POST #4: 40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career

PUBLISHER NOTE: If you are a regular reader of this blog, then you know about the upcoming freelance writing seminar in October. Details.

Many have inquired about what will be discussed at the seminar. So, in order to answer your questions and to get you prepared for what to expect, I've started a series of posts entitled "40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career."

To start at the beginning, click here. And, welcome to the blog. Now, on to today’s post . . .

How to Make “Good Money” as a Freelance Writer

Do you want to be broke when your business "grows up?" In yesterday’s post, we discussed how to go about choosing a target market -- a lucrative one that won't leave you broke. In my opinion, the most important part of that post was the following:

Target lucrative markets: Not every interest you have will make a viable niche market. This may be because they are not willing to pay for your services, don't need your services and/or there aren't enough of their type to market to.

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT POINT! With your list in hand, choose markets where: a) your services are needed on a continual basis; b) your asking price can be met with relative ease; and c) there are sufficient numbers to market to.

Before we delve into this further, there’s one thing I want to share with you from my own personal experience. That is, you will never make “good money” as a freelance writer until you let go of the starving writer’s mindset.

Working "Beneath" You: A Personal Lesson

To expound upon this, when I first started out -- and years into my career, I didn’t consciously have this thought. I don’t think most freelance writers do. But, we have been so conditioned by society to think of freelance writing as a “low-paying, scratch-out-a-living existence” that we price our services too low, or do too much for too little.

It took me years – and I do mean years – to realize this. Once I realized my worth, I stopped taking on projects that I felt didn’t pay me enough.

If you continually work beneath your worth – no matter what your profession – you will eventually become disgruntled and unhappy. While you make think that it’s “the project at hand,” or “the client that drives you nuts,” this really is not what it is.

POST CONTINUED BELOW

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Want to learn exactly what to do to earn $100, $150, $200/day or more as a freelance writer, editor and/or copy editor? Inkwell Editorial's upcoming Freelance Writing Seminar will tell you how. Details. It's a career anyone who can read and write can start -- with the right information.

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It is the fact that you feel that your true worth is not being recognized. And, while money is not everything, if this is how you choose to make your living – then getting paid your market worth is not only essential to paying your bills and taking care of your family, it’s essential to your sense of self-worth as a professional.

While I will occasionally take on a project that I know I should be getting paid more for, it’s infrequently enough that it doesn’t eat away at my soul.

My overall point here is to get you in the right frame of mind from the beginning. If you’re just starting out, you may have to do some low-cost and/or spec projects to get some experience, references, etc. But, stop doing this very early on. Don’t make a habit out of it because, trust me, after a while, it will wear on you.

Now, on to the meat of today’s topic – how to make a “good living” as a freelance writer.

FYI, the reason good living is in quotation marks is because this means something different to every person. Only you know what works for you. While $30K may be fine for one freelancer, another one may need $55K for it to be considered a good living.

As mentioned above, the most important thing to do when deciding how much you need to make is to choose markets where: a) your services are needed on a continual basis; b) your asking price can be met with relative ease; and c) there are sufficient numbers to market to.

All three of these things must be in place. This is why I like to work with business owners. They know the value of a service, there’s no bargaining back and forth and, as is evidenced by your local Yellow Pages, there are plenty of them to market to.

7 Standard Rules for Getting the Rate You Want

1) No bargaining: Would you go into The Gap and ask them, “Would you take $45 for these jeans instead of $60?” No, you wouldn’t because they’d probably look at you like you were crazy.

So, why be so quick to haggle with potential clients? You’re not just a “freelance writer.” You are a business, just like The Gap. They have overhead like salaries, marketing, rent, etc. to pay for. Well, so do you.

And, you don’t have to say this to clients – it’s all in how you present yourself and your business. Present a professional image, and the majority of clients won’t even dream of asking you to cut your rate.

NOTE: Now, I do believe in giving discounts – eg, for first-time projects, for bulk projects, for continuing projects, etc. This is akin to sales and/or promotional campaigns in a retail store.

2) Target a “Savvy, No Nonsense” Market: And, what I mean by this is, a market that is accustomed to dealing with businesses, not “just a freelancer.”

This is why I like targeting businesses. When they contract a service, they already know what their budget is and if they can afford you. They will usually give you a yes or no very quickly – and won’t string you along with “maybes, if you cut your rate, when the next client pays, etc.”

They will deal with you as a business because they recognize the value you bring to their business. This brings me to my third point . . .

3) Quantifiable Results: Offer quantifiable results to clients.

Remember the financial example I used in Post #2, using hard numbers to illustrate a point. Nothing sells like results a client can see in black and white.

While you can’t guarantee results, you can give them realistic examples of how your services can add to their bottom line – which is really all most want.

4) Examples: If you have “before and after” copy of a website you’ve redone, or an example of a brochure you created from scratch, or results achieved from a case study you did for a previous client – share this.

Don’t have any of this? Then, offer to do a sample job – eg, edit a few pages from their website, create a sample, one-page newsletter, etc.

5) Public Relations Magic: Most freelancers don’t do this, but it can work better than doing projects for free. What is it?

Get media attention for your business. This can range from a profile by a local newspaper, to being quoted for a story that runs in a national magazine.

Two or three pieces of PR can go a long way toward establishing credibility. Many times, this will be all you need to get your foot in the door. Place whatever press you get in a “Media” or “About Us” section on your website.

In tomorrow's post, we’ll talk about how to get some PR for your business – quickly!

6) Image: Another area many freelancers fall short in is presentation, as in company presentation.

The obvious things are a professional-looking web presence (and yes, you must have a web presence as a freelancer); brochures and marketing material.

An area that is hardly ever addressed is your tone when speaking with potential clients. And I don’t mean the sound of your voice. I mean the confidence that comes from, “You’ve reached a well-run, organized, professional business.”

I answer the phone as if I have 500 employees. And, like many large companies, I have a series of questions I go through that conveys that you’ve reached a professional business, eg:

i) What is the name of your company?

ii) With whom am I speaking

iii) How did you hear about “us” (Inkwell Editorial)

iv) May I have a phone number/email for additional follow up if necessary?

Now, you may feel uncomfortable asking all of this upfront – and sometimes clients won’t give you all the info (usually, you can at least get a name and company name).

But, this is less important than the impression you will have made. Even if they don’t use you, they will recall that you sounded like a real business, not just a freelancer.

Hence, they won’t be looking to pay you less than.

NOTE: Try to get in the habit of asking these questions because it helps you to build your database. No matter how brief the contact you had with a client – if they called you, then they are in need of the type of services you offer.

So, by getting this information, you can market to them on a consistent basis – and one day get their business – which leads me to my last point . . .

7) “Big Company” Followup: Not as in a thank you note with the project you turned in, but as in a company newsletter, a well-designed survey, custom thank you cards (eg, with your business name embossed on them).

Another lesson among the many that I’ve learned as an entrepreneur is that, as small business owners, most of us take the “low-hanging fruit lessons” from big business. So, for example, we know to follow up. But, we don’t do it in a professional, “big company-like” manner.

We know to answer the phone without screaming babies in the background, but we don’t ask basic questions that signal “you’ve reached a business that knows what it’s doing.”

These are subtle signs that make all the difference in how you will be perceived. And, perception in business – and in life – is everything.

It leads directly to how much value clients will place on your services – hence, how much they will pay you for them.

TOMORROW’S POST: In Post #5 tomorrow, we’ll jump directly into how to get some quick PR for your business.

What do you think? If you have questions, comments or observations about this post, send them in. Email them to info [at] InkwellEditorial.com.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda (who is this person?)

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Upcoming Features in Inkwell Editorial’s Newsletter

September 12: Gordon Graham. We ring in the “editorial season” by interviewing Gordon Graham, aka “that white paper guy.” Gordon writes and edits white papers and case studies. He charges $90/hour just to edit a white paper and a minimum of $4,000 to produce a white paper from scratch.

Now, do you see why I had to interview him?! Most freelancers don’t even dream of making this type of money. I can’t wait for this interview.

Missed the latest issue of Inkwell's freelance writing newsletter? The 8/15 issue featured an interview with B2B freelance writer, Meryl K. Evans. Want to break into this very lucrative market? Meryl's interview sheds some detailed light on how. Sign up to receive your copy to read what Meryl had to say.

Gain clients, web traffic and brand awareness. How? Let us interview you for our popular newsletter? Full details. Read the first issue here.

NOTE: As editorial is cyclical and slow during the summer, in July and August, the newsletter will be published once. In September, we go back to our twice-monthly publishing schedule. Subscribe today so you don't miss anything!
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Copyright Notice: May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com.
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Photo Credit: Photo courtesty of www.prosperity4kids.com.

POST #2: 40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career

PUBLISHER NOTE: If you are a regular reader of this blog, then you know about the upcoming freelance writing seminar in October. Details.

Many have inquired about what will be discussed at the seminar. So, in order to answer your questions and to get you prepared for what to expect, I've started a series of posts entitled "40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career."

To start at the beginning, click here. And, welcome to the blog. Now, on to today’s post . . .

How to Create a Marketing Piece that Sells – a Lot!

In Friday’s post, we discussed psychographics, which to refresh, is basically a psychological profile of the “. . . needs, benefits, values and attitudes, as well as insights about purchasing behavior . . . “ of your target market.

The primary purpose of knowing this information is NOT to sell more to potential clients, but to better explain the benefits of your services so that potential clients will be much more likely to purchase.

At this point, you may be scratching your head going, “What’s the difference?”

Why You Should Never Sell to Clients

As I stated in Post #1 of this series, you never want to sell to clients. You want to share your services with them in a manner that highlights the benefits to them.

POST CONTINUED BELOW
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Want to learn exactly what to do to earn $100, $150, $200/day or more as a freelance writer, editor and/or copy editor? Inkwell Editorial's upcoming Freelance Writing Seminar will tell you how. Details. It's a career anyone who can read and write can start -- with the right information.
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Now, you may be thinking, “You’re splitting hairs. There’s no difference.” But, I beg to differ. Understanding this difference is crucial to forming a “sales message,” which from now on will be referred to as a benefit statement.

This is so important that I’m going to repeat it again: You never want to sell clients; you want to share your services with them in a manner that highlights the benefits to them.

The reason grasping this concept is so critical is that when you approach your marketing from the standpoint of how it benefits potential clients, you are really able to hone in on what is important to them.

Furthermore, you get a reality check of where you are in being able to offer it to them. The reason so many get such dismal results from their marketing efforts is that they’re so focused on what they want clients to purchase that they forget to ask, “Is this something they need, want, will benefit from?”

Remember in the last post when I talked about the guy trying to sell me a booth at a job fair? This is what I mean. He obviously failed to take my needs as a potential client into effect because he was so focused on what he wanted to sell me.

When you flip the script and approach it from the client’s perspective, deficiencies in your services will be easy to spot – and correct.

So, now that you have a better understanding about the mindset needed to form an appropriate benefits statement, how do you go about doing it?

How to Sell More with Less Effort

As with most things we think are beyond our reach, 90% of winning is mental. When I sit down to write a marketing message, I have a three-step process, keeping my target market’s psychographics in mind:

1) Timing: One of the first things I keep in mind is the ebb and flow of my target market’s business. I deal with a lot of small business owners (micro businesses). They usually have less than 10 employees.

So, for example, if I’m targeting accountants. I may do a mailer to them in late January/early February offering to put together a benefits brochure to send to prospects and/or post on their website.

2) Explain, explain, explain: I happen to know that many micro business owners don’t think too far in advance (see how psychographics come into play?).

So, when I contact them, I explain why how they can “increase their business by 10, 15 or 20%” by sending out a brochure a month or two before tax season starts. Other benefits I may list to encourage them to use my services:

a) Your competition is not advertising (tell them that most accountants place a Yellow Page ad and that’s it)

b) Get life-long clients (eg, prospects are much more likely to use you over and over again once they use you the first time)

c) Financial example: I like to use hard numbers to illustrate a point. Eg, if you obtained 5 new clients from a 500 piece mailing, and they were your clients for the next 10 years. Even if they used you for the bare minimum (to file their annual income tax return), at $400/tax return, that’s $2,000/year to your bottom line.

Not enough? Then consider this, one client will usually refer 3-5 people over a year’s time. So, 5 new clients will be good for 15-25 referrals over a year’s time. If those new referrals used you for the bare minimum, at $400/tax return that’s between $6,000-$10,000/year, PLUS the original $2,000 from the original 5 clients.

Addressing Cost: Some experts disagree on whether or not to address cost, but as my target market is micro business owners, I almost always do. Taking the above example, I may add a benefits statement like:

Bottom line: From one mailing, you could easily garner up to $12,000 for just a few hundred dollars – and these are for just the bare minimum of services. Inevitably, depending on your service offerings, clients will use you for more than one thing.

Ebook on Freelance Writing: I believe in this concept of explaining to prospects the benefits of using my services that I created an ebook as a giveaway to potential clients, entitled, 7 Ways a Freelance Writer Can Expand Your Profits -- No Matter What Your Business Is. Read about it here.

3) Research: I always do some precursory research on the industry I’m targeting. Again, knowing what makes clients tick will make it so much easier to carve out an effective benefits statement.

This is one of the reasons I’m a firm believer in niche marketing. Becoming an expert in one area will allow you to become intimate with the processes, limitations, wants, needs, desires, etc.
This way, when you sit down to write a marketing piece, you can “hit’em where it hurts,” so to speak; push their hot buttons – which moves them to buy.

For example, with realtors, I know that it’s slow around the holidays. Hence, many are scrambling for sales. So, I know that many of them would be receptive to a newsletter that they can send to clients to start “getting in their clients’ faces” so that when the season picks up again in March/April, they’ll be the first one their clients think of.

Again, you have to explain, explain, explain to them why they want to start marketing in December/January to get their phones ringing in March/April. But, smart business owners will realize this.

How a Simple Explanation Can Get Your More Clients

Depending on your target market, you will have to explain to potential clients quite a bit how using your services will benefit them. In my years as an entrepreneur, I’ve found that many business owners don’t realize how using a certain service will benefit them. This is particularly true of small business owners.

All they know is that they want to increase sales – but, they usually have no idea of how to go about it. Explaining things like drip campaigns (this will be a future topic we’ll discuss, so do a web search for now if you’re not familiar with it), customer retention, cost per acquisition, etc. will be things you will have to make them aware of – in layman’s language of course.

Once they get it, however, you will usually have a customer for life!

I hope you see how knowing even basic psychographics can greatly improve your marketing efforts. In the accountant example used above, just knowing that most micro business owners don’t think too far ahead when marketing opened the door.

It allowed us to capitalize on that point and lay out an entire campaign, easily illustrating how using your service could ostensibly add thousands of dollars to their bottom line – for years to come.

If you didn’t take this into account and just sent out the normal, “I can make the content on your site so much better,” marketing message, you’d be missing the whole point of advertising – uh, excuse me, “Sharing your services.”

Get it? Good! Now, what’s up tomorrow . . .

TOMORROW'S POST: In Post #3 tomorrow, we will discuss how to go about choosing a target market now that you know how to formulate an effective marketing message.

What do you think? If you have questions, comments or observations about this post, send them in. Email them to info [at] InkwellEditorial.com.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda (who is this person?)
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Upcoming Features in Inkwell Editorial’s Newsletter

September 12: Gordon Graham. We ring in the “editorial season” by interviewing Gordon Graham, aka “that white paper guy.” Gordon writes and edits white papers and case studies. He charges $90/hour just to edit a white paper and a minimum of $4,000 to produce a white paper from scratch.

Now, do you see why I had to interview him?! Most freelancers don’t even dream of making this type of money. I can’t wait for this interview.

Missed the latest issue of Inkwell's freelance writing newsletter? The 8/15 issue featured an interview with B2B freelance writer, Meryl K. Evans. Want to break into this very lucrative market? Meryl's interview sheds some detailed light on how. Sign up to receive your copy to read what Meryl had to say.

Gain clients, web traffic and brand awareness. How? Let us interview you for our popular newsletter? Full details. Read the first issue here.

NOTE: As editorial is cyclical and slow during the summer, in July and August, the newsletter will be published once. In September, we go back to our twice-monthly publishing schedule. Subscribe today so you don't miss anything!
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Copyright Notice: May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com.
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Like what you read here? Find the content useful and informative? Make us a Technorati Favorite. Simply click the Technorati icon at the top right-hand corner of the page.

Freelance Writers: How to Increase Your Business with a Simple One-Page Letter

When I owned my editorial staffing agency and would put out a job opening for freelancers, I would get a ton of responses. If I asked for work samples, I would get slammed – even if the ad specifically stated to send, for example, “one writing sample on real estate investing.”

To quickly get through the pile of resumes, the first thing I would do is weed out anyone who sent more than I had requested. The point of this little story – more is not always better.

BUT, you may lament, “I want to show the client what I can do for them.” You can do this very effectively via a simple one-page introductory letter.

POST CONTINUED BELOW
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InkwellEditorial.com E-Course: Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Coming in January.

At the end of this one week, five-step course, you will have a concrete business and marketing plan for your freelance enterprise. Even if you've been a freelancer for years, this course will help you "laser focus" your efforts and exponentially increase your income. Via this course, secure your first client within 30 days -- or your money back!

Make Money with Our Affiliate Program! Before year's end our e-books will be availabe via ClickBank. Stay tuned for details.

Learn everything you need to know to work from home as a Freelance Writer, Editor, Proofreader, etc. How? Order an InkwellEditorial.com E-book. Receive 7 EBooks in All! Delivered right to your inbox immediately upon payment!
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SECTION I: In this paragraph, you simply want to state your name and give a very brief background summary and niche specialty. Eg:

I am Yuwanda Black, the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com. A freelance copywriter for over 13 years, I specialize in increasing the referral rates of real estate agents, mortgage brokers and insurance agents via newletters, brochures, e-books, etc.

Whatever your written marketing needs, I can deliver measurable results. Samples of my writing/portfolio can be found at mywebsite.com (you do have a website, right?).

SECTION II: Illustrate to the client that you are familiar with his product, service, specialty, etc. and how you can improve it, supplement it, overhaul it, etc. for better results. Eg:

I noticed from your website (brochure, postcard, sales letter, etc.) that you have been in business for 5 years and service the XXXX market. I can help you increase your sales by at least 15% over a year’s time (maybe more). How?

Studies (cite a source) have shown that consistent contact is the number one way to get clients to call YOU – and not your competitor. According to xxx (here you would input a reliable marketing stat), in your industry, only X percent of mortgage brokers do this.

Imagine how many more clients you can add to your business by becoming the go-to expert in your sector? I can position you for this – bringing in referrals for years to come!

SECTION III: The wrap up: Repeat here their number one benefit of using you, eg, to increase their bottom line. Eg,

My job is to increase your bottom line. As a results-oriented professional copywriter, I know how to move prospects into your (not your competitor’s) paying customers when they’re ready to buy.

SECTION IV: The call to action. Ask them to do something – now!

Call today for your no-obligation consultation. I can be reached at:
PH: 000-111-1234
CELL: 111-222-3333
FAX: 222-333-4444
Email: info@inkwelleditorial.com
URL: InkwellEditorial.com

SECTION V: The P.S. (EVERY sales letter should have a P.S.). In this section, you can give a way a freebie (e-books are great for this) and/or reiterate a major benefit (eg, increase your bottom line by 15%).

Feel free to use a P.S. and a P.P.S. Eg:

P.S.: With your free consultation, you receive a free e-booklet, “For Real Estate Professionals: 10 Ways to Turn Referrals Into Paying Customers.”

P.P.S.: This e-book is FREE, even if you don’t use my services.

5 Copywriting Tips for Your One-Page Letter

a) Use lots of white space and bold headings. Eg, between each section, create a bold heading that clues the reader in to what they’re about to read. Most people skim copy – especially from unfamiliar sources – this makes it much more likely to get read.

b) Write from a “what’s in it for the client” point of view instead of a “what’s in it for me” point of view. At every turn, reiterate how you can help them make more money, save more time, reach more prospects, etc. In business, most people either want to make more money or increase their referral ratio – these are safe objectives to state that you can help them with.

c) Make a connection: Eg, I read on your website; I heard in your seminar; I see from your brochure – everyone likes to feel that you have at least taken the time to know their business.

d) Give stats: This lends credibility to your “sales pitch.” It’s not just you saying x, a noted source can back up your contention.

e) Use a call to action: If you don’t ask them to do something, they may do nothing. So, use phrases like call today, log on to our website, subscribe to our newsletter, register for your free gift.

I guarantee you, if you follow the format outlined above, your direct mail and/or e-mail conversion rate will be higher, garnering you clients for years to come.
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Like what you read here? Find the content useful and informative? Subscribe to the Inkwell Editorial feed (under the LINKS section to your right) to receive new content immediately upon publishing. OR, email your address to subscribe to this content.
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May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com to learn how.