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Kim Wilson
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Hamilton, NJ 08610
Tel: (609) 888-1683
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Sowing the Seeds of
Opportunity: How to Multiply Your Freelance (Writing) Work
by Brian S. Konradt of BSK Communications and
Associates
You can turn your $200 fee to write a press
release into $2,000 to carry out an entire PR campaign simply by convincing
clients to invest in campaigns, instead of singular assignments. Campaigns
achieve better results and cost less in the long-term for clients, compared to
singular assignments. And, of course, as the freelancer, you get paid much more
for turning out a succession of assignments that assimilate a successful
campaign.
Here's how to multiply your writing sales by
convincing clients to invest in long-term campaigns, instead of short-term
singular assignments.
Know the short-term and long-term results.
A client approaches you to write a brochure. He may or may not know that his
product can also benefit from other types of promotional pieces, such as ads,
direct mail, news releases, and so on, to sell his product or service. Your job
is to educate the client. The brochure may be the first promotional piece in a
consortium of promotional pieces. Here, you must know the short-term and
long-term view results of the brochure.
The short-term view results are the results the
brochure will achieve/contribute for the entire campaign. It answers the
questions, "How do the results of this brochure fit into the entire campaign?"
and "How can these results be strengthened with other forms of promotional
materials?"
Show the client how a campaign that's comprised
of a succession of assignments can achieve—and exceed—his expectations and
outsell and outdo the performance of a single assignment.
Use "tie-in" Services.
Whenever a client approaches you with a single assignment, ask yourself what
tie-in services can supplement the single assignment. A news release achieves
better results when it's accompanied with a photo. And a press kit—complete with
press releases, photos, brochures, and company information—can achieve better
results than a single press release. All of these extra tie-in services can turn
writing a single press release into multiple writing sales.
Offer the "concept to completion" benefit.
Instead of pitching yourself as a freelancer who can write newsletter copy,
pitch yourself as a freelancer who produces newsletters, from copy to
completion. You multiply your income by outsourcing parts of the job and
delivering a finished product, not a piece of the product. You can also extend
your "conception to completion" services by pitching yourself as a marketing
consultant, in which you make recommendations to the client as to the best way
to market the newsletter.
Develop strong consultative skills.
In addition to selling your freelance writing services, also offer
consulting services. Clients pay you to explain ideas, concepts, recommendations
and turnkey solutions as to the best way to achieve the results they desire.
Consulting with clients can lead to securing freelance work, since clients
realize you have the skills and expertise to undertake the task.
Know the future needs of clients.
Clients come with present needs—and future needs. A client may hire you to
write a newsletter now, but they'll also consider you for future work if you
know what their future needs are and how to fulfill them. The company may be
ushering in a new product line, creating a new division within the company,
sponsoring a charity event, or creating a Web site. All of these future events
need a freelancer to do promotional writing and freelance work. That's you. Your
job is to show clients how you'll address their future needs with solutions
that'll increase their profitability and/or productivity. This is usually
accomplished with a proposal, which pitches you as the freelancer who has the
solutions to undertake the future tasks.
Use proposals to secure work.
Proposals are an inclusive persuasion tool to convince prospects that you
can increase their profitability and/or productivity with your freelance
services. Proposals specifically show the client how you intend to achieve the
desired results, the time and costs involved, and why you and your solution are
the best choices to boost his or her company's profits.
Adaptations.
Any of your freelance writing services can be adapted for Web sites, turning
a single assignment into two assignments. Get paid to write a press release or
brochure, and then get paid again to adapt the copy to the client's Web site.
Add-on services, such as desktop
publishing services, marketing consulting, compiling and selling media lists,
and project coordinating can help multiply your work and your income.
Brian Konradt is the owner and operator of
FreelanceWriting.com, a Web site dedicated to help writers master the business
and creative sides of freelance writing. Mr. Konradt is also the principal of
BSK Communications and Associates, a communications/publishing business in New
Jersey, which he established in 1992.
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Have You Read...
I Wanna
Win
by Cheryl Wright
If you want to win writing contests and earn that elusive tag of
'award-winning writer' or if you just want to hone your skills, this book will
point you in the right direction.
New to freelance writing?
Read
this informative article.
Read
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Writing
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