The Sound of Crickets: 5 Reason You Aren’t Getting Results from Your Content Marketing Writing Letter of Introduction
I got an email from a blog reader last week that asked why she wasn’t getting a response from her letter of introduction. I’ve run into the same issue myself and spent several months a few years ago making changes both in my letter and my process until I started seeing a good response rate.
Here are few possibilities as to why you have not heard back:
1. It hasn’t been long enough since you sent the LOI. If the company already has a content marketing effort going, then they will only need writers if they start a new project or someone leaves. Consumer and trade pubs publish every month so they are always looking for stories and writers. But content marketing work (except for custom pubs which need ongoing content) is more project based so they might not need you today, but will hire you in 3 months for a great gig. This is why following up (see #4 and continual marketing are essential with content marketing writing.)
2. You are targeting the wrong companies. Companies want writers with experience in their industry. If you are emailing businesses that are outside your niche, then you will most likely not hear back. It is better to send out a few? quality and targeted emails than 400. You will also have a better response rate with companies who are already using content marketing than a company that is not currently creating content.
3. You haven’t sent enough LOI’s. Yes, it is essential that you are targeting the right companies, but you also need to send more than 5 or 10 if you are sending cold emails. I like to send a goal of 5 emails a day and continue on the pattern until I have enough work to keep busy and then I will reduce the effort to 5 a week.
4. You aren’t following up. I get most of my work when I follow up. I typically follow up 2-3 weeks after the first email and then a second follow-up about 2-3 months later. If I get a response that they are interested, but do not have any projects currently then I will continue to follow up every 2-3 months.
5. Your LOI doesn’t highlight your industry experience. A client wants to glance at your LOI and immediately see that you understand their industry. Make it very obvious that you have experience in the field by using a subject line indicating your expertise and highlighting relevant clients and publications. If you have industry experience, such as you are a nurse or have an IT certification, be sure to include this information as well.
What changes have you made in your letter of introduction process that have resulted in an increased response rate?
Great advice – as always!
I’m so glad that you found it helpful! I really appreciate you taking the time to comment!
Thank you so much for ALL your informative posts. I’m sure a lot of people feel like me — we appreciate them.
Your kind words made my day. It is my pleasure. Honestly, writing this blog is probably my favorite project of all time.
Great information, as always Jennifer! I, too, have seen great responses to my follow-ups–often with a thank you for *my* persistence! And as my husband constantly reminds me, “it’s a numbers game.” Ya gotta keep knocking on doors, so to speak, or the work won’t come.
I totally agree. Most of my work comes through follow ups. And it’s also a timing game. Because they aren’t going to give you a gig unless they have a need. With consumer pubs there is a need every month, but not true in content marketing. And when you follow up you increase your odds of landing in their inbox just at the right time they are trying to figure out who is going to create their next piece of amazing content.
[…] your Letter of Introduction. Better yet, have a writer friend edit it as well. Most writers, myself included, have several base […]
Jennifer I’m finding your blog incredibly helpful. I made my living as a freelance trade magazine writer (mainly magazines for physicians) a good 25 years ago. I then did sales work and ultimately became a digital product manager for a large trade publisher in NY. Now I’m trying to work at home as a content marketing writer. The problem is that I have few recent writing samples — at least for outside clients — or testimonials to show in a LOI. What I do have is:
-Over 150 articles written in the past 8 years or so for affiliate sites I own in higher ed: https://www.successdegrees.com/ and http://collegedegreecomplete.com/
– Sample articles I can bang out like this one on health tech: https://www.techcapable.com/new-mhealth-tools-help-physicians-with-diagnosis-and-treatment/
– All content on websites I have developed for clients such as this physician’s site: http://www.korovinmd.com/ (I do have a pretty good level of competence in WordPress site development & SEO)
Sorry if that’s a bit complicated, but I wonder if you have any thoughts on how to describe my writing experience in a LOI. I’d love a nice short one. Thanks! Bob
Hey Jennifer I think I found the answer elsewhere on your blog. Looking to follow your niche tips here:https://www.jennifergregorywriter.com/2017/04/03/non-geek-writers-can-add-b2b-technology-niche/
Thanks
Bob
[…] a typo in your LOI that you missed. But 97.532 percent (yes, that’s scientific) of the time, the reason that you probably hear crickets from potential clients is the […]