As others have mentioned, I find it far easier to build a good mailing list than an email list. And I’m not certain how to mass-email unknown prospects within the limits of the law. To rerun an update of my original postcard campaign this year, I copied names and addresses of ad agenceis and design studios off one of the online Yellow Pages and then spent several days searching each company on the Web. If they had a site, I found the name of the Creative Director. If they had no site or I could not otherwise verify their existence, I deleted them. I have also written letters to small lists of direct prospects in fields where I have good experience.

My only e-marketing is my Web site, which ranks high in some specific searches but not for “freelance copywriter” in general. Still, prospects manage to find me.

It’s actually very helpful. Course, I’m going to say that as it’s the way I built my business! But seriously, folks, what Denis says makes sense. It plays into earlier discussions about people wanting to work with those people they know, and when you send someone something they’ve requested (or, at the very least, agreed to receive from you), once they get your info, they’re one step closer to “knowing” you. Thanks for the input!

PB

Before my reincarnation as a FLCW, I was a freelance cold-caller for several businesses, including the insurance industry — a particularly saturated marketplace. Over the course of 20 years I’ve tested just about every combination of sending “pre-approach” letters –whether via snail mail or email — prior to making a call. Or calling first, really finding the decision maker or influencer, so that the mailing/info/materials went directly to (and were OK’d by) that contact.
Those results over the years have convinced me that your energies are best spent compiling your target market lists, getting on the phone, finding the right person, speaking to them, and, as a function of your conversation with them, sending something that they have (at least on some level) have requested. That then gives you the opportunity to follow up with them by phone. By then you’re a somewhat “known” quantity.

For many people its much harder, I know, to get on the phone and call a stranger than just hit “Send” and kick out an email or mail a postcard. But you multiply your hit ratio and “depth of conversation” many times over.

I like postcards for staying in touch — just another point of contact that’s somewhat different from email. If they already know you via your initial conversation, the follow-up email you’ve sent with a link to your URL, then your postcard — even if they only give it a cursory glance — will remind them of you. It’s especially effective if you have “new news”, announcing some big campaign you’ve been part of, or name client you’ve worked with, or whatever.

I’ve also used this mindset in my other occupation — doing Voiceover here in LA. Whether doing radio or TV commercials, books on tape, documentary narration, animation, etc — keeping in touch with casting directors, agents and media buyers is imperative. None of the above like to get much unsolicited stuff, but if you make an initial call, get “permission” to send something, and then keep them in the loop via postcards, its very effective. Even if the postcard has one line like: “Hear Chuck’s as Rush Limbaugh in the latest episode of “The Simpsons”, next Sunday on Channel 11.” Or “Chuck just voiced three characters in the new Pixar film, ‘Up.’” Again, “new news” to generate a bit of buzz and excitement.

I think a similar approach can be used with copywriting as a part of the overall marketing mix.

Hope this is helpful.

Denis

And Mike’s absolutely right about the fact that people like to work with those they know. In fact, that’s really what the whole follow-up thing is all about. It might take you months of communicating with a prospect until they hire you, and in that period, as you contact them again and again, they’re getting to know you, getting a sense for your skills, your personality, how you’d be to work with (i.e., are you reliable in following up when you said you would, or sending that sample you said you would, for instance?), etc.

Interesting to hear the reflections on the impact of social media. And it’s no surprise that many people are finding SM to be the way that now yields the biggest return in terms of clients. At the risk of sounding UN-profound, when you get past the hype (both positive and negative) and fears about the Time Drain, what social media is in essence doing is accelerating that getting-to-know-you process that will likely take longer with direct mail or email marketing.

Assuming you’re reasonably active on several SM sites, the network is being built constantly and somewhat organically, and people are able to learn more about different aspects of you. And because outright promotion is frowned on (as opposed to being the whole point of most marketing efforts) in SM venues, it gives the world a chance to “take your measure” in a non-threatening setting, and get a sense of your expertise (i.e., in the case, say, of LinkedIn’s forums, where you can weigh in on industry-related questions), which is always a better way to have someone get to know you and build up that comfort level that can eventually lead to a hire.

You might recall this truism of our business (and I’d daresay, most every other one as well) that I’ve said over and over: people don’t want to spend a lot of time hunting for a writer when they need one. So, if you’ve been a visible, knowledgeable presence through your marketing efforts – direct mail, email and/or social media – you make it easier for that prospect to pick you.

PB