As you grow your writing business, one of the things you’ll notice is that the more clients you have, the more connections you make, and the more opportunities that seem to come your way.
When you reach that tipping point where clients bring ideas to you and ask you to handle specific projects, it’s a great feeling.
But you don’t have to wait for opportunities to come to you. One of the best ways to get to that point is to start creating opportunities for yourself.
How do you do that? There are many ways, but let’s start with three.
#1. Pitch, Pitch, Pitch
One way to create more opportunities for yourself is to pitch more ideas. Pitching is a bit of numbers game, especially if you’re reaching out to new prospects rather than clients you’ve worked with before. But, like with any numbers game, the more you pitch, the more projects you’ll land. And the more connections you’ll make… which can lead to new opportunities.
Here’s another thing that could happen… you may pitch an idea to a prospect only to have them come back and say, “I like the idea you sent me, but we have this other thing we could really use help on.”
The more you send ideas to prospects — tailored pitches that show you know their business and your stuff — the more opportunities you’ll create.
Need help crafting a perfect pitch? Check out this webinar, The Art of Pitching a Project.
#2. Listen More
Whether you’re having conversations on LinkedIn, sitting in on a meeting with an existing client, or waiting in the lobby at your local chiropractor, when you listen carefully to what people are saying, you’ll discover ways to create opportunities.
For example, imagine you’re on LinkedIn, and you see the CEO of an alternative health company post about finding a healthy balance with technology. You visit their site and see that there’s a blog but it’s only being updated once a month. You can see the potential for five different blog posts based on the ideas in the LinkedIn post they shared. From that bit of online listening, you can create an opportunity by reaching out to that CEO, resonating with their message and values, talking about the benefits of more frequent publishing, and sharing your ideas.
Or imagine you’re in a client meeting, and they’re talking about creating a new acquisition funnel. Their focus is on the paid advertising campaign, but they haven’t come up with a sign-up incentive for their list yet. You could quickly put together some ideas for a special report you know will hit home with their audience. By listening, you find a potential opportunity.
Or you’re sitting in your chiropractor’s lobby and hear them talking about the need to update their website. During your adjustment, you could ask about what they’re updating. If it includes the copy, you could ask about their plans for that and see where that conversation takes you.
Just by listening and responding to what you hear with a combination of initiative and curiosity, you can create numerous opportunities for your writing business.
#3. Build on Success
You’ve just finished a blog post for a new client, and they really like your work. That’s the moment to send them three more ideas for blog posts.
Or you’ve been writing blogs posts regularly for a client. They love your writing and you enjoy working with them. You might suggest a series of content upgrades to help them build and segment their list.
Whenever you finish a project with a client, have a suggestion for something else you might do together. They won’t always say yes, but by doing this you will create opportunities where they might not have existed otherwise.
The art of creating opportunities really comes down to paying attention and then being courageous enough to make suggestions. Start doing that on a regular basis, and you will see more work come your way.
In Case You Missed It…
Last week, Jade Trueblood interviewed me about Money-Making Websites and all the ways you can use them to build your writing skills, your client base, and your income. (I was standing in for Nick Usborne, who had to cancel at the last minute.) We covered a lot of ground during the interview, and if you’ve ever wondered about a Money-Making Website, you’ll definitely want to give the conversation a listen.
When it comes to content marketing, one of the hardest things for your clients is to keep a steady stream of content coming in. That’s why they need you! But here’s the thing. If you learn how to use repurposing to leverage every piece of content you create, you’ll not only make your life easier (and your income bigger), you’ll make your clients happier, too. That’s the topic of Andrew Murray’s latest Web Writing & SEO column. Give it a read right here.
Do you work with B2B clients? Have you thought about offering them social media marketing services? The truth is, a lot of people don’t realize how much B2B companies use social media. But social media is big with B2B companies… and they often need help building out their social media presence and using social media effectively. That’s where you come in. And in Maggie Peterson’s Social Media column, you’ll discover 10 ways you can help your client succeed on social media.
Coming Up on Digital Copywriter
There’s a lot to look forward to on Digital Copywriter.
Next Monday, be on the lookout for a new Trends & Technology column that will show you how to build your own Personal Knowledge Management system. When you put what you learn into action, you’ll overcome information overwhelm and have a way to apply the things you learn to grow your business, hone your skills, and achieve your goals.
Also keep a lookout for two new interviews with experts. Sandy Franks will join us on July 21st to talk about what she’s excited about in the copywriting industry right now. And then later in July, we’ll be talking to Pam Foster about how she got her start as a writer and the key moments that helped her grow her business.
Plus, we’ll be announcing our quarterly Challenge soon… and it’s a big one! So make sure you keep your eyes on the site.
Three Things You Might Enjoy Reading…
This isn’t about writing, but it is beautifully written — an essay about letting more wonder into your life from the Marginalian.
Whether you’re looking to keep your calendar full this summer or want to help your clients avoid the “summer slowdown,” you’ll find some useful ideas here.
Proof that small improvements really do add up over time to equal big changes in the bottom line… from TheGood.
Have a great weekend, and if you have minute, tell us about your own tips for creating opportunities in the comments.
