Many people are afraid of marketing their services because they think that they will fail. While it is true that you will have your setbacks from time to time, you should not get caught thinking like this. Instead, you should learn how to find more clients and then implement each strategy into your marketing plan.
Here are five ways that you can find more freelance writing clients next month. Believe it or not, it only takes a few weeks for a good marketing plan to kick in and begin to show results:
1. Contact clients that you worked with in the past. This is perhaps one of the best ways to obtain more work. While these may not be “new clients†they can help you to increase business and profits. And since you worked with them in the past, you know what you are getting yourself into.
2. Ask current freelance writing clients for referrals. Many freelancers are embarrassed of doing so, but you should never feel this way. Do not go overboard or become forceful when asking for referrals. Instead, explain your situation to current clients and ask if they could pass your name along when feasible. If a client loves the work that you do for them they will have no problem passing your name along to others.
3. Always keep your eyes open for jobs when browsing the internet. They can be found on job boards, classified sites, or through a basic email address on a random website. If you keep your eye opens for new opportunities, you may be surprised at what you find on a regular basis.
4. Have you tried getting in touch with local businesses? This is a great way to locate new clients in no time at all. In my experience, local businesses like to work with those in their area. You can use this as a hook, and as long as you have solid samples to back up your claims, there is a good chance of success.
5. Try different types of freelance writing. Have you been focusing mainly on website content? If so, getting involved with sales letters, feature articles, or other projects is a great way to expand your reach and hopefully find new clients.
Next month, why not put a lot of time into your marketing efforts? This can help you to increase your reach while also giving you the chance to earn more money.Â
When you work for an employer, it is easy to take a day off from time to time. After all, you have vacation days as well as sick days that you can use when need be. But as a freelance writer, you are more or less self-employed. Sure, you have to answer to clients to make sure that they get what they want, but you do not have a direct boss. This leads to the question of whether or not freelance writers can take a day off from time to time.
On the surface, it would be appear that you could take off everyday of the week if you so desire. As noted above, you do not have a direct boss so there is nobody telling you that you cannot do this. That being said, if you never work you will never make money and achieve in other areas.
Even though taking off too many days is a bad thing, there is no reason to believe that you do not deserve a break. In fact, a day off here and there can help to protect against burnout. How often you steal a vacation day is up to you. I know some freelance writers who only work four days per week, and of course, others who haven’t taken off a day in years.
If I decide to take a day off, I usually try to plan in advance. This is not always possible if I am forced to miss work due to an illness or emergency. But in most cases, these are few and far between. By planning in advance, it gives me the chance to make sure that all of my clients have what they need, when they need it.
Although not the best idea, I always seem to wonder back to my computer or PDA during these off days. I hate the thought of leaving my clients with questions for too long, and this usually drives me to check my email and voicemail at least once during a day off. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with this as long as you do not go overboard.
The bottom line: freelance writers have every right to take a day off when they like they need it.Â
No matter what industry you are in, trust between you and your clients is important. Not only do you need to be able to trust your freelance writing clients, but they should be able to do the same with you. Of course, it is not always easy to trust everybody that you work with. This is especially true if you are new to the freelance writing game, and still trying to get your feet wet. As time goes by, you will begin to find clients that you can trust while also knowing what traits to look for when seeking additional work. In other words, bad clients are not hard to spot once you become familiar with the way that the industry works.
By working with clients that you can trust, you will be able to take advantage of the following benefits:
1. Trust makes for a better relationship. This holds true for you, the writer, as well as your client. Remember, your client is every bit as worried about the “trust factor†as you. Keep this in mind every time you are communicating with a client, or setting up a new project.
2. When you have full trust in your clients it will help to cut stress out of your work related life. As you probably know, working for a client that you do not trust to pay you, for instance, can be quite stressful. Am I going to do all of this work for nothing? What if I do not get paid? Is this all a waste of time? These are all questions that you will probably ask yourself if you do not trust your client.
3. If you trust your clients you can move forward with each project quickly and with gusto. It is hard to fully get behind a project when you are not sure that your client is trustworthy. In the back of your mind you will always have doubt. In turn, this will slow down your progress immensely.
All in all, you always want to make sure that you can trust your freelance writing clients and that they can feel the same way about you.
