#105 - 10 Ways to Market Yourself as a Freelancer

So you want to be a freelancer? Great! There's nothing wrong with that. Thousands of professionals in a variety of industries have created successful careers selling their work or talent on their own terms. As a freelancer, you're the boss - and you assume all the risk. Freelance opportunities abound in certain fields like computers/IT, business consulting, journalism, advertising copy writing, and web design, just to name a few.

With the unemployment rate at an all-time high, you've got to be realistic and acknowledge that the competition is at its fiercest in the freelance marketplace. Next, plan to set yourself apart. Present yourself well enough and a quality product or service will always be in demand. Consider these 10 tips to kick-start a freelance career.

1. Look in the business section of the local paper (print or online) for the names of people who have been promoted, hired, or rewarded by their companies. Write a brief congratulatory letter (make it personal), and enclose two or more of your business cards (one for the person to keep, and the others to give away). Your business cards should include complete information about what you do. Just the title,“Freelance Writer,” is too vague. List what you can accomplish (newsletters, brochures, ads, blogs, websites), and highlight your main benefits – creativity, proven track record, etc.

2. Scan websites, magazines and newspapers for articles of interest to your current clients or “hot prospects” (people you've talked to, but not worked for). Clip articles and send them with an attached, handwritten note, stating something like, “Hi! Thought you might be interested in this. Please keep me in mind for your future writing needs!” This gives you a reason to remind both clients and prospects about your service. It also keeps your name on their minds. The use of regular mail and a note lends a personal touch, much more effective than sending an interesting tidbit via e-mail.

3. Create an alliance with local graphic designers. Writers sometimes need graphic design work or have the opportunity to refer their clients to artists. And artists frequently need good copy they do not want to supply themselves. Contact graphic designers and ask them about their business before you talk about yours. Let them know that you may have an occasional client who could use their services. Follow up with a personal letter and several of your business cards.

4. Join an organization, such as the Chamber of Commerce or the local advertising club. Face-to-face networking is one of the best ways to get the word out about your business. Put your business cards in your pocket, and always give two or three to each person (one to keep and one or two to share).

5. Volunteer and be active. Get noticed by taking a visible role in committees or events.

6. Call between 5 and 10 people you know -- friends, relatives, co-workers, etc.- and talk to them about what you are doing as a freelancer. Let them know you are available for work if they should happen to hear of anyone who can use you. Sometimes, we think our “inner circle” knows everything about what we do. More often than not, these people have only a limited idea of our actual capabilities. Change those misperceptions today!

7. Start your own newsletter or eZine. Make sure at least 75 percent of the copy is information people can use -- not marketing hype just about you. For example, write articles on “Better Business Writing,” “The Top 10n Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Business Letter,” or “Advertising Copy That Gets Results." Show your expertise throughout the newsletter, then highlight the benefits of your services. Remember to add a call to action (what you want the reader to do next, such as call for a free consultation).

8. Contact a bookstore, and offer to teach a free seminar about writing. Use a recently published book as a resource, and have lots of copies on hand for participants who are interested in purchasing the book. You'll benefit from the free publicity, and the store will benefit from the free promotion of the book.

9. Call five ad agencies, and ask to speak to the creative director. Be ready with a 30-second introductory pitch about your services and how you can benefit the agency. Ask for a meeting to discuss the agency's needs or permission to send a package with some of your writing samples.

10. Get yourself in the newspaper or on local radio or TV. Many media outlets actively seek guests who have something interesting to say. Develop a topic idea that will showcase your talents as a writer and make for a good story or segment. Contact local reporters, radio hosts and TV producers with your ideas.

Day 71 - The most important resource for any job seeker

Most job-seekers mistakenly spend too much time online looking at job postings and sending in résumés. In many cases, these attempts lead nowhere. These same postings might be better utilized to provide insight into who is hiring and for what positions.

In addition to job boards and resources like Monster.com, LinkedIn and CareerBuilder, recent grads, especially those with some work experience under their belts (like most non-traditionals), should also take a close look at the actual websites of companies they like. Be sure to read every page and check every link on those corporate websites to learn more about the companies themselves, their leaders, competitive positions and their corporate cultures.

Get to know the Company
Reviewing potential openings that a company posts may give you a clue to its overall requirements for hiring, but the corporate website and the social media it maintains, like Facebook Fan Pages or an actual online community, can provide more valuable clues about the potential opportunities available. There are other online resources that can help expand your list of employment possibilities. Online databases can help locate companies that meet your criteria. They can also automatically generate lists that contain any number of "hidden companies" you may not find on your own. One of the best resources I’ve found is Hoover's, a business information site that contains free (and paid) research on companies.

Online research is certainly a great place to start a job search, but implementing a multichannel approach that targets and markets you is even better, especially if you want to find opportunities at companies that may be lesser known in the marketplace. Experts at New York’s Best Fit Forward, recommend you spend less than 40 percent of job search time online. The face-to-face meeting or interview is still the most important part of the process, so continue to work on those interpersonal skills. While the fastest growing demographic of users on Facebook and Twitter may be over 30, old-fashioned [face-to-face] networking still beats an online job board as one of the quickest ways to get hired.

Seek out local leads
Stepping away from the computer and conducting some face-to-face research through networking is also critical in cultivating a target company list. An ExecuNet report recently found that combining referrals with research and face-to-face meetings builds the strongest foundation. That translates into finding the right job for you.

Read community newspapers and follow the websites of local organizations, even the ones you're not planning to apply to. This will help you identify local companies and understand the specific challenges they may be facing. If you can come up with potential solutions to someone's problem, you’ve got a real shot at being hired. Learn all you can about a company’s history, business performance, product offerings, organizational structure, personality and challenges before you approach. Another great way to identify local companies is by attending meetings and events in town – join a charitable committee, the Chamber of Commerce, volunteer for a cause. Don’t ignore local 'lifestyle' groups. Sometimes, the best information can be found at a child’s soccer game, in a church group or at a local gathering.

Start your list early
If you’ll be looking for work in the next couple of years, start building that target company list now to gain a stronger focus on your particular job search. Remember, you're not alone. Many recent grads don't know how to identify "backyard" opportunities. Find out what is happening today within any company you have an interest in. Get to know the lay of the land. Think about what you bring to the table for any company you want to work for. Don’t be surprised if your past efforts don’t translate to instant worth; most companies are seeking someone who can prove their worth today.

Many people are unsure about how to approach a job search in the current economic environment. Begin with strategy then move on to tactics. A critical component of any marketing plan is identifying the target audience. Gaining a clearer understanding of who we are and where we want to go must come before we can decide how we want to get there.

Day 69 - The “Curse” of the Class of 2009

I remember the excitement of graduating with my bachelor’s degree back in the summer of 1980. I was 20 years old, eager, optimistic and confident that the world was my oyster. I boldly packed a bag, grabbed my guitar and headed for Los Angeles, where I was determined to make my mark. Of course I was going to make it ... I was freshly armed with my college degree.

How the times have changes. The only thing I know for sure as my second college graduation approaches is that December marks my existence forever as a member of the very first “cursed” graduating class.

The Wall Street Journal has coined a phrase, “The curse of the graduating class of 2009,” writing about the subject initially in a May 9th article that decreed my college class faces the toughest job market in US history. The article painted a bleak, hopeless portrait of the American college grad looking for work. The class of 2009's "cursed" status comes to us on the heels of a struggle to finance our college educations in ways no one could have imagined for us.

Back in the day, the average college student paid tuition by blending family support, financial aid and, maybe, a part-time job of 8 - 15 hours per week. In 2009, family support and financial aid have become sadly inadequate for a huge number of undergraduates, making full-time work a very common thing. We graduate students have generally worked to support ourselves through these extra college years, but we also rely on the grants, assistanceships, fellowships and loans, which are becoming more scarce.

Is working as a student really necessary at any stage of the game? Are our earnings always used for academic expenses? A handful of studies indicate there is a significant negative association between working long hours and completing (or not completing) a degree. The conflict of work versus school appears to be to blame.

A few weeks ago, a new study from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, published in the Journal of Population Economics released an article titled, Will Work for Beer. According to the report, they tested several ideas with regard to the financial motives for student employment. They found a decrease in financial help from parents meant an increase in the working hours of four-year college students. They also found an increase in the costs of higher education.

So the decision to work may have something (but not everything) to do with how much support parents provide and how expensive college has become. This is no surprise. But the authors went on to make an unnecessary assumption. They walked right into a stereotype, saying that their results meant the drive to work does not come from a need to make ends meet -- instead, students are working in order to have ‘beer money,' paying for entertainment but not their tuition.

This is a controversial assertion. I, for one, am not buying it. I can speak as a member of the group - all college students. I have been immersed in the collegiate lifestyle for nearly three years, and this hypothesis does NOT hold true for students at Murray State University. I can’t speak for students everywhere, but I do take offense at the notion. The evidence merely suggests that students work but don't generate enough income to match family contributions or meet their college costs. This could mean many things, including the fact that students are having a harder time finding enough work. Of course, it may also mean we need to find other ways to make ends meet - like student loans. The study does not provide solid evidence of what working students use their earnings for, how they prioritized expenses, or what they had to go without.

Working students are generally struggling students – be they undergrad or grad, traditional or non-traditional. There's good qualitative evidence on this. College professors will tell you they dislike full-time working students because they tend to fall asleep in class, and they have little time for studying. Let's face it. Traditional students who work are becoming more like non-traditional students every day. None of us get to know our classmates very well; we have no time for socializing. Our stress levels are higher, and the chances of degree completion are getting lower all the time. Why would anyone minimize the need to work, or mock us for trying, or reinforce a stereotype that students’ earnings are being spent in bars?

If colleges can’t work with students to help them find adequate financial supports, then working while going to school may soon be the case - and not the exception. As a proud member of the “cursed class of 2009,” I can only hope the job market improves quickly, and that all that successful pre-grad school career experience is worth something to potential employers.