how to become a freelance copywriter: ANNOUNCING YOUR BUSINESS TO THE WORLD

The business is ready to launch, and now it’s time to tell the world about it.There must be an infinite number of ways to do this strategically and productively, here are mine:

1. Send something unique. Don’t send what everyone else is sending – a great way not to do that is to look through your mail for a few weeks and gather all of the junk direct mailers that annoy you and go straight to the recycle bin. Then create the opposite. My original mailer, which you can view on my portfolio page, was a brochure in the form of a greeting card. The color was deep and eye-catching (and bright pink). My business card was attached inside and easily removable. I received countless remarks that the color and shape of the piece made them open it…and read it, because it was something they just didn’t see everyday.

2. Purposeful Direct Mail (as opposed to Random Direct Mail). I urge you to learn from my experience. Here’s the time I did it wrong: I once sent a 750 piece direct mailer to a random list (happened to be to my Chamber of Commerce). I got one, 1, uno job (that’s a .1% return rate). Here’s the time I did it right: I found a small group of companies (about 125) that I knew would understand what copy was and would have a need. (see the niche post for more details). I sent my mailers to them, and then I called every single company (had a contact name for the person I needed). I got 17 clients (that’s a 13% return rate). The average direct mail return rate is 2%.

3. Show don’t tell. Don’t just send something that tells people what you do and how well you do it. SHOW THEM. You’ll notice that my direct mailer reads like a catalog page. This is because I thought I really wanted to do catalog writing back then – so I demonstrated my catalog abilities. If you want to write press releases, illustrate yourself in press release style. If you want to write ads, create a self-promoting ad.

4. Get their attention. Send a promotion or premium. Here are two things I thought about doing and didn’t do, you are welcome to them if they fit:

• Send a huge, weighty oversized pen with your contact info and with a note that reads: “If your pen gets this heavy when you think about writing, call me.” (ooh, I actually like that one and might have to use it…)
• Get seeded paper like this, with copy that says: “When you add water to this paper, you get flowers. When you add my words to this paper, you get success.”

Okay, people. It’s time to share. Tell us what you’ve done, how you’ve done it and why it’s worked (or not worked)…

Filed under Critical Copywriting, How To, Marketing, The Business | Tags: avoid junk mail, avoid spam, business announcement, copywriter, copywriting, direct mail, direct mail copywriting, Julie Roads, junk mail, premiums, promotions, self-promotion, spam, Writing Roads | Comment (0)

Permission Marketing or Avoiding SPAM

Many of my clients don’t like marketing. They like increased sales and exposure, but they cringe at the thought of self-promotion, cold calls, selling - and the cheesey father of all of these – SPAM.

This is why I love permission marketing…and the internet…and blogging. Referrals from trusted sources are the most qualified prospects, and blogging and blog marketing allow you to circumnavigate the ‘cringe’ part of marketing and capitalize (literally) on the permissed, referral aspect.

It’s simple and based on the following concepts and action plan:

1. I sell my product/service online.

2. I have a list that I blog to regularly – they love me and trust me.

3. I am always looking for quality content to post on my blog for my list.

4. I find a ‘tangent’ site selling to my demographic, but selling a different product/service – we are not competitors.

5. We connect – I email or comment on their blog.

6. #1,2, & 3 are also true for this ‘tangent’ site.

7. We realize that we can help each other out.

8. I post something about this ‘tangent’ site on my blog, with a quality link, and a strong referral (that I wholeheartedly believe in). The ‘tangent’ site does the same for me.

9. We are both offering our lists something of value AND we have just received a quality referral from a trust source to a new group within our demographic.

10. Everyone wins…no SPAM, no cold calls, value to list, increased traffic, sales, happiness.

Filed under How To, Marketing | Tags: blog, blog marketing, permission marketing, referrals, spam | Comment (0)