How I Landed $50K in New Content Marketing Clients in 45 Days
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I was all excited for 2016. Before the ball dropped on 2015, I already had three anchor clients plus several other projects lined up. Then the first three weeks of 2016 happened. And in quick succession, two of the projects got delayed indefinitely – both due to reorganizations at the company – and my third client decided that due to financial difficulties, they wanted 75 percent less content. OUCH.
After panicking for a few minutes (OK, a day. OK, maybe a few days), I decided to look at my empty calendar as an opportunity to make sure that all of the advice I’ve been giving here is still applicable. For the past two years, most of my work has come to me, so I haven’t had to do any heavy-duty marketing. I talk to a lot of writers, so I’ve been using that to make sure my advice works, but there is no substitute for doing it yourself. Since I see many writers complaining that there isn’t work out there, I was very curious to see whether I could ramp my business back up quickly or if there really isn’t a lot of high paying work out there anymore.
The answer is that there is absolutely plenty of work out there. After this experience, I am even more convinced this is the best time to be a freelance writer. I followed my own advice from this blog and in 45 days was able to get so much work that I am starting to turn work down again. Yes, it will add up to at least $50K, most likely more assuming that several of the projects turn into long-term gigs. Even more so after this experience, I am completely confident that there is plenty of work for anyone who has a focused niche and actively markets themselves. Not to be harsh, but if you are not finding work, then you need to step back and evaluate your marketing strategies. It isn’t them; it’s you.
What I Did in the Past 45 Days
Instead of sending out a ton of LOI’s to anyone who might have a job for me, I stepped back and took a deep breath. I then spent a few days thinking about the type of client is most likely to hire me and the type of work that I most enjoyed because that is where I will make my clients the happiest. I decided to focus on agencies that handle primarily technology clients, since agencies are the best source for ongoing work, and technology writers, especially data analytics writers, are always in demand.
So, then I set to work. In six weeks, I did the following marketing activities:
- Sent out 53 LOIs to content marketing agencies I had previously not contacted
- Sent out five LOIs to trade publications
- Connected with agencies and content marketing managers on Twitter
- Followed up on 15 LOIs from 2015
- Checked in with five previous clients to see if they had any new projects
- Checked in with a new client whose project got delayed to see if they have other clients
- Replied to 15 online job ads
- Updated my LinkedIn profile with new niches
- Updated my website with new clips
- Followed up with five people I met in person last year
- Sent an email to three writers in my niche to see if they had any leads
- Focused on creating an active Twitter presence with the right people and topics
- Attended the High Five Conference hosted by the American Marketing Association
I told another writer about my laundry list, and she was shocked at the amount of marketing activity that I did. This is the thing: I personally think that this amount of effort was on the low side for a huge marketing push. If my niche were less in demand or I were writing to pay the electric bill for my family, then I would have doubled the amount of outreach. If you need to get work, you need to send out a lot of targeted feelers, since you are going to get a lot of crickets and a lot of lower payers.
Yes, a lot of companies that I heard from pay crap. Since work has been coming to me without my having to look for it for the past two years, I had forgotten how little some clients pay. Many writers get discouraged by this or think that this means there are no good jobs. But it doesn’t mean this at all; it just means that some clients pay very low while others pay great. I’m going to expound about this in the coming weeks.
But the jobs are out there. Good-paying jobs with smart clients who want to create great content. The job ads aren’t filled with them. They aren’t low-hanging fruit. But when you look deep, build relationships and continually market, you will find these gigs. I promise.
The Result of My Efforts
Here are the current successes from my efforts:
A 12-month contract for $36,000 in work from an existing client – I kept in contact with the agency every few weeks during my slow spell and even did a super-quick (under two hours) turnaround for them when they were in a pinch a few weeks ago. I also filled in on another project with a 24-hour turnaround when they were short a staff writer. I awarded myself style points while nailing a great headline sitting on the floor of Sports Clips with my laptop while my son was getting his hair cut. The result was that I stayed top of mind and when this great project came up that was right in my niche, they called me. Maybe they would have called me anyway, but I know that keeping on their radar didn’t hurt.
Three new projects from a new client – Late last year, a new client contacted me about a project with a few blog posts a month. But it kept getting delayed. So when I realized that I had holes in my calendar, I emailed my contact to let them know about my other niches and asked whether their agency had any other projects that needed my skills. A few days later, I got an email offering me two new projects with household name brands in my niche. Both projects got off the ground quickly, and I got great feedback from the client, so last week I got an offer for another project. I am positive than none of these three would have come about if I hadn’t reached out.
A monthly gig writing a tech column for a hospitality trade magazine (new client) – Hospitality tech is a unique niche, so I sent out five very targeted emails to trade publications and quickly landed a monthly column. This reminded me that this is a niche I am not capitalizing on as much as I should and I need to market myself directly to more hospitality tech companies.
A new client, which is a local agency with other clients in my niche, hiring me for a 10-blog-post project – Before heading to a conference two weeks ago, I followed everyone I could find who was tweeting about the conference and quickly got a DM from someone attending who wanted to talk about the project. We hit it off, and I was very impressed with their agency. They hired me for 10 blog posts starting next week, and I am hoping that this will be just the beginning of a great long-term client relationship.
What I Turned Down
The interesting thing was that many more possibilities came across my desk. Here are the projects that I didn’t end up accepting for various reasons.
- A $3,000-a-month project, because of a scheduling issue.
- A $2,500 project, because I was not able to meet their quick turnaround.
- Seven projects that the client was very interested in working with me, but they were paying than my typical rates, sometimes way less.
The Most Important Result of My Marketing Push
Yes, I have six new jobs. But the most important result of my marketing push is most likely the eight very warm leads that I cultivated during this past month and a half. By warm leads, I mean potential clients I have spoken with over the phone, met in person or exchanged emails with who have told me they do not currently have work for me but expect to have a project for me in the future, hopefully the near future. I fully expect that most of these warm leads will turn into clients with well-paying work over the next year.
So, while I am thrilled to be busy again, it was also a really good reminder about what works when marketing. My biggest takeaways were:
- Contact past clients for the best return on marketing. They know you and like you.
- Niches are the key. Every gig I got was from my niche.
- I need to keep marketing every week even when busy. My goal is five marketing activities each week when swamped and 10 in the other weeks.
- Marketing takes work. You have to put out a lot of feelers to find the great gigs.
What are your secrets to finding work quickly? But most importantly how do you keep from getting in that position by marketing yourself continually?
Another great read Jennifer.
I agree with you, keeping in contact with your previous clients is a low effort way of marketing yourself.
Sure it can be easily forgotten as one project ends and you move onto the next writing gig and client, but staying in semi-regular contact with previous ones has helped me to pick up additional work.
Simple chit chat with previous clients and asking if they are working on anything new which might need your help, can end up leaving you pleasantly surprised.
I totally agree! I actually got one of my favorite gigs by helping a client plan a vacation. Another way to stay in touch is letting irregular or past clients know you are going on vacation and when you get back. I also use anything that they tell me upcoming project or conference to follow up and ask how it went.
Jennifer, another great, motivating post! Thx much. Two quick questions:
With this much going on with your marketing, how do you track what you do, who you contact, results, etc? Do you use a spreadsheet? Something else?
Do you think it’s a good idea to pick up the phone for a quick (unscheduled) call to past clients? Or do you always go with email to start? I haven’t generally made calls like that and I’m wondering if I should.
Thx!
LOL, you had to ask me about the tracking :>) I am totally not the person to give any advice about keeping track of anything. I actually do a terrible job of tracking invoices and income even. My tracking consists of using the word Experienced in every LOI and then every 2-3 months I search for Experienced in my Sent box. Then follow up using that. I DON’T recommend this method. But I have an incredible memory and can remember pretty much every thing I have going on.
As far as the phone calls, I haven’t done that, but I think it would fine. I think that the most important thing is that your marketing feels authentic to you so if the phone calls feel right in a situation then go with it.
Jennifer, you crack me up! And hey, searching your sent box for “experienced” every 2-3 mos clearly is working for you! Love it. I’ve tried file folders for prospects, but I’m trying to go a tad more paperless (constant struggle) so trying to put my marketing efforts on an Excel spreadsheet. But I need to be more consistent with it. I keep reminding myself that the perfect is the enemy of the good and that it’s more important to get the marketing DONE! 🙂
If I try the phone calls to past clients I’ll report back on how it went.
Thanks again! LOVE your posts here.
Absolutely, the marketing is more important than the tracking. I think that the only right system is the one that works for you, even if it is searching experienced in your inbox every 2 months, LOL. I’ve given up trying to do what works for other people or what you are supposed to do. However, I do need to figure out an income tracking system at some point before my husband throws me out a window. I actually don’t even keep a personal calendar, but keep it all in my head. I don’t even write deadlines down, I can keep them all in my head. The only thing I put on my calendar is work phone calls. That’s it. I know, I am odd.
Thanks, Jennifer, for a great post. I have been following your advice and recently landed two new clients, and have established several “warm” leads. Your advice has an inspired me to also set weekly marketing goals. I’ve been focusing sending 10 LOIs or follow emails a week. You made me realize that the most successful writers are not the ones that don’t market themselves but, instead, never stop marketing. You never know when you’re going to lose one of your bread/butter clients, like I did this year (they’re going with video interviews as opposed to written ones 🙁 )
YES! I never would have thought that all three of those projects were going to go away in a million years.
Congratulations on the new clients! That is awesome.
I am positive that some of those warm leads will turn into clients. The last time I did a big marketing push was January 2014 and I was still getting new clients (warm leads) from that push even as late as this past summer.
Jennifer, Love your posts and that you reveal exact numbers.
Did any of your new business come from the 53 LOIs to agencies?
Thanks,
Heather
Not yet, but agencies take a while. Some of my warm leads are from that pile. You typically NEVER get work from agencies on your first contact. Because most likely all of their projects are currently staffed by writers so the only way to get work for a writer to leave or for the agency to get a new client. But you typically need to be on their desk before they get the client so you aren’t in a cattle call. Agencies are where you want to really follow up in my experience because they will have work seven months later.
Great stuff! I love that you also included the jobs you turned down and reason why, as well as your successes.
I learned the “need to market constantly” lesson the hard way. Now I just make sending out LOIs, following up on them, and applying to job ads a part of my weekly routine.
You wrote: “Many writers get discouraged by this [low payers] or think that this means there are no good jobs. But it doesn’t mean this at all; it just means that some clients pay very low while others pay great. I’m going to expound about this in the coming weeks.
Can’t wait to read that one!
That’s awesome that you are now marketing constantly. I’m going to try to do better at that.
I will try to get the one about low payers out next week. I honestly don’t let the low payers get me down. I think of it as a challenge and an Easter egg hunt. The good ones are out there and I just have to find them. I actually had someone contact me for a data analytics story (high specialized and highly technical and wanted to pay me $60 for 700 words and a noncompete clause).
Having a strong https://en.gravatar.com/ and commenting on popular Industry posts is effective. An author just asked me to help with a rewrite. Also effective is getting online relationships offline ASAP. When a potential clients asks to connect on LinkedIn, I ask for a quick Google hangout/Zoom/Skype chat, it usually ends well!
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