OK, so I’m charging ahead on this project and it’s going great!
I’ve already gotten 3 people ready to sign on (we’re still going back and forth on details and test projects). The best part though, is that one client has already mentioned it leading to more work. What I’m finding really interesting is that a couple of people have sparked up conversations for other work just because we
started talking about a simple, affordable service.
So you can get started yourself, I wanted to share the basic framework of what I’m doing.) As I get more info and feedback this is going to become a permanent resource topic on BlackFreelance, so don’t worry if you’ve missed anything.)
- My site: I have a page on my freelance website site dedicated to just this service. It’s listed as $400 for 4,
niche-specific news posts a month. It links to similar samples of my work and explains the benefits of keeping a blog flowing. (It also acts as a strong and direct reminder to visitors that I am specially connected with the news and trends in their niche.)
- Email templates: This might be the most important part of the whole project. The marketing here is all about volume, so I keep a few templates where I just drop in company names and
a few key words and terms so the people I’m contacting know I actually took the time to find out what their business is about. The subject lines though, are super powerful and have been getting me great open rates. The secret? Insecurity. I always say something like “When was the last time CompanyCo updated their blog?” or “I noticed CompanyCo’s blog hasn’t been updated since January…” Best format I’ve found so far.
- Lists: I make lists
of the companies I want to hit up every week. I generally pull them from searches in my niche like “Top X software companies” or resources like Manta’s industry lists. I pick 10-20 and blast them with emails once a week. Nothing fancy.
- A schedule: I take it back; THIS is the most important part if
you want to hit your income goals. Seriously. Skip this part of the process and I can almost guarantee you won’t see results. You have to set aside time in your schedule to pitch on a regular basis…not just when you feel like it, not just after you get a successful response. You have to commit to weeks, even months of regular pitching, not hearing anything back, (and maybe even being rejected). Like I just mentioned, I do it once a week, which is the bare minimum. I know some aggressive
freelancers who do work like this every day. The important part is to find what works for you and keep up the habit (successful freelancing is all about habits after all.)
After you get moving on this framework you can refine and build out a system that works best for your freelance skillset and niche.
Got any questions? Feel free to shoot them over. Oh! And if you’re trying something different, I’d love to hear what kind of simple
product you’ve come up with for your niche and skillset. Talk to you later!
Megan.