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10-Minute Marketing Tip

2009-07-15T17:56:00.002-04:00

So I've been getting sick of the job boards. I'm starting to think about doing a postcard mailer campaign to local marketing agencies and web design businesses. But that's a longer project. In the meantime, I've got a ton of work to do this month and not much time to market. But if I want to make sure I have a profitable next month, I can't afford to put off my marketing.

But marketing doesn't have to take hours out of your day. Today I spent a few minutes writing up a quick email message targeting web designers. The pitch? Web designers can expand their services and get an edge over their competitors by offering professional copywriting to go along with their design. I'm a writer who specializes in web copy that sells AND attention-grabbing link bait articles and viral video scripts, so I'm the perfect partner for web-savvy design businesses.

Then I did a quick Google search for web designers. A few clicks gets me to a directory with tons of links to web design sites. I check them out--avoiding super cheap web design sites because they probably won't be serving clients who can afford me--and start emailing the ones that look promising.

My track record is pretty good. So far I've contacted 10 businesses and gotten a response from one--almost immediately after I emailed. Hopefully it will evolve into a business partnership that will be lucrative for both of us. All in well under ten minutes.

How do you market when time is short?

How to Quit Worrying and Love the Phone

2009-07-13T11:13:00.003-04:00

I'm not gonna lie: I hate the phone. Maybe it's because I'm Gen Y--we're used to emailing and texting, but see phone calls as inefficient. And maybe that's what gets to the heart of it for me; I've spent an hour on the phone before trying to get information from someone that it could have taken ten minutes to gather, if I could only get the person on the other end to quit going off on tangents. I also hate the high-pressure feeling of a phone call. When you email someone, you can think out what you want to say, revise, and make sure your message is really coming across like it should. In a phone call, it's a lot more difficult to control your message.

But still--a lot of clients love the phone. And if you're not readily accessible by phone, it could lose you business. Here are a few things that help when it comes to getting yourself to quit worrying and love the phone.

Get a business line. I don't have a business line now, but I used to--and let me tell you, it made client phone time so much easier. When the business line rang, I knew it was a client--I didn't have to worry about whether I should answer with "Catalyst Writing Services, this is Jennifer" or a plain "Hello" when the phone rang. There's something to be said for being mentally prepared to pick up when the phone rings--and if you don't know whether or not it's a client calling, that can be difficult.

Script it out. Whenever I need to call someone for business purposes, I take a quick minute to write out what I'm going to say and read it aloud. This way I ensure I don't suddenly blank on my own phone number when leaving a message. Trust me, it's happened.

Call when nobody's home. Peter Bowerman advocates a sales cycle that starts with cold calling. Really, I'd rather have my toes bitten off by wild beavers than cold-call anyone. I know my strengths, and phone sales is not one of them.

However, at that 15-Second Pitch seminar I can't quit talking about, the instructor told a story that really struck me--she taught a client of hers who also hated phone sales (a photographer--huh, maybe phone phobia is a creative-person thing) to call at odd hours when she knew nobody was going to answer the phone, then leave her pitch on the answering machine. Not surprisingly, she got a ton of business this way.

I'm still going to communicate more by email than by phone. But hopefully as my business grows, I can find ways to be more comfortable on the phone. Maybe it's not my ideal method of communication--but it's not worth losing business over.

My Productivity Killers--And How to Deal

2009-07-10T14:53:00.003-04:00

Working for yourself, you're directly accountable to yourself for how much you produce and how much you make. The more I can work in a day, the more successful I'll be. if I don't get everything done in a day and leave time for marketing and other business tasks, I don't give myself enough opportunity for success during the day.

Sometimes my day goes smoothly--and I get everything done that I want done. Other times, I get stuck on a single project I thought would take an hour--and it winds up taking all day. Sometimes this has more to do with my focus than the difficulty of the work. Here are a few things that never fail to distract me--and how I deal with them.

The Internet. The Internet is a necessary evil. I need it to communicate with clients and market, but I also can get drawn into a great time-wasting vortex. Between blogging, my forays into social networking, checking email incessantly, and playing around on Facebook stalking people I haven't seen since high school (come on, you know you do that too) when I should be working, sometimes I can lose hours to the Internet without realizing I'm doing it. Sometimes I need Internet access for certain projects, but with projects that don't need online research, I sometimes head out to a cafe that doesn't have free Internet--just so I can stay focused.

The phone. My friends and family know I work from home--and they know they can reach me in the afternoons. I love spending time catching up with the people I care about--but not when I'm in the middle of a project. Of course, the diplomacy is tricky--they know I make my own schedule, so I always worry they assume I could talk if I wanted--so I tend to stay on longer than I should, just to be nice. Being nice isn't always the best for your business, though....

The work! Sometimes there's just so much to do that I can't focus on a single thing. I start one project and then worry that I'll never get time to finish the next one. So I start switching from project to project, never really focusing or finishing. To combat this, I make a lot of lists--and get a kind of perverse joy from crossing things off them.

A late start. The worst productivity-killer for me is getting up late. Nobody's demanding I show up to work by a certain time in the morning. Still, most of the time I try to get up early enough so that I have a whole day to get things done. Sometimes life doesn't work out that way, though--and just going to bed an hour later than usual can cause me to wake up later and lose considerable work time.

As freelancers, we're responsible for our own success--and part of that, for me, is making sure I have enough time to do everything that needs doing. And there are still more things I want to do than I have time for.

What are your productivity killers--and how do you deal with them?

On the Value of Good Writing

2009-07-09T16:23:00.002-04:00

Talking to a middleman client I work with sometimes, he told me why he sometimes has difficulty selling writing services along with his graphic design: "the client usually has a volunteer just write something quick," he said, "and it winds up sounding awful."

It astounds me that in a world of people who are business-savvy, they have no idea of the value of good copywriting. It creates problems for writers who work with smaller, less-experienced businesses run by people who think anyone can write as well as anyone else.

But here's the thing: writing is sales.

Paying top dollar for slick-looking brochures and then letting volunteers write the copy is like paying thousands for a gorgeous trade show booth and thousands more for a spot at the most well-attended, well-known trade show in your industry, where you'll have access to all the major players--and then staffing your booth with volunteers with no sales experience.

Yes, you've got the booth to catch the eye. Yes, You've got the right positioning. But if your salespeople can't drive the message home, you won't recoup your investment.

The same applies with articles. I was in discussion the other day with someone I thought was a serious SEO content client. Turns out they were baffled as to why I charge what I do when other writers charge as low as $5 per article.

My answer: Would you want to trust your online reputation to someone who charges $5 per page?

There are internet marketing gurus who claim that online sales depends entirely on writing--that graphics and even usability come second. I'm not unwilling to believe them. What good is a beautiful website for your online catalogue if people like looking but can't be convinced to buy? What good is usability if people can find your sales page easily, but don't want to open their wallets? And what's the point of SEO if the world beats a path to your door, only to find you're not offering what they want?

Writing is persuasion. That kind of writing takes work--it takes client interviews, market analysis and marketing expertise, not to mention the ability to express why your product is better than the competition's. And you can't buy good persuasion on pennies per word.

What's Your Pitch?

2009-07-06T14:34:00.003-04:00

Back at the end of June, I attended a 15-second pitch workshop with marketing expert Laura Allen. I've been thinking since then about my dislike of networking and how to overcome it. It doesn't make any sense, because I love talking about my business--but put it in a networking context, and I freak out.

The thing is, I'm not shy. In my other life, I'm an actress. I have no problem getting up on stage in front of hundreds of people; I rarely get stage fright and when I do, it has more to do with feeling unprepared than worry over being seen by so many people. So maybe that's at the root of my hatred of networking: a feeling of being unprepared. This is a novel concept, at least for me.

The cool thing about acting is it's all scripted out. I'm not stuck up on stage, with all eyes on me, having to think up what to say next to move the story along. I know what to say. All I have to do is deliver the words believably. Maybe that's how I feel when networking--like I'm stuck having to come up with compelling ways to "sell" myself on the spot. That's why I liked this 15-second pitch idea.

So what is the 15 Second Pitch? It's a way to sell yourself quickly and naturally in a way that draws people's interest and doesn't freak you out. It's a very short speech that packs in a lot of info about who you are and why you stand out--you even get room for a call to action. On the website there's a wizard that walks you through it. Here's my pitch-development process:

Step 1: Who you are.. The first step asks who you are, what you do and what you specialize in. That's easy: I'm a freelance writer specializing in web copy.

Step 2: What you do. The next question is a big blank box where you write what it is you do, exactly. Hm. It's pretty sad that I'm freezing up on this step. It probably shouldn't be longer than a sentence, so I'll think short and concise: "I write website pages that sell AND rank high in search engines."

Step 3: Why you're the best. THIS is the most important step, I think. Why am I the best at what I do? I blank a bit at this step too until I remember my secret weapon: client testimonials. Looking over those, I notice a trend: my work basically does the bulk of the sales work so the client can close faster.

Step 4: Your call to action. Another easy step: just hand them your business card and ask them to check out your samples online. Right? And then you move on.

So after that, here's my 15 second pitch:

My name is Jennifer and I'm a freelance writer specializing in website copywriting. I write web pages that appeal to search engines and people. My work closes the sale so the client doesn't have to. Here's my business card; feel free to check out my samples online.

Granted it's not perfect; I should probably read this aloud and tweak it, as well as seeing if I could come up with a better USP. But it's a beginning!

So what's your pitch?

July 4th Hiatus

2009-07-01T16:41:00.002-04:00

My July plans caught up with me...and I'll be back to a regular posting schedule after the weekend of the 4th. Hope you've all got some fun plans for the holiday--and aren't working too hard!

The Anti-Networker's Guide to Networking

2009-06-25T00:42:00.003-04:00

I'm probably not the only person in the world who isn't crazy about networking. Seriously...put me in a networking event, and chances are I'll be the one camped out by the chips and dip, conspicuously not talking to people. Don't get me wrong; I love to socialize, meet new people and talk about my work. But what makes me uncomfortable is socializing with an agenda. Still, we all have to do it if we want to get to the next level. Here are a few tricks I've learned that have helped me get out there and talk to people.

Remember: you're not being smarmy. You're talking about your passion. This is the biggest thing I have to remind myself every time I'm at a networking event: I'm not selling. Selling has a bad reputation among creative types, I believe; when I sell in writing, I'm simply telling readers why whatever I'm selling is worthwhile. But in person, I feel fake when I try to sell myself.

But I love to talk about what I do. In a no-pressure social situation, I will talk all night about my job to anyone who's interested. I love explaining how web copywriting works and how I can help clients succeed, and I've landed new clients this way. In a networking event, I have to repeat to myself that I'm not selling and there's no ulterior motive here; there's just a room full of people who are interested in what I do and want to hear all about it.

Have a pitch ready. It really helps to know how to describe yourself. I just attended a 15 Second Pitch workshop with Laura Allen, who discussed how a concise pitch can land you huge opportunities in seconds. To break it down to its component parts, a good pitch contains:

1. An introduction: who you are and the name of your company;

2. What you do;

3. Why you're the best at it (your USP);

4. A call to action.

Simple, right? We write this kind of thing every day in various promotional materials. Why not create one for yourself?

Be prepared. I always forget business cards. I've got a huge new box of them sitting on my desk and they've been there for months. I never remember to bring them anywhere with me, and I'm always running into people who ask for my card. It's gotten so bad I think I'm doing it on purpose. Maybe it's because subconsciously I think the design isn't that great or the tagline I wrote on the cards is a bit cheesy. But they're not doing a good job selling me in the box.

Networking can be intimidating--especially for writers, who often prefer to work alone. But if you're willing to do it, you could land some new business--so it's worth getting good at it.

Working Vacation 101

2009-06-22T13:43:00.002-04:00

In the past few months, I've gotten really lucky: I've gotten the opportunity to go on three really random, really spontaneous trips. Friends and family have called me last-minute with an opportunity to chill on the beach or in a swanky hotel for free or very cheap, and each time, i've gone. I didn't need to get permission from my boss, negotiate use of sick days, or trade off vacation time. I just went.

That's the beauty of what we do, right? We can pick up and leave whenever we want. However, real life is often not that simple. if I've got an ongoing project that's on a delivery schedule, a lot of the time I can't afford to just drop off the face of the earth for a week--I have to keep working and keep in touch with my clients throughout most of the vacation. If this was planned in advance, the way most regular employees plan their travels, I could schedule this out-of-touch time and make sure future projects won't interfere with it--but last minute, I have to be more flexible. Here are a few tips i've found effective for taking your work on vacation.

Know your party's schedule. In the recent few months I've been out of town for a week or so with my sister, my brother and a group of friends. All times, I've told the party beforehand that I need to work during this vacation. Luckily, all the groups so far have had the same schedule: they've gotten up around ten, hung around for a leisurely breakfast, and not been ready to head out and do active things until noon--sometimes later. This has worked to my advantage, because I've been able to get up at eight in the morning and finish a good portion of my work while most of my fellow travelers have been asleep.

When you're on a working vacation, you'll have to be able to negotiate work time. You probably won't be able to spend all day out and about. If your friends want to hang out on the beach, negotiate a chill by the pool instead--bring your laptop and sit as far away from the pool as possible to prevent splash issues. If you're traveling with a bunch of early risers, you may need to do your work at night. But have an idea before you go how much time you can expect to spend at work every day--I usually count on a half day to a few hours--so you can have a realistic idea of how much you can get accomplished.

Make sure your regulars know. In the past, I haven't told my regulars when I've been out because it hasn't affected my delivery schedule. But now I'm starting to think I should--just so they know I may be a little slower in responding to emails than usual. Generally I'd tell them that I'll be on a working vacation, will respond to emails but possibly a bit slower than usual, and to expect an away message when they email me.

Set up email away messages. I set up an email away message as well--just to give myself less to do. It's more for new prospects than regulars. When a new prospect gets in touch, they often want a price quote or detailed response to a question about a project--and I can get a bit stressed out responding to those requests and trying to jam a full-day's work into a few hours. I leave those requests for when I return, and send automatic messages so they know why I'm not responding right away.

Get as much done beforehand as possible. This is so important. My blog posting drops off when I go away, mainly because I think I can handle blogging and working in the limited time I have to do both--and it turns out I can't. Pull a few long days, work on a few weekends to prepare for your trip--and sometimes this is possible and sometimes it's not--and you'll do much better on your vacation. I definitely recommend having a few emergency posts lined up and turning off comment moderation.

Have a backup plan. Or three. I can't count how many times someone's assured me there will be wireless Internet at so-and-so's vacation cottage--and there isn't. Or there is, but for some reason it doesn't work on your computer and nobody can figure out why. Know where all the wireless Internet cafes are within walking distance of where you're staying. have the phone number of a local tech support company. Invite your friend's brother who has a networking degree. Plan to bring a thumb drive or external hard drive to back up your work and transfer to the house computer, which IS connected to the Internet. Plan for things to go wrong.

It takes some forethought and experience to do the working vacation right. In the best situations, everything goes smoothly and your work doesn't need to slow down. Remember: impromptu vacations are part of the reason our job rocks--so enjoy it!

In Nantucket!

2009-06-15T22:54:00.001-04:00

Lately I've had a lot of free vacations come my way. This week it's a free guest house in Nantucket for the weekend, courtesy of my brother's girlfriend's family. I'll be working on the porch with a beautiful ocean view over the next day or so, and will be back Wednesday!

Reciprocal Linking: What's Your Policy?

2009-06-12T13:46:00.004-04:00

This has come up a lot this week, for some reason. I've had several people tell me they were linking to my site and asked politely if I would mind linking to theirs. While I appreciated the link love, I declined to reciprocate. I don't think it's a good idea for bloggers or website owners in general to place a link to whoever links to them or pays them money. Here's why.

It dilutes your brand. This is a freelance writing/entrepreneurship blog, right? Then what are links to a sunglasses shop, a jewelry store, and a baby toys website doing front and center? What's this blog about again? Advertising random websites that don't focus on the audience takes the message and attention away from your main focus.

It makes you seem less useful. As an audience member, I don't really mind links on blogs I like that point me toward services that might be helpful to my business. Even if I know I'm not in the market for those services right now, at least I know where to go if I ever do need that kind of thing. A website that offers links to things I have NO interest in--and that's far more likely if you're putting links on your site that aren't specific to your audience--gives me the impression that they don't know who they're writing to.

It's not great for the business you're linking to, either. As a website owner, you should be looking for websites that target your specific audience. Getting your links out on every site that will take them is an unfocused strategy. Yes, it's good to get the word out--but if you're getting the word out to the wrong people, you're wasting your time.

It's a turn-off to your audience. I feel that putting links on your site that don't relate to your audience shows that you're not in tune with them--and that's generally the impression I get when I see websites that do this.

Whenever anyone puts a link to my site on theirs, I'm grateful. But I don't feel bound to reciprocate if the website in question isn't specific to my audience--and even if they are, I typically don't just post links to random businesses. I post links to blogs I like and support in my blogroll, and I'm generally willing to link to other relevant blogs there when the owners link to me and request it--but that's about it. What's your policy on reciprocal linking?

Catalyst's On Facebook!

2009-06-10T15:07:00.002-04:00

Love Catalyst? Now you can be our friend on Facebook.

Sign up and become a fan! I'm looking forward to initiating discussions, posting photos at networking events, and other fun stuff. See you there!

Asking For Advice? Do Your Research First

2009-06-08T19:53:00.003-04:00

I get a lot of emails from people--sometimes people I know personally, sometimes people who've found me through this blog--asking for advice on starting a freelance writing career. Much of the time, the questions they ask are very general: "How can I get started? Do you have any advice for someone just starting out?" I used to write long, detailed responses to these emails. But lately that's been overwhelming--and I usually give very short responses nowadays.

I don't mean to be curt or unapproachable--and I certainly don't mean to dissuade anyone else from taking this path. But I do get tired of answering this question all the time. Here's why:

Because the answer is long. And it's always changing. "How to get started" isn't a few paragraphs. It's a page or more. People have written whole books on how to get started. And the answer I would have given a few years ago is different than the one I would give now, knowing a little more about the business. I also got my start on Elance, but the way Elance's structure has changed I wouldn't recommend anyone else doing that now. Writing out an entire dissertation on "how to start" every time I get these emails is something I just don't have time for anymore, unfortunately.

Because this question signifies you've done no research. There are so many resources out there for people who want to start freelance writing. Pick any one of the blogs in my blogroll and start reading. Heck, start reading all the posts on this blog--it's a pretty comprehensive account of the things I learned when I got started and as I grew my business. And for God's sake, buy Peter Bowerman's books--they give a great game plan to start with, and I credit them with getting me started. Whatever you do, don't use me as a shortcut.

Ask me something specific instead. If you ask me how to get started, I'll probably just point you in the direction of a few online resources. If you ask me a specific question, I'm likely to answer your question in better detail. I might even write a blog post about it. Show me you've done your research, have a good sense of the generalities of "how to start," and need more specific answers, and it's easier for me to get engaged.

When you're asking advice of anyone--me included--who gets a lot of questions like this, don't ask a general question. Ask something specific that you've wondered about that your past research hasn't taught you. That helps us narrow down your answer to something we can both manage.

Job Ads Worth Applying For

2009-06-05T14:21:00.004-04:00

Over at Words on the Page, fellow writer Lori Widmer has written an interesting blog post that details her BS Litmus Test--the signs that she considers a "no go" when applying to job ads online.

I don't apply to a lot of job ads online, but occasionally I go this route when business is slow and I need a quick and easy way to find new clients. I don't think it's as effective as cold emailing, though--and that's saying a lot about its ineffectiveness. Still, every so often I find something that looks like a good bet. Here are the things I look for when choosing which job ads to apply for.

1. They're looking for a professional. Any suggestion that they're looking for "students" or "beginning writers looking to build a portfolio" suggests they're looking for free or very cheap labor.

2. They ask for my rate--they don't state theirs. 99 times out of a hundred, when a job ad states its rate, it's much, much too low. I won't turn down a job that states a good going rate, of course, but that's rare. I go for ads that explicitly ask for writers to send their rates without stating their budget.

3. They know what they want. They're looking for ad copy, articles, website copy, a brochure--they're not vague about what they want and I know exactly which samples to send them. Extra points if they know how many pages they need.

4. They're not a head case. This is kind of hard to spot, but I tend to avoid ads looking for a writer to "express someone's vision" or write a long nonfiction narrative about their personal experience. I look for signs of huge egos looking for someone to faithfully transcribe their greatness. It sounds to me like a lot of enmeshment and impossibly high expectations for projects with limited potential.

Straightforwardness is a good sign in job ads--it suggests the client has nothing to hide and will be straightforward in his dealings with you. Of course, nothing is a sure bet--but these principles have helped me navigate online job ads with some degree of success.

Why Selling is Like Dating

2009-06-03T11:49:00.004-04:00

After a very long-term, committed relationship came to an end for me recently, I'm now single again. I haven't been single in a very long time, and dating...well, let's just say it isn't my forte. But I love observing human behavior--and I've noticed that my single friends who are very successful daters share a few key principles with highly effective networking and in-person sales. Here are a few keys to success I've noticed--both in the dating world and in the business world.

Don't be too available. If you're in demand, there must be a very good reason--and people are going to assume it boils down to the fact that you're awesome. In both the dating world and the business world, this translates into looking busy. Give the impression that you have a lot going on in your life--personally or professionally--and clients and suitors will flock to you.

Look good. You don't have to be a perfect 10 to make it in the dating world or in the business world, but you do need to put some effort into your appearance. When you're confident in yourself and you look the part of a successful businessperson--nice suit, nice haircut, nice portfolio case--people make assumptions that you've already made it. It makes your work of convincing them to hire you that much easier.

Chemistry is key. The way you make people feel will make a big difference--both in your dating life and in your professional life. I used to think being "businesslike" meant being serious and smart; never not knowing the right answer and never breaking into a smile. Now I realize being professional and being human are one and the same--and the way you relate to people could get you the sale. People would much rather work with people they like and trust.

Desperation kills the sale. Desperation can be smelled a mile away--and it always drives people away, whether you're on a date or on a sales meeting. Remember: there are plenty of fish in the sea. If you don't get this one, you probably weren't a good fit to begin with. Consider each rejection a blessing--it helps you stay out of bad partnerships, which are a nightmare at work and in your personal life.

Courting others isn't easy--whether you're talking romance or your next big client. It's easy to give the advice of projecting an aura of success, not desperation; and not to be afraid to show your personality in a positive way. But in reality, confidence takes practice. The more you meet people--in business and personal situations--the easier the interaction will be.

A New Month, a New Resolution

2009-06-01T21:07:00.002-04:00

It's been a long few months.

I've been out of commission on the blog for a long time. My life got incredibly hectic, and I realized around March that I wasn't dealing with a few changes in my life as well as I'd thought. In the course of a few months I ended a nine year relationship, changed cities, and landed a few new and very prolific regular clients. My days got hectic, and between the personal things and the work-related things it was all I could do to keep meeting everyone's expectations.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know I've renewed my commitment to posting regularly--and here are a few things I've learned in the interim.

Admit it when things are going south.I know when this sort of thing happens, what you're supposed to do is post on your blog letting everyone know you'll be out of commission for a few months. I didn't. Mainly because every day I kept thinking, "I'll get to it soon. I don't need to post anything now." Well, I didn't get to it soon, and that was probably a bit of self delusion on my part. I also didn't want to admit that I needed a break. But one day led to a week, and then to a month, and then to a couple of months..and each month it got more difficult to get back to a routine. My lesson? As soon as you feel yourself slipping, let people know. It's okay to slip. But people need to know what to expect.

Even good change causes upheaval. The changes in my life, scary as they sound, have all been good changes. I'm happy in my new place, and I've made some adjustments that absolutely needed to be made. Plus, the new client work has been a blessing. But still it caused me enough disturbance that I felt I had to let everything in my life that wasn't an absolute necessity go, at least for a little while.

Take things one day at a time. There were plenty of days when I had time to post, and didn't. I'm not sure why. Maybe I felt overwhelmed looking back on all that time I'd missed, and had no idea what I'd say in response to that. Until I got to today, and realized I missed it and wanted to start again. Realized I still had things to say.

Change is exhilarating, but sometimes it takes a lot out of you. I had to be away for awhile--but now I'm back, and hopefully I can bring enough insight to this blog that others can learn from my missteps and successes in the meantime.

Is Your Niche Hurting Your Business?

2009-03-11T16:19:00.005-04:00

Lori Widmer had a fascinating post the other day about discrimination--more specifically, discrimination against a certain kind of niche market: working moms. There's a big Work-At-Home-Mom (WAHM) niche out there, and some freelancers market themselves largely or exclusively under this title. Lori's position is that doing this can invite discrimination against a). those who work from home and b). parents, particularly moms (there doesn't seem to be a correspondingly big niche group of WAHD freelancers out there).

I have nothing but respect for working moms. Being a parent is a full-time job in itself, and I can only imagine that trying to be a full-time freelancer and a full-time parent at the same time is brutal. I could imagine that if I managed to be reasonably successful at doing both, I'd want to broadcast it to everyone. Hell, I'd want to put it on my business cards. But I can also see Lori's point--that presenting yourself as a work-at-home-mom invites employers to see you as something other than a businessperson, and that's not a good thing. If I were a client, I could understand hesitation about hiring a freelancer who seems to be so wrapped up in her off-work life that she identifies herself with it in business.

So this got me thinking about other ways we try to niche-market ourselves that may invite discrimination. Here's what I've come up with:

The Gen-Y expert. I write occasionally for Brazen Careerist, a website that caters to what's sometimes called "Gen-Y Thought Leaders." I've had people categorize me under this label several times. It's true, I am a young business owner in my 20's (for a couple more years, at any rate) and it's flattering to be called a "thought leader" of any kind. I have a great deal of respect for my peers in this age range and all they've accomplished. BUT, I'm not always comfortable being labeled a "Gen-Y" businessowner. The phrase "Gen-Y" comes with its own baggage, probably the most prominent of which is "young"--and by association, "inexperienced." You've also got other doozies like "entitled" and "demanding"--none of which are things I want clients thinking about when they think of me.

The Creative. I'm a creative person. I write poetry, short fiction, and novels. I love slam poetry and have a serious crush on Taylor Mali. I also act and sing and do all kinds of artsy things. Do I bring it up to clients? No, unless it's relevant to the job. Creativity often doesn't go hand-in-hand with business savvy in popular conception, although in real life this is definitely not always the case. As a freelance writer, I feel it's crucial to present myself first as a businessperson, second as a writer--because "writer" falls under "creative," and it feels to me like my work could be valued less if my creativity were promoted over my business sense.

The Work-at-Homer. There's an automatic association out there that if you work from home, you don't have a real job. If you're a freelancer, I'm sure you've experienced this. Everyone out there who's had a friend, family member or spouse ask you to watch the kids, pick up so-and-so from the airport, or do a little more housework because "you know, you're home anyway" raise your hand. See? I rest my case. Anyway, I don't make a big deal of my work-from-home status either because I'm aware that it seems more professional to work from a big spiffy office that's, you know, in a place other than your house.

I don't like to promote these sides of myself to clients, and i'm not sure it's smart to. But I have great respect for all of these types of people--they're all me. What do you avoid putting on your marketing materials?

In The Recession, What Do You Put Up With?

2009-03-06T14:08:00.003-05:00

I have a client who is semi-regular, and who's never been great at communicating what they want. I usually get a ton of revisions back on even the simplest project. I do the revisions asked for, and get emails back saying I didn't do what was asked. They have a very difficult time communicating what they want, and change their minds frequently. In earlier times, I might have drawn the line at some point--cut ties and decided this client and I were not a good match. But lately I've been going out of my way to keep them happy instead.

Why? Maybe it's all the scary economic stories in the news. Maybe it's the stories from other freelancers I know that clients are hiring less and paying less. But I've been thinking lately--alhthough I haven't been having trouble getting work myself--that it's prudent to hang on to what I have, even when it isn't ideal.

So does the recession make us put up with more than we would when times are good? And how much does the news have an impact on our attitudes--rather than our own experiences? Personally, I've found myself becoming more conservative and unwilling to walk away from less-than-ideal business relationships than I might have been in the past.

This may not be a good thing--in nearly every case, when I've walked away from a less-than-perfect client relationship (and it hasn't been very often at all), it's only freed up time to find a better client and project. It seems to make sense to me that a depressed economy would make us all less risk-averse--and less likely to improve our circumstances as well.

So what do you put up with because of economic fears? And are those fears based on your own experiences, or what you've been hearing?

Collecting Strong Testimonials

2009-03-04T12:09:00.003-05:00

Testimonials are a crucial part of selling anything in writing, because the bottom line is that no matter how great you say you are, you're still a biased party--you have a vested interest in selling people on your own service or product. In the process of getting my new website up, I realized that I didn't have testimonials--but I needed them. And sometimes I collect them for clients.

Not all testimonials do a great job of adding credibility, however. Here are a few tips for collecting testimonials that will do an effective job of selling you.

First: ask. Ask every client you work with if they'd be willing to write you a testimonial. Make it a habit. Make it part of the close-out process, like sending out that final invoice. It's just as important; that testimonial you collect could get you the next job. If you're not sure whether the project went fabulously, simply send out a questionnaire and let them know you'd like feedback on your services in the interest of improving them. Don't forget to ask if they'd mind if you use what they say in your marketing material. If they mind, you'll still get valuable feedback.

Get results. If you're going to buy a service, you want proof that it works. Vague testimonials like "Stan did a great job on my website copy" are all well and good, but what you really want are those quantifiable results: "Stan's website copy increased our hits by 12,000 per month and boosted revenue 30% in the first two months!" This is the kind of testimonial that will get you new clients. So in your questionnaire, be sure to ask what results your clients have seen from your work.

Leave room at the end. There are intangible benefits to working with you as well--maybe you're really easy to work with or helped the client find out something new about a key demographic. Always ask an additional question at the end that says something like "any other thoughts on your experience working with this company?" You might get a really useful quote that you wouldn't have gotten otherwise, because you didn't ask the right question.

Testimonials are important in both your client projects and your own marketing. Collect them early, collect them often, and you'll likely see an increase in business.

When Your Business Grows

2009-02-20T17:21:00.003-05:00

I recently entered into discussions for major content for a very specialized client. The workload and commitment is large--but luckily I have a secret weapon: another writer who also happens to be licensed in their industry, and who's been offering to take on extra work for me for months.

The opportunity dropped in my lap this week, and hopefully this will be a great opportunity for both of us to profit. Outsourcing writing can be a profitable way to grow your business--you take a percentage off the top and leave the bulk of the work to your outsourcee. Potentially, you could see income for a great deal of work you ordinarily wouldn't have time to handle. But I'm assuming it won't just be a walk in the park. Here are some things I'm considering in anticipation of starting a project with a new partner.

Contracts are everything. I'm contracting between my business and the client, but I'm also writing up a contract between myself and the writer detailing what's expected, pricing and delivery. Even if you're working with a friend--and I am--it's crucial to make sure all project parameters are in writing and agreed to.

It won't be work-free for you. Especially in the beginning, I'm expecting to take an active role in training, proofreading, fact-checking, and overall ensuring everything is up to standards--even though I trust this writer's work and quality standards. I'm also communicating with the client and project-managing. So yes, I do take a percentage--but I work for it.

There will be a certain amount of letting-go involved. I'm not sure how I'll deal with not being in complete control of all facets of the project. I've never done it before. Hopefully I won't be an annoying, micro-managing boss. I'm pretty sure I won't be. But I won't know until I do it.

Can you handle it if your writer flakes out? Always have a contingency plan. At this point, if my partner suddenly couldn't work on the project, I'd have to handle it myself--and I was careful to schedule it so that I could do it, although I'd be stretched for a few months. Until we've got a strong working relationship I'm not sure it's a good idea to stretch myself beyond what I could handle alone, if I had to.

I'll follow up with a new post on my advice for outsourcing once I've had a few months' worth of experience. Stay tuned!

Watching Your Back in the Recession

2009-02-18T12:47:00.002-05:00

Maybe your business is booming, despite the recession. I've heard from several freelancers who are in this happy situation, and I think it is true that in times of trouble, many companies can't afford to scale back their marketing initiatives. But some companies also can't afford to pay for their marketing initiatives. In this economy, are you seeing an increase in late payments, haggling and deadbeat clients?

I'm starting to see it. One large client I've worked with regularly is starting to get later and later on payments each month, while I completed a project with another regular client weeks ago--a client who usually paid same-day--and haven't heard a peep about payment. The bottom line? Your business might be doing well--but don't assume the same for your clients. This raises your risk of doing business with them.

In these economic times, it's more important than ever to watch your back and make sure you get paid. Here are a few precautions to take.

Ironclad contracts. Contracts are important no matter what economic conditions you're working in. But now may be a good time to have a lawyer look over the contract you're using to make sure it will stand up in court. Consider your contract delivery system as well; I recently had a lawyer tell me it's better to have an original signature on a contract than to rely on a faxed or pdf-emailed version. This can have an impact on businesses that operate primarily online.

Contact information. Make sure you have valid mailing addresses and phone numbers of all your clients. If someone goes deadbeat on you, you have more likelihood of putting pressure on them to pay if you know where they live.

Communication. It's easier for someone to decide to stiff a person they've never met or spoken with in person--they humanize you less. In these economic conditions, make sure your clients know there's a real person behind those emails. Conduct more phone calls. Visit offices in person when you can.

Up-front payments. I've started implementing a policy of 100% up front payments for new clients on smaller projects. This lessens my time spent chasing after little checks delivered months late. When I already have the money, the project is less stressful and as far as I'm concerned, clients can take as long as they like with revisions.

Be wary of everyone. Even your regulars may be suffering financially, putting your paycheck at risk. Watch your regular clients for signs of impending trouble. If your checks are starting to be delivered late on a regular basis, you may want to discuss an upfront payment policy or more rigid payment schedule.

What signs are you seeing that the recession is affecting your clients?

Announcing Catalyst Website Overhaul!

2009-02-13T16:39:00.002-05:00

Well, we're really overdue for this: I've officially overhauled my website. Check out the new design!

The site's now much more professional looking than my old website--which I designed myself. It's a much better reflection of my business as it is now--the old website concentrated mainly on content creation. There's an expanded portfoliio section, which I got to organize by both industry and project type. I uploaded some testimonials and have more on the way. And--I'm really excited about this--I now have an article library of online copywriting tips and a monthly newsletter to send to subscribers. Overall, this site will do a MUCH better job selling me than the old one did.

The best part about this website is the ease with which I can set all this stuff up myself. The site was designed by LucidCrew, an extremely talented group of people--seriously, check out their portfolio; it's awesome. They have a content management system called MediaStove that lets you set up your own blogs, e-blasts, forums, and all kinds of other online marketing tools with pretty much zero effort and no programming knowledge. It's a great way for non-tech-savvy website owners (that's me) to use all these great online marketing techniques we always push--without going through a webmaster all the time or teaching ourselves code and Dreamweaver.

Next item on the agenda is an overhaul of THIS site. I've been wanting to do this for a year, and hopefully soon I'll get that done.

Do You Take Ownership of Your Writing Projects?

2009-02-11T11:31:00.004-05:00

I was cruising the blogroll the other day and came across this post on Peter Bowerman's blog about what clients want--and how to go above and beyond with your services. One of the things he mentioned was taking "ownership" of a project--if the client isn't giving you what you need to get it done, go out and find it yourself.

It occurred to me that I do this all the time--and it wasn't something I saw as a big benefit to working with me until now. Here are a few ways I take ownership of every project I do--and how you can add value to your services.

Do the research on your own--even if the client's supposed to do it for you. I call myself a writer, but at least half the time I spend on a project is spent on research. And some of the time, a client will tell me he's going to send me all the source material and either a). it doesn't have the specific information I need or b). he sends it a day before deadline. Good thing we have the Internet. I use web research to supplement client-delivered information on a regular basis. For commercial writing, I use it to check out how competitors are positioning themselves. Sometimes this research takes minutes, other times it takes hours--but it always adds to the quality of what I do.

Get your own sources. Got a feature article to write for a client? Sometimes they'll give you the names and numbers of people to interview, and sometimes they won't. Don't let that stop your article from being the best it can be. I gather my own sources when I need to. I use Craigslist, industry forums and websites, industry bloggers and authors--the last two are often delighted for an opportunity to get word out about their book or site, and can be very willing to do interviews. I also use Peter Shankman's excellent Help a Reporter Out site. You can query for the type of source you need, and an email is sent out to its network of professionals. I've used it many times in the past and got dozens of responses from industry experts--easily more than I needed.

Deliver above and beyond. If I find little things I notice a client needs, I'll usually help them with it--even if it's not in the scope of the project. For instance, I was writing copy for a large website project--almost a hundred pages--and I noticed the company didn't have a consistent tagline. I sent off some concept ideas for new ones, even though it wasn't part of the scope of the project. I realize a full tagline project would be a big endeavor, probably more than I could offer for free, but some initial ideas weren't too hard for me to come up with--and it added to the value of my service.

Help clients figure out where to go from here. With some clients, I spot opportunities where they could be promoting themselves better or more efficiently. After completion of an initial project, I'll draw up a "Next Steps" document outlining different ways they could take business to the next level--including things such as writing different brochures targeted to several niche markets, developing a report or e-book for giveaways, or starting an e-blast campaign to keep constantly in touch with customers. It's usually not included in the scope, but it does help clients out--and it's pretty effective in turning single-project clients into regulars.

So how do you take ownership--of projects and client relationships?

Are You Competitive or Cooperative?

2009-02-09T14:37:00.002-05:00

Are you a cooperative or competitive businessperson?

If you're a freelance writer, I'm supposed to think of you as my competition. If you're my competitor, I'm supposed to try to one-up you. I'm supposed to try to get more work than you, position myself as a better alternative than you, and generally outbid you for clients. In competitions, there's a loser and a winner, and being a good businessperson means being the winner--right?

Not always.

I've noticed that in the freelance writing industry, competition isn't really the dominant mood. Just look at Peter Bowerman and Bob Bly--two highly successful copywriters who could've just gone on being successful and landing high-profile clients, but decided to share their secrets with the rest of us. Chances are, at least one of their books got you started and provided you valuable advice along the way.

Of course, these guys don't do it from the goodness of their hearts. Both have now diversified their businesses by promoting their own information products to a new market: aspiring freelancers. It's a business plan that benefits them and the writing community as a whole. Competition isn't the only way to play the game.

I've found my business has benefited a great deal from a cooperative approach. If a project isn't a good fit for me or I'm overwhelmed, I refer to a colleague. I know they'll refer business to me when they're in the same spot--so everyone benefits. If I wanted to be competitive, I could try to hold on to each and every client. But I want to make a good impression, even when I'm not the one who gets the job--and referring to a qualified colleague will make a client much happier than taking on a job I don't have time for.

I'm also something of an evangelist for the freelance life. Nothing makes me happier than telling people about what I do and helping them figure out how they can do the same thing. Am I creating competition? Maybe. But I may also be creating a helpful colleague. I feel that helping others succeed can only benefit me in the long run.

So what's your approach--are you competitive or cooperative?

NOTE:I got the idea for this post from someone else who wrote a post on competitive vs. cooperative businesses and industries...and how cooperative freelance writing tends to be. It was a long time ago and now I can't find it anywhere. If it's you, drop the link here and I'll make sure I put you in the top paragraph.

Cultivating Profitable Partnerships

2009-02-06T17:25:00.002-05:00

Clients are good for your business. Partnerships are great for it. As a freelance writer, your services perfectly complement a variety of different businesses--people who need your writing to make their own client services better. A good partnership can be like an ongoing client, bringing you stable work month after month. Here are a few partners out there who are just waiting for you to get in touch--so they can take their businesses (and yours) to the next level.

SEO's. SEO's need writers to deliver ongoing content to their clients--because good white hat SEO doesn't happen without a steady stream of relevant writing. Approach SEO firms with your relevant web writing experience--maybe you're used to blogging, got your start writing for other people's article marketing campaigns, or can do some killer keyword research. Send some samples of articles or a link to your blog. They're looking for dependable writers who do quality work and who can incorporate their own optimization best practices and standards.

Graphic designers. Nobody likes to see their beautiful design soiled by a poorly-worded, misspelled headline. Graphic designers design print and online communications including brochures, websites, ads, blogs, white papers...the list goes on. An independent graphic design firm can raise their own profile and offer more to their clients by partnering with a strong writing firm. Having a writer on call sets them apart from other designers who leave clients to fend for themselves when it comes to copy.

Web designers. The pitch is the same for web designers, except they'll be working exclusively on the web. You'll need to know a range of web writing skills to be good partners with web designers--be proficient in web copy that sells and typical marketing writing like developing taglines, as well as web copywriting best practices, web content and SEO writing, and online marketing methods like e-blasts, blogs, and so on.

Ad agencies. Ad agencies big and small work with freelance writers on a regular basis. Get in touch with them either in print or online--they are sometimes more traditional than SEO's and web designers, although a few specialize in online marketing. A good ad agency in your client stable can really boost your business.

So who are you partnering with these days?

What's Your Contingency Plan?

2009-02-04T08:43:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I was reading an article in the New York Times about the economy. The article wasn't primarily about freelance writers, but the person who wrote the article (Ben Stein, randomly enough, although I didn't realize it til the end) had this to say about the freelance writing life:

"This is the most insecure existence imaginable. It mandates saving, ingenuity and nonstop work and creativity. Freelancers never have a day off. Never. They know that they can go months without a check. They absolutely have to save. They have to have five different levels of fall-back plans and financial escape hatches."

He was writing about being a freelance scriptwriter in Hollywood. But there are definitely parallels between this and the freelance copywriting life. As a contract worker, I don't worry incessantly about money (I used to, but into my third year as a full-time freelancer, I've finally allowed myself to have faith in the fact that my business is pretty stable).

But that doesn't mean I'm not obsessive about saving. I am. If I don't put money into my savings account every month, I feel like the whole thing could unravel at any minute. And it takes a serious crisis to make me take money out of that account. I also have a separate account for tax savings...I have to put a high percentage of every check I get into that account and never look at it again, or tax season will be a nightmare.

But my contingency plan goes beyond savings. If I start to run out, there's always a freelance writing staffing firm I've been eyeing for a while...they hire mainly writers for on-site projects, so I haven't actively pursued it, but it's there if I feel like I need it. There's an all-out campaign for a full time staff copywriting job at an ad agency--I could do that, if i really needed the stability. I have options.

In this economy, even full-time employees need contingency plans. Full-timers are often completely destroyed by a firing because a). all their eggs are in one basket and b). they haven't thought ahead to when the basket tips over. Stability encourages complacency. As freelancers, we know that relying on one or two clients is an unstable situation and diversifying our client base actually leads to a more stable situation; and you have to have plans on top of plans for when you lose regular clients, because you will.

So what's your contingency plan?