The Marketing Mix | official blog of the Marketing Mentor community

Are our proposals missing the boat?

Welcome to Week 31 of my adventure as a member of the Marketing Plan Group. In my posts, I talk about my voyage down the road of self-employment as a website copywriter, my achievements and roadblocks along the way, and what I’m learning from my group experience.

Have you ever gone to a hairdresser whose hair is a mess? Probably not. Because why would you get your hair done by someone with bad hair? A hairdresser’s hair is their marketing tool.

As creatives, we have marketing tools too. Some are obvious (websites, brochures, business cards), and some you might not realize.

So in case you didn’t know, I’ll share what I learned in my group:

Proposals are marketing tools.

That’s right. Proposals are serious marketing tools. Everything our prospects see or hear, when it comes to our creative business, is a marketing tool.

So, how can we make our proposals better?

By making them “speak” for us. By helping us demonstrate why we are the best candidate for the job.

Remember, your proposal might get passed around, from your main contact, to somebody who doesn’t know you at all. All this “new” person knows about you is what is on that piece of paper. If this “new” person is involved in the decision, shouldn’t they know how great you are too? 

Here’s the deal. I’m learning that one basic proposal template does not necessarily work for all clients. I’m also learning that the proposal can really make or break whether or not you get the job. How is yours working for you?

If you want to learn more about what should be in your proposal, listen to this podcast from The Designer's Guide to Marketing and Pricing.

How are creatives getting new clients?

Reaching out, directly, to prospects, is one of the best ways to get new clients. Every good marketing plan should include direct outreach -- whether you’re sending first or calling first, or you’re getting in touch via social media.

This technique is working for my clients, and it can work for you too.

If you want to learn what to say, who to reach out to, and which media to use – join my next Marketing Plan Group starting May 6th. Details here or fill out this form.

World’s Best Subject Line

If you're like me, you probably strain over what to put in the subject line of your e-blasts. You ask yourself:

"What will compel people to open it and not delete it?"

"How do I make sure my email passes safely through spam filters?"

"Is there anything I can do to make sure people know it's from me and not some freak in a dingy back room in Karachi?"

Your subject line, and your attribution line—you know, the "from" of your email—are worth straining over. Because if that adage "if they don't read your headline, they won't read your ad" is true for print (and it is) it is 100 times truer with subject lines.

In the case of subject lines, the listless, the over-hyped, or too-familiar end up being trashed before they even have a chance to become an email—or worse yet, they spur people to opt out or tag everything from you as junk.

Let's not let that happen. Here are some tips I've learned from writing emails for the likes of Audible.com, CENTURY21, and last week's Thinking Creatively Conference.

• Keep it to 69 characters (including spaces)
• If you have to go over in characters (long subject lines display, but not as well) put the important stuff first.
• Don't be redundant; put your company name in the "from" line and don't repeat it in the subject line.
• Try packing a benefit to your recipient in the subject line
• Action verbs are best, e.g., learn, see or start.

Rather than writing a general line about all the great stuff inside the email, highlight one exciting detail.

For more tips like this, sign up to receive Conrad’s newsletter “a little something from backpocket copywriter” at www.backpocketcopywriter.com/tips.htm

 

Do you really know who your best prospects are?

You’ve heard that to bring in the big bucks, you should specialize in a target market (or two). And you've probably spent some time trying to research a market to focus on. Sign up for this online seminar to help you cull through the information out there and decide which market is right for you.

If you need to…

• Determine if a market is viable
• Find the actual (and best) people to reach out to
• Get their contact information without spending a bundle
• Find out if you should buy a mailing list or subscribe to a mailing list
• Know how many prospects a freelancer really needs

…then join me for a Freelancers Union Online Seminar – Who Are Your Best Prospects?

When: Wednesday, April 28, 7:00 - 8:30 pm EST
Where: Your computer and phone
Register online now.

 

Do you pull numbers out of your....?

Welcome to Week 30 of my adventure as a member of the Marketing Plan Group. In my posts, I talk about my voyage down the road of self-employment as a website copywriter, my achievements and roadblocks along the way, and what I’m learning from my group experience.

Now that my group is getting down-and-dirty with our numbers, I’m beginning to realize how much I pull numbers out of my… let’s say… imagination. All sorts of numbers. Pricing numbers, timing numbers, goal numbers. And I’m not the only one! One of my group members says she knows the amount in her bank account, but somehow, when left alone with her imagination for long enough – it changes. (She gets richer!)

It’s actually pretty hilarious. We never realized this was happening until our group got serious about numbers.

So, my poof, thin air approach isn’t proving to be the most accurate, especially when it comes to how long things take.

For example, how long does it take to write a blog post, make a research call, or write a bio for a client? Do you know? Or do you half-know and half-guesstimate, like me? If you don’t seriously, meticulously track your time, it’s likely you’ll be astounded by the discrepancy between what you think it takes, and what it really takes.

Turns out, writing a brochure takes a hell of a lot longer than I thought.

Are you using the poof, thin air method of tracking time? Do you really track your time, or do you guesstimate?

Take this little challenge with me: I propose that those of us out there, who may not be the most dedicated of time-trackers, take this week to obsessively track our time. Every second of it. (I’m using the time-tracking feature in Freshbooks. Function Fox is another great tool for time-tracking.)

Yes, even those “quick” email responses, “quick” phone calls, or “quick” changes. Cuz guess what? They add up. They really add up!

Are you with me?

Stay tuned… Next week, we’re making our proposals better.

Should I friend my mom?

My mom sent me a "friend" request on Facebook the other day.

I haven’t accepted it yet. I don’t know if I should. Of course I like my mom, and I enjoy the fact that she’s so computer savvy – but should I accept her as a "friend"?

I find that particularly with Facebook (of all the social networking sites), it’s hard to keep things business-oriented. Even if you have a “Fan Page” for your business, you still need to have a personal page, where if you friend your Mom -- she can post your baby pictures and write Mom-like things. The same goes for friends and other non-business acquaintances.

It’s not that I’m opposed to having some things of a personal nature on my Facebook site, but where do you draw the line? What do you think?

(Mom, if you're reading this, feel free to comment.)

Have you ever gone above and beyond to get a client?

You know how, sometimes, you think you're a perfect fit for a project but you're not sure if your prospect knows it?

What can you do to make sure they know?

Here's one option that, when done in the right situations, can get your client to say "YES." Kevin Flores, Chief Creative Fella at The Flores Shop submitted an RFP for a total re-branding of a law firm. To set his firm apart, they also created a microsite called, "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly," to demonstrate their expertise and show how much they wanted the job. View the microsite here: http://www.thefloresshop.com/harman/

This is a prime example of going the extra mile when you’ve got a really good prospect. For more examples like this, join me today (or listen later) for a webcast, Beyond the Brochure, and learn how to create effective marketing materials that will make your prospects say “yes.”

Tuesday, April 20, 2010, 4:00 PM EST. (Duration: 1 hour)
Register here: http://www.mydesignshop.com/product/beyond-the-brochure/DesignCasts

Are you serious about having a website that is search engine friendly?

I’m back from the ASPP Reinvention Weekend in Boston where I met some amazing businesspeople including Allen Murabayashi, co-founder of PhotoShelter, a company that helps photographers get pro websites online in 5 minutes, sell directly online, and market themselves with social networks & SEO.

I love that their tagline is websites and tools for serious photographers because I also work with serious creative professionals. (I provide tools for creatives who are serious about growing their businesses.)

Allen was on a panel with me for the session, Click, Tweet and Repeat: SEO, Social Media, and Brand Management, and I was blown away by his SEO knowledge and insight on how to make your website search engine friendly.

He’ll be blogging about this topic here on the Marketing Mix soon, but in the meantime, check out PhotoShelter’s blog and their free reports.

Do your promo materials get attention?

Do you have cool marketing materials that get your prospects’ attention? If so, will you send me pictures of them? I need images of printed promotional tools – brochures, interesting business cards, direct mail pieces, packages -- anything tangible that you send to people to get their attention.

Why?

Because I’m gearing up for the second installment in the Creative Freelancer Marketing Bootcamp Live DesignCast Series.

It’s called Beyond the Brochure: How to Create Effective Sales Materials—and it’s designed to teach you how to create smart, cost-effective marketing materials and demonstrate how to use these tools to hook a prospect once they've said, "Show me more."

Join me for this webcast on Tuesday, April 20, 2010, 4:00 PM EST. (Duration: 1 hour)

Register here: http://www.mydesignshop.com/product/beyond-the-brochure/DesignCasts

I'm going to CFC, are you?

Welcome to Week 29 of my adventure as a member of the Marketing Plan Group. In my posts, I talk about my voyage down the road of self-employment as a website copywriter, my achievements and roadblocks along the way, and what I’m learning from my group experience.

I just booked my plane ticket – Denver here I come!

This will be my first Creative Freelancer Conference, and my first time in Denver. Can I let you in on a little secret? I am desperately excited for CFC.  For me, the only downside to self-employment is solitariness. And the idea of being around people (who get it) just makes me so happy. I’ve seen and heard how empowering the experience is, and I’m ready to be part of it.

Stuff I’m looking forward to

• Networking walks! Though I’m not exactly an early-riser, I’m willing to drag myself out of bed for some fresh air, networking, and exploration of Downtown Denver. Fellow sleepy heads: drag yourselves out of bed too. (Don’t make me be the only person with sleep lines on my face and a thermos full of coffee.)
• I have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that “I am a business,” so I’m looking forward to Ilise’s opening keynote, You Are a Business, where she’s going to talk about the shift in perspective that’s needed to go from “person” to “business.”
• Even though I have my “elevator speech,” I want to work on it, refine it, and be more comfortable when people ask me what I do. That’s why I’ll be in the front row at Dyana Valentine’s presentation, Pitch Perfect.
• Now that I’m getting a better understanding of my financial situation (thanks to my Marketing Plan Group), I’m looking forward to Galia Gichon’s, It’s Your Money So Take it Personally.
• I’ll admit it. Sometimes I price projects by pulling a number out of my hat. Accordingly, I need to attend The Art and Science of Pricing a Project by Shel Perkins.
• Happy hour. (It’s a scheduled event, look!)
• Meeting you! So if you haven’t signed up yet, please do so. You can still get the early bird discount if you sign up today, April 15th.

Check out all of the sessions here.

What are you looking forward to at this year’s CFC?