love, nor does anyone else beyond theater and the comedy circuit, is a monologue. And no one loves…
4 Biggest Marketing Mistakes, Uncovered
When you cruise social media, you see some pretty weird stuff. I’m talking about business stuff mainly. There’s plenty of other weird stuff, but business stuff — specifically, how people are presenting themselves and their businesses — makes for some head-scratching moments. Maybe it’s the hashtags I follow, but lately, I’m seeing some appeals/advertisements/begging that…
The Big Freelance Buckle Down
Jeezuz. Where did that summer go? Kids are back to school. Vacations are over. So what time is it? Time for you to buckle down and get that freelance writing business growing. Maybe you struggled all summer to find work. Maybe you coasted, knowing you had a fallback income from a significant other. Maybe you…
The Art of Not Putting All Your Freelance Eggs in One Basket
Sometimes life hands you lessons that, thankfully, you don’t have to learn firsthand. It was December 28, 2001 or 2002. I was at my desk at the magazine. I’d just finished an article that quoted heavily this firebrand company that had opened its doors a few years prior and had risen to household-name status (well,…
Marketing to Other Freelancers: You’re Doing it Wrong
“Hey.” “Hey yourself,” said Jem pleasantly. “I’m Charles Baker Harris,” he said. “I can read. ” “So what?” I said. “I just thought you’d like to know I can read. You got anything needs’ readin’ I can do it….” “How old are you,” asked Jem, “four-and-a-half?” “Goin’ on seven.” “Shoot no wonder, then,” said Jem, jerking…
6 Easy Marketing Hacks for Freelancers
On Twitter, I’ve been following the #MarketingStrategy hashtag for about a year. There’s good advice there, but generally, the marketing tweets are often framed in the jargon that scares off most people trying to build a marketing strategy. Algorithms. Conversion rates. Digital transformations. Crowd funding. Can you learn this jargon? Sure. They’re not difficult concepts….
Cutting Ties with Freelance Writing Prospects
A number of years ago, I had connected briefly with a client prospect at a trade show who showed interest in working with me. Let me rephrase that: I connected repeatedly with that client prospect, first at the trade show, then close to two dozen times over the years via email and in person. After four years…
The Marketing-Is-Not-Hard Marketing Guide
There I was, staring at the computer screen, growling. Once again, someone on social media was talking about how incredibly hard marketing is. Know what’s hard? Cement. Rocks. Building a rocket launcher using straws and kindergarten paste. Heads hitting desks when people say uninformed things like “marketing is hard.” Marketing is not hard. Please, can…
When to Give Up on a Freelance Writing Prospect
A good while back, I was doing my usual marketing — send the LOI, follow up, try to get a conversation going …. you know the drill. One contact in particular stood out in a weird way. He’s a guy who’s moved his way up the food chain at his company from assistant to director….