Which Marketing Methods Bring in the Most Freelance Writing Jobs?

March 9, 2010

Publisher Note: In April, to read the posts on InkwellEditorial.com, you will need to be a subscriber. Don’t worry, there won’t be a subscription fee. The content will still be free. What’ll happen is, I’ll post excerpts, but you’ll need to be a subscriber to click through and read the content in its entirety.

FYI, you can subscribe from any page of the site — see subscription box to the right. Now, on to today’s post …
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There are so many ways to market your freelance writing business that it can be hard to decide which method will bring in the most freelance writing jobs. I started thinking about this when I received the following question from a freelance writer who bought the SEO writing ebook. She wrote:

Yuwanda, I have your book on SEO writing and I’m planning on building a website to market my services. I do have a squidoo lens with some samples and my rates. Do you think a squidoo lens is good to use for marketing?

I answered:

S-:

First, thank you for your purchase.

Regarding your question, IMO, you should use a separate, standalone website to market your SEO writing business.

With that being said, everyone has their own way of marketing. For example I have a Squidoo lens, but never use it. So experiment and do what works for you.

Good luck!

I wanted to go into a little more detail here by revealing the methods I use – and why.

Guidelines for Marketing Your Freelance Writing Business

I marketing-advice-for-freelance-writers have three rules I follow when it comes to marketing. It doesn’t matter what I’m promoting, I always adhere to the following:

1. I must be able to afford it: The reason I follow this rule is that prospects have to see your message a bunch of times for it to be effective.

I read somewhere years ago that a prospect has to see your message between 7 and 28 times before they will purchase.

According to a 2005 article in USA Today, Consumers today encounter from 3,500 to 5,000 marketing messages per day, vs. 500 to 2,000 in the 1970s, says J. Walker Smith, president of consumer and marketing watcher Yankelovich.

As you can see, prospects probably have to see your message many more times for it to be effective because there are so many more ways that advertisers reach us, eg, social media, blogs, podcasts, DMs, etc. And, this is in addition to old-school marketing outlets like newspapers, TV and radio.

This is why I invest in marketing methods I can afford to repeat because it’s rare that consumers will purchase from you the first time they see your ad.

2. I must be able to make time to do it: Some marketing methods can be effective, but if they are time consuming and you don’t do them on a regular basis, then it doesn’t mean a hill of beans.

My primary methods for marketing are:

E-newsletters: Eg, what you’re reading right now. I send out two of these a week; one for InkwellEditorial.com (usually on Tuesday) and one for SeoWritingJobs.com (usually on Wednesday).

Email Blasts: I use this when I’m prospecting for freelance writing gigs. I rarely do this anymore, as I stay pretty busy with existing clients.

Note: I’ve been freelancing since 1993 and have built up a pretty good list of steady clients. Also, I have multiple streams of income (ie, ebooks, affiliate marketing and e-seminars in addition to regular writing gigs). I say all this to say, if you’re a freelance writer and you don’t have any of these, it’s imperative that you continue to market even when you’re busy.

If you don’t, you’ll find that the inevitable dry spells will be longer. If you do, they’ll be shorter and you’ll build up a steady roster of clients quicker.

Article Marketing: This is my favorite method of marketing. I have to admit, I don’t particularly enjoy sitting down to write articles to submit to free directories like EzineArticles, but it’s so effective that I make myself do it.

In next week’s post, I’ll go into detail about how I go about my article marketing.

3. It must produce quantifiable results: I’m not very good at tracking my marketing methods. BUT, I do enough research to know what’s working and what’s not. If I took the time to dig more into the details of my marketing efforts, I know I could do better, but I just don’t have time.

So I guess my message here is to dig deep enough to at least know if a method you’re using is paying off.

How You Market Your Freelance Writing Business Is Up to You

There are tons of other ways to market your freelance writing business (pay per click, Squidoo, blogging, etc.). I’ve outlined the guidelines I use that work for me. Yours may be different. So if you’re comfortable with Squidoo, for example, then that might work better for you than say, article marketing.

The point is to market – consistently. If you do this and pay attention to what’s working and what’s not, you’ll be well on your way to building a successful freelance writing business.

SEO Writing Ecourse News

FYI, the next SEO writing ecourse commences on April 26^th. As of today, there are 13 slots remaining. You’ll learn four ways to make money online using your newly acquired skills that will give you financial security. Get full details on the SEO copywriting training this ecourse offers.

Best,
Yuwanda
P.S.: Find this post informative? Follow Inkwell Editorial on Twitter.

P.P.S.: Want an easy, fast way to get started in affiliate marketing, making as much as $50, $100 or $150/day? Get How to Make Money Placing Ads on Free Classified Ad Sites (ie, Backpage.com). If you want to make some easy money promoting affiliate products on free classified ad sites, this ebook is for you. I’ve personally sold tens of thousands of dollars of e-products (my own and affiliate products) doing this since January 2009.

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Freelance Writing Advice: Should You Separate “You” from Your Writing Business

March 2, 2010

Publisher Note: Within the next couple of weeks, to read the posts on InkwellEditorial.com, you will need to be a subscriber. Don’t worry, there won’t be a subscription fee. The content will still be free. What’ll happen is, I’ll post excerpts, but you’ll need to be a subscriber to click through and read the content in its entirety.

FYI, you can subscribe from any page of the site — see subscription box to the right. Now, on to today’s post …
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A few times in the last couple of weeks, I’ve come face to face with how intimately “I am” New Media Words, my SEO copywriting services firm.

The first thing that brushed me up against this knowledge was receiving four requests for proposals (RFPs) in the last two weeks for search engine optimized content; some also wanted submission services. As I was putting each RFP together, it hit me – yet again – how intricately my persona is tied to my company.

The second thing that highlighted this was a question I received from a new freelance SEO writer. He’s not new to SEO writing, as he’s been doing that for almost a decade. What’s new is the fact that he’s striking out on his own (yeah baby!). He sent me a Twitter DM, asking:

Found another domain. Should I brand myself (eg, johndoewritesseo) or a company (seowritingcorp)?

Note: Info in parenthesis has been changed to protect the sender’s identity.

My answer was:

Depends on how u want to grow. Wanna stay small; brand u. Wanna grow; brand a company. I started off branding me, then formed a company.

Even though I’m a “company”, the brand is still me. And I’m fine with that. Following are the main two reasons why.

Money: I earn as much or more from my SEO expertise as an “individual” as I do as a “company” via my seo writing ebooks and seo copywriting training e-course.

Search Engine Rank: As an individual, I rank well in search engines for industry keywords (eg, “seo writing,” “seo content provider,” and “write seo content”).

Getting to this point was not easy, so I don’t want to dismantle what I’ve accomplished. New Media Words is a small firm. If it never grows beyond where it is now, that’s just fine with me.

And in the end, I think this is what it’s all about – what your desires are. The SEO writer referenced above who contacted me tweeted back:

Thanks! Was thinking along the same lines (personal brand first, then a business brand if I grow large enough). Appreciate it!

One of the reasons I love being my own boss is that I get to mold my business to fit my life, my personality, my being. This is the joy of entrepreneurship.

2 Things to Consider When Trying to Decide Whether to Brand Yourself or Brand a Company

The Golden Brand I would have said more to the writer who sent in the question if Twitter didn’t limit users to only 140 characters. I would have told him to consider the following when trying to decide:

1. Write out a one-year and a three-year plan for your life: Why? Because where you want to be personally will guide what you do professionally (or at least it should, in my opinion). And, this changes constantly, which is why I suggest having immediate goals (eg, a one-year plan) and future goals (a three-year plan).

2. Run the numbers: As in, figure out how much you want/need to make a year as an SEO writer to be able to meet your financial obligations – and be happy. This is different for every person. For example, I’m a 40-something year old homeowner with all the bills that come along with it. This requires a certain income level to maintain.

And personally for me to be happy, I like to “take to the friendly skies” and travel. This requires funds over and beyond paying normal, set expenses like a mortgage.

But, if you’re a twenty-something year old who shares a rented apartment with no other “life expenses” (eg, mortgage, homeowners insurance, car insurance, etc.), then you may require less to live on – and to be happy.

Personally, I don’t believe it matters – up to a certain point – whether you brand yourself or a company. If you treat your copywriting business like a business and conduct yourself professionally with each client interaction – you will have no problems acquiring clients for your SEO writing firm.

Just some food for thought this snowy Wednesday afternoon (yes it’s snowing in Atlanta; a wet, barely-stick-to-the-ground snow, but snow nonetheless).

SEO Writing Ecourse News

FYI, the next SEO writing ecourse commences on April 26^th. As of today, there are 15 slots remaining. You’ll learn four ways to make money online using your newly acquired skills that will give you financial security. Get full details on the SEO copywriting training this ecourse offers.

Best,
Yuwanda
P.S.: Find this post informative? Follow Inkwell Editorial on Twitter.

P.P.S.: Want an easy, fast way to get started in affiliate marketing, making as much as $50, $100 or $150/day? Get How to Make Money Placing Ads on Free Classified Ad Sites (ie, Backpage.com). If you want to make some easy money promoting affiliate products on free classified ad sites, this ebook is for you. I’ve personally sold tens of thousands of dollars of e-products (my own and affiliate products) doing this since January 2009.

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Make Money Blogging: Inside the Google AdSense Earnings of a Minisite Publisher

February 23, 2010

This week, I promised to update you on my “minisite (virtual real estate) empire” earnings. Well it’s not an empire yet, but it will be!

I’m really devoting a good chunk of time this year to my minisites and will posts updates here from time to time. Minisites are a good way to make passive income online. Mind you, there’s nothing passive about it in the beginning; it’s a lot of work. Following is some info on my progress to date. As I said in my previous post on this topic (linked to above):

. . . my goal is to build 5 of these sites to actively promote, with the objective of making just $100-$200/day from all of them combined. I think I’ll be there within the next 18 to 24 months.

So, how’s it going so far? Overall, I’m pleased with my efforts. There are days where I get frustrated because it seems that just when you’re making some progress, things fall off and you’re like, WTF! But, I knew going in that this was going to be a marathon, not a sprint. Good thing I’m a runner!

Now, on to some specifics . . .

Changing Focus

Instead of building five sites to promote, I’ve decided to focus on the three that I have. The reason is, I’ve made inroads with these sites already and it’s a lot of effort to start a new site.

make-money-with-minisites ForeclosureBusinessNews.com is still the one that makes the most money per month; it accounts for about 80% of my AdSense earnings (among my minisites, not among my total AdSense earnings). Remember, I started this blog to promote an affiliate product.

Once I saw the click thru rates (CTR) and the earnings from each click, I was like, “I’d be stupid NOT to focus more on this site.”

So this one gets most of my attention for right now. I’m slowly giving the others more time.

Earnings from My Main Minisite — ForeclosureBusinessNews.com

In November the site made $95.26

In December it faltered a bit, earning $74.04

In January it bounced back, pulling in $125.24

So far this month, it’s earned $114.44

More AdSense Income Figures for ForeclosureBusinessNews.com

Biggest Day: The most I’ve earned from this site in one day is $20.51. The least I’ve earned is $0.

All-Time Earnings: I put AdSense on this site on May 2, 2009. It’s all-time earnings are $803.67 (about $2.70/day).

Note: I’ve purposely withheld a lot of info that Google doesn’t like for you to give out (eg, CTR, page impressions, eCPM (effective cost-per-thousand impressions)), etc. Of course, this is info you have access to when you sign up with Google AdSense.

Now that you have some raw data, following are some questions that may be running through your head.

How to Make Money with Minisites: FAQ

Why bother with this when the payout is so little; you’re not making a lot of money?

As I’ve stated before, I’m in this for the long haul. It’s by no means a get-rich-quick scheme. And to be honest, that’s why it appeals to me. Remove that furrow from your brow; let me explain.

I like to invest time in making money online in projects where I’m guaranteed a return on my time. Building minisites has done this. The more time I’ve invested, the more money I’ve made. Now mind you not a lot, but that’s not the point right now. It’s knowing that I can multiply these efforts and over time I will be guaranteed the income I want.

Right now, I could reduce the amount of time I spend on ForeclosureBusinessNews.com and still make between $75 and $100 per month. Then I could go on to build other sites, 5 10 or 20 of them. With each earning just $75 to $100 per month, it’s a not too shabby little income at the end of the month.

Remember, this is over and beyond my other income streams (eg, writing for clients, ebooks and seminars). I build minisites for future, steady income. The most important thing to remember is that I like making money with minisites. I enjoy the process because it suits my working personality.

Personally, I’m a social butterfly; I love interacting with and being around people. Professionally though, I tend to be a loner. That’s why freelance writing appeals to me as a career — I like to be given a project — then be left alone to get it done. I’ve always been like this.

To like what you’re doing can not be overstated. Because it’s not a get rich quick thing, you have to be patient. If you don’t like building minisites, you’ll give up long before you ever see any kind of success.

How much time do you spend promoting this minisite?

I don’t spend time promoting ForeclosureBusinessNews.com as a site, per say. I promote the product(s) I built the site for (eg, the ebooks on foreclosure cleaning).

So the traffic that comes really pays off in two ways for me – in AdSense income and in the affiliate products I promote on the site.

How do you promote the site?

I primarily use article marketing. Love, love, love this mode of marketing. It is time consuming though. I write 2-4 articles a week, and submit them via several outlets.

I also run a pay per click (ppc) campaign, although most of the traffic comes via organic traffic. I plan to discontinue the ppc campaign at the end of this month. The reason is, since I’ve been doing more digging into the actual stats, I was really surprised to see that the vast majority of my traffic was coming via organic search.

Foreclosure cleaning is a small niche, one me and only a few others dominate. My prominence is due to article marketing. If you type in the keyword phrases “foreclosure cleanup,” “foreclosure cleaning” or similar phrases, you’re going to run into a piece of content put out by me.

How do you plan to increase earnings?

Continue to do more article marketing and a few other tricks I have up my sleeve. I talk about this in Module V of the SEO Copywriting Training ecourse.

How Being an SEO Copywriter Helps You Build a Minisite Empire

“Never put all of your money eggs in one basket; cultivate multiple income streams.”

minisite-case-study One of the reasons I love being an SEO writer is that you can put this skill to use beyond writing for clients. This pads dry spells – and allows you to pick and choose the projects you want to work on really.

You can also charge more for your SEO copywritng services (something I need to do but have just been too busy to get around to adjusting).

When you’re hired by a client to write SEO copy, it’s because they’re making money (or plan to) with a site by getting it more traffic (hence, sales). Why wouldn’t you put this knowledge to use for yourself?

SEO copywriters have all the skills they need to make money online in a multitude of ways – whether it’s for clients, or for themselves. In light of the article, Millions of Unemployed Face Years Without Jobs, in the New York Times, it’s just some food for thought, no? As I tweeted earlier today, “There is no job security anymore other than what you give yourself.”

SEO Writing Ecourse News

FYI, the next SEO writing ecourse is scheduled for April 26^th. As of today, there are 16 slots remaining. Get full details on the SEO copywriting training this ecourse offers.

Best,
Yuwanda
P.S.: Find this post informative? Follow Inkwell Editorial on Twitter.

P.P.S.: Want an easy, fast way to get started in affiliate marketing, making as much as $50, $100 or $150/day? Get How to Make Money Placing Ads on Free Classified Ad Sites (ie, Backpage.com). If you want to make some easy money promoting affiliate products on free classified ad sites, this ebook is for you. I routinely make $100-$150/day.

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SEO Copywriting: How to Start This Career While Working a Fulltime Job

February 2, 2010

As is so often the case, this newsletter addresses a question sent in by a loyal reader of InkwellEditorial.com. You guys have no idea how easy it is to write a post when you’re answering a question directly. So if you have more questions, send them in. If it’s “universal” enough, I’ll definitely answer it.

Yesterday, I received the following email. I promised to give the reader a thorough answer today, so here goes (I’ve disguised some details to protect her identity) Note: This post is over 1,800 words long so settle in for a good, informative read.

Hello Yuwanda,

I understand that you are busy. And you may not respond to this message. However, I thought I would just throw it out there. This may be a topic that appeals to a lot of part-time freelance writers.

I work a full time job [in the hospitality industry]. So, it is very stressing, I try not to take things personally. . . I am on the phone with a guest for 5 minutes because they only hear what they want to hear. I play all the tricks of the trade; put a pink cloud, kill them with kindness, hold your blue rock, etc, etc. And still no budge! By the time I finished my 8 hour shift I am mentally drained and just want to clear my mind from all the negativity.

I know Seo articles [writing SEO content) is the way to get [freelance writing] clients in the door. However, you say write 10 a day. I can’t wait for the day that I can do that with ease. I really want to quit my job because I am like you: Type A personality, wanting to dance to my own tune, travel and write, etc, etc. I know if I jump right in I will be a success, but I have to be practical, because I have no savings.   If it wasn’t for my SCORE mentor, I would have taken the leap already, but he keeps me in check.

You say you are going to work 10-12 hour days, I can’t wait to the day I can do that as well. I am curious to know if you will be willing to share exactly what you do for 10-12 hours a day.  (emphasis added) I have [a couple of days during the week] off from my job. However, I use that time for Networking (takes more time since I gave up my car and bussing it everywhere). So, it will be very helpful for me to find out how to structure my 10- 12 hour days with my limited availability.

I understand that you are busy, but as always thank you for all of your time and knowledge. You are truly an inspiration to me and other writers as well.

Thank You
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First let me say to this reader, I appreciate you being such a loyal reader of the site and am inspired to keep doing what I do because it inspires others like you to reach for their dreams.

Now, to answer your question.

As an SEO copywriter, my days have changed dramatically from when I first started doing SEO writing. That’s because I’m working towards different goals, which I’ve talked about on many occasions here and on my SEO writing blog (see section entitled “Personal Freelance Writing Goals for 2010: On Track, or Not?”).

A Day in the Life of a Successful SEO Copywriter: An Hour-by-Hour Rundown

I covered what my days used to look like when I first started writing SEO content in a blog I used to write for back in 2008. I started to rewrite this content, but figured that linking out to it is better because I was “in the fire” then, so to speak. Hence, I probably had greater clarity then. The post is A Day in the Life of an SEO Writer.

One thing I want to point out is that marketing for SEO writing work was the first thing I did each day. This is particularly important when you are just starting out because, as with any new venture, marketing is going to eat up the bulk of your time. In fact, it should take up 50%-75% of your work day.

If you don’t have clients, all of the other “busy stuff” you may preoccupy yourself with doesn’t mean a hill of beans because without clients, it’s all for naught.

So make marketing the first thing you do every day. And, commit to a certain number. When I first started, I made contact with at least 20 new contacts a day. The busier I got, the more I cut back. Now, I may market once a quarter (maybe) – literally. Why? For three reasons:

Why I Barely Market for SEO Writing Work Anymore

I. I Have Steady Clients: I have about 30 clients I work with; about a dozen of them are very regular. This keeps me busy enough to pay my bills, but not so busy that I don’t have time to concentrate on other work, which brings me to the second reason I barely market for SEO writing jobs anymore . . .

II. Retiring from Writing Client Copy: As I previously discussed in this post (which is the one I linked to above about freelance writing goals), by the end of the year, my goal is to retire from actually writing for clients and step into a full managerial role at New Media Words, my SEO writing firm. This has been a dream for the last few years . . .one I’m doing everything in my power to make come true by the end of this year.

I currently contract with four SEO writers, but I still do a lot of writing myself. My days can be really, really crazy with everything on my plate . . . which brings me to the last reason marketing for SEO writing work is not a top priority these days.

III. Hands in Many Pies: I have my hand in so many projects, it’s ridiculous. For example, I co-author books with my sister, who has a real estate services line of ebooks.

get-organized I conduct freelance writing ecourses (SEO and regular freelance writing);

I produce two weekly newsletters;

I write and market my own line of ebooks on freelance writing;

I do affiliate marketing; and

I build minisites as passive income.

This is in addition to writing for clients.

But I’m too scattered. Once I’m no longer writing content for clients, I can get my professional (and personal!) house more in order. I have a list of projects I want to finish and some I want to start within the next two years (I have three and five-year plans I constantly update).

But, I can’t add anything else to my plate right now. Realizing this (and my dream of travelling more) is what really made me push my date for retiring from writing for clients up. Something just had to give if I was going to realize other dreams.

Why My Schedule as an SEO Copywriter May Not Work for You

I’m single and I don’t have children. So I can literally work around the clock if I want to. So don’t get discouraged if you’re thinking, “I can’t possibly keep up.” You can. You just have to find a schedule that works for you.

An Inspirational Story of “Making It Work Because You Have To”

I have several girlfriends who are single moms. One went back to nursing school in her early 40s, right after she had her son. She was broke, with patchy childcare and she had a job. But, she found a way to go to school.

She said she’d get up at 4 am to study every morning; two hours before she had to get her son up to take him to the baby sitter’s, or pre-school (once he got old enough).

I couldn’t study chemistry and biology at 21 with enough sleep and no child responsibilities. Can you imagine:

Working at a minimum wage job you hated;

Then going to class (and staying focused);

Then picking up your child from day care, feeding and caring for them;

Then sitting down to study for an hour or two after you tucked them in . . .

AND getting up and doing it all over again – for four years (it took her that long to finish because she had a child) – averaging four to five hours of sleep per night, if you’re lucky?

My girlfriend used to say, “I have to make it work Yuwanda; I have no choice. No one else is going to take care of me and my son and I can’t make it on minimum wage.” Now, she has a cushy job in a plastic surgeon’s office where she works banker’s hours … and she makes a very good salary.

And this is why to me, single moms (scratch that, single parents) are God’s angels on earth. I literally don’t know how you all do it, but my hat (and scarf, and gloves, and pants, and shoes and underplunders!) are off to you. You make the rest of us look like lazy slobs!

My point is, if you want it bad enough, you will make it work.

Earlier today, before I sat down to write this post, I received this email from another reader of the site. It dovetailed with the first reader’s question so well, that I know that this post was meant to be (I believe God works in mysterious ways, and this was an issue that obviously needed addressing).

More Questions from Another Reader about SEO Writing

She wrote:

I’m considering purchasing your SEO Article Writing ebook. With your system for getting seo content writing jobs:

Could someone working full-time use the system? You mentioned that you received a request for 10 articles that were completed in 5 hours. Not sure how I would handle this working full-time. When working with these SEO firms, are you able to refuse assignments without penalty?
###

To answer her questions:

Could someone working full-time use the system [outlined in my SEO writing ebook]?

Yes, if you’re employed full time you can use the system I outline in my ebook to start out part time. You just have to realize how much work you can take on . . .and still meet deadlines. In the beginning though, you might have to burn some midnight oil. For example, if a client says they want 10 articles in 24 hours, you might say, “That’s a little tight, I can have them to you in 48 hours though.”

For the record, most don’t expect a 24 hour turnaround. 48-72 hours is perfectly acceptable.

24-hour turnaround is a tactic I used to use all the time though to hook clients. I wanted them to use me again, so I’d work through the night to get an article order done if I had to. But again, I’m single; I don’t have children. Only you know your limits.

When working with these SEO firms, are you able to refuse assignments without penalty?

This depends on the client. Just starting out, you’re going to want to say yes to most clients simply because you don’t want to give the impression that you can’t handle the workload.

Clients don’t “penalize you;” they just may not call on you again (which many may consider a penalty). The only reason I turned down work in the beginning was if someone couldn’t meet my SEO writing rate.

I’ll talk more about this tomorrow in the post on SeoWritingJobs.com. This post has run on long enough, and I’m dying for a glass of wine.

I hope I’ve given you enough food for thought though, and shed some light on what life is like as an SEO copywriter.

SEO Writing Ecourse News

FYI, the next SEO writing ecourse is scheduled for April 26^th. I’ve upped the limit on the number of participants from 15 to 20. Get full details on the SEO copywriting training this ecourse offers.

Best,
Yuwanda
P.S.: Find this post informative? Follow Inkwell Editorial on Twitter.

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Press Release Writing: How to Sell This Lucrative Service to Clients

December 15, 2009

A lot of the issues I touch on in the Inkwell Editorial newsletter and on this site come directly from readers like you. I wanted to take a moment to thank you for that.

In this issue, I’m responding to a question sent in from a reader about a post I did on how to market your freelance writing business using free press releases a few weeks ago. She wrote:

Question about Press Release Writing Sent in by Reader

First let me say, thank you for all of your insight and you desire to help aspiring freelancers. I have been following you for a few years now, and you are one of the reasons I got into SEO in the first place. I purchased a copy of your book about ” How to become a SEO writer.” However, I am not afraid to market. I sent out a 100 postcards and I got 5 conversions (It was to schedule a free 45 minute Internet Marketing Consultation).

Anyway, the reason why I am writing is because I would like to break into writing Press Releases . . . But my main thing is my mindset. I don’t feel comfortable Promoting a Press Release because the press releases I have written for myself have not got me media exposure. Before, I start promoting my Press Release Services, I want to show proof that my press releases are worthy of getting media attention. So, I guess my question is, “Should I just promote my press release services anyway?” (emphasis added) Thank you so much.

press-release-writing-service

My Answer:

First let me say, I choose to answer questions that have a broad appeal. By broad appeal, I mean questions that have to deal with several issues that I think a lot of freelance writers deal with.

In this case, the freelancer is dealing with fear – on a couple of levels: (i) fear that she can’t “prove” herself; and (ii) fear that maybe she’s not writing the press releases right, which is why she hasn’t gotten any media coverage for herself.

I fired off a quick response to her, but I wanted to get more in-depth here. There are five points I want to make:

5 Things to Keep in Mind When Selling Press Release Writing

I. No Proof Required

You don’t have to prove that you haven’t gotten a certain result for yourself in order to provide that to clients. If that were the case, every SEO writer would have to be on the front page of Google before they could get any work.

What you do have to prove is that you can produce what the client wants. In this case, it’s a simple press release. A sample can provide that.

II. Coverage from a Press Release is Never Guaranteed – No Matter Who You Are

And just in case you’re wondering, no one can guarantee media coverage from a press release. No one! And, run from anyone who promises you that they can. The reason is this – the media doesn’t care about your product or service. As I wrote in the aforementioned post:

They care about serving their viewership — giving their viewers insight/information into solving a problem they have. If your product/service just happens to do that – then they’ll be interested [“might be interested” is what I should have written]. If it doesn’t – no matter how well crafted it is – they won’t be interested.

The media gets thousands of press releases every day. Sure, if Oprah sends one out, it’s gonna get noticed. But Joe Schmoe with a small BBQ restaurant who hires you to write one for him – well he’s probably not going to show up on the evening news in a business profile.

III. The SEO Factor of Press Releases

This writer can make clients aware of the value of press releases from an SEO standpoint. Just because clients don’t get direct media coverage from press releases does not mean that they are a waste of time and money.

Distributing press releases is great from an SEO standpoint because free press release sites like PRLog.com get a lot of search engine juice. They are indexed all the time, which means the content shows up high in search results. This means that clients still get a lot of value for their money – because they get found online via these sites.

IV. The Credibility Factor of Press Releases

And, press releases build credibility. Imagine sending out one a week. Even if your client didn’t get one piece of “official” media coverage from it, it’s content that will be live on the web forever. And if it’s keyworded right, the client still has a chance of getting found online by web surfers. In essence, press releases work 24/7/365 — unlike a news story that dies with the end of a news cast or the tossing out of a magazine.

V: You’re a Freelance Writer; Not a PR Firm

The final thing I want to say is, you are a freelance writer. You are NOT a PR firm. PR firms provide placement of press releases. This is why they cost a mint. PR firms may hire freelancers to write the actual release, then they’ll be responsible for getting it into the hands of the right media.

It takes PR professionals years to build their list of media contacts. And, they charge an arm and a leg to get you coverage via those contacts. The point I’m trying to get across here is that you’re not a PR firm; you’re a press release writer.

At New Media Words, we write and distribute press releases – to free press release directories. This way, when media professionals troll them looking for stories, quotes, people, companies they want to profile, your client’s is within reach. And, this is all any freelance writing firm can promise in my opinion. Otherwise, you’re a PR firm, not JUST a writing firm.

And, this is how you sell this service. You point out all the benefits a press release can provide – beyond direct media coverage. And, you point out exactly the type of press release service you provide – nothing more, nothing less.

Bottom Line on Marketing Your Press Release Writing Service

Learning how to market every service you offer is critical as a freelance writer. And this is as simple as making prospects aware of the benefits of the service; not your limitations in providing it.

Hope this helps you see clearer how to market this lucrative freelance writing service,

Yuwanda
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Freelance Writing Job: One Secret to Becoming a Six Figure Writer

December 8, 2009

I love Twitter because I find out so many interesting things about how other freelance writers conduct their careers. Yesterday, I was scrolling through my Twitter stream and clicked on a link from this fellow freelance writer. It was an interview conducted with six-figure freelance writer Kelly James-Enger.

A Six-Figure Freelance Writer Reveals One of the Secrets to Her Success

The Editor of the site, Maya Payne Smart, writes of Ms. James-Enger:

She credits her success to the decision to specialize: She could handle more assignments while doing less legwork. “I just found it saved me a lot of time. You can reinvent the wheel over and over again with stories like how to lose weight. Since I have the knowledge and background, it makes things easier.”

six-figure-freelance-writing-job

Ms. James-Enger’s road to success spoke to me on many levels, but this really stood out to me because it’s what I’ve been telling freelance writers for years, eg, in the June 2006 article entitled, The 3 Most Common Mistakes Freelancers Make (& How to Remedy Them), I wrote:

. . . I’m adamant that freelancers should specialize. It’s not that you can’t go outside your specialty, but if you target a specific market, you build your client list that much faster and can service them better. Once you have your bread and butter clients, you can choose a secondary market – if you feel it necessary.

The Road to Being a Six-Figure Freelance Writer: 2 Reasons to Specialize

Build Client List Faster: If you have a specialty as a freelance writer, it’s easier to find clients to market to because you’re not spreading your marketing efforts too thin.

For example, if you wanted to do legal writing, it’s easy to find prospects to market to, eg, The Bar Association, legal website directories, or do simple Google searches using relevant keyword phrases like “legal websites”.

Increase Your Hourly/Project Rate: To paraphrase Ms. James-Enger, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel when you specialize. In essence, you harness knowledge you already have to turn out more work. But since you’re working with the same subject matter, this cuts down on research time, writing time, editing time, etc.

Same skill set. Different clients. Higher rate per hour/project.

I experience this first-hand all the time. I have several clients I write for on a weekly basis. I write articles and/or blog posts for them covering the same subject matter. When I first started with one client, it was an area that I was only tangentially familiar with. After almost a year of writing on this client’s subject matter though, I am intimately familiar with it.

Now, I can write a 400-word article and a 250-300 word blog post in 30-45 minutes. When I first started it would take me anywhere from an hour and a half to two hours.

As another example, the first SEO writing gig I landed was for a mortgage site. I went on to write hundreds of articles in other niches for this client who gave me my initial shot as an SEO copywriter, but he hired me first and foremost because he needed some mortgage articles written and I had pitched him as a real estate/mortgage writer.

And, we all know how the whole “SEO writing thing” has panned out for me, right?

Want to Be a Six-Figure Freelance Writer Quickly?

Specialize!

Does it mean that you can’t take on writing projects outside your niche? No, absolutely not. As six-figure writer Marcia Layton Turner says in another post in the six-figure writer series on the above-referenced site:

Try not to say no to an assignment unless you are sure you cannot do a stellar job. Ask for more time or different parameters, but don’t turn down the work. If you do, the editor will find another writer and you may lose a client.

One of my mottos has always been this: If you want to achieve something, find someone who’s already doing it and emulate them. So if you want to be a six-figure freelance writer, take advice from these two ladies, for they are where many strive to be.

Hope you’re having a great week!

Yuwanda
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How & Why to Effectively Market Your Freelance Writing Business Using Free Press Releases

November 23, 2009

The post, Recession Proof Income: Online Entrepreneurs Raking in Hundreds (Sometimes Thousands) of Dollars a Day, is a press release. I use these from time to time to promote this site and some of my niche websites.

It’s a very effective form of marketing — that I’m embarrassed to say I don’t utilize enough. Mainly, it’s a time crunch thing. As in, I do a lot of article marketing. Each of these could easily be turned into press releases, but it’d probably take 20 minutes to half an hour to revise each article into press release format.

How to Write a Press Release; Press Release Writing Tips

FYI, if you don’t know, learn how to write a press release that the media will really be interested in. The number one thing to remember here is that the media doesn’t care about you, your product or your service.

They care about serving their viewership — giving their viewers insight/information into solving a problem they have. If your product/service just happens to do that – then they’ll be interested. If it doesn’t – no matter how well crafted it is – they won’t be interested.

Keep this in mind as you write, and you’ll stand a chance of making it newsworthy (always the goal!).

How I Use Press Releases to Grow My Freelance Writing Business

Obviously, press releases keep your name in front of the media. But really, I don’t even do it for that (to get media coverage). I use them for three other reasons (besides the media coverage):

(i) SEO Press Releases: Press releases are just content written in a certain format. But, they are indexed just like any other content. So when I write a press release, I write with SEO in mind; I write “SEO press releases”;

(ii) Writing Samples to Attract Higher Paying Clients: The press releases I produce serve this kind of writing sample. You can land higher paying clients when you know how to write (and distribute) PR pieces.

I charge $150 to write press releases (this is about to increase; all my rates are going to in January). It takes me about an hour to write one, depending on the client.

Sometimes clients will have an idea of how they want you to slant a release. If not, I’m a pretty quick study in coming up with ideas. Remember, I’ve been at this for years and have written hundreds (if not a few thousand) releases.

(iii) Prestige: Being quoted in a press release gives your business prestige. If you post them on your site (in the “Media” category; a page I have to create for this site), when prospects come, they’ll be impressed by the fact that you have a “Media” page.

Believe me, subconsciously, this ups your value immensely because you’re immediately thought of as a professional writing firm/writer (if everything else on the site says this also).

Using Free Press Releasese Can Lead to Media Coverage

Finally, I do write (SEO) press releases with the idea of getting media coverage in mind. The fact that I have a “shot at” being interviewed/quoted by a media source is icing on the cake.

When I ran my ethnic furnishings business a few years ago, I got media coverage relatively easy because my products were unique.

As a freelance writer, it’s rare that you’re “unique.” When I write press releases for my freelance writing products and services, I keep current events in mind (eg, career training, telecommuting, work from home, PT job, etc.). These are all topics that can be explored that you can be quoted on in a press release as a freelance writer.

After all, you telecommute, maybe started PT, maybe had to be trained in this discipline, etc. This is good news fodder.

Even one line/quote in/on/from a mainstream media outlet can bring a ton of freelance writing work your way. So yeah, it’s worth it! And if this never happens, you have the other reasons cited here to write and distribute free press releases (don’t forget the distribute part!).

So, get busy using this marketing method. After all, promoting your freelance writing business via press releases is FREE – the best form of marketing!

Happy Thanksgiving and I’ll see you back here next Tuesday (still nibbling on Turkey, I’m sure!).

Yuwanda
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Freelance Writers: How to Turn Your Marketing Knowledge into Cash

November 17, 2009

Last night, I was working on today’s blog post. I was going to finish it and send it out today. But before that could happen, I received Bob Bly’s newsletter with the subject line “Turn Your Marketing Knowledge into Cash” in my ebox, and this post literally flew to the forefront of my noggin’.

So, I decided to send this one out. It’s funny how things dovetail sometimes, because I was just discussing this with a business associate about a week ago. THIS being, what you already know – that you take for granted as a freelance writer – can literally earn you thousands of dollars.

How (and Why) Freelance Writers Can Make Thousands of Dollars from What They Already Know

Freelance writers are perfectly positioned to capitalize off their marketing knowledge because:

They’re Online All the Time: If you’re a freelance writer these days, you know the internet. You probably know about Twitter and Facebook and LinkedIn and blogging and a little bit of SEO . . . and the list goes on and on and on.

And guess what – a lot of your clients don’t have this type of knowledge. They don’t understand this whole “internet marketing thing,” which I discuss in the post, SEO Copywriters: How to Make an Extra $61,880 This Year, that I wrote for Copyblogger earlier this year.

What they don’t know they are happy to pay you for – so capitalize on this.

How to Capitalize Off of Each Piece of Specialized Knowledge You Possess

Speaking of capitalize, how do you go about it? Quite simply, package each service and sell it.

When I first started New Media Words, my SEO Writing & Distribution Firm, I sold primarily one service – SEO article writing. As clients began to request other services I added on.

Just last week, I repackaged our social media marketing services to just focus on Twitter. Before, we had offered Facebook and LinkedIn setup as well. But, as Twitter has literally exploded and more clients began asking questions about it, I knew it was time to restructure things.

This brings me to my last point – don’t be afraid to adapt your specialized knowledge to client needs. What made me restructure New Media Words’ social media package was a call I received from a prospect while I was in Jamaica in October. She wanted to “start Twitter now”, but had no clue how to go about it.

I walked the prospect through the process, but they wanted us to “just handle it”. Okay, fine. As Twitter is super easy to set up and we know how to “get clients going” (ie, get them followers quickly), I decided this would be the social media service we would focus on.

The bottom line: as a freelance writer, you have a lot of specialized knowledge. Package it and sell it to clients. They need it and will gladly pay you for it – if it adds value to their business.

Disclaimer: For the first time, I’ve become an affiliate marketer of another freelance writer’s products – Bob Bly. I’ve known of Mr. Bly for years, read his blog on a regular basis and subscribed to his newsletter this past summer. I say all this to say, when I recommend a product, I don’t do so lightly.

Bob happens to be an industry leader; and since I can’t write on every facet of freelance writing knowledgeably, I introduce you to his prolific line of ebooks for freelance writers (affiliate link). If you want to become a freelance writer, or are looking to expand your service offerings, he offers a wealth of informative, high-quality products from which to choose.

Yuwanda
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P.P.P.S.: I’ve received all of your questions regarding minisites. I’ll address these in an upcoming post soon, I promise.

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Freelance Writers: Why Being Perfect Can Sabotage Your Success

November 10, 2009

Freelance writing is one of a handful of professions where you are expected to be perfect – 100% of the time. Now while what we do is not medical science (eg, being a doctor), it is extremely important.

Freelance Writers: Why Getting It Right Is Important

Businesses that hire freelance writers have their image on the line. Their image is their business, which is their livelihood; a livelihood their families depend on for food, mortgage payments, medical insurance, etc. So in this respect, what we as freelance writers do is extremely important.

Now, to address the title of this post specifically, ie, why trying to be perfect can sabotage your freelance writing success . . .

I receive emails from time to time alerting me to my “imperfections” as a freelance writer. Following is the most recent:

You might want to check your e-mail version of your e-booklet: 4th paragraph “though times” — I’m assuming should be “tough times”. If you’re pitching good grammar and spelling you probably want to be right on too! Good luck.

First let me say, I appreciate emails like this . . . for two reasons: (i) they alert me to something I need to fix; and (ii) they remind me that I’m a “producer”, ie, I’m doing my job and putting out material on a regular basis.

imperfect-freelance-writer Between updating the numerous websites I have, writing promotional material for my ebooks and ecourses, and writing for clients, I write between 3,000 and 6,000 words a day (sometimes more). When you produce this much material, you’re bound to make mistakes.

HOWEVER, this type of correspondence can undermine your success – if you take it the wrong way. They can make you feel insecure, incompetent and paralyzed. This stunts your production.

If you’re waiting to be perfect to start something or continue something, you could be killing your chances of success as a freelance writer. Following are some common excuses that many freelance writers use to stay stuck at the starting gate:

I need to get a website;

I need to get a NEW website;

I need to add “X” (you fill in the blank) to my website;

I don’t have writing samples;

I don’t have the RIGHT writing samples;

I don’t have ENOUGH writing samples/ clips;

If you’re already freelancing, following are some common “perfectionist” things you may put in your way:

I need to redesign my website;

I need to create writing samples for this niche;

I need to do more research about “X”;

I don’t have time to do “X”.

All of these are some derivative of trying to be perfect – whether it’s waiting for the perfect time to start something, or until a product is perfect before you release it. Case in point, Inkwell’s SEO writing course.

For about a year, I had been implored by many to offer a course like this. But I simply didn’t have time, or so I told myself. What it really was is that I was waiting for the “perfect” time for a break in my schedule to put it together, put up a website and write the promotional material for it.

But when I looked at the facts, I knew that I was missing a golden opportunity. How/why? It’s not often you have a built-in client base who are, in essence, asking to spend money on your product.

I didn’t need a slick new website and fancy marketing materials. What I needed was to sit my butt down and put the course together and let those who had been asking me about it know that it was ready.

And, this is exactly what I did. The first course was taught in October and there are already enrollees for the upcoming one in January.

While I have: (i) registered a domain name (SeoCopywritingClass.com) that I plan to build out; and (ii) just this past weekend finished a promotional booklet (Learn SEO: 6 Reasons SEO Copywriting Is the Ideal High-Paying, Work-from-Home, Recession-Proof Career (pdf file)), this SEO class is already a success.

If I’d waited until the perfect time to start, I would have missed out on a golden opportunity, for this course has added another income stream to my business.

That being said, there is a time when you should be perfect . . . on client projects; else you risk committing this error.

Freelance Writers: When It’s Necessary to be Perfect

I check, recheck, outsource and double check client projects, because they pay my bills. Also, as I stated above, the businesses that hire me count on me to be right all the time. And I do my best not to disappoint.

BUT in general, if you wait until the stars align, you have the time, you have the money and you have the “perfect” whatever, you will never achieve success as a freelance writer – or anything else. For, part of being successful is making mistakes, learning from them and moving on.

Here’s wishing you a delightfully successful “imperfect” day.

Imperfectly yours,
Yuwanda

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Photo Credit: “Embrace Imperfection” magnet at Cafepress.com.

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Bulk Freelance Writing Assignments: Specific Tips for Landing Them

November 3, 2009

In last week’s post, Freelance Writers: How to Land More Gigs in a Difficult Economy, one of the things we discussed was landing bulk freelance writing assignments. I promised to give some specific tips on how to go about it, so here goes . . .

2 WAYS TO LAND BULK WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Following are two things that I’ve tried that have landed me bulk writing assignments. One is something you can do right away – I’m talking by the end of the day if you want. The other may take a few days or a few weeks to implement.

I. MAKE CLIENTS AWARE OF YOUR WORTH

Freelance writers tend not to be good at this. Many are timid about marketing in general, so when it comes to tooting their own horn, it’s beyond what many even think of doing. But, the tougher the economy is, the more direct you have to be with your marketing.

marketing_tips-for-freelance-writers Making clients aware of your worth works particularly well with existing clients, which is a group you should market heavily to for bulk writing assignments. Why?

(i) Because they already know and trust your work; and

(ii) You are familiar with their product/service.

This presents a “perfect storm,” if you will, for landing more freelance writing jobs relatively easily.

Now that you know why you should make clients aware of your worth, you may be thinking, “How do I go about it?” It’s actually quite simple – create mini case studies.

How to Create Mini Case Studies

To do this, go back through your projects for the last quarter or two. Pull out those where you can state a specific benefit/problem you solved for the client (over and beyond your super copy, of course).

For example, one client of mine called me one day in a panic. This was unusual because he usually emailed me. He needed 44 SEO articles in 48 hours. This client ran an internet marketing firm. He needed the copy for the launch of one of his clients’ websites.

My firm produced it on time – and we gave him a bulk discount to boot (he had given us a lot of work since he came on board and I was happy to reward him this way).

Benefit to client: He was able to keep his promise to his client (and ostensibly gain more business).

What this says to prospects you target is that you can handle bulk orders in a timely manner.

To use another example, I had another client who wanted me to write testimonials for one of his client sites. Only these weren’t normal testimonials. I had to interview this site owner to get the stories behind the testimonials (the site was about proxy marriages). Then, I had to turn what he told me into what I called a “story testimonial”.

The client of my client was so happy with how the copy turned out that he put in a standing order for one to three a month.

Benefit to client: He was able to meet this unusual request of this keep his promise to his client (and ostensibly gain more business).

Note: These little assignments are particularly lucrative because I charge a fee for the phone interview, which lasts about 10 to 15 minutes, and a separate fee for the writing of the “story testimonials.”

How to Present Your Case Study to Clients

I wrote up three examples, then presented them in the following manner:

Client Problem

How We Helped

Tagline: We can do the same for you!

These were what I called unofficial case studies. You can literally put this together in a couple of hours (or less) and send it off to prospects. FYI, see a more official version of a case study (pdf file).

II. WRITE SPECIAL REPORTS

The best example I can give of this is outlined in the post, SEO Copywriters: How to Make an Extra $61,880 This Year.

This one report continues to bring me so much business that I’ve create several others as free promotional tools for my various ventures, eg:

Proven SEO Tactics: How to Start Getting Up to 5,000 Visitors Daily

The Value of SEO Copywriters

2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

The great thing about special reports is that they demonstrate your knowledge of a particular subject in depth. This removes the barriers a potential client may have about your ability to handle their particular project.

Special reports are powerful selling tools. And, while they may take a few days or even weeks to produce, they are worth the effort because they can be part of your marketing arsenal for months – or even years (depending on the timeliness of the subject matter).

Final Tip: Don’t forget to ask for the sale, eg:

Let us handle your continuous content needs . . . a month of blog posts; weekly articles for your site; etc. We put your content needs on auto pilot. You can outsource it and forget it!

So there you go – two ways to market for bulk writing assignments that really work.

Your freelance writing marketing maven,
Yuwanda

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