Wednesday, July 15, 2009

10-Minute Marketing Tip

So I've been getting sick of the job boards. I'm starting to think about doing a postcard mailer campaign to local marketing agencies and web design businesses. But that's a longer project. In the meantime, I've got a ton of work to do this month and not much time to market. But if I want to make sure I have a profitable next month, I can't afford to put off my marketing.

But marketing doesn't have to take hours out of your day. Today I spent a few minutes writing up a quick email message targeting web designers. The pitch? Web designers can expand their services and get an edge over their competitors by offering professional copywriting to go along with their design. I'm a writer who specializes in web copy that sells AND attention-grabbing link bait articles and viral video scripts, so I'm the perfect partner for web-savvy design businesses.

Then I did a quick Google search for web designers. A few clicks gets me to a directory with tons of links to web design sites. I check them out--avoiding super cheap web design sites because they probably won't be serving clients who can afford me--and start emailing the ones that look promising.

My track record is pretty good. So far I've contacted 10 businesses and gotten a response from one--almost immediately after I emailed. Hopefully it will evolve into a business partnership that will be lucrative for both of us. All in well under ten minutes.

How do you market when time is short?

3 comments:

Matt Keegan said...

Jennifer, that is excellent strategy on your part. I, too, offer my writing skills to web designers, letting them handle all of the behind the scenes site building stuff while I craft the words needed to help their site excel.

I'm in agreement with you on marketing -- no matter how busy things may be right now, I still have to prepare for the fall months in order to ensure that I have work to keep my going.

It can be tiring, can't it?

Lori said...

Great idea, Jen!

I target the printers. They get requests all the time for writers to help with writing what they'd like to have printed. In fact, one regular - a printer - called the week before I left on vacation with a client who needed "several projects." Talked to the client yesterday and it looks like we're a go!

I haven't given up on magazine work yet. I send out one query a day when things are busy - if I can email them. Snail mail takes so much time to put together.

Jennifer Williamson said...

@Matt: Thanks! It sure can be tiring, but not if you break it up into bite-sized pieces. I used to get all ambitious with my marketing plans, order tons of stationery, envelopes and nifty postcards, and then never send them out. Doing small, maintainable outreach every day works a lot better for me.

@Lori: Printers--what a great idea! I typically avoid magazine work (think I'll write a blog post on that). And I hear you on snail mail...I NEVER do it. Maybe I should.