Just as I set freelance writing income goals, I do the same when it comes to marketing. In my opinion, goals are very important if you are a freelance writer. They will help to keep your hungry, and of course, it is always a great time when you finally reach what you have been striving for. When it comes to setting marketing goals you should go all out. After all, the way that you market your services will have a direct effect on how much work you do and how much money you earn.
What are some marketing goals that you can set? For instance, you could set a goal based around making cold calls. Tell yourself that you are going to make at least two cold calls per day for the entire month. Is this is a daunting task? Some may say yes, and others may so no. But it is a good place to start. Of course, this is just one example. Your marketing goals should be based on the stage of your career, what works for you, and how much time you have available.
Even though you are a writer first and foremost, you need to market your services in order to keep a steady flow of work. By setting goals you will be less inclined to let your marketing strategy slow to a crawl. If you don’t have any marketing goals in place, take a few minutes to draw up a plan. Some basic goals will go a long way in helping your career to take off. Â
Some of you have asked whether or not a blog is a good marketing tool. In my opinion, the answer to this question is yes. Over the past few months I have received a few good offers through this blog. I am hoping that as ChrisBlogging continues to grow that this becomes more and more the case.
Of course, you need two things in order for your blog to generate leads. First and foremost, you need traffic. In other words, if nobody knows about your blog you will not receive many leads. It took several months of hard work for this blog to reach a decent level of traffic, and even then, it is nowhere close to some of the bigger ones in the industry.
Additionally, your blog should show that you are a capable writer. Most of my posts are far from masterpieces, but that being said, they show that I have a good command of the English language and that I know what I am talking about.
I strongly urge every freelance writer to manage a blog. Even if you don’t write on the topic of “freelance writing†you should still start a blog and contribute to it on a regular basis. This will help you to become a better writer while hopefully drawing in new clients.Â
I have always said that every freelance writer needs to treat their career as a business. Of course, this leads to many questions. One of the most important is whether or not you should spend money on freelance writing related items? These items can include everything from a new computer to a corner desk to memberships that may help advance your career.
There is no easy way to answer this question. The first thing that you must do is consider your income and budget. If you have enough money to buy an item that you need, you will want to consider moving forward. But if you are tight on cash and your income has been slow, you will be better off doing without for the time being.
But before you jump the gun and head to the store, you need to think about two words: want and need. You may want to buy a new computer, but the question is: do you really need one? These two words should come to mind anytime you are thinking of making a large purchase. Even though I earn a decent freelance writing income, I only buy the items that I absolutely need. For instance, I only upgrade my computer when it is absolutely necessary. I purchased my current desktop unit about 18 months ago, and it is my hopes that it stays in good shape for at least another couple years. This doesn’t mean that I cannot afford a new computer, but when it comes down to it, this is not something that I absolutely need.
You should most definitely spend money on freelance writing related items that you need. This is especially true for those of you just joining the industry. It is important to have all the items that you need to give yourself the best chance of early success.
Keep this one tip in mind: when shopping for any item related to your freelance writing career, ask yourself if it is a want or a need. If you absolutely can’t do without an item and have the money on hand, consider moving forward with the purchase.
