The Insatiable Solopreneur™

Succeeding and Surviving as a Solopreneur

Archive for the category “Content Marketing”

15 Apr 2013

6 Ways to Make the Most of Working with a Freelance Writer on your Marketing Projects

Not everyone has the time or the talent to write their own marketing content for their businesses. When you’re running aPen and notebook small business, you’ve got multiple other tasks to tend to that aren’t quite as easy to outsource. And honestly, unless you really have the chops to write content yourself, it will pay you in the long run to farm your writing out to someone who does.

Working with a freelance writer can save the day, and it can save you a ton of time. But before you outsource your marketing content writing, here are some things you need to think about and do to make sure you’ll get the most for your money – and give freelance writers what they need to do the best job possible for you…

  • Have a grip on your brand personality and your value proposition.
    If you’re not in tune with your brand’s value and what’s unique about it, now might not be the best time to bring in a freelance writer to help you with your projects. Some writers might have enough marketing experience to help you find your way, but not all are equipped to – or will want to – serve as your marketing strategist. If you’re struggling with your overall marketing strategy, there are free resources (like SCORE) and for-hire marketing consultants out there who can help you get on firm ground. After you’ve planted your feet is when you’ll be able to give a writer better insight into what  should be highlighted in your marketing messaging.
  • Share what you know about your customers.
    The more info you can share about your target market, the better your writer will be able to tailor the messages – and call to actions – to your audience.
  • Share what you want to accomplish.
    Though your writer will most likely not be the person managing and tracking the results of a marketing project or campaign, the more you can share with them about your goals, the better able they will be to craft a particular marketing piece so that it will fit into your master strategy.
  • Plan ahead and set a realistic deadline.
    Keep in mind that established and reputable writers will have multiple clients, and that means they probably can’t drop everything to work on a project that you didn’t plan far enough in advance for. If you’ve got a marketing project in mind, contact your writer as soon as possible to get a quote and make a commitment so you can get on their radar and their project calendar. Note that some writers will take on eleventh hour work, but prepare to pay extra for it.
  • Share any specific details that you want to include in the content.
    Tell writers if there are particulars that absolutely need to appear in the content. Don’t assume that a writer will just know what’s most important to you and your brand. Point them to web links with relevant info, email them a list of bullet points, and email them documents that give them the details they’ll need. And be sure that writers know (in advance of quoting you a rate and signing a contract) which pieces of info you’ll be providing directly to them and what elements they’ll need to research. Writers factor research time into their project quotes, so it’s important to be clear about what you can provide to them and what you’re expecting them to round up.
  • Provide timely feedback and communicate it clearly – via email
    To keep your project moving, try to review draft content and provide feedback as promptly as possible. Some writers will only honor revisions up to a certain amount of days after they submitted their initial draft to you. And some will commit to a limited number of revisions. To avoid extra cost and to address changes when your project is fresh in everyone’s mind, get back to your writer as quickly as you can and communicate change requests as clearly as possible so the next draft will be the final one (or very close to it!). And communicate changes in writing via email. Having a “paper trail” of what you discussed makes things easier for all!

By paying mind to these things, not only will you get the most for your outsourcing dollars, but you’ll also be setting the stage for a professional relationship that will give you great marketing content – and streamline your efforts – as it progresses. The more writers work with you, the greater their understanding of your business and your brand – which means they’ll consistently produce content that’s the right fit, and they’ll need less and less supervisory time from you on projects.

And now for what you think! If you’ve worked with freelance marketing writers, what other tips can you share to make the most of those relationships?

Image courtesy of maya picture / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted in Communications, Content Marketing, Marketing, Outsourcing and tagged , , , , , , | Leave a Comment
21 Mar 2013
8 Comments

Learn First. Blog Second. How to Turn “On the Job” Lessons into Posts that Appeal.

Consistently pinning down blog topics that will provide value to readers presents a challenge to busy solo professionals. Blog keysIn fact, it’s one of the main reasons why many of the solopreneurs and small business owners I know haven’t started to blog.

We put a lot of pressure on ourselves. We think that unless we’ve got something monumental or expertly detailed to share, we won’t be providing anything worth reading. Fortunately, most readers aren’t looking for us to leap over tall buildings and solve all of the world’s – or their businesses’ – problems in a single post. What most are looking for is genuine advice, guidance, and information garnered from walking the walk and lessons learned.

As a solopreneur, does a day go by when you haven’t learned – or realize that you need to learn – something new or something more? Of course not! So, if you’re struggling to come up with compelling topics for your blog, start thinking about…

  • What you’ve learned “on the job” as a small business owner in your industry.
  • What you’re continually learning and the skills you’re developing every single day.
  • What you need to learn to run your business better or provide better services or products.

Keep in mind that you probably won’t need to go into great technical detail (unless your audience is very technically adept), and you don’t have to make your posts all-encompassing to include anything and everything on a topic. The key is to stay on point and inform, educate and even entertain by sharing what you know through your own efforts to learn more and do business better.

So what types of stuff might you focus on?

  • Trends in customer preferences and demand for the types of services or goods you sell.
  • Rules and regulations that affect your industry and their impact on what you sell, how you sell it, and what they mean to the consumer.
  • Technology tools that you’re using to improve the quality of your services & products.
  • Technology tools that you’re exploring to help build customer relationships.
  • Up and coming developments in products and services within your industry.
  • Services and products that are complementary to yours – and that will enhance the customer experience.
  • Upcoming events where prospects and customers can learn more about products & services in your industry (and ideally where they can connect with you one-on-one).
  • Credentials and expertise that customers should look for in a business within your industry.
  • Ways that customers can maximize the value of the products and services that they buy from you.

Basically, if you want or need more information about an industry topic, provided there’s a customer angle in there somewhere, you’ll have the makings of a blog post that can attract readers and give them a worthwhile takeaway. Just be sure that while you’re sharing what you’ve learned, you make the post about them. The “What’s in it for them?” needs to shine through in the finished product each and every post.

What types of things have you learned “on the job” that translate well into blog post topics? Please share your ideas!

Image courtesy of Idea Go / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted in Blogging, Business challenges, Communications, Content Marketing, Marketing and tagged , , , , , , ,
29 Jan 2013

Confounded by Content Marketing? Think: “Is There a “Takeaway?”

There’s no shortage of articles and points of view on the growing importance of content marketing in today’s SEO Contentenvironment. Of course, you’ll find a lot of hype as with any hot topic, but there’s no denying that the content you share with your audience has the potential to get you noticed, set you apart from your competition, demonstrate your expertise, and strengthen ties with your customers. Compelling reasons to put some dedicated thought and effort behind it!


Confused about Content?

“Content,” as pure and simple as it seems, has become a buzzword of sorts. Fact is, it entails everything your small business puts out there that’s building the perception of who you are and what you bring to the table through the eyes and ears of your prospects and customers. Print – by the nature of economy – is more static and less changeable. But online, solopreneurs – just like larger businesses – need to approach content dynamically and consistently. Most importantly, your content needs to provide value to your audience.

Think “Takeaway.”

Delivering value means something different than pushing a special deal or discount. It means putting yourself in your prospects’ and customers’ shoes and thinking about what they need and what they can relate to – in the context of your industry. Your content needs to give them a takeaway each and every time you post to your blog or social media channels. Seek to provide content that:

  • Answers a common question.
  • Helps them manage their time more effectively.
  • Makes them laugh.
  • Helps them save money.
  • Helps them make money.
  • Gives them a new perspective.
  • Motivates them.
  • Saves them from making a mistake.
  • Inspires them.
  • Gives them courage to try something new.
  • Connects them with resources for professional and personal development.

Realize that your audience might benefit from takeaways not mentioned here, so make sure you consider who you’re sharing with and what topics, issues and challenges resonate with them. If you don’t know, ASK!!! Also be prepared to experiment – sometimes it takes a period of trial and error to find the right combination of ideas and information that your followers and fans will grab onto and interact with. Above all, stick with it! It takes time and consistent effort to build an engaged and interested community around your content.

Your turn! What challenges have you faced in your content marketing efforts as a solopreneur? What has worked for you? What hasn’t worked?

Image courtesy of markuso / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted in Communications, Content Marketing, Marketing and tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment
19 Jul 2012
2 Comments

Content is King – But Only With Quality and Consistency

Content has been a hot topic as businesses of all sizes and varieties compete to get noticed and stay top of mind with Content is Kingcustomers and prospective customers. And the consideration of content’s impact on business success doesn’t show any signs of cooling off!

Content is king, but yours has got to have 2 characteristics to make it so:

Quality and Consistency

Unfortunately, when you’re struggling to pay attention to the other responsibilities of running a business, attaining either of those can be daunting.

Quality

Whether you’re sharing a blog post that someone else shared on Facebook or if you’re publishing an original article on your blog, quality matters. Never leave it to chance; read everything you intend to post on your blog, tweet on Twitter, or share on Facebook. Just because other people (even those you revere) passed it along, doesn’t necessarily mean it was done well.

And it’s critical that the content you create is memorable in a good way. Written content (blogs, newsletters, articles…) should be error-free, interesting, well-written, and easy for your readers to relate to (don’t overdo jargon!). On many occasions, I’ve refrained from sharing articles and blog posts with really terrific information because they had multiple spelling errors, incorrect word choice and poor sentence structure. I’m sure I’m not alone. You want your content to be share-worthy so make it worthy of sharing.

Keep in mind that your content can either make you look like a pro or a grammar-school dropout. Your reputation depends on it, so if you personally don’t have the writing chops to pull it off, either hire an employee or a freelancer (like me!) who can skillfully create content from scratch or who can adeptly edit and proofread the drafts that you produce.

Consistency

Regularly contributing helpful information to your audience can raise you to trusted advisor status and make you the “go to” guy or gal when people need – or know someone who needs – your services or products. The operative word is “regularly”! Establish consistency in how often you share tips and resources.

Don’t be a stranger to your own Facebook page, LinkedIn account or Twitter stream. You need to be there for your followers. You need to share quality content of your own and that of others. Daily, several times per day, or several times per week…not all social platforms or audiences are created equal when it comes to their tolerance for posting frequency.

Educate yourself on the nuances of the online networks you’re using, and plan to interact enough to effectively build relationships and stay top of mind without turning people off and inciting them to tune you out. And seek help (either from an employee or a freelancer) to enable you to do it if you can’t personally dedicate time to the cause.

What measures do you take to create and share quality content? What challenges do you face in posting consistently to keep your audience engaged and meet their expectations for help and guidance in  your field of expertise?

 

 

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted in Communications, Content Marketing, Customer Expectations, Social Media and tagged , , , , , , , ,

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