July 2015
Spark! 
   Insights, Tips & Resources on Marketing Your Freelance Business
Find, Reach, and Land
Your Ideal Clients 

 

Instead of taking whatever work comes along, find, reach, and land your ideal clients through direct email marketing. Well-written targeted emails sent to the right prospects work, according to marketing gurus Ed Gandia (International Freelance Academy) and Emma Hitt, and my experience. Gandia and Hitt both say that direct email works for them and freelance colleagues.

 

4 Steps to Direct Email Marketing

  1. Develop a targeted list.
  2. Write compelling direct email copy.
  3. Design an engaging, easy-to-read email.
  4. Plan your direct email campaign.

Develop a Targeted List

Develop a list of organizations you'd like to work with (organization, appropriate contact person or people, and email address). This is a lot of work, but it's well worth it. Identify prospects through:

  • Professional association member directories
  • LinkedIn: Your network and searches
  • Leading company lists like the Fortune 500
  • Online directories.

Look for names of senior people (e.g., managers, directors, associate directors, or vice presidents) in the departments that you'd like to work for, like communications, marketing, or website. LinkedIn is helpful in finding the right people, especially if you have a Premium membership. You'll also find some names on the organization's website, under News-room (or Media) or Publications.

 

If you can't find the person's email address, go 
to the Newsroom and look for the email format
(e.g., Firstinitiallastname@client.org). Then apply that email format to the person's name.

 

Write a Short, Targeted Direct Email

Write a compelling direct email that shows you understand something about the organization or its industry. A few minutes on the organization's website is all you'll need to do this. A compelling direct email:

  • Starts with a subject line that will make the prospect want to read the email.
  • Is personal: Use the name of the person and the organization.  
  • Is short, no more than 3-5 sentences.
  • Includes a link to your website or LinkedIn profile.

Focus on Client Needs

Spend time working on your subject line; if it's not enticing, your prospect will never even open your email. Tap into the client's needs in the subject line and the email text. Combine your knowledge of the industry with some of the language or concepts used on the prospect's website to write a great subject line and email text.

 

Design a Clear, Engaging Email

Format the email so that it's engaging and easy-to-read. Use bold subheads for key messages.

 

Close with a Strong Message

Add impact to your marketing message and give prospects the information they need to learn more about you and contact you in your email signature. Include:

  • Your name and company name
  • Contact information (email and phone)
  • How people can learn more about you (website and LinkedIn profile)
  • Logo and tagline.

If you don't have a company name and/or logo and tagline, include a very brief description of your services under your name.

 

Follow Up

If you don't hear back, politely follow up after a week or two. Most of my positive responses came from the follow-up emails. Track anyone who says they'll put you in their freelance database or contact you when they need help. Follow up with these people about quarterly.

  

 

Survey on Marketing a Freelance Medical Writing
or Editing Business

Find out how other freelance medical writers and editors market their businesses -- and what works best for them -- by taking the Marketing Survey for Freelance Medical Writers and Editors. Everyone who does will get a FREE copy of the report.

 

I'm doing the survey to prepare for my presentation on "How to Make More Money Through Marketing" during the American Medical Writers Association's Annual Conference (September 30 - October 3, 2015, San Antonio, Texas).

 

Take the Survey Now

Click here to take the survey. Please share this link with your colleagues. The more freelancers who participate in the survey, the more we'll all learn. Deadline: August 12.

 

Survey for All Freelancers
Coming Soon

Other types of freelancers working in other fields can participate in the survey for all freelancers I'll be doing this fall. Everyone who does will get a FREE copy of the report. 

 

I'll announce the "All Freelancers Survey" in an email. If colleagues who aren't on the Mighty Marketer list want to participate, they can email themightymarketer@comcast.net, and put General Freelancers Survey in the subject header. I'll email them when the survey is available.

 

Q&A with The
Mighty Markete
r

Q. How long would it take to research 150 to 250 companies?

 

A. A ballpark estimate is about 10 minutes per prospect. That may sound like a lot of time, but your marketing will be much more successful if you're working from a good prospect list and know something about your prospects. If you use a leading companies list or a directory to find companies in a specific industry, the research will take you less time.

 

Next, look for the right contact person/people. LinkedIn is the easiest way to do this (search for people who work in the company and narrow the results down to your most likely prospects by clicking seniority level and choosing director and VP). Review the search results for prospects. Also check out the profiles of people with a similar title or in the right department, who may be connected to the person you're looking for.  Finally, go to the organization's website for the mailing and email addresses. 

 

To find the email address, go to the Newsroom, which almost always has an email address for at least one media contact. Using your prospect's name, apply the email convention to your prospect.

 

Q. How much information do you collect for each company? 

 

A. You always need the name of the right contact person/people and his/her title. If you can't find that (and sometimes it's not available), move on to the next organization. What else you collect depends on the type of marketing you plan to do. If you're using direct mail, you need the mailing address (visit the organization's website for this). If you're using direct email, you need the person's email address, and you need to do some research so you can write a client-focused email. A few sentences from the home or about page is usually all you need for this.

 

Ask a Question

Email questions about marketing your freelance business to themightymarketer@comcast.net.  

 
Marketing Resources
FREE from The Mighty Marketer

Learn how you can be part of this high-income, high-demand field. 

 

Direct Marketing for Freelancers 

How to find, reach, and land your ideal clients

 


 free download music, video movie or data downloading pdf document file button

 


 

Other FREE Resources

7 Proven Steps to Landing High-Paying Clients with Short Prospecting Emails

from the International Freelancers Academy


Other Resources

The Best of Pencil Points Volume #1

This ebook offers a wealth of insights and inspiration for freelancers on marketing (and other topics). 


Based on the FREE monthly newsletter Pencil Points by my colleagues Cynthia L. Kryder, MS, and Brian G. Bass at The Accidental Medical Writer, much of the information is applicable to freelancers in all fields, and at all levels (aspiring, new, and seasoned), especially The Savvy Marketer --Marketing Tips to Build Your Business. 

 

The ebook also includes: 

  • [Not] Just for Newbies--Information and Inspiration for writers new to the business, but also popular with experienced freelancers
  • Dollars & Sense--Advice on the business of freelancing
  • On the Radar--Resources for Medical Writers. 

Rise Above the Competition with a USP

 

Ensure that you rise above the competition by showing prospects that you're different than other freelancers through your USP ("unique selling proposition"). Read more, and check out The Art of Mighty Marketing blog, published every Friday.


Other recent topics include:
  • "5 Ways to Succeed by Giving More, Taking Less"
  • "How to Use Summer Vacations to Get More Work."
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