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How_to_Create_a_Multi Functional_Newsletter_to_Promote_Your_Freelance_Business_and_Secure_More_Work
| How to Create a Multi-Functional Newsletter to Promote Your Freelance Business and Secure More Work
A marketing strategy is worthless if all it does is promote
your freelance business and plea to prospects to hire you. Such
is the case with many print and e-mail business newsletters. Few
freelancers understand how to use a business newsletter to
secure clients in the long term. Instead they use their
newsletters to pitch their freelance services and advertise
their qualifications. This method does not work effectively.
It's why freelancers don't bother publishing a second issue —
because prospects tossed out or deleted their first issue.
Harness the following techniques and you won't be a freelancer
who calls it quits. Your business newsletter will be different
and powerful. It'll serve as a business-builder, lead-generator,
and repetitive project-producing money-making marketing tool.
GUIDELINES TO CREATE A BUSINESS-BUILDING NEWSLETTER
Your business newsletter should serve multiple functions, not
just one. Here's how to do it.
Function #1: USE YOUR NEWSLETTER TO SELL YOUR SKILLS AND
EXPERTISE—BUT DO IT QUIETLY AND CLEVERLY.
Your newsletter should provide worthy, timely, helpful,
problem-solving information — anything else, such as blatant
promotion or bragging about the benefits of your skills and
services, will trigger the prospect or client to toss out or
delete your newsletter, including future issues. Learn to sell
yourself cleverly and subtly.
You can do so by showcasing specific examples, samples, and
results you've achieved for other clients. Your newsletter
should contain 80% information and 20% (or less) promotion. You
also can mention any awards you've received, if you did charity
work for a non-profit association to help raise funds, spoke at
a workshop or led a seminar, or had an article or book
published. Both prospects and clients will enjoy reading these
newsworthy achievements as they are reflections of your skills
and abilities.
Function #2: USE YOUR NEWSLETTER AS A REPETITIVE MARKETING TOOL.
Securing a client is multi-step — and marketing repeatedly to
the same prospect or client is vital to secure work. Publishing
your newsletter frequently satisfies this need and increases the
chance of the prospect or client outsourcing work to you.
According to marketing experts, it takes five consecutive times
to make an impact. Publish your newsletter no less than
bi-monthly. Monthly is standard. Weekly or bi-weekly is
recommended, especially if you publish your newsletter online.
Function #3: USE YOUR NEWSLETTER TO INTEREST PROSPECTS AND
CLIENTS IN WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.
Your newsletter should contain interesting, problem-solving copy
— not fluff or generalizations. You can craft interesting copy
by writing copy that:
a) solves a problem or problems; b) solves a potential or future
problem; c) helps the prospect or client achieve better results;
d) lends valuable advice; e) helps define his or her problem; f)
provides case studies of mistakes that other businesses have
made and how he or she can avoid them.
Favor brief copy over long-winded sentences and endless
paragraphs. Use periods over commas. Use a software program like
StyleWriter, found at http://www.StyleWriter-USA.com, to help
you write in plain english and to clean up your copy. Writing
interesting, problem-solving, plain english copy makes the
prospect or client read your newsletter immediately and
increases the chance of securing work.
Function #4: USE YOUR NEWSLETTER TO BRIDGE TOGETHER YOUR COPY
WITH YOUR VALUABLE FREELANCE SKILLS. How does a prospect or
client know you can exceed their expectations on their next
project, if they decide to hire you? Because your newsletter
subtly shows your capabilities. Make sure you bridge together
the newsletter content with your freelance skills. Your
newsletter content should be an extension of your experiences,
skills, expertise, and knowledge. The client will realize you're
well qualified to undertake his next project.
Function #5: USE YOUR NEWSLETTER TO GENERATE NEW WORK FROM
EXISTING CLIENTS.
You may write for an existing client, but that client may not
realize you also write other types of copy. You can make
existing clients aware of your services by highlighting how some
of your services have solved problems or achieved better results
for other clients.
Function #6: USE YOUR NEWSLETTER TO BUILD RAPPORT AND ESTABLISH
NEW RELATIONSHIPS.
When a client receives your newsletter, your information creates
rapport and builds a relationship — two components that make
clients hire you. Each issue of your newsletter should increase
awareness of your expertise and keep your name and phone number
fresh in the mind of the client.
You can build rapport and establish a relationship by:
a) writing in first person form; b) providing insightful,
expert-oriented information; c) understanding the needs of the
prospect or client; d) subtly revealing your willingness and
eagerness to help solve their problems.
Function #7: USE YOUR NEWSLETTER TO PRESERVE EXISTING
RELATIONSHIPS.
Communication is an essential link to maintain prosperous,
long-term relationships with existing clients. Your business
newsletter can serve as a communications mouthpiece, buzzing
your name and phone number in front of the eyes and into the
minds of existing clients, as well as updating them on new
events about your business and how you're helping other clients.
Function #8: USE YOUR NEWSLETTER TO INITIATE A SELL OR PROVIDE
REFERRALS.
Your newsletter has the potential to initiate a sell or funnel
referrals your way. As stated before, when you help a prospect
solve a problem or achieve better results by means of your
business newsletter, he'll want to call you to produce similar
results — or he may refer you to an associate who also could
benefit from your skills and expertise.
Function #9: USE YOUR NEWSLETTER TO GENERATE EXTRA RESPONSES.
Your newsletter may be the first step in a multi-step marketing
blitz to secure clients. You can include incentives to pull in
responses. For example, you can offer a Free Consultation, in
which you ask the client to call you for free advice and
solutions on his current project. You also can offer a Free
Material Review incentive, in which you critique a piece of the
client’s promotional material and then discuss the weaknesses
and strengths. Or you can use your newsletter to advertise free
information-dense articles or back issues of your newsletter
(that have your byline and phone number on them).
Function #10: USE YOUR NEWSLETTER TO INCREASE THE VALUE OF YOUR
SERVICES.
Because each newsletter focuses on your skills and expertise as
a freelancer, each issue builds on the last one and emphasizes
and re-emphasizes your skills and expertise. Your first issue
may not have an impact, but by the second, third, or fourth
issue, the client begins to appreciate your insightfulness and
problem-solving skills and may rely on your skills for his next
project.
Function #11: USE YOUR NEWSLETTER TO POSITION YOURSELF AS A TOP
EXPERT IN YOUR FIELD.
The information in your newsletter can position yourself as an
expert in your field, so use this toward your advantage. Begin
to think of yourself as an expert — the best one around, and
subtly convey this image in your copy.
To position yourself as an expert, subtly provide:
a) specific results you've gotten for other clients; b) quotes
from popular authors or keynote speakers to supplement and
support your statements; c) brief, interesting footnotes about
what you've learned from books and magazines, or at workshops
and seminars.
When a client realizes how knowledgeable and active you are in
your field, he will begin to see you as an expert — and you will
get the work, not another freelancer.
Function #12: USE YOUR NEWSLETTER TO CREATE AND PRESERVE A
POSITIVE IMAGE OF YOURSELF AND YOUR BUSINESS.
You are responsible as to how other clients and prospects
perceive you — and you can change, alter and manipulate your
image with a business newsletter. For example, you can create a
newsletter that pegs you as a freelancer with a special skill or
talent.
About the author:
Brian Konradt is a freelance writer and founder of
FreelanceWriting.com (http://www.freelancewriting.com), a free
web site to help writers master the business and creative sides
of freelance writing; he is also founder of BookCatcher.com
(http://www.bookcatcher.com), a free website to help authors
promote their books.
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