10 Places. Get Clients Now

Transcription

1 10 Places to Get Clients Now by Jen Adams for

2 Published by: American Writers & Artists Inc. 245 NE 4th Avenue, Suite 102 Delray Beach, FL Phone: Fax: Website: American Writers & Artists Inc., All rights reserved. Protected by copyright laws of the United States and international treaties. No part of this publication in whole or in part may be copied, duplicated, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission from the publisher. Copyright and other intellectual property laws protect these materials and any unauthorized reproduction or retransmission will constitute an infringement of copyright law. Federal law provides severe civil and criminal penalties for the unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or exhibition of copyrighted materials. Penalties for criminal and statutory copyright infringement are set forth at 18 U.S.C

3 Finding great clients can be easy, fun, and simple. Really! How is it possible? It helps to know where to look and how to look so that you see amazing opportunities at exactly the right moment. Because the right moment just might be right now You see, as a writer, you re in a unique position to lead an awesome, independent lifestyle. You can set your own hours, choose your own income goals, and make your own rules. Why so much freedom? Well, in today s world, your writing skills are in demand. Businesses and professional service providers need you to help them connect with their current and future customers. They want to focus on running their businesses so they need you to do their writing for them. These people are your future clients and literally millions of them are out there waiting for you. Want an example? Just look at companies who make their money selling products and according to the Business Marketing Association and they d all like more customers. Or consider small businesses. SBA.gov reports that there are 23 million of them out there. They re responsible for 54% of all transactions in America and also the fastest growing part of the business world. You can bet they need help, too. Maybe you d prefer working with individuals, like doctors, salon owners, or pet groomers. These sole proprietors make up 70% of the business landscape, according to SBA.gov and many of them don t ever want to do their own writing. They d rather hire you to get the job done right. 1

4 And what job is it they want you to do? They want you to write almost anything and everything you can imagine, including: Blog posts Social media updates Online banner ads Postcards to customers Welcome letters Web pages Press releases Informational articles Speeches Case studies White papers Special reports Newsletters Sales letters (online and through snail mail) Catalog pages s Radio ads Video scripts Billboard text And much, much more. Combined, these businesses have enough work out there to keep all the writers in the world as busy as they want to be with projects. So the question is how busy do you want to be? It really is up to you. In the pages ahead, I ll show you 10 great places to get clients now. Not next week next year or someday. These are places you can start connecting with clients straight away. I ll show you how to build real connections to real people who need your writing skills right now to help them reach their business goals, communicate with their customers, and grow their companies. In return for your help, they ll pay you very well for your work. After all, you re critical to their bottom line success! That s a big part of what makes this all easy even as you re looking for your next great client, there s a business owner out there looking for you. And making the connection can be simple and fun honest! In just 15 minutes from now, you ll know where there are great clients waiting to meet you. From there, your future is yours to control so let s get started! 2

5 AWAI s Members-Only Job Board AWAI maintains a special private job board stuffed with writing opportunities. Our DirectResponseJobs.com site is dedicated exclusively to jobs for AWAI writers and graphic calendar (and your bank account). DirectResponseJobs.com typically lists a variety of new opportunities each week. There are postings for freelance, part-time, and full-time positions. In a recent one-month period, there were 21 full-time, three part-time, and six freelance postings. Next month, Like any job board, you have to check regularly. Offerings range from spec opportunities, to positions for brand-new copywriters all the way to postings for those with a few 3

6 Online Freelancer Job Sites jobs on the Web, when you know where to look. The key is to step beyond general job sites and focus on platforms where you can stand out from the crowd and connect with clients who understand the value of what you can most jobs are already set up for you to work from home. Here are four of the top sites with high-paying jobs available for writers right now: WealthyWebWriter.com: The job board on this membership site is set up who want to connect with talented writers for online projects. Plus, in addition to client connections, this site offers thousands of articles about writing for the Web so you can improve your skills and stay on top of the latest trends. B2BWritingSuccess.com: Businesses who sell products and services to other businesses need an enormous amount of written material to support their sales calendar with lucrative projects. Be sure to check out the educational articles along with the jobs on this site, too. FlexJobs.com: FlexJobs is devoted to helping you connect with telecommute, on the site is pre-screened for legitimacy, and hundreds of new writing jobs for every kind of writer, editor, or sales expert appear every month. MediaBistro.com: MediaBistro is dedicated to anyone who creates or works national agencies, individuals, and business owners all looking for help creating and managing their content efforts on a full-time, part-time, or contract basis. And while some jobs are in-house, most are freelance/remote so you can get started where you are now. Other top freelancing job sites include Elance, Guru, BloggingPro and copywriter Jason Pedley s Jobamatic site for copywriting jobs in the USA. 4

7 Online Writing Communities chance to connect with other writers, build a support network on your journey toward the writer s life, and of course, share referrals! communities relevant to your personal interests and writing goals. For example, if you love the idea of writing for the travel industry, you would want to seek out and join online writing groups for travel writers. Or, if your primary interest is building your copywriting skills, you could make a point of which groups offer the best resources and opportunities to their members. make an effort to be a positive, contributing member of the group. Other members will start to keep you in mind as they discover new opportunities, and will be happy to pass (Wondering where to start? Check out some of AWAI s online communities on LinkedIn, Facebook, and our members-only GroupSite forums.) 5

8 LinkedIn client. This is especially true when you re working through LinkedIn, the professional social media network for businesses and business people. bring clients to you, since you ll start showing up in search results for hiring managers business card when you re reaching out to potential clients. They ll be able to check your references, see your work experience, and even look at samples if you choose to include Plus, as a part of the LinkedIn network, you can participate in business and professional groups related to your interests. You ll be able to show your writing skills and business insights by being an active member and networker. Don t worry about giving information away. Let each answer be a chance to show how you can be a great business partner and solid asset to any client who hires you. other AWAI writers are doing. Here are some great examples to study once you ve joined LinkedIn: Marsha Ford, B2G Copywriter Shelley Jacobson, SEO Web Content Writer Ed Estlow, Copywriter & Marketing Consultant Jason Gaspero, Copywriter & Direct Marketing Specialist 6

9 Your Own Website Even as you build your footprint in online communities and with writers groups, you ll also want to claim your own space online. Your personal website can be set up in just a few hours, even if you re not a techie and have never done anything like that before. These days, most web platforms have EZ-build templates and tutorials that make the whole process a snap. In exchange for those few hours of effort, you ll have a personal platform where you can show potential clients your skills and establish basic credibility as a writer. You can link to the kinds of projects you d like. It doesn t have to be fancy, long, or expensive. One of the most successful copywriters I know, Joshua Boswell, got his website up and going for less than $100 and went on to work with multiple major corporations. The key is to clearly express who you are, what you offer, and how to contact you. That way, clients looking for writers like you will be sure to connect with you. And, by presenting yourself professionally online, the clients that come to you through your website will be pre-warmed and excited to work with you ASAP. If you need ideas, simply look at what other writers have done. Visit their sites and ask yourself what you like, what seems to be working for them, and what might work for you in turn. Here are a few writer websites you can start others with a quick web search of your own. Christina Gillick Julia Borgini Sean McCool James David Wright Don t want to go it alone? No problem! Each year, AWAI offers the Build Your Freelance Website in Four Days Express Webinar Series. It s a hands-on, step-by-step experience where you start with nothing and walk away with a fully built, professional website. And, even if you can t attend the event live, you can access all the archives. Check it out here. you can t do, too. Much of what looks pretty on the Web is simply a well-chosen template through your personal website in practically no time at all. 7

10 Your Money-Making Website Online copywriting legend Nick Usborne calls Money-Making Websites the ultimate yourself around something you re passionate about and over time, you turn the content on the site into a passive income stream to boost your bottom line. So how can a site that makes you money also bring you new clients fast? Well, in setting up the site, you became an expert on the topic. You learned to write effectively about products, services, and trends related to your topic of choice. And by working with your own audience, you learned what worked and what didn t when selling things tied to your niche. Clients can see this expertise in action and they re interested. Having a MMW can help a client make up their mind to hire you fast. In fact, according to Nick Usborne, it it was from the time a client asked him if he had any experience writing about gold to the time he was hired for the job. I always loved writing, but client or to even tell someone that I was a writer. But, after building a Money-Making Website writing content that people share all over the Internet and hearing from tons of awesome readers it gave my inner writer. Now I really know that I m a writer, and I have a portfolio and website to prove it. Nick Gillick, on his MMW What happened in the meantime? Nick ed over the link to his MMW on gold. The Nick was the one they wanted. After all, who s a better writer to hire? The writer who says he can do it or the writer with a whole website proving he can do it? 8

11 Your Personal Network natural bias I m a bit of an introvert! But that doesn t mean I haven t found wonderful time you leave the house. It really could be that simple. In fact, the personal and social network you have now could be absolutely bursting with people who need you to help them and are happy to pay you very well for what you ll write on their behalf. Chances are, you ve never looked at your friends, family, and social acquaintances as potential clients. Yet many of them own businesses or depend on a steady stream of new customers to make a living. And without a way to effectively communicate with their own prospective customers, life is tough. You can make things easy for them by giving them the opportunity to hire you as that conversation. To uncover who might need your help, bring out a pen and paper. Go through the different and former employers, your neighbors, your spouse s employers, members of church groups, volunteer groups, or social clubs, and so on. Go through your Facebook friends, LinkedIn connections, Twitter followers, and any other social networks. The size of this list will likely shock you. Mine went on for pages. In just a few minutes, I went from feeling like I didn t know anyone who wanted me to write for them (it was a bad day) to realizing that I had more warm prospects than I d ever imagined. 9

12 Local Business Events Just outside your own personal network, your community business network can be a rich source of new clients. Plus, since some of these clients will be quite literally just up the street, it can be a very fun and pleasant working relationship. out to your Chamber of Commerce, community redevelopment group, and the local branch of the Better Business Bureau, if there s one in your area. Look into partnerships with Rotary Clubs, professional volunteer organizations, and business advocacy groups. professional, and concise introduction not to give your life story or try and sell on the Get to know the group. Build friendships as well as future business partnerships. After all, those who don t need your services now may know others in the community who do, and When you re ready to take things a step further, consider offering to put on a program about how writing can help businesses for one of these groups. Instead of a straight sales pitch, offer explanations, tips, and tools local business owners will be able to use. It will work for you in much the same way that being a free-sharing contributor in an online group works for you. Each short presentation or answer establishes you as an expert in the mind of your audience and when they need a writer in the future, you ll group member now may come back to reward you with referral business both now and potentially months or even years later. 10

13 Trade Shows in Your Area (or Niche) Trade shows are almost a client-getting secret. Many writers never think of them as a place To make a trade show work for you as a source of new clients, start by downloading the exhibitor list. Review it carefully, and research the businesses and individuals who will be at the event before you attend. Get to know who the major players are, what they offer, During the event itself, attend the exhibits and make a point of talking with the exhibitors. If it s appropriate and possible, see if you can set up meetings with them in advance. Either way, take samples of their marketing materials and study them to get a deeper sense of the writing styles at work in their customer communications. actively trying to get more customers, they re very interested in hearing how you might be able to help them. Being present at the event works dramatically in your favor, too, since exhibitors can see that you re one of them and have the chance to build a real, meaningful connection that will last well past the event itself. shows in your geographic area, or travel to trade shows that align closely with your writing interests and/or niche. 11

14 Live Events and Conferences Specifically For Writers Live events for writers give you new energy, new insights, and of course, new connections to great clients! In addition to being fun to attend and packed with opportunities to build your social network, great live events for writers are also attended by top marketers and hiring managers looking for new talent. A perfect example of this is AWAI s annual FastTrack to Copywriting Success Bootcamp and Job Fair. It s a high-energy event with well-known speakers sharing the latest writing trends and insider tips. Between events, you can be social and network with other attendees. And, for three hours during the Job Fair portion of the event, dozens of big-name Finding your next client at an event like that could literally be as simple as attending and being yourself. As Woody Allen once said, Half of life is showing up and that s certainly you need to have a truly successful writing business. 12

15 Your Future is Waiting Landing great clients the kind who are fun to work with, pay you great fees, and give you interesting, challenging projects is a lot easier when you know where to look. be great resources, and I encourage you to give each one a try to see for yourself how in-demand your writing skills really are in today s market. Businesses and service providers all over the world, in every niche you can imagine, truly do need your help connecting with their customers. And even as you look for them, business goals. pleasantly surprised at how many opportunities are waiting for you, and how absolutely So don t wait your future as a successful writer is out there, waiting for you to step forward. Get started and get that much closer to your next client by taking action now. About This Report 10 Places to Get Clients Now grew from the resources and supporting articles found on the AWAI website. Everything you read here is writing program, The Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting. For 17 years, The Accelerated Program has given writers all over the world the tools, templates, and step-by-step instruction they need to launch successful careers in the direct-response industry. Working from home, setting their own schedules, and partnering with businesses everywhere, Accelerated Program graduates are among the world s most highly-paid and highly-respected writers. To learn more about The Accelerated Program and what it could do for your writing career, click here now. 13

16 JOIN US IN 2014! It s not too early to reserve your spot October If you re looking to get a substantial jump start on building or starting up your writing career, AWAI s 2014 FastTrack to Copywriting Success Bootcamp and Job Fair in Delray Beach, Florida is the ideal place. Bootcamp has become the event of the year for up-and-coming writers to mingle with experts, meet marketers, and learn the latest copywriting secrets in a fast-paced and dynamic environment. As a new or aspiring copywriter you ll get a leg up on your copywriting skills and immerse yourself in the $2.3 trillion direct-response industry within which you ll be working. It s hands down the best way to launch your copywriting career. It doesn t matter where you are in your writing career 3 ½ days in Delray Beach could launch your writing dreams for good. Where: The Delray Beach Marriott When: October 15 18, 2014 Price: $1,995 Find out more and register here!