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How to Multiply Your Freelance (Writing) Work
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 individual assignments. Campaigns achieve better results and cost less in the
long-term for clients, compared to individual 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 individual 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, websites,
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 results are the results the brochure will achieve for the client;
and the long-term 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 also can extend your "concept 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. Besides selling your freelance 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 website.
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 through which you
pitch yourself 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 solutions are the best choices to boost the company's profits.
Adaptations. Any of your freelance writing services can be adapted for websites,
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 digitally.
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 a former freelance copywriter and graphic designer, and founder
of FreelanceWriting.com (http://www.freelancewriting.com), a free web site
dedicated to help writers master the business and creative sides of freelance
writing.
(C) 2004
You can reprint this article (if not stated otherwise above) on your website or
publication with notice "Reprinted from Zongoo! Careers".
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