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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Post #3: 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 . . *********
In yesterday’s post, we discussed how to design effective marketing material, keeping your target market’s psychographics in mind. But, you may be thinking, “I don’t have a target market. So, how do I know what to keep in mind?”

Glad you asked! Today, we’ll turn our attention to figuring out how to target a market – a lucrative one.

NOTE: The following is excerpted from Part V of the e-course, Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less – Guaranteed!

TARGETING A NICHE: Why Targeting a Niche is Important to the Success of Your Freelance Career

I think this is important to every freelancer’s success, but particularly to new freelancers, because it allows you to focus: your attention, your message, your marketing and your time.

Like a martial artists who perform what to most are unimaginable feats, the power of focus harnesses all of your energy and can break down/go through almost any barrier in your way.

The Power of Focus: Focusing Your Attention

It’s easy to get overwhelmed, especially when you are first starting your freelance career because it’s easy to flit from one ad to the next, trying your hand at this, that and the other. And, while this can be great over time, RIGHT NOW you are trying to lay a foundation for a business. This takes focus.

Everything that you do in the beginning of your freelance writing career is critical. So, choose a niche and build a reputation in that sector first. THEN, later on, you can branch out if you want to.

The Power of Focus: Focusing Your Message

Talking to one group allows you to hone your message. You get to know their wants, needs, problems and desires (their psychographic makeup) much more intimately than if you served a broad sector. The more you know your target market, the better you can serve them. AND, the more money you make.

The Power of Focus: Focusing Your Time

In business, time is money. And, when what you make is directly related to what you produce, time is money in the bank.

Targeting a niche allows you to quickly gain credentials, produce samples, do research, find sources, etc. Eg, if you can produce a newsletter in two hours because you know the industry like the back of your hand, that means more hours for other projects.

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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If a new realtor hires me to do her newsletter (I work with a lot of realtors and mortgage brokers), I can produce ideas, samples, testimonials, etc., from a myriad of other projects I’ve worked on. This cuts down on research, brainstorming sessions and set-up time – time that can be put to better INCOME-PRODUCING use.

If nothing else sticks, remember this about niche marketing as a freelance writer: There are millions of them. Why not separate yourself from the pack by becoming a specialist (a niche writer)?

The more you specialize, the less competition you have. The less competition you have, the more valuable you become (the less replaceable you are). And, the more valuable you are, the less clients are likely to squabble about price because, after all, you’re a specialist, right?

A really insightful article which highlights several different professionals across a range of disciplines lays out how effective niche marketing can be.

The article, "Niche Marketing Strategies Can Contribute to Your Success” states:

Niching yourself makes sense--no matter which niches you choose . . . While breaking into a niche may be difficult, once you are established as the go-to expert for that particular group, you can rely on word of mouth supplemented by traditional but targeted marketing activities such as ads, client/prospect dinners, participation at key charitable events, focused networking, and PR tactics.

The full article can be found here.

Okay, you’ve convinced me that I need to “niche it,” but, how do I go about it? I’m glad you asked. It's actually relatively easy and can be done in three easy steps.

NOTE: The following is excerpted from the article, How to Develop a Niche with NO Experience & Make it Profitable for Years to Come. Reprinted with permission. ©2000-2050, Yuwanda Black.

1. Make a list of your experiences, likes, hobbies, etc. Why? Because the first step in developing a niche is to go with your strengths. Even if you have no professional experience in an area, if you like it, chances are you will work to become proficient in it.

For example, in my professional life, I've been a real estate agent, a loan officer, a credit counselor, a recruiter and a legal copy editor (among a few other things -- but we'll just stop here). Remember, this is just professionally.

My hobbies are running, real estate investing, reading historical romances, sewing, interior decorating and designing ethnic pottery, among a barrage of other things (I have a very active mind and a hint of ADD!).

Now that you have this list, what do you do with it?

2. 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.

Also, you might want to consider competition; as in, how much/little do you have? While there is always room for one more company to offer a product/service, my thought process is why fish in a crowded pond.

Go after a market that not many others are targeting. Sometimes this market will reveal itself in your list of professional experiences and/or hobbies. Other times, you may have to work harder to find it. Just make sure that however you choose your market, you keep in mind the points mentioned above.

Now that you know who you want to market to, how do you get those all important first few jobs which lead to samples, references, etc.? Simple.

3. Do low-cost/no-cost work: Always try to get paid for any work you do. You can target local charities; do work for friends with businesses; contact start-up companies, etc. Your mission starting out is to get those first 4 or 5 jobs under your belt.

If you're not having any luck landing paid work, try this: target a company and do the work without asking them (eg, rewrite their badly worded brochure you received in the mail; rework their ineffective web copy; design their logo; etc.).

Then, contact them with their original and your NEW, improved version. Not many businesses will turn down improved work they don't have to pay for. Just like that, a legitimate credit!

Even if a company refuses, you can still use it in your portfolio. Just change the name of the company to something that obviously reflects that it's a fictitious company with the caveat that the name has been changed, but the revisions made were to original copy.

Now, you're on your way!
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Following is a sample list to get your juices flowing. I’ve filled it in with some of my hobbies, jobs and interests. This gives you an idea of how/where to start. It could take a few weeks for you to come up with a complete list, so keep it handy and add to it as things strike you.

TIP: Get specific in each category. Eg, instead of listing “ethic crafts,” list sewing ethnic quilts, painting ethnic masks, weaving ethnic baskets, etc.

Finding Your Niche: An Example List

Hobbies: Here you will list all hobbies you have/used to have – go back for as long as you can remember. Just write, don’t edit at this point.

My list goes something like this under this category: Running, Ethnic Crafts (eg, sewing ethnic quilts), Landscaping (mulching, cutting grass, planting flower beds, etc.).

Professional Jobs: Here you will list all jobs you’ve had since you started working (part-time, full-time, temp, volunteering jobs, etc.)

My list goes something like this under this category: Waitress; Recruiter (editorial, publishing, media, communications); Loan Officer; Real Estate Agent; Online Retail Business Owner

Interests: Have interests that you’ve never turned into hobbies? Eg, I’ve always wanted to learn about X? Write all of these down.

My list looks something like this under this category: Learning Italian, Mountain Climbing, Extreme Sports Adventurer (eg, Triathlon); Motorcycle Riding; Forensic Psychology

List-making tip: Make a chronological list, eg, with your jobs. List the first job you had on up to the current position you hold. Don't leave anything out -- no matter how much you hated it or how brief you had it/it held your interest.

This list is as much about fleshing out your interests as it is about getting together a cohesive starting point from which to cull your niche.

Once you get your list together, pare it down using the information in Step 2 in the article above. Specifically, pare it down, choosing 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.

If you keep the above in mind, you will be well on your way to creating a profitable niche for which to market.

TOMORROW'S POST: In Post #4 tomorrow, we will discuss how to let go of the starving writer’s mindset. We’ll discuss how to go about pricing your services to earn a decent wage – from day one!

What do you think of this post/ #40 Days" series"? If you have questions, comments or observations, send them in. Email them to info [at] InkwellEditorial.com.

Editorially yours,
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 Editorial'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!
*************************************************
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.

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?)
**************************************************
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!
************************************************
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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Post #1: 40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career

Play Mind Games to Increase Sales

PUBLISHER NOTE: This is the first post in what will be a 40-post series entitled, 40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career. This series will shed light into what will be discussed in the upcoming freelance writing seminar in October. Seminar details.

Get Inside Your Clients’ Head – Before You Meet Them

As the title of this post suggests, learning how your customers think and behave will make “selling” to them so much easier.

The reason selling is in quotation marks is because I don’t believe in selling and I hate to be sold. A seller’s goal is to get you to buy – because it benefits them.

I believe in “sharing my services” with prospects to benefit them. My marketing credo is, ”If you help people get what they want, you will automatically get what you want.” Sound familiar? I stole this credo from some famous person, whose name escapes me right now. I think it was Zig Ziegler. So, how do you go about this?

How to Get Clients to Say “Yes” to Your Freelance Services – a Lot!

Getting a yes from a client is less about your skill as a writer (editor, photographer, illustrator, etc.) and more about what motivates them to want to use your services, ie, knowing their company psychographics.

As defined in yesterday’s post, psychographics identify personality characteristics and attitudes that affect a person's lifestyle and purchasing behaviour.

NOTE: In addition to people, which is what most think of when they think of psychographics, companies have psychographics as well.

So, how can understanding your target market’s psychographics help you make more money as a freelancer? As outlined so well on Claritas.com:

Overall, psychographics information includes needs, benefits, values and attitudes, as well as insights about purchasing behavior and process. . . . Understanding the psychographics of your target market can be very revealing. Information about [your target market’s] likes and dislikes goes a long way in making determinations about whether or not they are likely to purchase your product or service. With information about their preferences and lifestyles, you can successfully target the segments most interested in your product/service and effectively reach them with a message that speaks directly to them.

To outline how this works, let me cite a personal example.

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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I was considering placing an ad with a company to fill a job opening I had. I contacted them and spoke with the sales rep, explaining my needs (ie, I had one job to fill) and asking what the price for that would be.

After taking my information and answering my question, he went on to try to sell me on buying a booth at an upcoming job fair they had. I wasn’t interested – and if he’d listened to the makeup of my company as I’d explained it to him, he would have realized that I had no need to buy a booth at a job fair.

FYI, usually, when you speak with the sales department of a company, they get the lowdown on your company – eg, how many employees, what you do, average amount of advertising you do per year, how often you have the need for their type of product/service, etc. In essence, they get your company’s psychographics.

After reading over the media kit the rep sent me, I found a package they offered which fit my needs perfectly, which led me to wonder why the rep didn’t steer me towards this product, instead of trying to sell me on the job fair.

The lesson here is quite simple: Offer clients what’s best for them, not what you want to sell them. Many times I’ve talked clients out of purchasing one service, which was more expensive, to purchasing another, which was less expensive.

My market niche is small business owners, so I know that most of them work on a limited budget. And, even if they didn’t, who doesn’t want to save money? Some of my target market’s psychographics:

Size: 1-10 people

Time in business: 3-7 years

Location: Home-based and/or rent small office space.

Revenue: Up to $1,000,000

Reasons they contract my services: It saves them time; they don’t have the skill set and/or desire to produce their own marketing material; they either can’t afford or don’t want to hire in-house personnel to do the work; and/or they are upgrading their image.

In a future post when we discuss targeting a niche market, I’ll tell you how to go about finding out this type of information on clients – without ever talking to them. [future post topic]

Knowing this information helps me tailor my messages to past and future clients – hit “hot buttons” if you will that moves them to purchase.

When I first started freelancing, I had no idea what went into an effective marketing campaign. Oh, I knew how to market – or at least how to send out marketing materials. But, I was often frustrated from the lack of response I received.

Marketing Fact: If you’re not taking things like psychographics into account when you market, you’re really just mailing materials – you’re not marketing.

How I Dramatically Increased My Freelance Income: A Personal Story

When my income became stagnant over a few years – no matter how hard I “marketed” – I started to investigate what I was doing wrong. I wasn’t particularly looking for fancy marketing techniques – just effective ones.

Where before I had passed over info like demographics, psychographics, segmentation and niche marketing, I had to read it when it kept popping up in all the research I was doing.

In my opinion, this is the main reason most freelancers – and small business owners, for that matter – fail. They don’t want to do the “dirty work” of learning how to market. Many think (and I was definitely in that category), if I just get the word out about my business, then I’ll get clients.

And, you will. But, to make a living – a good one – and take your freelancing to the next level, you’re going to have to get beyond the basics and understand how to effectively market. It’s all about the results you see in your bottom line at the end of the year.

One Change Opens the Floodgates to Thousands of Extra Dollars

The reason successful businesses increase their revenues year after year is that they do this type of marketing on a major scale. Many have whole departments who do this stuff. Did you know that there’s a writer sitting somewhere who is being paid thousands of dollars to compose consumer surveys of 5, 10 or 12 questions?

While they may annoy you when you get them in your inbox or receive them in the mail, enough people answer them to allow companies to fine tune their product offerings, change operational procedures, add complementary product lines, etc.

For a company like WalMart, even seeing a one percentage point in increased sales on a certain product line means millions of dollars in sales. For example, what if they learned from one consumer survey that customers buy 1% more toothpaste if it’s placed on a higher shelf? Maybe the store is in an area with a lot of senior citizens who can’t bend easily.

If one store is selling a million dollars worth of toothpaste a year and they move it to a higher shelf and sell 1% more, that’s $10,000/more profit per year – just for moving it a few shelves up. Now, if they implemented this procedure in all of their stores, that would add $65,000,000 to their bottom line (WalMart has almost 6,500 stores worldwide).

Now, this is a very simplistic example. But, I wanted to illustrate how things like psychographics and demographics can open the floodgates to thousands of extra dollars in sales.

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

Next Post: In Post #2 of this series on Monday, we will build on this concept of using psychographics to increase sales. We’ll talk specifically about how to write a marketing piece that sells – keeping the psychographics of the audience you’re talking to in mind.

Enjoy the weekend,
Yuwanda
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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!
************************************************
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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40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career

As most readers of this blog are aware, Inkwell Editorial will put on a freelance writing seminar in October in Atlanta. Details.

Freelance writing (annual reports, web content, speeches, etc.) can be very lucrative. And, anyone can be successful at it -- with the right information.

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'm starting a series of posts here entitled "40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career."

How to Start -- and Maintain -- a Successful Freelance Career

Every post will discuss some aspect of how to go about starting -- and maintaining -- a successful freelance career. While the main focus will be on freelance writing, the insight gained can be applied to any type of creative freelancing, eg, editing, illustrating, web design, proofreading, etc.

Mind Games: Getting inside the mind of your clients

The first post will discuss the psychographics of clients. What are psychographics?

As defined on Wikipedia, it's "Psychographics identify personality characteristics and attitudes that affect a person's lifestyle and purchasing behaviour."

Most don't even begin to think of this when they start out. But, I'm telling you from personal experience, when you start to tap into this, "selling" clients on your services will be 90% easier.

What Do You Want to Know about Freelancing?

This will be an interactive series, so if you have questions, comments or observations, send them in. Email them to info [at] InkwellEditorial.com.

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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Freelance tip of the day: Record your ideas as they come to you. A great marketing idea occurred to me today as I was driving. Before I could get home to write it down, it slipped my mind.

I carry a notepad with me at all times, but as I was driving and my bag was out of reach, I couldn't write it down. I was so frustrated as I wracked my brain trying to remember what it was. Usually, my ideas surface after a few days when I lose them, but losing them is not something I commonly leave to chance.

Lesson for me: Buy replacement batteries for my little hand-held recorder. They died a few months ago and I have yet to buy new ones. Today was the first time that it really bit me in the patootie! Rats!

Today, forgetfully yours,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
http://inkwelleditorial.com/
http://inkwelleditorial.blogspot.com/
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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!
************************************************
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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People Won't Buy What They Don't Understand: How to Sell Your Freelance Services

I received an email a few months ago from someone asking me to write about their "product/service" (I still don't know which, which is explained below) on my blog.

I receive quite a few of these requests and, unless it's something I think readers of this blog will benefit from, I rarely do this.

Dumb & Dumber?

But, why am I telling you this? I brought it up because, for the life of me, I couldn't understand what the heck the guy was talking about. I read the email several times -- and still have it in my inbox. I kept it because the idea for this post came from it.

I thought, "How am I supposed to talk about something that I don't even understand?" I mean, I'm not the brightest bulb on the tree by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm far from the dimmest also.

Clarity Equals Money

While this may seem like a simple concept, I can't tell you how many times I receive marketing materials that clearly mean something to the promoter, but leaves out some important detail that is not obvious to the end user. Simplicity sells.

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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While you never want to talk down to your audience, you do want to clearly state the BENEFITS to the buyer. The reason I capitalize benefits is that where most marketers go wrong is that they get so caught up in explaining the features of their product, that they forget to highlight the benefits.

How to Sell Your Services as a Freelancer

This is why people buy -- because of the benefits your service will bring to them, NOT because you're a wonderful writer. Even a mediocre writer who clearly outlines the benefits a client will derive from his/her service will get clients.

Freelance writing is a career anyone can start -- you don't have to be super smart or super talented. Now, you can't be a nitwit -- it does take competence. But, if I had a nickel for every time someone assumed that they couldn't do it, I'd be very well off.

How to Get Clients Every Time You Advertise

These types of concepts -- as well as quite a few others -- will be discussed in the upcoming freelance writing seminar in October. You will learn simple steps to follow with every marketing piece you send out. This way, every dime of your marketing dollars will be spent smartly every time you reach out to clients.

Simplistically yours,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
http://inkwelleditorial.com/
http://inkwelleditorial.blogspot.com/
**************************************************
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? The 8/15 issue of Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter 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!!
************************************************
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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Freelancing & Living the Life You Want

When I sent out a reminder notice about the upcoming freelancing writing seminar a couple of weeks ago, I received the following response from a subscriber:

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Learn exactly what to do to earn $100, $150, $200/day or more as a freelance writer, editor and/or copy editor in our upcoming Freelance Writing Seminar. Details. It's a career anyone who can read and write can start -- with the right information.
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"Thanks. I worked for years as a free-lance writer. $150 per day is mad. I doubt it."

My response to the writer was:

"Thanks for responding, and I hope you found the newsletter insightful. While $150/day on a consistent basis may seem impossible, my experience has proven otherwise. Now, it DID take quite a few years before I figured out how to consistently make this, but I average quite a bit more than this.

Marketing, marketing, marketing -- that's why a lot of freelancers fail to make a decent living. Many don't know how to go about it. Once I learned this "secret," I started to improve my income. Over time, it gets easier. Is it hard work? You bet!

Marketing is much more difficult than the actual work most of the time. But, it is worth it. I don't know what you're doing now, but read through my blog (http://www.inkwelleditorial.blogspot.com) -- there's over two years of posts there -- for some insight on marketing and a host of other things about the business of freelancing. I wish you success in whatever endeavor you're pursuing."

So why did I tell you this?

What's Blocking Your Success?

Quite simply, because this is why many of us fail to achieve, or give up too quickly in many endeavors we try. Instead of asking how, we say it can't be done. I'm the biggest skeptic around and still suffer from this to a degree. BUT . . .

As I've said many times before in my blog, newsletters, articles, etc, one of my mother's favorite sayings was, "If you want to do something, ask someone who is already doing it."

So, if you try something on your own and it doesn't work out AND you see others succeeding at that very thing, your first response should be, "Let me learn from them," NOT "It can't be done because I've tried and it didn't work out."

One of the Best Entrepreneurial Lessons

One of the best lessons I've learned in my entrepreneurial journey -- is that rarely will you succeed at something the first time, especially if you attempt it without a proven formula for success.

As I told the writer, many freelancers don't know how to market effectively. With any type of business, this will surely lead to failure.

But, I Can't Get Clients!

I think many freelancers believe that if they're good writers, they'll get clients. And, they will -- BUT, only if they market effectively, consistently and to the right type of client (which will all be discussed in the seminar).

So, I guess my lesson is -- don't give up on something -- whether it's freelance writing or running a marathon -- just because you've tried it once and it didn't work out.

Imagine if Einstein, Edison or Bill Gates had given up after one try -- never mind 10, 20 or a hundred. It's impossible to think what our world would be like today. It took me quite a few years to achieve "comfortability" as a freelancer, as Meryl Evans, the B2B writer I interviwed in the last newsletter wrote about as well.

If I'd given up after a few months -- even a few years -- I'd never be where I am today.

So, I look forward to the seminar -- as I hope you are too. Registration will begin after Labor Day. Of course the announcement will be posted here.

Stay tuned, and hold onto your dreams -- whatever they are!

Dream pursuer,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
http://inkwelleditorial.com/
http://inkwelleditorial.blogspot.com/
**************************************************
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? The 8/15 issue of Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter 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!
!*************************************************
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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The 7 Highly Effective & Profitable Habits of Successful Freelancers

I wrote the following article last year and it was published in several places, but, I realize I never posted it to my own blog.

Now that it's the slow season for editorial workers, it's the perfect time to try to align your habits with those of successful freelancers. September (the busy season) is just around the corner. Which areas do you fall short in/on? Shore up your weak areas while you have some down time to make more money this season.

To that end, following is the article, the 7 Habits of Highly Successful Freelancers. If you've read it elsewhere, a refresher is always a good thing!

The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Freelancers

I've been in publishing since 1987, have been a freelancer since 1993 and ran an editorial staffing agency in New York City from 1996 through 2004.

Over the years, I've noticed that successful freelancers -- those who make their living entirely from their creative endeavors (eg, writing, editing, web design, photography, illustration, etc.) have the following seven traits in common.

1. Write/design every day: Many freelancers are drawn to their particular career because they love it. They love to write, design, draw - whatever it is, they would do it for free.

Once they decide to freelance full time, most work at it every day. They write articles, design sites, doodle illustrations, etc. In other words, they don't stop working on their craft just because there is no paying client.

Benefit to their career: These professionals always have a body of work to sell, show, update their portfolio with, etc. Beyond that, it keeps their skills fresh and allows them to work that much faster once they are being paid for a project.

As a personal example, when I first started to write articles to promote my business, it would take upwards of two hours to complete one. Now, I can knock one out in 30 minutes if I have to.

Side Note: I have run across more than a few freelancers who don't exactly love what they do. BUT, because they like the life of freelancing, they discipline themselves to do what it takes, eg, (work at it steadily) to make a living at it.
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Freelance Writing Seminar: Learn exactly what to do to earn $100, $150, $200/day or more as a freelance writer, editor and/or copy editor in our upcoming seminar. Details. It's a career anyone who can read and write can start -- with the right information.
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2. Don't wait for markets to come to them: Building on this first habit, when you are constantly churning out new material, you don't have to wait for clients to come to you; you can pitch them.

If you've written a great article on the benefits of yoga, why wait for a national exercise magazine to take months to get back to you. Pitch your local newspaper journalist who covers health. You'll usually know within a week or two if they can use your story.

Your neighborhood paper can't use it? Pitch the neighboring county's newspaper, a popular e-zine dedicated to women's health, a new health website that needs fresh content, etc.

Successful freelancers are this proactive. When I was recruiting, I was constantly amazed at the type of assignments successful freelancers were able to ferret out for themselves.

When I'd ask, "How did you get that assignment, come up with that idea?", the comments ranged from: "I couldn't sleep last night so I start doing some digging online because I just wrote this great article and wanted to get it published," to "I was just doodling and came upon this great design; I knew it would make a great logo for this niche, so I put it on a t-shirt and pitched a few boutiques in my neighborhood . . ."

Successful freelancers are not only creative in their work, they're creative in how they locate markets to sell their work!

3. Have more than one stream of income: By this, I do not mean that they have second jobs. Most successful freelancers do more than one thing.

For example, a writer may design a line of themed t-shirts with their witticisms on them. Illustrators, in addition to creating logos, may sell paintings or drawings. Web designers may also create online games.

I don't know how many more brain cells creative types use than the rest of the population, but editorial and creative professionals usually dibble and dabble in more than one sector - and quite successfully I might add.

4. Have a niche: While this may seem to contradict the previous habit, it doesn't. Most successful freelancers do one thing - and do it very well. Eg, they are a medical writer, a direct mail copywriter, a web designer.

This is because successful freelancers usually have a professional background in the discipline in which they freelance. Usually, they have built up a reputation and client list based on their expertise/experience.

Benefit to their career: This works well because once clients are comfortable with you on one level, you can approach them about doing other types of projects. In some cases, they will even approach you.

For example, if you are a web designer, you may approach a client about doing some logo design work. Most web designers are familiar with other tools of the trade like logo design software; this makes it easy for them to offer peripheral services to clients.

In the retail trade, this is known as upselling. BUT, you can only upsell if you have established a level of trust and professionalism in your base (niche) skill.

5. Have a website: Without fail, all successful freelancers have at least a basic website. They realize the need to present a professional image to clients and have invested in an online presence.

Every once in a while, I am still asked by those just starting out if they need a website. Invariably, I ask, "Would you do business without a telephone?" I think websites have progressed to this point.

Benefit to their career: Websites save freelancers time - which is at a premium if you are a successful freelancer. You can direct potential clients there to see samples of your work, get pricing info, your professional credentials, your client list, etc. Many times, this is how clients will find you to begin with.

So, is having a website a must to succeed as a freelancer? In my opinion, absolutely. And, it doesn't have to be fancy and cost a fortune. Most web surfers are seeking information.

A basic site will serve your purposes just fine. Just make sure it is professional looking, is easy to navigate, is free from grammatical errors and has your contact info on every page (or a "Contact Us" button on every page).

6. Are Savvy & Consistent Marketers: Revisiting habit three, successful freelancers are masters of marketing their services. They have to be.

When you are a freelancer, you have to remain hungry - for the next assignment, the next gig. By being proactive and consistent marketers, successful freelancers don't wait for one project to be done before looking for the next one.

To this end, these professionals use many marketing tools (free and paid) to get the word out about their business, eg, search engine optimization, article marketing, press releases, e-book giveaways, speaking engagements, seminars, workshops, etc.

In other words, successful freelancers treat their careers like a start-up business - which is what freelancing really is.

7. Put in much more than 40 hours/week: Face it, you may be able to go to the grocery store at 2pm when everyone else is stuck in an office, but you probably didn't log off until 2am, finishing up a project for a client who needed it at the last minute.

Freelancing is not a static career. Sometimes you will have weeks with nothing to do and then you will get slammed with three or four projects at once. It's some type of weird Murphy's law at work.

Projects never come when you want or need them to. They invariably come at the most inopportune time (eg, when your kid is sick, when YOU'RE sick, two days before vacation, on a Friday afternoon and needed by Monday).

So, while you may be able to work in your jammies - you may also not be able to go to the beach, hang out with your friends as much, take the afternoon off. Like anything in life, it's a trade-off (a worthwhile one in my opinion).

Just know, while your time may be your own, it will be on an unconventional schedule.
**************************************************
Upcoming Features in Inkwell Editorial’s Newsletter

August 15: Meryl K. Evans. I tapped Meryl for an interview because she’s found success in the B2B niche. Meryl has written for some pretty notable clients, eg, PC Today, O’Reilly and Pearson to name a few.

This is where the real money in freelance writing is folks (B2B). I’m as anxious to see what she has to say as I hope you are!

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? The 7/18 issue of Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter featured an interview with “money blogger” Paula Mooney. She helps other bloggers “make money, get readers and increase their blog’s ranking.” Sign up to receive your copy to read what Paula 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!*************************************************
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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Freelance Writer Turned Beach Bum

The bikini's packed (ok, I packed a one-piece too in case the "stomach bulges set in), the braids are in and the pedicure's sandal perfect -- I'm headed for the beach folks!

A Freelance Vacation

This my first real vacation in a year and a half. I take little trips three or four times a year -- but this is a bonified, planned, I'm incommunicado trip with my fiance and some friends. I feel like a kid again!

When I get back, registration for the upcoming freelance writer's workshop will begin shortly thereafter.

I know we're all in summer mode now, but when you freelance, you must always be thinking ahead (today's little lesson).

I'll meet you back here on Monday, August 7th. In the meantime, enjoy my ramblings to date.

I hope you're enjoying your summer.

**************************************************
Freelance Writing Seminar: Learn exactly what to do to earn $100, $150, $200/day or more as a freelance writer, editor and/or copy editor in our upcoming seminar. Details. It's a career anyone who can read and write can start -- with the right information.

$10,000 in one year from one "client" alone; From $0 to $600K in profits in two years: Learn how these successful freelancers carved out profitable careers in our highly popular newsletter, How to Start a Successful Freelance Career. Subscribe today. FYI, you get a FREE ebook on article marketing when you subscribe.

Gain clients, web traffic and brand awareness. How? Let us interview you for our popular newsletter? Full details. Read the first issue here.
**************************************************
Upcoming Features in Inkwell Editorial’s Newsletter

August 15: Meryl K. Evans. I tapped Meryl for an interview because she’s found success in the B2B niche. Meryl has written for some pretty notable clients, eg, PC Today, O’Reilly and Pearson to name a few.

This is where the real money in freelance writing is folks (B2B). I’m as anxious to see what she has to say as I hope you are!

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 latests issue? The 7/18 issue of Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter featured an interview with “money blogger” Paula Mooney. She helps other bloggers “make money, get readers and increase their blog’s ranking.” Sign up to receive your copy to read what Paula had to say.

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!*************************************************
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.
**************************************************
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.

Don't Market Online Anymore Until You Read This . . .

Following is an article about internet marketing riddled with statistics. I rarely write in such a "business-like manner" for my blog, but it just came together this way.

While most hear "internet marketing" and tune out, I beg you not to. Many freelancers are used to marketing online, but so many fail so miserably because they don't take the time to do it right.

Most of us are bombarded with so much information that we feel like we're on overload sometimes. I wanted to share the following because I do a lot of reading on marketing. Even though I've been a business owner since 1997, marketing is something I've learned that you never master, you just learn to adapt.

So, enjoy the following, and try to see how your marketing efforts stack up, given the following:

According to the article 2006 Search Engine Marketing & Internet Statistics on InteractiveReturn.com, "The internet is the fastest growing advertising medium, set to reach US $51.6 billion in 2010. This is nearly 10% of all global advertising."

Considering this, following are three things every online marketer must know to be successful:

POST CONTINUED BELOW
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Freelance Writing Seminar: Learn exactly what to do to earn $100, $150, $200/day or more as a freelance writer, editor and/or copy editor in our upcoming seminar. Details. It's a career anyone who can read and write can start -- with the right information.

$10,000 in one year from one "client" alone; From $0 to $600K in profits in two years: Learn how these successful freelancers carved out profitable careers in our highly popular newsletter, How to Start a Successful Freelance Career. Subscribe today. FYI, you get a FREE ebook on article marketing when you subscribe.

Gain clients, web traffic and brand awareness. How? Let us interview you for our popular newsletter? Full details. Read the first issue here.
**************************************************
3 Things Every Online Marketing Must Know to Be Successful

Speak to the Right Market: The following is from Therese Wielage at SpinIndustry.com, who attended the Email Marketing Summit in San Francisco.

She writes: ". . . [I] wanted to share my TOP TEN highlights including the most useful information from keynote speaker, David Daniels, VP & Research Director of Jupiter Research. . . . Right now it is common for 60% of recipients to ignore you if you send out a non-targeted message. (emphasis added) Relevance is key in converting viewers to buyers.

In short, don't spam. On a more complex level, use your subscriber list wisely. Compartmentalize it so that you send the most relevant information to the right group.

Court me: What do I mean by this? Marketing is still about relationships. As Jonathan Gabay writes in the article, Creativity Works, on WNIM.com (What's New In Marketing):

"It's all about collaborative consensual relationships promising mutually rewarding benefits for everyone. The consumer gets the kind of junk mail they 'love' [I think there's an oxymoron in there somewhere] we get to target campaigns, and above all, choice, tempered by consumer rights - namely the right to be bombarded at a convenient time and place with marketing messages - is attained. (Hallelujah!)"

Think of marketing as "internet dating." No one wants a stranger popping up in their inbox proposing a get together right off the bat.

Send me a wink and a smile first (eg, an introductory email). Wait to see if I respond. If I do, tell me why you think we'd make a good match (eg, how your product/service will benefit me).

Thus, a relationship is borne.

Use It! As in, use market via the internet. While this may seem obvious, many freelancers and small business owners don't use email marketing as a regular part of their marketing efforts.

Consider this: Internet ad sales reached record levels in the first six months of 2006, hitting $7.9 billion. Sales were up about 37 percent over the same period in 2005, [Source: Internet Advertising Bureau].

Integrate Me: With the growth in internet marketing reaching record levels, many may be tempted to abandon other forms of marketing altogether. Stop, don't!

As journalist Denise Magnell asks in the Boston Business Journal article, 'Integration' is word of the day, "So where does that leave traditional print, TV and radio within the nearly $190 billion spent on advertising nationwide each year?

Jupiter analyst Emily Riley explains in the same article, "Traditional media more and more are trying to draw people to a Web site. An integrated campaign makes the best use of a variety of media. . . "

For example, a freelance writer may use a direct mail campaign (postcards) to drive potential clients to her website.

Conversely, she may use an online opt-in medium like a newsletter to drive off-line sales of her recently publish hardcover book.

The bottom line: If you're not marketing online - you're missing out!
**************************************************
Upcoming Features in Inkwell Editorial’s Newsletter

August 15: Meryl K. Evans. I tapped Meryl for an interview because she’s found success in the B2B niche. Meryl has written for some pretty notable clients, eg, PC Today, O’Reilly and Pearson to name a few.

This is where the real money in freelance writing is folks (B2B). I’m as anxious to see what she has to say as I hope you are!

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 latests issue? The 7/18 issue of Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter, How to Start a Successful Freelance Career, featured an interview with “money blogger” Paula Mooney. She helps other bloggers “make money, get readers and increase their blog’s ranking.” Sign up to receive your copy to read what Paula had to say.

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!
*************************************************
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.
**************************************************
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.

Master Marketing: 3 Techniques Successful Marketers Always Use (Part II of II)

In yesterday’s post, How to Become a Master Marketer (Part I of II), I discussed one thing master marketers do that guarantee them success.Today, we’ll discuss the two other things they do on a consistent basis that you should be doing in your marketing also.

POST CONTINUED BELOW
**************************************************
Freelance Writing Seminar: Learn exactly what to do to earn $100, $150, $200/day or more as a freelance writer, editor and/or copy editor in our upcoming seminar. Details. It's a career anyone who can read and write can start -- with the right information.

$10,000 in one year from one "client" alone; From $0 to $600K in profits in two years: Learn how these successful freelancers carved out profitable careers in our highly popular newsletter, How to Start a Successful Freelance Career. Subscribe today. FYI, you get a FREE ebook on article marketing when you subscribe.

Gain clients, web traffic and brand awareness. How? Let us interview you for our popular newsletter? Full details. Read the first issue here.
**************************************************
Get Proactive: Master marketers are proactive – they don’t wait for business to come to them, they go out and get it. How are they proactive?

Instead of waiting for people to sign up to their newsletter or ezine, they may invite them to join by sending them the initial email.Instead of putting on their direct mail piece, “Call me when you have the need for our type of product/service,” they may write, “I will follow up with you in approximately 7-10 days to see how I can be of service to your organization.”

Instead of hoping a prospect will call for them to get their website done, they will re-design one page and send it to the prospect asking for the project.

Most of us are passive marketers. And yes, I fully include myself in this pool. We are so afraid of rejection – for whatever reason – that we don’t go the extra mile to get the business. Sure, we may send out our mailer, newsletter or e-zine, but that’s it.

Do you know how crowded inboxes and mailboxes are these days? According to the book Get Clients Now!: A 28-Day Marketing Program for Professionals and Consultants, the average consumer is barraged with approximately 2,700 marketing messages a day.

Considering this, o get to the forefront, sometimes we have to literally push through the noise.

Case in Point: When I decided to relaunch Inkwell’s newsletter this past June, I decided that I was going to spend some time “actively” marketing it.

That’s when I came up with the idea to send the first issue out, along with the free article marketing e-book, Everything You Wanted to Know about Article Marketing: Results of a 30-day article marketing experiment.

Do you know I’ve only had one person unsubscribe from the newsletter (some will subscribe only for the freebie) out of all of the invites I’ve done so far, which total about 500?

Now, imagine if I invited 1,000, 3,000 or 5,000? How fast would my list grow? I currently have close to 17,000 subscribers on my list – a list I’ve cultivated over the last five years or so.

Getting proactive has grown it faster since June than it grew practically all of last year. To be fair, I wasn’t publishing the newsletter then, so subscribers trickled in for no apparent reason.But, proactivity pays.

Lesson here: Get proactive in your marketing efforts. With every marketing campaign you embark upon, ask yourself how you can be proactive, rather than passive.

Stay in Touch: Master Marketers don’t lose customers. Sure, customers may leave them, but it’s not because they weren’t staying in touch.

Remember, comfortability leads to likeability, which leads to trust and ultimately sales. Clients will rarely purchase from you the first time they encounter your product/service.

But, if you’re “in their face” on a regular basis, they come to rely and depend on your advice, your insight, your suggestions, etc. . . . When the time comes for them to purchase the type of product/service you’re selling, all things like price being equal – you have a good chance of them purchasing from you.

It almost doesn’t matter what you say to your customers (as long as you’re not insulting them, that is). Send a joke of the day, a link to an interesting article you think they’d enjoy, a reference to recent industry news, etc.

The lesson here: It’s simple -- just stay in contact. If you do these three things -- focus on a single message, get proactive in your marketing and stay in touch on a regular basis – no matter what type of marketing method you employ, you exponentially increase your chance for success.
**************************************************
Upcoming Features in Inkwell Editorial’s Newsletter

Get Yesterday’s Newsletter Today! The third issue of Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter, How to Start a Successful Freelance Career, was published yesterday.

It featured an interview with “money blogger” Paula Mooney. She helps other bloggers “make money, get readers and increase their blog’s ranking.” Sign up to receive your copy.

August 15: Meryl K. Evans. I tapped Meryl for an interview because she’s found success in the B2B niche. Meryl has written for some pretty notable clients, eg, PC Today, O’Reilly and Pearson to name a few.

This is where the real money in freelance writing is folks (B2B). I’m as anxious to see what she has to say as I hope you are!

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.

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!*************************************************
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.
**************************************************
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.