A lot of people come to my site (via Google, Twitter and elsewhere) for information about marketing writing and freelance copywriting pricing. These include people in the market for writing services and freelance professionals that need guidance with respect to specific projects. I usually direct them to Steven Slaunwhite’s resources. He’s considered the pricing guru in the biz and does a lot of research to back up his info and reports.
I recently came across a great comment thread about freelance copywriting pricing, however. And it’s a useful eye-opener for anyone involved in this trade – buyers and sellers. Ignore the obnoxious headline and read the thread below that. There are a lot of gems in there (along with some duds and silliness). The range of pricing discussed is huge, but you can get a sense for what the more serious companies pay when they’re looking for quality writing.
I was having a glass of wine with a friend last night – a Malbec, which by the way, was sheepy, barn-yardy and yucky.. some Malbecs just baffle me (I don’t dig it, so I opened a different bottle) – and he said something interesting.
He said, “To be honest, Phil, I don’t think anyone cares what the buildings are like. There’s no connection between the maintenance crews and the customer desire.”
This was part of a long conversation about a timeshare development that’s teetering on the brink of disaster. So I couldn’t resist and said, “Are you going to let me know when you switch back to dishonesty?”
I love this little joke and try to fit it in every once in a while, even though it’s really annoying. I wrote it about a long time ago (Eliminate Honesty from Your Copy), and it’s covered in-depth in my eBay Marketing book, which is now available on the Kindle.
The main point is this. When you’re speaking or writing – especially if you’re involved with a persuasive presentation or document – it’s best to stay away from words like “frankly,” “honestly,” and “to tell you the truth.” Consciously or subconsciously people are going to notice and wonder why honesty all of a sudden became an issue.
Instead, use facts, logic and proof to construct your pitches and explanations. You don’t need to qualify your virtue when clear, compelling information is at hand.
That other stuff sounds “salesy” and a bit cheap. You’re better than that.
And, yes, please use my joke when you’re out with friends. It’s a real show stopper.. but it might just get you a face full of Malbec, so be careful.
Having trouble starting a writing project? (large or small)
Stop what you’re doing. Don’t get distracted or procrastinate. Send me a quick email with the copy in question. I’ll send you some options, ideas and a high quality alternative to your existing sentence.
I’m thinking about writing and communication methods all the time.
For the past 15 years, I’ve spent every day helping companies write quality content for the web, direct response campaigns, and in print (articles, white papers, case studies, trade show scripts, special reports, data sheets, brochures… you name it).
Send me your sentence right now. If I can improve it, I’ll fix it (I’ll also tell you what’s working and what you’ve done right). No strings attached. No charge. It’s just my little way to offer help and show companies how I work.
I have a short, “real life” story to tell which demonstrates some of the dangers of customer communication in a social media world. It’s also relevant to larger marketing and brand discussions. First the story:
I activated one of our company phones with the local Costa Mesa T-Mobile store the other day. The rep was great, I got the pricing I needed.
During the sign up process I told the rep that the charger jack on my phone doesn’t work so well. You have to connect the cord just right to get it to work. He told me to sign up for their $6 insurance plan and then file a claim with Asurion, T-Mobile’s mobile phone/cell phone claims company. I’d get a new phone and be set, he assured me.
Sounds too good to be true, ay? But you know what they say, “Sales people are the easiest people to sell to.” I’m a marketing guy, but I consider myself a sales pro, too (it’s part of the whole process – selling with words). So I was caught up in a feel good sales process, getting a new plan set up, and looking forward to getting the Blackberry Curve activated and working. I love this phone. I’ve had others, but this is my favorite.
Anyway, a few days later, I ask James, the sales rep, how to start the claim process. He emails me back with the phone number of a company in Fountain Valley (CA) that repairs phones.
I scratch my head and then call James to figure out what the deal is. I explain to him who I am and what he suggested when we first set up the account. He says I should file a claim with Asurion but that they’ll charge me a $130 deductible. “Really?” I say, “because you didn’t mention that earlier.” So he says that the repair place can fix the charger problem in a matter of minutes. I just take my phone in and they’ll resolder some wires. Quick fix – no problemo.
That sounds good to me. So I ask James if he can cancel the $6 insurance plan. He tells me to check out the repair shop first and then make sure it’s worth it. I scratch my head again.
I call the repair place, and they charge $85 for the repair. Hmmm. I’m starting to feel like a sucker at this point.
So, in the final analysis, communication and misunderstanding are at play here. I think there was some deception involved, too. If James were transparent about the deductible from the get go, I never would have wasted time tracking down service and claims options (or writing this article, for that matter).
But here’s the kicker.. and the crucial moment where an opportunity for a solution was fumbled away. During my first visit with James, I told him that I really like the new Sidekick LX. I mentioned that I’d probably upgrade to that sooner or later because I had one of the first gen devices and loved it (just a bit too clunky, but they’re slimmer now).
The thing is… James probably could have sold me one there and then. It was the solution to a *specific* problem I was having. They had 2008 models in the for $100 (less than a $130 deductible, cough, cough). And I was there as a new customer in activation mode.
But now I don’t want to give that store my business. I’d rather get an unlocked Sidekick on Craigslist or eBay and then bring it in an have them hassle with the activation and migration – which is a big, costly customer service exercise for them. I take up more of their staff’s time, I divert their attention from other customers, and other customers get peeved because I’m hogging all the time with this complicated migration issue.
From a marketing and customer service perspective, the whole situation is a lose-lose-lose for T-Mobile.
James doesn’t know that I’m a technology blogger and SEO consultant with a big following on Twitter, Facebook and elsewhere. I didn’t tell him, because I don’t want to be “that guy.” I’m sure they have lots of people pull the blogger card.
So, I’ve got good keyword density in this post. I’m reminding my marketing and advertising clients/readers about customer service in this brave new social media/social networking world. And, I have a place to vent about T-Mobile, Asurion and cell phone repair shops.
By the way, don’t ever get the insurance plan. The numbers don’t work out (as you can see above). And the repair places seem kind of scammy, too. James was telling me that this is a 5 minute procedure to fix a bad charger jack. $85 for 5 minutes is not reasonable, especially when you can find them all over craigslist and ebay.
I’m sure you’ve had experiences similar to this with a wide range of companies. Please comment below to tell your story or post a link to your own blog. Meanwhile, I’m off to Twitter and Facebook to link this post.
Happy Friday, btw. Phil – not bitter, just smarter today
Another note: I’ll be scheduling this one on TweetLater, too. What do you bet a T-Mobile Twitter monitoring employee contacts me (if they have a clue)?
If you’re like most people, you’ve upgraded your monitor over the years. Maybe you went from a CRT to a flatscreen… or from a standard 3:4 monitor to the larger cinema-style formats like 16:9.
Well, with a bigger screen or a different size ratio, you probably noticed that Microsoft Word docs (I’m using Microsoft Word 2007) look smaller on the bigger screens. This is a function of the zoom slider in the lower right-hand portion of the page. It has a range from 10% to 500%. Slide it and you’ll see what happens.
So, how do you change Microsoft Word’s default settings so you can see the same size page every time you open a Word doc or start a new document? Here’s the quick solution:
Go to the File menu => click Open => then locate and open the template you want to modify (This will usually be the normal.dot template)
The file is usually located here: C:\Users\<name>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates where <name> is the name of the user or computer you’re on (search your computer for the Templates folder if you can’t find it)
Locate, select and open Normal.dot
Change the Zoom level (lower right) on this particular document to whatever percentage you prefer (You can also change any of the template’s text and graphics, styles, formatting, macros, AutoText entries, toolbars, menu settings, and shortcut keys)
For years I struggled with music players. I bought cheap MP3 players, and I bought cell phones that I thought would be good all-in-one solutions for music, texting, calling and so forth.
Recently, I broke down and bought an iPod Touch… and it makes me a little sad. I’ve wasted a lot of time struggling with cruddy software interfaces, inane syncing schemes and just plain dumbness of design.
Yes, Apple products are good. No surprise here, and that’s not what this article is about.
This article is about specialization and why it makes sense for your business. You see, I bought the iTouch because I wanted a product from a company that specializes in the music experience. It comes with a lot of other cool stuff – like wi-fi, which I love. Yet, it’s the music experience that I’m after. Yes, I know I could have bought an iPhone and added mobile phone capability, but I don’t like touch screens for texting. So I’m keeping my cell phone separate from my music/game toy for the time being. When Apple comes out with a nice chicklet keyboard iPhone, I’ll be the first one in line.
Anyway, this discussion brings me to the following maxim: Don’t buy generalist products, and don’t be a generalist producer.
I wanted the right music player, and I finally bought it. If you want good chocolate, get it from the company that breathes and bleeds chocolate – the one that obsesses over cocoa, not coffee or nuts or some other diversion. If you want a good wine recommendation, get it from a proven expert.
In business, this is imperative. If you want a good graphic artist, buy services from someone with experience in your particular industry. If you want a good writer, get one who knows your turf.
If you go to the agency that says yes to everyone, regardless of their experience with the project or industry, you’re going to get a generalist solution and perhaps something worse. You’ll get a provider that’s ok at a bunch of stuff but not really good at any particular thing. It reminds me of the Nike Trainers when they first came out. It was the shoe that was ok for a handful of sports but not really exceptional for any specific sport. Yuck – in short.
If you keep this in mind when you’re buying and selling, you’ll be in good shape. It’s particularly relevant when you’re building your career. Don’t try to be the best at everything. You’ll end up with fewer customers, lower pricing and poorer performance.
Are your marketing documents ready for an overhaul?
Do you have in-house writing staff but need a fresh, outside perspective?
Is your existing copy connecting fully with prospects, partners, employees and customers?
Here’s an offer that won’t cost you anything but a simple referral once you’ve completed the process.
This month (May ‘09), QualityWriter is giving away a few free copy tune-up and critique packages to select prospects and past clients (this is something we usually charge $300 to $400 for). This is first come first served – we can only do so many between regular deadlines.
Next, send us Web content, a landing page, a direct mail or email piece, a case study, a data sheet, a short brochure, or two pages of a white paper (anything up to 500 words), and we’ll give it a complete content analysis and evaluation (review notes and improvement plan included).
Make small progress today with your marketing documents, and ensure big progress in the future:
Connect with prospect/customer motivations.
Restructure your copy to get a natural conversation going
Immediately get customers thinking about the key issues and questions that matter to them most
Present solutions in a clear, compelling manner
Strengthen your calls to action and show readers what you’d like them to do next
Bolster your credibility and authority with 3rd party analyst or customer quotes, testimonials and insights
You can also get a taste for how I work and think.. and perhaps we can work on a writing project some day.
Get started right now – call (949) 515-3510 or email dunn@qualitywriter.com. There’s nothing to lose here. If the improved copy helps you sell more and improve your brand/image, you actually come out ahead.
Technology executives, marketing managers, creative directors, sales people, CMOs, VPs and CEOs all have one thing in common. You have to sell despite the current economic climate.
You can’t just turn off the bull-horn and expect to save money by being quiet, though. That’s a recipe for disaster.
So, how do you connect with customers when they’re so resistant to new spending initiatives? How do you generate better leads when customer budgets are shrinking?
Here a quick, high-level run-down of the pertinent answers.
First, you should show them:
How your solution saves them money.
How your solution helps them make money.
New ways to make money.
How your solution helps simplify their business.
How your solution helps them reduce head count (painful as that subject may be).
How to eliminate wasteful activity.
Real life customers you’ve helped do all of the above (as case studies)
The next question you should be asking is: How do I find people that are interested in these topics (with respect to my solutions/products/services)?
I have several different approaches to this last question. Some are social media related, some involve emailing people, some use good old-fashioned direct mail, some utilize Google Adwords and Facebook ads.
If you’d like to explore these topics in more detail and create a marketing campaign that gets immediate results, please give me a call at 949-515-3510 or email me at dunn@qualitywriter.com.
P.S. I have a really efficient system for carrying out these types of direct marketing plans. Please give me a call or email and I’ll tell you how I automate direct response campaigns with my assistant.
P.P.S If you end up hiring me to write some content for you, there’s zero risk. When the copy drives sales it’s essentially free. (All it takes is one extra sale to absorb your writing costs. You can’t lose.) Plus, I personally guarantee my work. You get a full refund by just calling up and telling me where I missed the mark and what I could have done better. I need you to tell me at least five things we could have done better. There’s one little catch: If you decide to keep the copy and continue using my services, I’d like you to give us a referral to one of your colleagues who you think can benefit from our services. Easy.
How do you connect with customers when they’re so resistant to new spending initiatives? How do you generate better leads when customer budgets are shrinking?
Here a quick, high-level run-down of the pertinent answers:
Show them how your solution saves them money.
Show them how your solution helps them make money.
Show them new ways to make money.
Show them how your solution helps simplify their business.
Show them how your solution helps them reduce head count (painful as that subject may be).
Show them how to eliminate wasteful activity.
Show them real life customers you’ve helped do all of the above (as case studies)
The next question you should be asking is: How do I find people that are interested in these topics (with respect to my solutions/products/services)?
I have about 10 different approaches to this last question. Some are social media related, some involve emailing people, some use good old-fashioned direct mail, some utilize Google Adwords and Facebook ads.
If you’d like to explore these topics in more detail and create a marketing campaign that gets immediate results, please give me a call at 949-515-3510 or email me at dunn@qualitywriter.com.
P.S. I can help you start figuring out what your prospects are looking for in just a few simple steps. And, conveniently, I’m a marketing writer that can help you develop content that drives sales.
P.P.S. I have a really efficient system for carrying out these types of direct marketing plans. Please give me a call or email and I’ll tell you how I automate direct response campaigns with my assistant. You, too, can do big things with very few people.
.. Unless You Find a Way to Make Them Profit Your Customers
One of the hottest, latest conversation starters in marketing and sales meetings across the planet is “social media.” Ask people to join you in a meeting about social media, and you’ll find a lot of takers. This goes for internal folks and customers/prospects alike. The hype has hit that critical mass level.
But you’ll soon find out that most people don’t know what the heck they’re talking about or what the heck they want to accomplish with social media.
Everyone loves it, of course.
“I’m on Facebook!”
“Follow me on Twitter.”
“Join me on LinkedIn.”
Yet a lot of marketing and sales folks who are pumped about what this all means can’t give you a detailed outline of their social media and social networking strategies.
And by strategies I mean the following: How can I leverage social media platforms to make a difference in the lives of my customers or prospects?
Ask yourself some questions to get to the root of this strategy dilemma:
How do people use these tools/applications?
Why are they using them?
What exactly can I do with things like Twitter and Facebook to start conversations with customers?
What kinds of conversations do I want to have?
What’s my goal when I have a conversation with someone via social media?
Should I have a goal?
Should I be educating?
Should I give out free information?
How do I structure free information to draw people closer to my organization and solutions?
Can I schedule meetings, webinars or phone calls via social media?
Can I close business on these platforms?
What’s possible?
The ultimate goal of an exercise like this should drive to one general area, and that is: How does the person on the other end of these transactions and communications stand to profit from the exchange?
Are you solving a problem for them? Can you help them make more money for themselves and their company? Can you help them get a job or a promotion? Can you help them keep a job that they fear they might lose? Can you reduce their debt burden? Can you help them build out their market share? Can you help them reach more people and sell more via social media?
These are the kinds of questions you need to answer before you start jumping up and down about Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Otherwise you’re just propagating counter-productivity. Everybody knows that Facebook and Twitter are major time suckers unless you’re positioned to help someone every day. You have to actively help people get what they want out of life – whether that’s more sales, more compelling advertising, better health, a happier family life, a loving relationship, a place to live, a job.. whatever it is that’s motivating them.
Make the connection between what you offer and what people need, and you’ll be using social media and social networking tools effectively.
If you’d like to explore these topics in more detail and create a marketing campaign that gets immediate results, please give me a call at 949-515-3510 or email me at dunn@qualitywriter.com.
P.S. I can help you start figuring out what your prospects are looking for in just a few simple steps (using Facebook and Google AdWords, btw).
