The Power of A Testimonial (Part 4)

I'm now going to round up this article series with this last piece of advice:

You don't need to reveal your client's name nor the company he's representing after the testimonials, especially if you agreed to grant him his Right to Confidentiality.

There are a few things regarding business transactions that need to be kept confidential, and freelancing is not exempted from this. Whatever intentions your clients may have for wanting to keep things private, you should respect that as his preference.

I have mentioned in one of my earliest posts that you should provide your clients with the Right to Confidentiality, where you write down in a separate portion of your Freelancer's Contract that you will keep the details of your transactions under discretion.

While you will come across clients who will find it perfectly fine that you cite their names along with the work you've done for them for your portfolio, there will always be a few others who prefer not to have the details of their projects disclosed to a third party.

And the Right to Confidentiality is something that you, a freelancing professional, must not break no matter what the circumstances are. It's easy to prove your competence, much like acquiring and honing your skills. But gaining the trust of your clients and building a solid reputation will be much harder than you think.

So once you have collected a sizable number of testimonials (say, four to six, or even more), simply exclude all of your clients' names. Potential clients will never assume that you merely made up all those glowing testimonials proving your worth as a freelancing professional. 

The Power of A Testimonial (Part 3)

By now you may have realized how beneficial a glowing testimonial from a satisfied client can be. Here are the next few guidelines you would need to consider in order to achieve your goal of presenting yourself to potential clients:

Remember to proofread what your clients said for clarity and cohesiveness.

Usually, clients seek freelancers, especially writers, because they themselves aren't blessed with the ability to put words together to achieve their desired results, or they find it time-consuming to handle the operations of their business and still take care of marketing their products or services.

If you're not a writer or copy editor, get in touch with a fellow freelancer whose expertise includes proofreading, and ask him to streamline your clients' testimonials until they're lucid and concise.

In order to cut costs, you can negotiate with your fellow freelancer that you'll return the favor by offering one of your services that's not included among his set of skills, should the need come up in the future.

Be selective with the testimonials that you'll include in your marketing materials.

To illustrate, you should have a separate web page in your freelancer's website for at least three testimonials. Place them beside or underneath your portfolio, or the page where your contact information is provided.

If you have a couple of specialties, like corporate resumes, websites' landing pages, blogging, or shooting webinars, provide at least two testimonials for each specialty. 

The Power of A Testimonial (Part 2)

In the first part of this article series, I cited how a glowing testimonial from a satisfied client can boost your marketing strategy and get more potential clients to notice you.

In my 11-year stint as a freelancing professional, I have grown more and more convinced that a testimonial not only reduces a freelancer's marketing budget, it also works better in convincing potential clients to give you a try.

That's because testimonials, when written in a way that calls attention to you as a peak performer, only means that you've done the necessary work to build a solid reputation. 

Given the numerous benefits that a testimonial can give, it only makes sense to learn how to use it for maximum results.

The following is not an exhaustive list, but just a few general guidelines on soliciting testimonials:

Get in touch with three to five of your most recent clients and ask them to put in a good word for you.

You can do this by emailing or calling former clients or any repeat client of whose whereabouts you may be keeping tab. Since a testimonial would only need to highlight your competence and skills, it need not turn into a rambling of "how great you are," and surely the client need not rave over you.

Notice any recurring compliments or key phrases.

It's too generic when a client says that "Sally Kimbell is professional, resourceful, and easy to work with." If you possess a specific set of skills that you've utilized in a variety of projects, you want to make sure that these skills are highlighted in the best way possible.

Now, your "hard skills" are not more important than your "soft skills" (e.g. negotiating, being prompt when it comes to deadlines, etc.). Rather, your soft skills are what enable you to utilize your hard skills to the fullest, and this is what needs to be emphasized most to make a testimonial glowing.

Notice the impact when a testimonial is phrased this way:

"We were about to attempt an ambitious project that required a near overhaul of our company's website. We knew that in order to stand out, we needed a seasoned article writer who's also knowledgeable in SEO and is in tune with the interests and preferences of young adult, cosmopolitan women who frequent upscale places all over the metro. That's why, upon recommendation by one of her former clients, we decided that Sally Kimbell is the one most suited to do the job."

Here's another one:

"What made James Smith such a joy to work with is him being very systematic with the tasks we outsourced to him. All throughout the duration of his contract, he would make follow-up calls to our office to ensure that he was on the right track. Although it was apparent that he can work with minimum supervision, his desire to be accountable until the project was done was his most winning attitude."

See the difference? 

Come back next week for more on this article series.

The Power of A Testimonial (Part 1)

A testimonial -- brief yet concisely written -- can either make or break a freelancing professional. While it's good to cultivate your work ethics and perennially aim to exceed your clients' expectations, keep in mind that you should devote part of your routine to promoting yourself and your services.

And freelancing professionals know that advertising one's services can rack up considerable expenses, especially if one pays for web hosting, or needs to have a stack of business cards professionally printed.

Now, if you've had tenure in the workplace before deciding to turn freelance, surely you're aware that citing the names of former colleagues or supervisors, or anyone who can vouch for your competence at work, is one of the sure-fire ways to speed up a job search.

Likewise, asking a satisfied client to write a glowing testimonial for you can serve as proof that you're reliable and trustworthy. And a testimonial can be obtained at no cost at all. You can just ask a client to jot it down verbatim and then proofread it yourself.

Potential clients are more likely to notice a freelancer who's proven his skills and mettle, and once they log on to your website and read all those wonderful stuff you've done for your former clients, surely that would convince them that you're worth a try.

Since testimonials can make you more appealing to potential clients, it's worth taking some time to learn to utilize it to maximize its benefits. Tune in for my next several posts as I provide a few guidelines in using testimonials.

How to Bait Your Hook (Part 5)

Here's the last way to bait your hook effectively: 

Web stalk potential clients, and align yourself according to their most pressing needs.

If you aspire to capitalize on social media and make it your specialty, you should start along this line. Since more and more entrepreneurs are realizing the limitless potential of social media, simply logging on to Facebook and creating an Official Page or having an account on Twitter and Instagram to promote their brand or services can be appealing to a mobile and tech-savvy clientele.

And yet, having a Facebook Page, Instagram, or Twitter account doesn't guarantee long-term success. Putting out a Facebook Page to advertise one's products or services or getting the right type of audience to follow you on Twitter takes careful planning and preparation. 

In the March 2012 issue of Entrepreneur Philippines, it was stated that people are more likely to trust information that comes from friends and those with whom they're connected or affiliated, like colleagues at work.

This is why entrepreneurs need not just showcase their brand or services through photos shown on a Facebook Page or a Twitter or Instagram account. They should also create meaningful content that will mostly likely spark the interest of their target market.

And optimizing a Facebook Page isn't limited to SEO specialists. If you're freelancing as a copywriter, you can broaden your range of skills by engaging online users and get them to post comments or allow them to initiate a discussion over the pros and cons of the brand or services. 

Also, the success of a business or an enterprise doesn't necessarily lie in having more and more customers or clients in the long run, but to keep the clients that they already have loyal to their brand for the longest time possible.

This is the main reason entrepreneurs make innovations, or formulate new or better strategies, to keep their clients or customers happy.

As I round up this series in my next article, I'll cite several ways on how you can attract the attention of entrepreneurs who'd like to generate sales or have more clients by advertising through social media. 

How to Bait Your Hook (Part 4)

After dealing with the importance of baiting the hook through business cards, print ads, and websites, here's the next effective strategy:

Selectively give away freebies.

After years of checking out numerous blogs over the blogosphere, I now understand why plenty of freelance writers give online users access to a free ebook. These authors need subscribers to keep their blogs alive.

They might make an initial offer of subscribers getting a free ebook. If they teach correspondence courses about writing or other topics, a free ebook would be the perfect bait to inform their subscribers about the benefits they can get should they finish a course. 

And such deals aren't limited to freelance writers. In recent years, life coaching has become an extremely fulfilling and lucrative career, to the point that even men and women who have experienced remarkable success in the workplace found it worthy to jump ship and get themselves retrained. 

Now, having a platform is one of the determining factors to a life coach's success, and putting out a website and blog are just a few ways to show that he's serious about his game.

The key to remember when giving away freebies is this: provide just enough information to satisfy the curiosity of your subscribers, but leave out the rest of "the goods" that they'd want more of what you have to offer.

I believe the reason certain companies are hell-bent on programming and brainwashing consumers is this: it's very difficult to make people part with their hard-earned money unless you appeal to a legitimate need they have, like raising their self-esteem, or appealing to their jolts of vanity or sexuality.

Whether advertising is good or bad has never been the point. If it works, who cares about the way I got you to spend your money?

The good news is, you don't have to be a slick-sounding salesman or write a lot of "marketing fluff," like those generic-sounding, pie-in-the-sky promises that do nothing to your credibility.

If you already know how to write quality content, or if you outsource paid writing jobs to competent writers for your website or blog's content, then you're already halfway done when it comes to getting noticed by your target market.

If you can win subscribers to your point of view, and make them see the benefits that they can get from your services, you'll stir up a desire in their minds and hearts.

How to Bait Your Hook (Part 3)

The third way to bait the hook may be a tad too complicated for newbies, but taking the necessary amount of time to learn the ropes until you're fairly comfortable will, in the long run, yield better and better results.

Here it is:

Be aware of the benefits that an informative and engaging website can bring.

In this mobile age when the Internet is not just recognized as another form of media, the importance of having an online presence cannot be stressed often enough.

And yet, websites that are an apparent hodgepodge of information with no sense of cohesion are a dime a dozen over the World Wide Web. As a freelancing professional, you'd want your site to get you more clients in the long term.

A website can be a cost-effective way to land you better-paying clients. You'll come across as tech-savvy and abreast with the times, provided you know how to utilize your site to achieve maximum benefits. 

To get you started, since your Home Page will serve as your landing page, or the first thing that potential clients will see when logging on to your website, this is where you should sum up who you are as a freelancing professional and the types of services you offer. 

Use graphics sparingly and keep your text to no more than a three-font scheme. It's best to use black-colored fonts over a white background.

Include a professional-looking photo of yourself (a shirt and tie or a collared shirt is appropriate for the men, while a blouse in a conservative color is just right for women).

You should have a Page dedicated exclusively to your clips or portfolio, and make sure you keep it up-to-date. Exclude anything that you've done more than two years ago, with the possible exception of any clients who were willing to give you a glowing testimonial. 

Your contact information (e.g. mobile number, email address, Skype I.D., etc.) should be accurate. If you entertain inquiries through phone, provide the best hours to contact you.

Also, think about the various ways you'd like to get paid for your freelancing services. If you have a PayPal account, set up a PayPal badge to inform clients on an international scale that you prefer to be paid through your account.

Other freelancers accept payment through Xoom[dot]com . In the Philippines, you need to open a savings account in banks like Banco de Oro and Metropolitan Bank of the Philippines and be able to present a valid I.D. in order to claim payments transferred to you by clients.

If you cater more to local clients, you can choose to get paid by having the exact amount deposited straight to your bank account, or through check or credit card. Have several modes of payment so your clients can have a variety of options before choosing the one that's most convenient for them.

Lastly, do not neglect SEO to get your site on top of search engines. Think about all the keywords or key phrases that are related to the type of work that you do. For example, "freelance writer" is too vague a term, but "freelance copywriter" or "corporate resume writer" lends a level of specificity in an online user's search. 

How to Bait Your Hook (Part 2)

By now you may have figured out how baiting the hook, or dangling an attractive bargain in front of potential clients, can make them sit up and take notice of your competence as a freelancing professional. Here are several other ways of doing it:

Harness the possibilities of built-in publishing software.

Home computers usually have built-in software, like Microsoft Publisher, that enables you to create marketing materials like flyers and brochures. The good news is you don't need to invest in expensive ink-jet-friendly paper. White typewriting paper of good quality will do (A4 or 8 1/2" x 11" is ideal).

While a business card can be handy whenever you attend any of those networking events or conventions, a three-fold brochure that concisely states the type of services you offer is more effective when you want clients to remember you should the need to hire a freelancer comes up.

And even in this mobile generation, when most start-up businesses and enterprises in the stage of growth and expansion are realizing that an online presence is essential, it's still apparent that advertising through print hasn't completely gone kaput.

Now, when it comes to creating your brochures (or even flyers), you have to keep your costs low while maximizing the potential of print ads. Think about this: strategically giving away 25 brochures that would generate two to three clients each is more effective than having a hundred brochures printed and getting only several clients in the long term.

Start with a definite plan. One of your best bets would be to get in touch with small companies through snail mail. Small companies do not have big budgets to spare in the way huge companies do. Huge companies can pay for a 30-second TV or radio commercial and launch campaigns through billboards and magazines, and organize events at upscale venues.

What keeps most small companies afloat is carving out their own niche in a huge market, or by consistently meeting the needs of a select group of clients or customers. 

And yet, even small companies can get swamped during certain times of the year, like tax season and the holidays. Outsourcing projects to freelancers has proven to be an excellent alternative in order to keep their workforce small.

In the Philippines, it was reported by the website Entrepreneur[dot]ph that huge companies only make up four percent of the country's industries. What keeps the local economy vibrant, aside from remittances from OFWs, are the profits generated by SMEs.

You can obtain the contact information of most SMEs through Entrepreneur magazine, and any networking event or job fair. You can try "cold calling," or mail them a letter, where you can conveniently insert your three-fold brochure in a legal-size envelope.

In your brochure, an attention-grabbing announcement can look like this:

== Huge Discounts! ==

Make an Appointment

From December 1 to 31, 2014

and Get 20-30% Off Our

SEO Copywriting Services!

Remember that fancy-looking fonts are distracting, so keep it to a two- or three-font scheme, and it's best to use black ink over a white background. Simplicity has more impact on potential clients. No one has the time nor patience to wade through marketing fluff.

How to Bait Your Hook (Part 1)

In my previous post, I mentioned the fact that all of us loves a bargain. As a freelancing professional, you should capitalize on the "feel-good" vibes brought by getting more than what you paid for to build your career and eventually end up making a five-figure or even a six-figure annual income.

Even if you're already charging competitive rates, it wouldn't hurt to tweak your marketing strategies even more in order to land more clients, or maybe end up with less, but better paying, projects.   

The following is not an exhaustive list, but just some ways of baiting the hook:

Provide a "teaser" in your business cards.

To illustrate, if your specialty lies in writing business plans, advertising copy, or resumes, you can inform potential clients that you're offering an initial session of 30 minutes for free. 

Imagine what 30 minutes of free counseling can do to a potential client. You can immediately nail down the reason he wants to hire you. You should be able to pinpoint his goals, or at least get a good grasp of his desired results after your meeting.

And should your client decide to stretch your meeting for another 30 minutes, or even go one full hour or two, you can just mention that you'll bill him for the session once you've submitted the finished project and you'll proceed to prepare an invoice.

Be strategic with your website.

For graphic artists, designers, and web developers, a functional website exhibiting your previous works is essential.

According to envato studio, a popular site for freelancers, a web developer can make an average of USD185 to USD400 for a single landing page for a website, provided it would help the entrepreneur garner more sales or more clients for his business.

Now, regardless of one's specialty as a freelancer, most workers operate on the standard number of free rewrites or revisions, which is a maximum of two. In envato studio, a web developer in his early 'twenties posted in his profile that he can have the finished project delivered to the client in five days, and he's allowing up to five revisions. If websites are your thing, your bait could mean allowing more than the standard number of revisions to potential clients.

Bait Your Hook, Make Your Clients Happy, and End Up With a Fatter Wallet

We all love bargains. That's a fact.

And one of the best ways to get more clients and increase your chances of earning more is to offer bargains that are so good, potential clients can't help but take notice and inquire about your freelancing services.

And how do you do that? By baiting your hook.

To illustrate, if you've ever tried fishing, you may have figured out that if you want to catch trout, you can't use shark bait. In freelancing, attracting the clients that you want means putting the right type of bait to your hook.

Your "hook" could be anything, from an email query to the managing editor of a niche magazine, a sales pitch in your website, or a three-fold brochure advertising your copywriting services.

Now let's take the case of writing feature articles. Magazine editors know the importance of keeping their readers up-to-date with the latest trends and innovations, and they have to make sure that the tone of their articles are slanted appropriately to their readership. There's a huge motive behind this: their magazine's success depends on the number of readers they acquire in the long term. Therefore, managing editors are always on the look-out for freelance writers who not only do their homework, but aim to exceed their expectations as well.

The right type of bait for a managing editor can be offering additional facts or tidbits of information to serve as a sidebar, or filler, for their magazine articles. Sidebars brighten up the pages of a magazine. They stand out without being too distracting, and they often make readers want to know more about the article's topic or theme.

Now, let me give an example as a freelancer. As a professional who provides resume writing and editing services, I fully understand how a neat and well-written resume can help an applicant land that dream job or a much-coveted position.

The truth is, potential employers, over the years, have become more and more stringent with the way they screen applicants. Submitting a resume that is devoid of misspelled words, awkward sentence structures, and misplaced punctuation marks is no longer enough. Modern resumes, in addition to being concise, need a well-defined career objective and keywords for better and faster online screening.

And what's as important as a well-written resume is a cover letter, where an applicant should briefly introduce himself, mention his key qualifications, and convince a potential employer why he's the best man for the job.

Over the past few years, writing cover letters have become a lot trickier. And it doesn't matter if an applicant sends it through snail mail, email, or hand carries it as a walk-in applicant.

So in order to give potential clients a good bargain, I offer to write a cover letter for them at no additional charges.  

A resume that's flawless or faultless may document your educational attainment and past achievements, but only the right cover letter can open up doors of opportunities for you.

And in one resume writing website, an article was published that in some instances, resume writing fees can be declared as a tax deductible, and if you want to focus on resume writing as a specialty, this can be a good reason for you to charge competitively.

Ever Thought About Hiring Yourself as A Profile Writer? (Part 3)

To round up this three-part article series, I will cite the last two types of potential clients to whom you can offer the services of writing a profile. Here they are:

Freelance writers and bloggers

Having a writer's web site is crucial for anyone in this field who is serious about making a decent living, and people will never hesitate to pay for high quality web content, especially if it means generating more income by having more clients contact them through their sites.

Also, if the writer wants to submit book-length manuscripts to publishing companies and make it as an author, a web site can serve as a strong credential and proof that the writer knows the principles of marketing. If he has narrowed down his expertise to a few topics or a few genres and provided links to his clips or PDF versions of his articles, it would be a lot easier for an editor to assess his potential to get published.

As a general rule, a writer's web site should have an About page with a photo and a brief biography (no more than three paragraphs), a page for Clips, and a page where he can provide his Contact information.  

Here's one last group that doesn't necessarily belong to any category of professionals, but you can easily turn into quite a huge client base:

Men and women needing a personal ad for the purpose of meeting people online.

This includes singles who'd like to try online dating through reputable dating sites, dedicated hobbyists who want to meet like-minded people with similar interests, and book lovers who are fond of writing rave reviews (or rants) about their favorite literary works.

Be forewarned that a large group of singles have serious doubts about meeting someone online who could end up as a possible mate, and for a good reason. Nearly anyone can assume and operate on a false identity when meeting people online.

However, there are some dating sites who have made it clear that being honest about one's identity and upfront about one's intentions for relationships and marriage are what kept their businesses afloat in the online dating industry.

If a single person comes to you and asks for help in writing a personal ad, can you give him a balanced evaluation about the maturity of his character? And aside from spending several years in a career (proof that he's responsible enough to hold down a job), it's also important that he has several hobbies so he can easily be matched with someone with whom he's compatible.

Stay tuned, because for the rest of January until February, I will be focusing on making money from blogging.

Ever Thought About Hiring Yourself as A Profile Writer? (Part 2)

I started this week by introducing you to the possibilities of writing profiles for professionals who need a strong sense of Branding and Identity to advertise themselves and the kind of work they do.

Here's the third group of people that could be a potential clientele for you:

Events planners, caterers, and hosts

These are the types who are extremely organized, meticulous, and have trained themselves to hone their interpersonal skills.

It's not a secret that there will always be people who will celebrate their birthdays, decide to tie the knot, celebrate a wedding anniversary or graduation from college. There are also a lot of corporate events that focus on team building activities to promote good will and camaraderie among employees and bosses.

However, in order for such events to be successfully implemented, one has to hire someone to oversee every detail. So you can just imagine the demand for professionals who can act as facilitators and entertainers, and imagine preparing for events that will last for only several hours.

With the the founding of Facebook and social media marketing, your best bet as a profile writer is to charge for creating an interactive and engaging Facebook Page for your clients.

Large corporations and organizations make up the bulk of events planners' clients. A host can either be male or female, or, in children's parties, he could be a clown or a magician.

For caterers whose aim is to keep their clients' budget in mind, they may offer several options with the appetizers, entree, desserts, and drinks while still keeping within a reasonable figure.

When thinking about crafting a profile, think about three things:

• Something simple and crisp yet easily recognizable
• Something extremely edgy and catchy
• If your client is particular about attracting a specific type of market (e.g. those who'd like a host for bridal and baby showers), effectively utilize the lingo or vernacular that is popular among that crowd. This would make it easier for potential clients to find the host's Facebook Page.

Ever Thought About Hiring Yourself as A Profile Writer?

If you're the type of writer who can come up with tight, gripping, catchy, or even provocative copy, and you can give a fairly balanced assessment, why not make money writing profiles for clients who are looking for cost-effective ways to advertise themselves?

In our celebrity and media-driven culture, advertising and marketing campaigns can cost hundreds of thousands of pesos. Most freelancers in creative fields turn to self-promotion to avoid putting a huge dent on their budget.

You may have noticed the great number of freelancers proliferating in the blogosphere, or those who made personalized Pages on the social networking site Facebook, hoping to get noticed by their target audience.

However, without a coherent profile, these creative freelancers will only achieve modest success at best. So I'll cite the five categories of professionals to whom you can pitch your skills and talents.

Up-and-coming artists, sculptors, craftsmen, and illustrators

It would be helpful if you're knowledgeable about the art scene that exists in your area. If you're conversant with styles, you can immediately tell how the artist seeks to differ among his peers, who has influenced him, what sort of upbringing he had, etc.

The concern of most aspiring artists is to get as much exposure as possible, through exhibits, or getting support by writing solicitation letters to interested sponsors.

Having a website is also crucial. You can ask for the amount you usually charge for a flat fee, and then ask for PhP2,500-PhP4,000 for three web pages consisting of an About page, another one to serve as a "teaser" to introduce online viewers to his work, and another page for the artist's contact information.

Here's something to think about, though: art is not exclusive to a certain age. There are people who, after raising kids and retiring from the corporate world, suddenly get the urge to pick up a paintbrush.

There are also people who once led active lives but, due to an unfortunate twist of events (e.g. a vehicular accident), have been rendered an invalid and turned to painting and drawing as an outlet.

It's not unusual to find groups of artists who are invalids or have a disability of some sort, but were able to achieve financial stability, and, to some extent, fame because of self-reliance and persistence.

So the possibilities are endless when it comes to having a potential market.

Here's the next category:

Aspiring models and actors

While still on the early stages of their career, models and actors who have yet to make it big are always seeking out ways to cut the costs of promoting themselves.

It's a huge advantage for an aspiring celebrity to have his own website, where he can showcase himself in his best light, uploading photos of him in the most flattering angles and outfits.

However, images only make up part of a model or actor's marketing success. This group could use a lot of help when it comes to branding and identity, since potential agents would like to read a concisely written biography that briefly summarizes past modeling or acting experience.

Models and actors are not limited to statuesque men and women with perfect vital statistics. There are those who want to make it on theater or gradually build their resumes by accepting bit parts or doing cameos.

You can charge the same amount for the content of three basic web pages. You can also team up with freelance photographers, stylists, and makeup artists.

Want to Learn How to Advertise on Facebook?

If it is within your long-term plan as a freelancing professional to make your presence felt over the World Wide Web, one of the best (and least expensive) ways to do this is to learn how to market yourself through Facebook.

With the invention of Facebook came the convenience and ease to connect with a wider audience and appeal to a potential clientele who are tech- and net-savvy. 

Having said all of the above, here are a few reminders so you know what you'll be up against as you train yourself to set up your own Facebook Page or Pages for your clients:

Learning social media marketing will take a lot of time and patience.

The only way you can reduce your time is to know your clientele really well. If you write copy for print ads, what is the nature of the majority of businesses that have sought out your services during the last three years? Do they aim to raise awareness for common lifestyle conditions, like hypertension and diabetes and offer generic brands of medicine as cheaper alternatives, or do they do the opposite, like promoting health and wellness through food supplements?

Likewise, if you specialize in web content or creating company logos, most of those entrepreneurs are probably in the process of expanding their enterprise.

From your knowledge, you can come up with keywords like "print ad," "advertising copy," "web content writer," "web content writing," "company logo," etc. Keywords are essential since online users have to enter specific words or phrases in search engines.

It will take a lot of trial and error.

You are taking your freelancing business further, and expect to do a lot of experimenting. Your efforts will be rewarded by both success and failure, but take the failures as stepping stones towards improvement.

To start learning social media marketing, log on to Facebook, scroll down the page, and click Create Ad.

Why Writing for Exposure Can Be Better Than Writing for Pay (Part 3)

Here's the last type of freelancer who can get more from writing for exposure rather than pay:

The aspiring social media specialist

Entrepreneurs wouldn't hesitate to hire a net-savvy writer who can create a Facebook Page or Twitter account to appeal to a broader base of potential customers.

Over the years I have seen countless small businesses selling pastry and other baked goodies on Facebook. And yet, in order to achieve a substantial number of "Likes" on Facebook or followers on Twitter, businesses hoping to raise brand awareness must be discerning about what they'll promote and share, and even create an atmosphere where there can be moderated interaction among users.

If the owner has come up with a catchy, unusual, or even quirky name for his business, then you have to come up with an equally catchy tagline to sustain the interest of online visitors.

When it comes to information, it's good to keep the following tips in mind:

• Think about what lends uniqueness to your client's products. If he bakes cupcakes to be served at kids' birthday parties, you might want to put a creative spin on such keywords as "birthday," "children's party," or "cupcake" as your selling proposition.
• Focus on the "humanitarian angle" of the pastry business' history. This is usually the part that tugs at the heartstrings of most people. For example, your client may have been a former employee who decided to leave the workplace in order to balance his time between earning money and raising his family.
• What do satisfied customers usually say about your client's goodies? It may not just be the taste, but also the attractive packaging, or the relatively affordable price.

In my next articles, I'll give you instructions on how to gain access to free information on creating a Facebook Page as a tool for marketing.

Why Writing for Exposure Can Be Better Than Writing for Pay (Part 2)

As I have mentioned previously, there are certain instances when freelancers should grab the opportunity to write not for money, but exposure. Here are the remaining types of writers who will benefit most from this:

The freelancer who wants to provide web content writing services

When it comes to growth and expansion, the majority of entrepreneurs wouldn't think twice about putting up a website. Opening an online shop is considered going a step further in their marketing efforts, because now they can reach an audience that is more sophisticated and tech-savvy.

But here's the deal. Having a domain name for a business will require entrepreneurs to shell out anywhere from USD10 to USD40 monthly, which means a handsome amount of more than USD1,000 annually. This has to be an on-going part of their marketing strategy.

So imagine the pressure entrepreneurs face in getting as many online visitors as possible to buy their products or avail of their services. Oftentimes the secret to the public's clamor for a certain product doesn't lie in the product itself, but how effective a web content writer makes a sales pitch online.

An aspiring web content writer must be aware that many online readers can detect "marketing fluff," which is the effect of exaggerating a product's benefits, ending up with copy that is far from being concise.

And since online selling is different from other types of selling, most netizens would fine it a chore -- and an absolute bore -- to read text that turns out to be nothing but fluff.

The aspiring copywriter

Freelancers who'd like to specialize in writing copy for brochures and flyers should start submitting spec ads to small business owners. Brochures and flyers, especially glossy ones, may require less text. And yet, when written with the needs and wants of the target market in mind and strategically placed as a caption or anything else, it can pack a punch and deliver a strong impact on the consumer.

Stay tuned for the last installment of this three-part series.

Why Writing for Exposure Can Be Better Than Writing for Pay

Since freelancing is already considered a legitimate profession, it's not unusual for someone outside the field to assume that freelance writers equate remuneration only with money.

That's because it seems counter-intuitive to refuse every paid writing opportunity, especially when projects won't always be around for the taking.

But smart freelancers who rely on their ability to craft coherent paragraphs know the benefits of writing without pay for something better than cash. Something that would bring them long-term gain: exposure.

Yes, you read that right. Exposure to a wider audience is especially crucial if you want to be known among the right kind of clientele -- the people who will have no second thoughts to hire you or give you an assignment if you can prove that you're competent and capable of turning in a great job.

Here are the five main groups of writers who will benefit most from writing for exposure instead of pay:

The aspiring writer of feature articles

Since the associate or managing editor of most leading magazines will ask to see a couple of clips from you before requiring a full-length article, it is important to land several unpaid gigs with less known publications first, or periodicals with a limited circulation.

Volunteer to be a "stringer" for your local paper, get something published in your community newsletter, or rave about the successful Christmas party for orphans that was organized by the non-profit organization you support in their website. That's how one gets started in article writing.

The blogger who'd like to establish himself in his niche

Guest blogging, or writing a short article to be posted in another person's blog, is a terrific and cost-effective way to drive more traffic to your blog. Here's how it works. 

Occasionally, bloggers who've been writing about a specialized topic for more than a year will put up an announcement to attract other bloggers. Usually, the goal is to gather a group of like-minded netizens who write about the same topic or different aspects of the same topic.

The blog's author will then ask the candidates to provide the links to their blogs and then sort through the selection and pick the best. 

The established blogger will require the chosen candidate to write one or even a series of articles. The guest blogger must be cited, and he will be asked to include links that will direct readers to his own blog. If the guest blogger had been effective in arousing the curiosity and interest of his online readers, they would want to take a good look at what his blog has to offer.

There are blogs that are well established and popular, to the point that getting 1,000 unique views a month is not unusual. Imagine what 1,000 unique views a month can do for a guest blogger who has yet to build his readership.

In my next article, I'll cite the other three types of freelance writers who will benefit more from exposure rather than money.

Promoting Yourself as an Artist Need not Be Costly

Just like any other freelancing professionals, you as an artist or illustrator would need to spend time to go out there and network with other people and offer your services.

You may be thinking about the costs of making yourself more visible to potential clients. But all it takes is a certain amount of creativity and careful planning to build a clientele.

Take a good look at the following:

Have a business card made.

You don't need to spend a lot of money on printing services just to have a business card. There are built-in publishing softwares like Microsoft Publisher that allows you to design and print your own card.

Choose a simple template and have your full name written out in a readable font that is no smaller than a size 12. Include the types of projects that you accept (i.e. pencil drawings, CD covers, family portraits, etc.). Or, place your title under your name, like Children's Book Illustrator or Caricature Artist. 

Make sure that your website can be navigated easily.

Having your own website can add tremendous credibility to your resume. Your clients can gain convenient access to samples of your art.

A digital camera is usually enough to take high-quality pictures. What's more important is the lay-out of your photos. Also, it might help to write brief yet appropriate captions under your photos.

It's best to use a black font on a white background.

Remember, most online users find it hard to read font set on a colored background. A font size of 12 or larger is ideal.

Provide enough relevant information.

Cite your educational background and achievements as an artist and put your contact information so you can be reached easily by interested clients.

Pump up your platform.

You must never stop learning and growing. Sign up for workshops to learn new techniques, or learn basic bookkeeping skills and frugal tips so you can handle your income well.

Stay tuned for my next post, where I'll show you creative ways to save money on art supplies.

How Do You Present Your Capability to Win Clients?

The field of freelance copywriting can be one of the most lucrative "work-without-a-boss" careers. And you can present yourself and your services to potential clients with little to no cost.

How do you do this? The answer can be summed up in two words: strategic positioning.

To illustrate, there aren't a lot of freelancers who have the connections (not to mention, funds) to place an ad in a well-known newspaper or magazine with a circulation of thousands of readers. And since most freelancers work at home, they prefer taking calls themselves or communicating through email or postal mail.

Let me assure you that even in this modern age when you can just advertise your services through a website, there are still a lot of potential clients who would prefer receiving a press kit from a copywriter.

You might think that you would need to have your logo or letterhead printed on fancy stationery. The truth is, something even as basic as Microsoft Publisher can do the job for you.

Ideally, your press kit must contain your business card, a sales letter, samples of your work, and maybe a brochure or any print ad informing your client about your copywriting services.

When I was just starting out, I came up with a three-fold brochure with "teasers." I would describe "teasers" as bits of information about your freelance services, written in a way that arouses the curiosity of prospective clients without giving away all the details.

Here's what I placed in front of my brochure:

RONALI G. dela CRUZ

Freelance Copywriter

Adding a touch of magic to make 
words sizzle to help my clients 
achieve their desired results faster

Now, by using the "hook," or pitch I wrote above, I can catch the attention of a variety of business owners who have different goals for their respective enterprises (i.e. appealing to a niche market, generating more sales, etc).

In my next articles, I'll talk about writing an effective sales letter.

Want to Bag Lucrative Copywriting Projects? Volunteer!

If you're just starting out as a copywriter, one of the best ways to get yourself trained is to offer to write copy for non-profit organizations or businesses that operate on a small-scale level.

Oftentimes, non-profit organizations have to stick to a budget in order to launch programs like raising public awareness for a cause. And the tighter the budget, the more they have to be creative with reaching as many people as possible. And this is when they'll most likely need a copywriter who can rub a professional touch to their campaign while working pro-bono, or without pay.

Small business owners who wish to generate more sales are also tapping into inexpensive ways to make their products or services known to the general public. Nowadays copywriting has extended to raising brand awareness by utilizing popular social media sites like Facebook and Multiply.

Begin by thinking about the things or causes with which you feel most passionate. Let's say you've always enjoyed reading for pleasure and recreation, and books have always been a staple in your shopping list.

Now, there are plenty of organizations like a group of teachers and professors, or writers and publishers' groups that launch literacy campaigns by holding book drives. For the book drive to be deemed successful, these organizers would need to get people to donate as many used and second-hand books as possible.

Now, how can you, as a copywriter, persuade people that getting in on the literacy campaign would be an excellent way to allot a fraction of their time in donating books?

Embark on a brainstorming session. If you could relay the message in a poster, remember to "write tight." Bait people with something short yet catchy, something that would unfailingly spark their interest, like the following:

Did You Know?

A NATION of LEADERS is a

NATION of READERS

And then follow up by writing the rest of your ad.

When you have several of these "spec ads," or samples of advertising copy, it's time to put together a media kit to present to your potential client.

Stay tuned as I discuss more of this on my next post.