The World’s Most Powerful Marketing Model for Freelance Copywriters And Their Clients!

The World’s Most Powerful Marketing Model for Freelance Copywriters And Their Clients!

As a copywriter and copywriter’s coach, it’s my responsibility to offer powerful, on-target advice to my “mentees.” For them as well as myself…and for you…I keep a keen watch on the world of freelance copywriting to pick up on changes and trends.I spent last month musing over numerous clues, statements, conversations, experiences, and purchased research pertaining to the business side of copywriting.

My conclusion? The world of copywriter marketing is changing rapidly …thanks to the Web.

I built my site in 1998. Back then there were few copywriters on the Internet. For a long time, when you keyed “copywriter” into Yahoo, my site would come in at the top along with Bob Bly’s and Ivan Levison’s. I’m sure there were others, but these are the sites I remember.

With so few copywriters on the Web, I enjoyed a virtual cornucopia of new clients for about four years, until copywriter newcomers started pushing my site down and down and down…until even I didn’t look for my site any more.

Like everyone else, I had to start driving business to my site, and as time wore on, it proved a marketing model that worked very well.

But I believe a radical shift is now taking place…

…one that implores you to forget thinking about your WEB SITE as the centerpoint of your marketing and make your FREE EZINE the centerpoint instead!

Why is this?

Because the ezine is emerging as one of marketing’s most powerful…and inexpensive…and superfast… marketing tools ever.

Note that free ezines have been around for a long time. Note also that there are hundreds of thousands of them! And note that YOU are subscribed to at least one

In the early days of the Internet virtually everyone looked upon this new medium…the Web…as one would look upon an extra-terrestrial. It LOOKS powerful, but where does that power come from?

Companies started pasting their employees’ bios on the Web until pirating ran rampant. Then they moved toward wimpy “online brochures.” Now enough testing has taken place and enough time has passed to offer clear direction on what works, what doesn’t, and what wins.

And guess what wins?

You guessed it…the ezine!

Knowing this, I’ve gone from suggesting that my coaching students create a highly-targeted, content-rich ezine (or blog), to requiring it.

My own experience with an ezine (thanks to my Freelancer’s Business Bulletin subscribers), proves the power of keeping in touch with a group of like-minded people. Because I work hard to bring useful content to my readers, my list grows steadily and my unsubscribe rate is low.

That said, here’s what you must know about marketing your freelance business in 2006 and beyond:

Today’s business-building writer should select one primary marketing method and strengthen it with other marketing methods that suit their temperament, location, goals, and target market.

I used to believe that one should pick two or three favorite marketing methods and do them exceedingly well.

Now I believe that new copywriters who are entering the business at ground zero, with no name recognition in their marketplace, should
use as many marketing tools as they can.

I still recommend direct mail as an essential marketing method because it’s the only way to handpick your target audience…to know that the people you’re reaching are of sufficient quality to deserve your time.

Your direct mailings and everything else you do…
participation in discussion boards, article publication, face-to-face networking, cold calls, public speaking, and so on…should drive sign-ups to your ezine.

And it’s from your EZINE that you do your most effective…and least expensive…selling. Over time, as your ezine readership grows, you can abandon your time-consuming direct mailings altogether.

More evidence that the ezine is becoming the world’s most powerful marketing tool…

While on vacation in Oregon I brought along some overdue reading. One piece was Part 2 of Clayton Makepeace’s interview with the legendary Gary Bencivenga. They’re discussing mailing formats, particularly that of the magalog.

Clayton says, “Everyone’s looking for the next big format breakthrough…”

And Gary replies, “I really think it’s here already. I think it’s an e-zine. I’m finding that with the clients I’m a partner with, I almost don’t want to do direct mail anymore.

“It’s too tough to send a 24-page magalog to a prospect who doesn’t know you. I don’t think that direct mail will ever be dead, but rising paper costs, rising printing, and rising skepticism argue against people responding to cold mailings that are trying to sell them something right on the spot.

“I think these factors argue instead for an elongated courtship of an e-zine that is of great value, where the selling process starts more subtly, a lot more softly. Perhaps in the future, the most profitable use of much direct mail will be to drive people into an e-zine relationship.”

Gary Bencivenga’s take on the ezine only strengthens my long-held position that a free ezine should be an essential part of any copywriter’s marketing toolkit.

Gary supports the age-old premise and marketing tactic that in lead-gen, you must lead your prospect down the path with high quality information that is valuable.

Here’s another prediction:

The Internet will create more competition for the freelance copywriter.

This sounds scary but it’s not. Direct marketers such as AWAI are reaching a vast market of people who want to transition from what they’re doing now to a career with greater flexibility, freedom, and financial promise.

On the surface, it may look like lots of new copywriters are flooding the market…and they are!

But most target the obvious markets…the ones we can readily see…such as alternative health and publishing.

And yes, you will see increased competition in the obvious markets as AWAI and other programs create more and more entry-level copywriters.

But this is a perfect example of tunnel vision. You see what’s before you…not what actually exists.

And that’s one of the things I do for my coachingstudents…I show them how to find lucrative hidden “pockets” in traditional copywriting niches.

But it doesn’t stop there.

I also show my copywriters how to discover exciting markets that other copywriters are unaware of…and under certain conditions, I can even show them how to CREATE their own niche markets!

So while it may seem that the market is flooding with new copywriters, the truth is that the new copywriters will flood only the obvious markets. The world of business is full of markets…hidden and not.

The Internet Has Made Marketing Faster, Easier, and Cheaper for Service Providers Such as Copywriters.

I have long marveled over the low cost of maintaining a Web site. Creating a presence in other Web venues (such as discussion groups and blog postings) is virtually free. You can write articles for free and distribute them online for free or at low cost. My own positive experience is proof that the effort to “show up” all over the Web is worth it.

And in a recent conversation with a successful nonprofit copywriter, I learned that email marketing can work well IF you have a reliable source for names and their email addresses.

To avoid spamming, you’ll need to find lists where prospects in a target market have “put their names and emails out there,” and would not be surprised by a cold contact coming in this way. If you’re in a niche market that has associations, this is the most likely place to find such a list.

Local Clients Can be a Good Source of Income for the Beginning Copywriter.

I used to advise against targeting local clients because they usually want you to come to the office for meetings and to “pick up the check.” It’s a bad use of your time, that’s true, but if you have a connection with someone local who you think would hire you, it’s money in the door, experience, and a sample for your portfolio.

And no, they don’t have to be in your niche market. You do want a “connection,” however weak. I once did fun work for Oregon specialty cataloger Norm Thompson. While they usually don’t hire freelance, they used me because I lived in Lake Oswego, which was a stone’s throw to their Wilsonville location.

If You Have the Stomach, Talent, and Opportunity for Public Speaking, Do It!

It’s one of the most effective marketing tools you can use. And because relatively few copywriters like public speaking (including me), there’s plenty of opportunity to get before groups that are eager to hear what you have to say.

Board members are always looking for their next speaker. Believe me, you will be welcomed! Just be sure to avoid groups that have little to offer, such as groups of other solopreneurs.

In My Opinion, Networking is Equal in Power to Doing Steady Direct Mail Mailings to Your Target Market.

And that means both online and off. This is where you definitely do want to stick to your target market, especially in any offline efforts. It’s simply too time-consuming to hob-nob with groups that you don’t have a strong connection with.

It bears repeating…

Make sure ALL your marketing activities send people to your free ezine.

This is the model everyone is using…first it was the small guys, then the mid-size companies caught on, then

I saw Agora’s Internet marketing model…now even the big guys are putting the ezine at the center of their marketing!

Just be aware that it takes “multiple touches” before you can expect to see your relationships turn into business. Some say to plan a minimum of nine touches, and for some copywriting markets, you may find that it takes up to two years of continued contact to gain the trust of your prospect.

THIS is why I now advocate using as many marketing tools as you reasonably can when first starting out…touch as many people as possible, always driving to your list…then touch your own list with frequent mailings (at least once a month), while staying in front of your audience in as many ways as possible.

When I say “use as many marketing tools as you reasonably can,” I don’t mean use everything at your disposal. We’re all human and we have time limits.

If you try to use every marketing tool at your disposal you’ll dilute your efforts. Best to pick those that are right for you from your burgeoning “package” of possibilities.

This is one place a good coach can help you accelerate your success…by showing you how to create a customized marketing plan. Copywriters are akin to marketers…and smart marketers craft marketing plans that maximum their exposure both online and off.

Copywriting Demand is Very High

Copywriting Demand is Very High

Within this article on copywriting demand, we will look at how much work there is out there for someone who wants to do freelance copywriting as well as the demand for copywriters as a profession.

Copywriting demand will always be strong. Demand will always be strong whether the economy is strong or weak.

In past decades, it was easy to get away with a strong product and some marketing. With the emergence of globalization, there is a greater deal of competition in all markets and the way to stand apart is through marketing. For many consumers, the only way to be able to discern the differences between competing products is through the marketing. This ensures that copywriters are needed.

Any good company which wants to send a consistent message to a target audience will always be employing copywriters. Some companies not looking ahead to the future may cut their advertising budget when they hit weak sales but that is not a smart move. If a recession comes along, demand may go down by a small margin for copywriters but it would pick right back up when the economy turned around.

There is always need for copywriters so no matter what happens within the country, companies will want to make sure that they have copywriters to work for them. There is a growing demand for copywriters in one particular forum and that would be on the Internet.

With the Web up past four billion web pages, the demand for search engine copywriting has continued to increase. It is harder to get your web site indexed and search engine copywriting give you a better chance of being indexed. To do this, the search engine copywriters must write well to ensure that two audiences, the people searching and the search bots, are appeased so this provides more opportunities.

If you are looking into copywriting, there are a great many opportunities within this field. You can work for an advertising agency or you can decide to work for yourself. Many jobs are available all over the country for copywriters and you will find that this copywriting demand will stay at about the same pace and continue to grow with the pace of the economy.

If you go out to the website, www.monster.com, you will find that there are currently more than 500 jobs are available for copywriters. This is just a small piece of the job market. There are many other ways that you can find copywriting jobs currently at this time. This should give you an idea of how there is demand for copywriters.

Hopefully this article on copywriting demand will help you out. If you are a copywriter, you should find that no matter the condition of the economy, you will always find work. Even when the economy is in a recession, some companies’ sales are increasing and they may have a need for more copywriting work. With the demand of the whole market, you should always find yourself needed by someone.

Good luck in finding a copywriting job but you will find that this is something that will often not be needed because of copywriting demand.

How you Can Teach yourself Copywriting and Become the Next Internet Millionaire!

How you Can Teach yourself Copywriting and Become the Next Internet Millionaire!

You need sales to pay the bills. If you don’t know how to write your copy for advertisements, commercials, press releases, brochures, etc. Your business will suffer. And probably you will close your doors soon! Copywriting is selling in print. If you can’t write you can’t sell. Period.

Chances are copywriting is a learnable skill like any other skills. The more you learn and practice the more successful you’ll become.

Look around and you will see that most successful online marketers are copywriters. Or, at least they write their own ad copies. If you find that you’re a good writer, the only nuance is that you must learn how to write in a way that sells.

Copywriting is not easy to learn and it is a lifetime topic, which you will continue to improve at if you work at it. Here’s what one of the best copywriters Stephen King said about copywriting “copywriting; really writing in general, is a subject that you continue to improve on. It would be similar to lifting weights for 10 years. You will develop muscles. If you write every day for a certain period of time, you will develop writing skills to the point where you become a very good writer. If you focus on copywriting and write everyday, you will become a very good copywriter.”

If you want to teach yourself copywriting, the first book you must read is The Copywriter’s Handbook. This is a must have ebook for any serious marketer who wants understand the underlying principles leading to higher levels of success and achievement in copywriter. It will give you an introduction into copywriting as well as learning what it will take to write the different types of ad copies. Copywriting is a very broad field in that what you write could be anything from direct mail to Web content to public relations materials, etc…

Another great book, you must look into, is simply called Copywriting. This book is a little different. It explains both what it takes to be a copywriter as well as what you need to develop ideas and structure copy. This is a more original book that focuses on what you need to do as opposed to explaining the different types of advertising like the first book did.

Look for these books in your local library. If you cannot find them, search for copywriting lessons and tutorials at Google. Visit forums and ask questions about writing and you will find plenty of information and resources. If you look online, you can find a great deal of websites, which will offer you free tutorials on how to write good copy.

Copywriting is probably the most critical skill when you are looking to start a website because your written words are going to be the engine which drives your online sales. You can have all the flashy graphics and animation that you want, but if there’s no content, if you can’t write persuasive ad copies, your website visitors will click away to a competitor that has a compelling sales letter and buy. It is marketers who write sales letters that sell who have the greatest success.

Copywriting is precious skill to have! Sure, you can pay someone to write your copies if you wish, but no copywriter can understand your targeted market better than you, and no one can write in an enthusiastic manner that cause your potential clients to buy your product better than you.

Copywriting is one of the most essential elements of effective online marketing. Whether you’re looking to sell something or to start and run a copywriting business.

Teach yourself copywriting and you will be surprised how simple it is to learn once you dive into it.

Copywriting is a skill, which takes determination and a want to keep on learning due to the sheer volume of information on the subject matter. It’s an exciting subject because you can always learn something new that can help you progress step by step in the direction of becoming a famous copywriter. The more you write, the more your writing will improve, the more money you make.

SEO Copywriting with Karon Thackston

Karon Thackston from Marketing Words, Inc. provides SEO copywriting tips in this snippet from the High Rankings Search Marketing Training DVD.
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Jumping Into Freelance Copywriting

Jumping Into Freelance Copywriting

With the advent of technology, copywriting already covers a wide range of media like television, radio, magazines, brochures, direct mail, and the like today. In fact, every word in every brochure, advert, website and leaflet you see is written by the copywriter. Before, copywriters are restricted to being in-house or by marketing / PR firms but now, there are so many freelance copywriters that offer their services.

But, doing a freelance copywriting job can be quite stressful. Just like all freelance jobs, freelance copywriting means that you have to sell or market yourself, your ability to meet a deadline or complete a job on time, and to budget resources by making use of your skills and knowledge.

Being a copywriter enables you to choose a specific or particular market sector or product and you are expected to write something or anything that your potential client wishes. In order to become a good and successful copywriter, you should have a great ability to research about a certain topic while understanding your clients and target customers.

Aside from having excellent research and understanding skills, you also have to have imagination and flair to keep you ideas running while keeping your clients happy.

BEING A COPYWRITER : Just like the existence of so many different copies to be written, there are also different types of copywriters in the market today. Some of which are those who have specialization in very specific forms of copywriting like direct mail or ad copy while there are those who take a more general approach by writing copies for any item that is available.

Today, freelance copywriters are known to write different forms of copy and are expected to produce great outputs. But, despite being demanding work, freelance copywriting can be a lot of fun and one of the best ways make great money if you have the skill, the connection, and the drive to be successful.

Aside from being an avenue to earn great income, freelance copywriting also offers you the ability to work from anywhere via Internet. If you are planning to become a freelance copywriter, then here are some tips that can help you do the job:

1. Get educated. If you want to delve into the world of freelance copywriting, then it is a must that you get any type of writing degree in English, Journalism, Communications, and the like. Having an education or a background on the career you wish to pursue can be a strong step in finding work as a copywriter.

If is it’s impossible for you to have a degree, try to get certifications or non-degree courses that teach copywriting basics offered by many colleges. Having a background on copywriting can serve as your credential once you venture into freelance work.

2. Get a pro bono work. If you don’t have any other experience, writing a copy or an item for free will provide you the experience you need. The copies you have written can also serve as sample copies once you market yourself as a freelance copywriter.

3. Try to get an internship. An internship from an establishment known to the field you wish to pursue can definitely back up your credentials once your venture as a freelance copywriter. Aside from giving you experience and first-hand knowledge, an internship may also lead you to a permanent employment with the company.

4. Consider various opportunities. Since the industry is booming, there are lots of freelance copywriters out there who serve as your competitors. If you are really into freelance copywriting, then you should always be updated with businesses and agencies that may need copywriting services. Make sure that you check local newspapers regularly.

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PPC Company Offers AdWords PPC Audit Worth

Free PPC Audit Report

(PRWEB) July 6, 2010

PPC company, Cluedup PPC, is offering UK businesses a free professional audit of their current ppc advertising. The normal charge is £495.

The ppc audit will show managers why their ppc campaign may not be successful and then how to fix it to make it so.

The main benefit of the audit the mangers, according to Tom Wilson of CluedUp PPC, will be, “greatly improved ppc results.

“The free Audit will provide positive recommendations on how to reduce click costs, improve CTR, increase conversions, and boost ROI.

“And it won’t cost a penny to get this highly valuable information.”

The offer is for a limited time only. It’s available to any size of pay per click account regardless of ad spend and no matter the purpose of the paid search. For example, to get sign-ups, leads, page views, or e-commerce.

The company is offering the PPC Audit to businesses who believe that they should be getting much better results from their paid search and who feel they could benefit from some professional help and guidance to achieve this.

In particular, it’s aimed at those managing their pay per click advertising in-house. Or those that are currently using a ppc management company but are unsure of the results and they would benefit from a second opinion.

The audit, a comprehensive review conducted by a Google AdWords expert, covers the pay per click spectrum. This ranges from account set up to ongoing optimisation. Amongst a list of items, it deals with the likes of ppc strategy, targeting, keyword management, ads, bid control, reporting, and landing page optimisation.

CluedUp PPC promises that it can complete the Audit within a week.

However, the company has stated that it does not accept every application. Each client must have sufficient data in its account. And it must be clear that a ppc audit would be both suitable and of value to the client.

CluedUp PPC hopes that by offering the free audit they will attract new clients through referrals. Tom Wilson said, “There’s no obligation. The audit comes with absolutely no strings. But we believe that businesses will be so impressed with the quality of the audit that they will at least recommend our services to others.”

In addition to the audit, the company offers the full range of search marketing and ppc services. These include ppc management, AdWords training packages, campaign set up, “ppc and go”, professional mentoring, and “pay by results” search engine optimisation (SEO).

To get more details and to apply for the free Audit visit http://www.cluedup-ppc.co.uk/Services/PPC-Campaign-Audit/

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Related Ppc Press Releases

Online Advertisers Embrace Software Solution to Combat Click Fraud

Clearwater, FL (PRWEB) December 14, 2005 –-

Cyber Monday, the Monday following Thanksgiving, marked the peak of the online holiday shopping season, and research firm ComScore Networks projects online consumer spending for the holiday season will reach billion, a 24 percent increase from last year. Despite record sales, online retailers can’t help but notice that their bottom lines may be seriously impacted by runaway price-per-click (PPC) advertising costs.

Online retailers and other Internet-based companies that use PPC advertising are increasingly concerned about “click fraud,” a phenomena that occurs when a company repeatedly clicks on a competitor’s ads to drive up advertising costs, or when an affiliate repeatedly clicks ads on its own site to increase its commission. Complaining that PPC advertising venues such as Google do little to combat click fraud, Internet advertisers are embracing www.ClickFraud247.com, a software solution that identifies potential click fraud and provides advertisers with reports alerting them to suspicious activity.

Ashley Woodyatt, a 26-year-old British entrepreneur, developed www.ClickFraud247.com after seeing his PPC advertising costs skyrocket. “Click fraud is a very serious problem,” says Woodyatt. “Once I implemented www.ClickFraud247, I was able to pinpoint and stop repeat clickers. As a result, my PPC advertising costs dropped by 20 percent.”

www.ClickFraud247.com analyzes every click on a client’s PPC advertising, and provides clients with reports detailing the date and time of each click, as well as the IP address of the clicker and the site where the advertisement appeared. It also provides visitor alerts, so that if the same IP address clicks on an ad several times, a pop-up window will appear on the user’s screen that recommends the user bookmark that site.

Londoner Carol Brown attests to the effectiveness of www.ClickFraud247.com. “At first I was very skeptical about click fraud, but the software has reduced my monthly advertising costs by 20 percent,” she says. “It’s well worth paying the monthly subscription.”

ClickFraud247.com offers their software for a flat monthly fee for up to 3,000 clicks, or for volume users, a flat one-cent per click rate. “ClickFraud247.com is designed to save companies money and improve their profit margins,” says Woodyatt. “We provide a low cost solution that saves PPC advertisers a fortune.”

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Craigslist Marketing Secret Society – Franco Gonzalez

Craigslist.FrancoRecommends.com http www.GlobalCashflowTraining.com Every internet marketer knows that Craigslist is a site that attracts billions of page views… the phrase Massive Traffic barely explains how big this website really is… However, as an internet marketer, tapping into it is not as easy as it seems… but I’ve discovered a secret society… a private membership site that teaches cutting edge tactics to get ads posted on craigslist and get those ads to stick… You can finally go straight to the source of knowledge and leverage the exposure and traffic generating power of craigslist to get your list building, attraction marketing, affiliate marketing and network marketing system filled with red hot sizzling, real time prospects… I highly recommend anyone on my personal team or anyone serious about making a lot of money on the internet, tap in, join and get active in this craigslist marketing community… http