If you’re a freelance writer, you know that writing is only a small part of the job. Selling yourself to your potential clients is the biggest part of the battle, and it’s an area where many freelance writers often fall short. Don’t lose out on income by failing to earn your clients’ respect. Build a consistent, professional image across all of your communications to prove to your clients that you’re a serious writer. In marketing, this concept is called “branding.”
When you’re looking at branding options, think about how you typically communicate with your clients. If you write for publications, your point of contact with your clients is probably a query letter. If you write web content, your point of contact may be email or a bulletin board. One of the biggest ways to present yourself professionally is by designing a professional image that your potential clients see at your point of contact.
The value of letterhead.
Most businesses have custom letterhead, even if it’s just a basic template in Microsoft Word that goes on every letter. Businesses willing to invest more in their image have professional letterhead printed. I’ll let you in on a little secret: professional letterhead isn’t that expensive, and it’s a great way to make an impact on a potential client. I’ve used Vista Print for my professional printing needs, and I’ve been happy with the product quality and price. For under $300, you can get professional letterhead, custom envelopes and business cards – and if you rely on print communications as your point of contact with a client, every penny of that cost is money well-spent. By sending communications on professional letterhead, you’re sending a signal to a client that you’re a professional, and that you take your business seriously; you’re not some fly-by-night hack writer who couldn’t get hired if their life depended on it.
Establishing a web presence.
Let’s face it: our society is increasingly reliant on electronic communications. Newspapers across the country are dropping in circulation as people turn to electronic media to catch up on the latest happenings, and this phenomenon isn’t confined to current events. With the rising popularity of the web, people increasingly turn to the web to find out information about everything from what to have for dinner, to where to get the best deal on a new television. It’s logical for people to look for information about a writer they’re thinking of hiring, so it’s in your best interest to control your web presence and establish an image that will make your clients want to hire you.
If you use a freelance website to find clients, such as Elance or Guru, establishing a web presence starts with creating a comprehensive profile. I’m a competitive person, and I’m also curious about how other writers present themselves, so I often check profiles for other writers who are bidding on a job with me. I have to shake my head when I see writers with no profile information completed, or writers with disappointing profiles. If they like your bid, the profile is the first thing a potential client is going to check when they’re considering whether or not to hire you. You’re missing out on an opportunity to market yourself if you don’t complete these profiles, and that may cost you money in the long run.
Building a website is the next step to establishing an effective web presence, and perhaps the most important one. If you use a bulletin board or electronic want-ads to find work, you don’t even have the benefit of a portfolio space to entice a potential client; you onlyhave your initial contact email. If you’ve got an established website, you can sign off with it or point potential clients there to learn more about you, browse writing samples and determine whether your skills are a good match for their needs. If you have a well-crafted website or a good referral network, it could even lead to unsolicited work. When a website is the difference between getting that client or losing a deal, it’s worth the time and monetary investment to create a good one.
Cross-branding.
If you want to take the professional image one step further, cross-brand your print and electronic media. Get a professional logo and use it on your letterhead, your envelopes, your website and anyplace else you interact with a potential client. Cross-branding is a big deal in the marketing world, and applying it to your writing business is just one more step toward establishing yourself as a professional. If you submit a query letter to an editor who later checks out your website, you don’t want to send conflicting images. Sending professional letterhead but directing an editor to a website that looks thrown together, or conveys a completely different image, is just going to confuse your editor or convince him or her that you’re not quite ready to be a professional.
Create a consistent image across media to strengthen and unify your ‘brand’ – in this case, yourself. This may be as simple as using the same color scheme and logo on both your letterhead and website, or as complex as selecting the appropriate font and layout to display your tastes as a writer; a little bit eclectic, or all business. If you put thought into these details before you ever approach a potential client, you’ll be putting your best foot forward. Building a professional image will help you get your foot in the door; from there, your writing skills determine whether a new door opens or closes in your face.
