How Will a Recession Affect Freelance Writers? Insight into What It Takes to Land Freelance Writing Jobs in a Down Economy

January 28, 2008

Previously Titled, “How Will a Recession Affect Freelance Writers?”

This question was written about recently on ChrisBlogging.com. He states, “Personally, I do not know much about American economics. …. While it is hard to predict the future, a lot of so-called experts feel that a recession is on the way. Like most, this worries me for a number of different reasons.”

I think Chris is Australian.

I decided to answer this question because I’m American and have been in the industry long enough to weigh in from an experienced perspective. First, a little background:

I have been in publishing since 1987, and have been freelancing since 1993. I’ve been though Black Monday (the stock market crash of 1987), the dot/com boom/bust, Desert Storm, the 9/11 tragedy, the war on Iraq and now this latest debacle crushing the American economy – the subprime mortgage crisis.

From 1996-2004, I owned an editorial staffing agency in New York City. I staffed temp, temp-to-perm and full-time positions for large companies (Random House, McGraw-Hill, etc), and small, one-person startups alike.

I write all this to say, I have seen the direct effects of a boom and a bust. And, I have heard the reason why a firm was either hiring, firing or laying off directly from Human Resource Directors.

And, you know what … freelance writers have nothing to worry about. If anything, they should get ready for a rush of work. Why? Let me explain.
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freelance-writing-jobs-recession-adviceIs a Recession a Bust or a Boom for Freelance Writers?

When the economy gets tight, companies tend to lay off workers. Some of the first ones to go are support staff. These are followed by “fluff” departments like communications, marketing, graphic design and production.

But, work still has to get out. Companies will still advertise. But, they will no longer keep an in-house staff to do it, they will outsource a lot of it. And this is why a recession can be a boom for marketing savvy freelance writers.

The Biggest Drawback for Freelance Writers in a Recession

The biggest drawback for freelance writers in a recession is the nature of the competition. Notice I didn’t say “competition,” but the nature of it. Freelance writing is a competitive profession any day of the week, but when companies lay off, the competition comes not so much from other freelancers, but from the workers who are being laid off.

You see, when companies cut back, they will outsource a lot of their work (press releases, brochures, web copy, logo design, sales letters, etc.).

But, they will be outsourcing it to former workers. After all, they know the work, the company, exactly what the company is looking for, etc.

So, even workers with no prior freelance experience will stand a better chance of getting this work than you, a complete stranger to the company. However, there are some things you can do to heighten your chance of landing work from a company who has recently laid off workers.

4 Ways to Land Work from Companies Who Have Recently Cut Its Staff

Be Proactive: This is where many falter. They fail to take advantage of the opportunities presented. How many times has the following happened to you?

You meet someone who gives you the name of someone in their company to call. But, you fail to follow up. It could be because you misplace the card, you’re too busy and will “do it later,” or you’re terrified of calling someone you’ve never met before.

As soon as you hear, read and/or are referred to a company that’s cutting back, get in touch with the Creative Director, Editorial Director, Communications Manager, etc.

You don’t have to mention anything about their recent cutbacks. Simply forward a quick query with a link to your services to them.

Many times, you’ll get hired because they’re in a pinch. With the chaos of all the layoffs, they may have work piling up and your email will be a godsend.

$4,000 in Work from One Client Who Lost Workers

This happened to me recently (not layoffs, but a company who lost two writers in quick succession). I’ve gotten close to $4,000 in work from this one firm in the last 30 days because two of their writers left to do their own thing.

The owner of the firm told me that my email landed in his inbox at the perfect time. Now, while on the surface this may seem like luck (and it is a teensy weensy bit), I know it’s because of hard work and persistence.

One of my mantras is marketing is a numbers game. I consistently send out a certain number of marketing queries each day/week. I try to do at least 100/week; 20/day. Sometimes I may do 40 one day and 10 the next, but by week’s end, I try to always have sent out at least 100 queries.

Be Consistent: What’s the old saying about luck is when preparation meets hard work? Well, there you have it. The example above illustrates this perfectly.

Network: It pays to stay plugged into some type of networking that generates leads. For me, it’s been two local chambers. Although I haven’t attended a formal meeting in a few months, I do keep in touch with a few members on a regular basis — having lunch and/or emailing.

Cold Call: I know this can send the tinglies down some spines, but cold calling works.

When I do cold call, I usually say something like, My name is Yuwanda Black and I’m a freelance copywriter (sounds better than freelance writer). I’d like to speak with the person in charge of hiring freelancers to forward some information about my services.

Depending on the type and size of the organization you’re calling, you may get the person in charge of hiring right away. Many graphic design firms, for example, are owner operated.

I’ve cold called a lot of these and about 50% of the time I’ll get the owner.

Now that I do a lot of SEO writing, virtually all of my contact is via email. To be honest, I sometimes miss cold calling graphic design firms. Artists are a strange, but nice, bunch to talk to.

No matter which technique you use, just remember, a recession can be a golden opportunity if you are a freelance writer. Position yourself to take advantage of it (eg, get a website if you don’t have one, design on a list of services, prepare samples, etc.).

NOTE: Regarding competition from laid off workers – many laid off workers never even think to ask previous employers for freelance work. There could be bitter feelings, a lack of desire to freelance and/or the inability to freelance (eg, no home office). So, while former employees could be competition, many times it just doesn’t work out that way.

Yuwanda
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SEO Writing: How to Convince Potential Clients to Hire You

January 24, 2008

As a freelance SEO writer, I send out a lot of queries. I think I’m clear about the services I provide. But, as human beings, we tend to get our wires crossed, so sometimes I receive responses from potential clients that kinda throw me off guard.

This morning for example, I logged on and read the following from a query I sent out yesterday:

 “What are your rates and what results have you gotten for your customers?”

What threw me was the “what results have you gotten for your customers” part. While on the surface this may seem like a straightforward question, for what I do, it’s not. Let me explain.

My queries go something like this:

To Whom It May Concern:

I’m contacting you to offer my services as an SEO content provider. You may view writing samples, services offered and my rate card at http://www.inkwebdesign.com/SEO/yuwanda.htm (Update — August 2011 – this was a page on my old SEO writing site that went to my bio page).
 
Professional Profile: As a previous real estate agent, mortgage consultant and small business owner, my freelance writing covers these industries in depth. However, I can write on a wide variety of topics – from home décor to exercise and nutrition to career development/HR issues.

I then list my educational background, mention that I worked in publishing for years and provide my contact info.

So, what’s the problem?

As an SEO writer, it’s hard to quantify results because most clients order articles with instructions to optimize it for a keyword phrase to a density of between 3-5%. Where the article is placed, on what site, and for whom, I almost never know.

Sometimes, clients will say this is for XYZ Jewelry Site, for example and I can click on the site and see my article. But, as for the types of results they’re getting, that depends on so many things that are beyond my control that it’s difficult to say what my “results” as an SEO writer are.

So, how did I handle this request? I responded with the following:

Dear Potential Client:

Thank you for responding to my query. As you requested, my rates are listed below.
 
Regarding results, as an SEO writer, I’m usually hired by a web design or internet marketing firm to provide the content. 
 
To explain further, most of my work is assigned by SEO firms who have been hired by web clients. The SEO firms works with their client to map out long-term strategies to achieve a certain ranking and/or increase traffic for a particular site.
 
This can be via keyword articles, blog posts, forum postings, ad postings, etc. Although I don’t do website strategizing (completely different from content writing), as the content provider it’s my job to understand it in order to work effectively with the marketing/SEO firm a web client has hired.

The bulk of my work is content writing (I also do press releases, ebook writing, brochures, etc.). Most clients want 400-500 word articles with a keyword density of 3-5%. The SEO firm will provide me with a list of keywords and I write the content. It’s really that simple.
 
Feel free to contact me with further questions, and here’s to hoping we can work together in the near future.

Marketing Tip: When you can’t give the client quantifiable results, illustrating to them that you understand your industry is the best answer.

When clients ask for results, what they’re really asking is if you understand, hence are effective at, your job. If you can clearly demonstrate knowledge of your industry, this will go a long way toward alleviating any concerns they have about hiring you.

4 Tips for Applying to Freelance Writing Jobs on Craigslist to Get the Job

January 15, 2008

I recently landed three new clients in one day. Hence, I was slammed – too much work to meet all the deadlines without help. So, I immediately placed an ad on Craigslist for SEO writers (SEO writing is my new thing).

Over the next 24 hours, I received roughly 75 responses, and they’re still pouring in, fully a week after I placed the ad. That’s a lot of competition. I outsourced work to three writers from that ad – and have outsourced more work since then. Two of the three I worked with I plan to outsource more work to when I need help.

My point? Once an employer uses you, they will most likely use you again and again and again. Following are some things that, as an “employer,” turned me off, and others that made freelancers stand out (and made me want to call them).

Remember, I’ve been a recruiter for over a decade, so the following tips come with a healthy dose of experience behind them.

4 Things Not to Do When Applying to Freelance Writing Jobs on Craigslist (& Other Freelance Writing Jobs)

1. Don’t Ask for More Information – yet. Why? Because it means more work for the person who’s looking for help – at precisely the time they don’t have the time to do more work.

When I got responses like, “Can you send more info?” or “I’ve never done this type of work before, but …” or, “I’m interested in learning more …” I immediately clicked through to the next responder.

My answer to all of these questions is an emphatic “No.” As in:

No I don’t have time to send you more info – because I’m on deadline; and

“No I can’t work with you if you’ve never done this type of work before because I can’t train you – because I’m on a deadline;” and

“No, I don’t have time to teach you right now, although I’m thrilled you may be interested in learning more – because I’m on deadline.”

I thought the ad I wrote was pretty detailed. It gave enough information for someone with the kind of experience I was looking for to be able to assess the job – without more detailed info UNTIL they were hired for the job.

TIP: If you read an ad and can do what it asks, then don’t request more info up front – because the important info (deadline, rate, type of writing, etc.) should be in the ad. Wait until you’ve been hired and then ask questions.

Now, there are bad ads, no doubt, that require more information. But, I’m going to go out on a limb and say these tend to be more of the exception than the rule simply because someone who needs help – NOW – tends to give enough information so that a person with the experience they’re looking for will know exactly what is entailed.

The responses that caught my eye were short and sweet and went something like this: I am replying to the ad for SEO writers.  I have written SEO articles in the past and currently I blog at [insert blog name]. I have attached my resume with writing samples as well as a sample of my SEO writing.  Thank you!

This provided all the things I needed to assess if they were right for the job, namely: (i) experience, (ii) writing samples, (iii) rate acceptance (this was implied); and (iv) willingness to do the work.

Perfect!

2. Hedge-Your-Bet Writers: What do I mean by this? I received quite a few responses like the following:

“I am a [insert FT profession] and an experienced writer seeking freelance opportunities.  If this opening is still available please contact me directly via this email.  I can provide my CV and more information upon request.”

What’s wrong with this? A couple of things, namely:

(i) The person obviously freelanced on the side. And, while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this, it’s not something I need to know unless I ask because I immediately think, “Are they going to be able to meet my deadline?”

If you can get the work done within the specified time, there’s no need to alert me that you have other responsibilities – unless I ask you directly.

(ii) The second thing that made me pass on this respondent is that he offered to send me his CV “on request.” What are you waiting for? Send it to me now. All his email did was put more work on me – at exactly the time I didn’t have any time.

I call these types of responses “hedge-your-bet” writers because I feel like they’re putting out feelers and if something comes along that fits their schedule or that they feel like doing, they’ll take it.

Freelancers who are serious about making money market for work and take what comes in – as long as it meets their criteria (eg, rate, deadline, etc.).

3. Incomplete Writers: Incomplete writers are first cousins to hedge-your-bet writers. How? They’re not set up to do what you want, but if you give them the job then they “could be.”

For example, this was a response I received to my ad: “I do not presently have a PayPal account but I could set one up.”

As PayPal is free to set up and takes about two minutes, there’s no need for me, the employer, to know that you’re not fully equipped to handle my needs. Why would I use you, when I could use someone who has the setup I requested in my ad?

Especially in cases where you can quickly get what the employer requests, respond as if you have everything they ask you for because what if you do land the assignment. Don’t give them a reason not to contact you.

Furthermore, in this specific example, I thought, how long has this person been writing for the web/freelancing if he/she doesn’t have a PayPal account. Most of us do, or at least some form of online payment processing method. So, it caused me to question how much they knew about SEO writing at all.

4. Loquacious Writers: This is a basic, but I felt obligated to include it anyway. Don’t send a life history. A brief professional outline is all you need to send to potential employers, along with a few writing samples.

I received responses from freelancers that told me why they needed the job, why the felt they were perfect for the job and how it was their dream to be a freelance writer. These all peg you as a beginner – and in some cases, unprofessional. And, it will get you sent to the slush pile almost every time.

Final Insight into Responding to Ads for Freelance Work: When employers place an ad on a major freelance site like Craigslist, they’re probably going to get quite a few responses.

They scan through them quickly, looking for the person who has the qualifications they’re looking for and can meet their deadline.

All employers really want to know is if you can handle the job, in a timely manner, for the rate they’re paying. Only info that supports these things primarily is necessary – everything else is basically immaterial.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com

SEO Copywriters: How to Stop Competing on Rate & Win as Many Clients as You Can Handle

January 10, 2008

Originally Titled: Freelance Writers: How to Stop Competing on Rate & Win as Many Clients as You Can Handle

 As I contemplated writing this article, I thought, another one on this dreaded topic (freelance writing rates). “Why can’t we all just get along,” is the motto that is running itself over and over in my head right now.

BUT, I’m going to tackle this anyway. Sometimes, progress just takes a while.

As frequent readers of this blog know, I started to take on SEO writing projects last year. It was a new niche for me, so I researched every aspect of it. Rates, of course, was at the top of the list.

Almost all of the research I did was disheartening. Much of what I read about rates on SEO writing was low – very low. Most of the assignments offered rates like $1-$4 for 350-500 word articles. And that’s not a typo.

If $5 was offered, it was like – woohoo! – a “good rate.” I was horrified and this almost put me off entering the SEO writing niche.

But, with 15 years of freelance writing experience under my belt, and almost a dozen as a small business owner, I had a gut feeling that this was a niche where some real money could be made.

So, why am I telling you all this? Because when it came time to set my rates, I didn’t even try to compete with what others were offering. I took the following into consideration when I set my rates for writing SEO content.

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SEO Writing Rates: How I Set Higher Rates – and Got Them!

Contact the Source Directly: Many of the low rates I saw offered were on bid-for-pay sites and forums. And, while I don’t knock these as far as looking for work, from what I could gather, these were frequented by other freelance writers looking to outsource work.

Hence, they were really the middle man. So I targeted the businesses themselves. By targeting the source, I could command higher rates.

Experience: I know what I bring to the table as a professional. Experience has taught me that working for pay that I wasn’t comfortable with would only lead to misery. And, I’m not in this to be miserable.

So, I set my rates according to what I needed to make, fully realizing that if I didn’t get work at those rates, then this was not the field for me. Realizing this, I was fully prepared to walk away from the niche – something I think many freelancers are afraid to do.

You have to make a decent wage to feel good about yourself. While we may all occasionally take on projects we wish paid more, there’s no reason to do it day in and day out. So, if you’re working in a sector that doesn’t pay well, don’t be afraid to stop doing it and look for work in other – better paying – sectors.

Charge in the Middle: I charge $25/per 500-word article. For some, this is high, for other’s it’s low. But, it works for me. I can usually write an article in 30-45 minutes. My all-time low was 20 minutes (this doesn’t happen often and the subject matter is topics I’m extremely familiar with). Most articles take me about 40 minutes to write.

This translates into an hourly wage of $75 on the high end, and $33 on the low end. That’s comparable to an average salary of $68K to $156K (hourly rate x 40/hours week x 52 weeks/year).

This is more than many make on full-time, 9-5 jobs.

I wanted to charge enough to make what I needed to live, but not so much that I had to struggle to bring in clients. This rate has allowed me to do that, which brings me to my next point …

Why You Should Never Be the Lowest or Highest Bidder

I know I could probably charge more because of my experience and marketing expertise. But, you know what? When you charge near the top, projects take longer to come in. Charge near the bottom, and someone will always beat you out on price.

The rate I charge allows me to seamlessly bring in new clients – and make a more than decent living without stressing. In fact, I’ve recently started to outsource projects because I’m so busy. If I was charging “top dollar,” I don’t think I’d be at this point yet.

How to Set Your Freelance Writing Rates to Bring in the Most Clients

A rule of thumb is, the more you charge, the more you will have to spend to land clients – and the longer it takes for you to land clients.

Furthermore, clients expect more when you charge top dollar. Think about it, if you stayed at the Holiday Inn, would you expect the same level of service you’d get at The Ritz?

The nice surprise here is you can provide your clients with “Ritz” service, while billing Holiday Inn rates. Your referral rates will go through the roof, and when you do decide to raise rates, practically none of them will jump ship because you ask for a few extra dollars.

To be successful in business, you have to consider all components, not just rate. For me, I’d rather be super busy charging mid-level rates, than slow charging top dollar. And that’s exactly where I am.

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