part time writer

by Eric Brantner

When it comes to finding freelance writing jobs, most people immediately turn to the internet. They hit up the same job websites every other freelance writer is visiting, and they apply to the same jobs hundreds of others are competing for. And guess what? They don’t get most jobs they apply for. It’s an exercise in futility.

That’s why I recommend using direct mail to get more freelance writing jobs. By sending out targeted sales letters to a pool of potential clients, you can get the jobs that aren’t listed….the jobs no other writers are competing for…the jobs where you have more room to negotiate freelance writing rates that fit your needs.

Of course, you can’t just send out a huge volume of generic sales letters and hope to get results. If you want to use direct mail to get freelance writing jobs, here are some things you need to do.

• Figure out who you’re targeting—With direct mail marketing, it’s all about creating highly targeted content that appeals to a niche audience. For example, you may decide to target local area internet marketing companies that have clients they develop content for. Or you might wish to target a certain type of business directly—say local boutique fashion outlets.
• Focus on a specific service—Don’t overwhelm the person reading your letter by trying to push all of your services on them. Focus on a single service and sell that. For example, you could write a sales letter pushing your website copywriting services, or one selling your ghostblogging service. Keep it simple.
• Ensure all mailing addresses are current—Whenever you run a direct mail campaign, you’re bound to get some letters returned to sender because the addresses were incorrect. You want to try to minimize this because the more letters that get sent back, the more money you’re wasting on postage.
• Have a strong call to action—What do you want the person reading the letter to do? Send back a reply card? Call you? Visit a special landing page on your website? Clearly explain the action you want them to take.
• Place a follow up call about a week later—After you’ve given your letters a week or so to arrive and get read, it’s time to start following up. Call the people you’ve mailed to ensure they received the letter and to push them toward giving you a freelance writing job.

Have you ever used direct mail to get freelance writing jobs? Share your experiences by leaving a comment.

Tags: finding freelance gigs, freelance writing jobs