Which Marketing Methods Garner The Most Writing Jobs

There are a multitude of ways to find freelance writing opportunities; so many that it can be difficult to discern which ones are the most effective, ie:
Different Ways to Find Freelance Writing Jobs
Social Media: Sites like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook are all the rage now. All you have to do is set up an account and start contacting folks. But, is this the most effective way to land jobs in freelance writing?
Then there’s…
Email Marketing: You can contact companies directly via email. It’s easy; simply compose a query, find their email address and send it off. But again, is this the most effective way to find lucrative freelance writing opportunities.
You might also try…
Direct Mail: With printing being as cheap as ever, it’s easy to pull together a professional postcard mailing, for example, to reach local businesses who might need your services. But you’ll still have to ask yourself, “Is this the best way to land freelance writing jobs?”
There are many, many more ways to find freelance writing opportunities-eg, marketing at your local Chamber of Commerce, cold calling, Squidoo lenses and other types of online marketing, etc. I’ve tried practically all of them. So, which method is the best?
The answer is… it depends. Really. Following is why.
Guidelines for Marketing Your Freelance Writing Business
Each person is different and this affects how you market. For example, I invest in article marketing. But, you have to consistently write and submit new material for this to be effective. If you don’t like to write, this will never work for you if you’re trying to find freelance writing opportunities.
Following are three rules to follow when it comes to marketing your freelance business. If you follow these guidelines, no matter which method you choose, you’ll be successful at it.
1. Affordability: Accepted marketing wisdom is that a prospect has to see/hear your message between 7 and 28 times before they will act on it. I read this stat years ago; it’s much higher now, as there are so many more ways consumers receive messages these days, eg, social media, blogs, video, podcasts, DMs.
Case in point:
According to a 2005 article in USA Today, Consumers today encounter from 3,500 to 5,000 marketing messages per day, vs. 500 to 2,000 in the 1970s, says J. Walker Smith, president of consumer and marketing watcher Yankelovich.
This is why it’s important to invest in marketing methods you can afford to repeat because it’s rare that consumers will purchase from you the first time they hear about your services. It’s one reason I love article marketing – it’s free and it drives traffic for years.
2. Time: Some marketing methods are very effective, but if they are time consuming and you don’t do them on a regular basis, then it doesn’t mean a hill of beans. So whatever method you choose, make sure it’s something you can fit into your schedule to do on a consistent basis.
3. Track Results: It’s imperative to know which type of marketing is working for you. So, track your results; it doesn’t have to be fancy. It can be as simple as asking leads how they found out about you, eg, was it from an e-blast, an article they read that you wrote, a referral, your website, etc.
Almost 20 Years of Freelance Writing Experience: May Favorite Marketing Methods
I’ve been freelancing since 1993, and my primary methods for finding freelance writing jobs are:
Email Blasts: I rarely do this anymore, as I stay pretty busy with existing clients. But, if I have a lull in my schedule – and it happens to almost every freelancer at some point – I’ll send out an e-blast to existing clients, and those in my database.
Note: I have multiple streams of income (eg, ebooks, e-seminars). The only reason I mention this is that if you’re a freelance writer and you don’t have different streams of income, it’s imperative that you continue to market even when you’re busy. If not, you’ll find that the inevitable dry spells will be longer. If you do, the shorter they’ll be and the quicker you’ll build up a steady roster of clients.
Article Marketing: Although this is my favorite method of marketing for freelance writing work, I have to admit that I don’t particularly enjoy sitting down to write articles to submit to free directories. But, it’s so effective that I make myself do it.