I as soon as recorded a podcast episode with Seth Godin the place we talked about storytelling. Throughout our dialog, he made a degree that I believed was fascinating relating to discovering higher freelance writing purchasers.
Seth’s model of storytelling isn’t simply crafting a plot within the conventional sense — the basic “The queen died, after which the king died of grief.”
He additionally appears on the implied tales in all the pieces we do. We inform a narrative with the tone of our voice on a podcast and the colour decisions on our web site. Our pricing, our response time, our About Me web page, our “Contact Me” kind … all of them come collectively to inform the story of your small business.
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Some companies inform scary or ugly tales. Lots of companies inform boring ones. Seth acquired me serious about the weather that I consider inform a extra inviting story for a writing enterprise — the type of story that draws extra terrific freelance writing purchasers and higher income.
When you’re a skilled author, in fact you want to write properly. However it isn’t simply skill that makes a author profitable — it’s additionally smart positioning. It’s the implied story that your small business tells.
Listed here are my ideas on 5 “story parts” that aid you appeal to the proper freelance writing purchasers, on the proper pricing, in the proper numbers.
Story factor #1: Your Voice
For any enterprise, however notably for a author, the voice of your advertising is without doubt one of the most essential story parts you will have.
What does that appear like in your web site as we speak? Do you sound stiff and formal, or free and conversational? Like tends to draw like, and the persona you set into your writing voice will have a tendency to draw these qualities in your purchasers.
The alternatives you make invite the type of freelance writing purchasers you need
Ask your self what qualities your writing voice is conveying:
- Informally relaxed … or prepare wreck?
- Reassuringly skilled … or uptight?
- Charmingly approachable … or sloppy?
- Attentively detail-oriented … or nit-picky?
- Creatively agile … or distracted?
These are at all times subjective. What might sound annoyingly uptight and controlling for me would possibly really feel appealingly detail-oriented to you.
Since you’re a professional, you will have extra management over your forms of tone in writing than common individuals do. Use that talent to convey the sorts of qualities you need to see extra of in your purchasers.
Story factor #2: Your Website
Prospects as we speak don’t simply need wordsmiths — additionally they need content material advertising strategists. (Whether or not or not that’s the phrase they’d use.) Terrific freelance writing purchasers need writers who perceive how the net works as we speak.
It’s arduous to return throughout as knowledgeable and web-savvy when your web site design appears 10 years outdated.
You don’t should chase each design pattern, however you do want your web site to look present, uncluttered, and recent.
Digital Commerce Companions is the company division of Copyblogger, and we concentrate on delivering focused natural visitors for rising digital companies.
Story factor #3: Your Pricing
Value is without doubt one of the strongest nonverbal parts of any enterprise story.
- American Categorical tells a unique story from Visa
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape tells a unique story from Two-Buck Chuck
- Mercedes tells a unique story from Kia
Now, Visa, Two-Buck Chuck, and Kia are all issues that a number of customers select and even like.
However belief me …
You do not need your freelance writing purchasers to think about you because the Two-Buck Chuck of copywriting
To be able to make cash as a contract author, you promote providers … which suggests you promote your time. Hours of your life — the one factor you possibly can by no means get any extra of. Promoting these hours at a reduction simply doesn’t make sense.
After all, when you’re simply beginning out, you shouldn’t anticipate to command the identical charges as an skilled author. That’s why your first precedence is to work very arduous to get very, excellent, so that you spend as little time in “Two-Buck Chuck” territory as attainable.
Crummy purchasers need low-cost writers to supply generic CRaP that, in truth, nobody notably needs to learn anyway.
Terrific freelance writing purchasers need skilled writers to supply fantastic phrases that delight and serve their prospects.
Two very completely different tales. The second is far more enjoyable.
Story factor #4: Your Specialization
That is the place a number of good writers begin after they’re serious about their positioning — and it’s an incredible story factor.
None of us is sweet at all the pieces. What are you nice at? What may you change into nice at?
Once I determined to change into a contract author, I selected to concentrate on electronic mail newsletters, autoresponders, and different content material that nurtured relationships with prospects.
I’m actually good at that type of writing. I’ve a number of expertise with it, which permits me to work effectively. I take pleasure in doing it. And purchasers wished it. It was simple for purchasers to grasp that I’d most likely do a greater job with relationship-building content material than an unknown author on Upwork would.
I discovered the intersection between what I favored to do, what freelance writing purchasers wished, and what I may produce effectively and properly.
Numerous smart freelancers deal with strong topical ecosystems, like healthcare or legislation or expertise. They keep in control, to allow them to write with authority on these matters. And so they command charges which can be considerably greater than a “jack of all trades” author can.
Story factor #5: Your Professionalism
This one is admittedly old skool … and actually essential.
When purchasers go away a question in your “Contact Us” kind … do you get again to them? How lengthy does it take you? Do you will have a strong course of to deal with these inquiries?
Are you hitting your deadlines? Each time? Placing in as a lot thought and look after a consumer’s fiftieth piece with you as you probably did while you began working collectively?
Anybody who works with a number of freelancers will let you know:
Reliability is a matter. When purchasers discover a author who does what she says she’s going to do, each time, it makes a serious influence.
Reply to consumer inquiries rapidly. (This alone will make a major distinction in your income over a 12 months.) Observe up. Handle your deadlines.
No bandwidth for brand new purchasers proper now? Arrange a fast ready checklist in your web site. Add a easy electronic mail autoresponder to allow them to know you’ll join as quickly as you will have the time to present them your full skilled consideration.
Once you need to appeal to and retain terrific freelance writing purchasers, you want to maintain them just like the treasures they’re. It’ll get observed.
Your writing might be seen as a commodity or as a valued service. The cool factor is — since you’re knowledgeable wordsmith and you’re good about advertising — you get to decide on.
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