Marketing | Words on the Page

Concentrated Marketing

Posted on January 10, 2012 by lwidmer

My best ideas come from you. This week proves that to be true thanks to our own Wade Finnegan, who was wondering out loud how to figure out his niche or if he even wants one. He has one of the best lines of the month: “2012 will be the year this takes off, I…

Why Marketing Isn’t All That

Posted on October 25, 2011 by lwidmer

Three more days until the LinkedIn Secrets & Success Webinar with Urban Muse Susan Johnston! Susan, author of LinkedIn and Lovin’ It, will answer questions on LinkedIn, social media, and e-publishing. If you join the Five Buck Forum, you can get the webinar for a mere $10. That’s $39 off the price for non-members. Plus…

More Bang-bang in Your Shoot-em-up

Posted on October 20, 2011 by lwidmer

Yesterday was a lesson in wheel-spinning. I got one article completed, then set out to get my new website put together. The one I have I really don’t like, so I’m revamping everything. Websites should show personality, not what you think clients want to read. So they’re getting me this time around. The copy is…

Knowing When to Switch

Posted on August 24, 2011 by lwidmer

Very weird day yesterday. Sitting here at nearly 2 pm, the house started to shake. At first I wondered why the stepson was running through the house. Then it continued, and I realized the blinds on the windows were moving. Not my first earthquake tremor, but certainly the strongest. Continued the marketing. If you’ve been…

Killing Your Image – Internet Style

Posted on July 26, 2011 by lwidmer

Yesterday was a good day. I finished a small project within an hour in the morning, tweaked another one, and got some really focused queries out the door. I’m excited because I know the queries are spot on. The only thing left is to hope the editors are buying. I managed to get a personal…

Better Client Contact

Posted on July 8, 2011 by lwidmer

It rained yesterday. Just a short rain – less than an hour – but I was thrilled to see it. I can’t remember the last real rain we had. Wait – yes I do. End of May. Wow. Really? I spent the morning on a tricky client project. Usually they’re easy, but this one had…

Time Management for the Unorganized

Posted on July 7, 2011 by lwidmer

Ah, timing is everything. I asked Anne Wayman to do another Twitter tweetup yesterday only to find out seconds before that I’d chosen the very time our President was tweeting. Nuts. I don’t know why I thought he was tweeting at 11:30. That time was stuck in my head. Oh well. Thanks to those of…

Simplifying

Posted on June 23, 2011 by lwidmer

Today’s the day! There’s still time for you to register and attend the Unlock Your Hidden Profit Potential Webinar, starting today at 1 pm PT/4 pm ET. Anne and I intend to deliver solid information and have fun in the process. Bring your questions and join us. Click on the link to your left. Busy…

Why Good Ideas Don’t Take Off

Posted on June 20, 2011 by lwidmer

Because of our technical issues with PayPal last week, Anne and I have extended the deadline for our early registration discount. Sign up for our teleclass today and pay only $44.49. Sign up link is to your left. I had an interesting conversation not long ago with a potential client. They have a great product,…

Deadly Marketing Mistakes

Posted on June 6, 2011 by lwidmer

What I’m reading: Inishfallen Fare Thee Well by Sean O’CaseyWhat’s on the iPod: Helena Beat by Foster the People Hop on over to Devon Ellington’s Ink in My Coffee to get your copy of Devon’s latest book, Assumption of Right, just out today! Devon will be by tomorrow with a guest post on how her…

Devon Ellington

June 6, 2011

Every so often, someone with absolutely zero credentials emails me to tell me what I'm doing wrong with my sites and that I should hire them to "optimize my business income" because "its obvious your site doesnt work and cant reach full potential. U dont know how to put together and effetive website & can help with that."

First of all, duckie, you have no credits.

Second, there were typos and grammatical mistakes in your pitch. Why would I hire you when you don't use full words and don't understand the difference between possessive and plural or the apostrophe?

Third, you insult me. Why would I pay you?

Fourth, my websites work just fine; I get good traffic, good response, and land good jobs.

Not someone I want to work with, far less pay.

Thanks for the shout-out on the book. I'm very excited about this launch.

Lori

June 6, 2011

Amazing how a badly worded message can just sink their chances. And yet they're trying to convince you to hire them to write THE copy of the decade? Right.

I'm of the opinion if they approach me with a great pitch and convince me I'm in need of their services, I'm going to buy or remember them when I'm ready to buy. I will remember the other type of person too – but for the wrong reasons.

Irreverent Freelancer

June 6, 2011

Oh, we're having the mosquito problem too. I think it's just because of all the rain we had thoughout spring, because they're worst at the end of the road where there is no natural water source. Fortunately, I only have to contend with them when I go for my evening walk.

I committed a marketing mistake in May. I got back in touch with a former client I hadn't worked with in years. She sent me a new assignment rather quickly. I completed the first phase of it and sent it for her feedback and finalization but then things got really busy with other assignments and I had to put her on hold. I apologized profusely but it appears she found someone else to complete the work, which she had every right to do, but I feel terrible.

Lori

June 6, 2011

Our mosquitoes have been around forever, Kathy. Not sure what the devil is going on. We're not near any natural water sources.

Ouch! That hurts. But hey, you know now. I bet that mistake never happens again.

Paula

June 6, 2011

Another mistake: Acting like you're smarter than the client (even if you really are).

No one likes being condescended to.

I have a friend who, for some deep seated insecurity, needs to be the smartest person in the room. The result? She often comes across as a pretentious poser. I cringe when she starts expounding (with great authority, of course) about some subject when I know she doesn't really have a clue about what she's discussing.

Ashley

June 6, 2011

My biggest marketing mistake has been to follow up too slowly. I have let way too much time go by between initial contact (for a reason other than marketing) and follow up to ask whether I can help in a writerly way. I've been correcting that mistake the past few weeks and have received at least one positive response so far! Follow up works wonders!

The worst thing someone can do when trying to sell to me is be pushy or condescending. I don't appreciate being treated like I'm stupid, so anyone who does that is just wasting time. I won't be buying. Same goes for trying to bully me into making a purchase. And I'm a real loud-mouth when it comes to referrals. If I like you, everyone will know. If I don't like you, everyone will know that too!

Jenn Mattern

June 6, 2011

Devon — I feel your pain. I get a few of those emails each months, often from SEO folks. They see I don't follow certain SEO standards and think I want their help (without checking first to see my sites already rank quite well). The worst are the ones offering "content writing" services implying they'll write spammy garbage for me to help me rank well. I just smile and hit the "delete" button.

Lori – Great tips as always, especially on dealing with prospects turning you down. I've found this to be an important group. I go out of my way to help them find what they want if they don't think I'm it (usually because they can't afford me). I point them somewhere to find the less expensive writers they're looking for, and I invite them to get in touch if I can ever help them down the road. They frequently do come up. Rather than getting upset, help them see how valuable you are by letting them test the waters in lower quality / lower priced markets. Some have to learn the hard way and they come back, tail between their legs, saying they wish they hired you in the first place. And these folks have never tried to talk down my rates after taking the cheaper route. You just have to make an impression.

Lori

June 7, 2011

Paula, I know a few people like that, too. It's boring, isn't it? I've found that I listen less to what they say because of their insistence that they're always right. Worse is when they use big words – incorrectly.

Ashley, I've had similar troubles. What I've done is set up a system where I send out say five queries on a Tuesday (LOIs usually). As I'm sending out more queries the following Tuesday, I finish up the marketing by sending out notes to those first five LOIs. For a while, I was setting up Outlook reminders to follow up. Since I'm marketing every day, that got to be messy. But if it helps, try following up one day a week, maybe a Friday. That way you've given them time and you've not forgotten. And you can count that as your marketing for the day. 🙂

Jenn, very good point. Sometimes they just don't fit. I had a call last night from someone who obviously wasn't able to afford my editing rate. I have to give her a few leads (once I see the project) and let her decide if price should be guiding her decisions. If so, we weren't a match anyway. But as you say, if she sees value in my price, she'll be back.

Paula

June 7, 2011

Big words indeed, Lori. The same friend of mine who boasts a 140 IQ can't seem to check the label and see the pain reliever is not "iduprofen." She also says "ponticate" instead of "pontificate," "mute point" instead of "moot point" and calls MSG "monosodium glutinate" – no wonder it gives her a headache!

Funny how the more she speaks the faster people realize her IQ probably isn't 140. Of course, i wonder what things I say and do that make me look stupid… the list could be endless.

aulelia

June 7, 2011

I am terrible at following up and I think you are right Lori, not following up is leaving money on the table. It's just bad for business.

I think psychologically, I get frightened more than the prospect of a cold call because the person might be like 'oh, no didn't get your email/message' etc but then again, what's worse going hungry because you won't follow up or leaving thousands of pounds/dollars on the table!

Lori

June 9, 2011

Good point, Aulelia/Kagem. 🙂 We aren't necessarily fans of rejection, but we assume it more than we assume acceptance. I sure do.