As a copywriter you know that marketing is as essential to your success as it is to any of your clients' businesses.
And yet, all too often, copywriters treat their own marketing as an afterthought...
a few random phone calls here and there.
Hastily passed out business cards.
Maybe a few postcards of off the laser printer.
None of these methods are bad, per se.
But you'll do much better if you have a plan.
The good news is that your plan doesn't have to be terribly involved.
Take 20 minutes each week to come up with a marketing plan for that week.
Here's how: 1.
List three groups who can influence your success, and how.
Current clients can give you referrals.
Or more work.
You can use the local media to promote yourself as an expert.
Graphic artist can call on you when they have jobs that need copy.
Who else can influence your success? Local trade association groups? Civic organizations you belong to? Friends, family or neighbors? Keep a running list, and each week pick three to focus on.
2.
What does this group need to believe to help you? Ask this question of each group.
Clients will need to believe that you will do a good job for referrals and make them look good.
Graphic artists will need to know you're reliable, can meet deadlines and have a comparable style.
Local trade associations need to believe that you're going to provide a real benefit to their members.
3.
Where can you find people that belong to this group? Do they have regular monthly meetings somewhere? Is there a website or forum they frequent? Do they check their e-mail regularly? Snail mail? Do they listen to a particular radio station? Watch a particular show? Read a particular magazine? What is going to be the best medium for you to reach them.
4.
Create your message.
Use the best possible medium to reach as many people in this group as possible with a message that will convince them of whatever it is they need to believe in order to take the action you need them to take.
You have three groups, and you need to do at least one marketing activity every day, whether it's making phone calls, dropping of brochures at a trade meeting, or creating an e-newsletter and getting them to sign up for it.
Twenty short minutes every week can make your marketing more effective, seemingly over night, and remove a large amount of the stress of figuring out who to contact every day, and what to say.
And yet, all too often, copywriters treat their own marketing as an afterthought...
a few random phone calls here and there.
Hastily passed out business cards.
Maybe a few postcards of off the laser printer.
None of these methods are bad, per se.
But you'll do much better if you have a plan.
The good news is that your plan doesn't have to be terribly involved.
Take 20 minutes each week to come up with a marketing plan for that week.
Here's how: 1.
List three groups who can influence your success, and how.
Current clients can give you referrals.
Or more work.
You can use the local media to promote yourself as an expert.
Graphic artist can call on you when they have jobs that need copy.
Who else can influence your success? Local trade association groups? Civic organizations you belong to? Friends, family or neighbors? Keep a running list, and each week pick three to focus on.
2.
What does this group need to believe to help you? Ask this question of each group.
Clients will need to believe that you will do a good job for referrals and make them look good.
Graphic artists will need to know you're reliable, can meet deadlines and have a comparable style.
Local trade associations need to believe that you're going to provide a real benefit to their members.
3.
Where can you find people that belong to this group? Do they have regular monthly meetings somewhere? Is there a website or forum they frequent? Do they check their e-mail regularly? Snail mail? Do they listen to a particular radio station? Watch a particular show? Read a particular magazine? What is going to be the best medium for you to reach them.
4.
Create your message.
Use the best possible medium to reach as many people in this group as possible with a message that will convince them of whatever it is they need to believe in order to take the action you need them to take.
You have three groups, and you need to do at least one marketing activity every day, whether it's making phone calls, dropping of brochures at a trade meeting, or creating an e-newsletter and getting them to sign up for it.
Twenty short minutes every week can make your marketing more effective, seemingly over night, and remove a large amount of the stress of figuring out who to contact every day, and what to say.
Source...