Tag: copywriter conclave of portland

Finding Writers to Rebrand Your Business

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Mahesh Raj Mohan - Advice, Resources

A business “rebrand” is the most challenging and rewarding inbound query a freelance copywriter can receive. I’ve owned my freelance writing and editing consultancy for five years, and the changes to how businesses market themselves has been nothing short of extraordinary. In the past year, I’ve been approached by three large enterprises to help them update their messaging and assess the effectiveness of their customer-facing marketing materials.

Many larger businesses that never had an in-house writer before (or even used freelance writers) has seen the value of quality content (Moz’s Rand Fishkin calls it 10X content). This is the content that sparks curiosity and is shared multiple times.

The cobwebs from the 2008 financial crisis are shaking loose, and businesses are moving beyond saddling their existing employees with tasks like content creation. And they see the value in the results.

So why the shift?

A big reason, in my opinion, is the sea change in how companies view marketing (and branding) itself.

Former idea: We’ve always done business this way. It’s not broken, so it doesn’t need fixing.

Newer idea: Innovation requires strategic action (e.g. hiring writers and designers to communicate).

Many companies understand the importance of content marketing in all its forms (blog posts, whitepapers, infographics, videos, and quizzes). Sometimes they are just unsure how to find the best content creators, and sometimes they unsure how to measure results.

“Best” is a loaded word, and it’s going to mean different things depending on a company’s needs. Some business owners or marketing managers believe the “best writer” is someone who has worked in their particular service or industry before. Others think someone is the best if s/he learns quickly and works with minimal supervision.

The types of projects also vary. A company at the start of a rebrand may just want a writer to work on website content and some internal-facing pieces. Blog posts, e-mail marketing campaigns, and whitepapers may come later.

This leave writers in a surprisingly strong position. If you’ve been eager to learn about a new industry, then this is the perfect time to make inquiries. (There are multiple posts on the Copywriter Conclave of Portland’s website to help teach you prospecting tactics.)

Even if a company is seeking an all-in-one solution (web design/content/graphic design), writers are vital. You can demonstrate past projects where you worked with a web or graphic designer. You can pitch yourself to the agency handling the design work. Or you can take a pass if that’s too many moving parts. There will always be companies seeking qualified writers to help them rebrand.

Did you find this article helpful? If you’re a new copywriter, I’m available for coaching. If you’re a business (especially at the start or the middle of a rebrand), please feel free to get in touch at the Enlighten Writing website. I’m here to help!

Image credit.

Are You a Copywriter or a Content Strategist?

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Mahesh Raj Mohan - Advice

A few weeks ago, a financial advisor friend of mine and I had a conversation about the terminology of our respective professions. I mentioned how a few people seemed ambivalent about calling themselves copywriters, and some had started using the term, “content strategist.”

I get it. “Copy” is a journalism term and one that evokes smoky newsrooms and clattering typewriters. And when you talk about “copywriting,” people think you’re talking about patents and intellectual property, e.g. copyrights. (I help educate my editing clients about copyrights, but that’s a different subject.) My friend mentioned there was a similar distinction being made between “socially responsible investing” and “impact investing.”

Earlier this month, the Copywriter Conclave of Portland held a lively discussion about what we call ourselves (and a necessary discussion since “copywriter” is such an important part of the Conclave’s branding). There was speculation that content strategists are different because some are responsible for managing data sets and keeping track of a company’s content libraries. Some content strategists are also responsible for creating directions for a brand or a product line. We all agreed that content strategist sounded sexier than copywriter.

I include the title content strategist on my marketing materials (including my website), but I list my role as writer first. I believe writing is a strategic activity. Many may feel writers are passive creators. Writers implement, but strategy is created by someone else.

That’s not me. It’s true that when I started writing professionally in Portland, I took direction from my bosses. But within two months, my overwhelmed direct boss was unable to give me much content direction. So I started running comps and creating product descriptions based on what the customer would like. I didn’t always get it right, but I was also the in-house editor, so I was able to adjust during the revision process. It made me a more proactive writer, and I tried to encourage strategic writing when I moved into a managerial role. The key here is that the strategy and writing were interwoven in my approach.

Today, as the owner of my own content-focused business, I’ve extended that process even further, starting with the proposal phase:

Determine the initial “power content” (book, e-book, website, and so on)
Create a consultation strategy based on client comfort (phone/e-mail/in-person/Skype)
Build a deadline schedule
Offer regular content (preferably evergreen) that solidifies their reputation or allows them to reach a goal (through blog posts and whitepapers)

Information-rich content is being touted as search-engine friendly now, but it was a survival strategy for me in the beginning of my business. I want my clients to know I’m invested in their prosperity. When prospects hire me, they get the benefit of my entire experience … strategy, editing, consulting, the whole thing.

But I am a writer first.

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If you own a business, what sounds better to you … a writer or content strategist? If you’re a fellow content creator, what do you call yourself?

(This post originally appeared at Enlighten Writing.)

How To Create a Marketing Campaign

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Mahesh Raj Mohan - Advice

Last week, we talked about freelance money insights from Shell Tain, a Portland-based money coach. The Conclave hosted Shell at our first event for 2015. We already discussed the genesis of why we wanted Shell Tain to talk to freelance content creators and editors. But what you may not know is that I started designing the marketing campaign in October 2014, and we had several challenges to overcome.

The Challenges

1. The event was not centered on copywriting/editing/content advice, which has been one of CC: PDX’s major value propositions for members and prospects.

2. Shell Tain wanted to specifically talk to Portland copywriters and Conclave members.

3. Talking about money makes people nervous.

4. It was on a Thursday evening during dinnertime.

Our primary target pool was 45 people. I also designed a complementary Twitter and blog strategy that would, if nothing else, help the Conclave’s visibility in the Portland community. My main aim was to be visible without spamming people.

I scheduled e-mails to go out two weeks prior to the event, one week prior, and then three days prior.

The Metrics

Here’s our e-mail metrics (averaged for the entire 45-person target pool):

First e-mail’s open rate: 83%
First e-mail’s click rate: 27%
Second e-mail’s open rate: 73%
Second e-mail’s click rate: 16%
Third e-mail’s open rate: 59%
Third e-mail’s click rate: 10%

As for Twitter, I started with tweets two weeks in advance, and then slowly ratcheted them up to once-a-day tweets.

Here’s some analytics from Twitter:

First tweet: 355 impressions; 10 engagements
Second tweet: 409 impressions; 8 engagements
Sixth tweet: 305 impressions; 2 engagements

The Takeaway

How did all of this marketing translate to dollars? We enjoyed a 20% sales conversion rate. Those who attended said they received a lot of value from the event (I certainly did), which will lead to more people joining the organization. We also received social media support from the venue itself (Forge Portland), and a kind shout-out from Mathys+Potestio.

Our next event, Momentum Drivers for Writers and Artists featuring Lynette Xanders, is currently scheduled for May. We’ve developed a content strategy for this event, and the Conclave in general, that will guide us through the rest of the year.

Interested in learning more about what we do? Leave a comment below! We love to share ideas.

4 Freelance Copywriters Who Give Great Advice

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Mahesh Raj Mohan - Advice, Resources

There are many freelance copywriters who give great advice. If you braved the traffic, wind, and Trimet last Thursday, you met one of them. Formidable copywriter and content strategist Hank Hosfield spent nearly two hours giving advice both practical and inspiring for new and veteran freelance copywriters at the Copywriter Conclave of Portland’s monthly meeting.

If you don’t have access to in-person resources, there are many freelance writing advisors on the Internet. Many monetize that advice through coaching, online classes, e-books, and so forth. Some are good and some are bad. Peter Bowerman (we’ve written about him before) is one of the best. He’s written for corporations (such as Mercedes-Benz), and now a major line of his business is marketing to freelance copywriters like us.

I’ve encountered many freelance writers in my online travels, and I’ve interacted with four in particular who give excellent advice. They share some traits: many years of experience; impressive client lists; and a generosity of spirit.

SEO Copywriting

SEO Copywriting is based in Oregon (West Linn) and was founded by Heather Lloyd-Martin. Heather has more than 20 years of marketing experience, and she was at the vanguard of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) copywriting. Heather markets to businesses, but she also offers a SEO Copywriting Certification to freelancers. Heather sends out a weekly e-newsletter, and there is an array of informative blog posts at her site. She’s also on Twitter.

Dr. Freelance

I became acquainted with Jake Poinier, aka Dr. Freelance, back in 2010 when I started my own freelance copywriting business. Jake started his freelance shop in 1999. He releases the Dr. Freelance series of e-books, and his blog posts are informative and entertaining. He’s also personable, and I’ve learned a lot from him. One topic he frequently tackles is the touchy subject of freelance writer rates. You can also find him on Twitter.

Writing Thoughts

Laura Spencer has more than 24 years of professional copywriting experience, with 1,400+ articles and blog posts to her credit. Laura is a working writer who is also a coach for freelance writers, focusing particularly on messaging and communication. Laura writes valuable blog posts that touch on many aspects of running a freelance writing business. Yup, she’s also on Twitter.

Productive Writers

John Soares is another Oregon-based writer (he lives in Ashland). As of this blog post, he is not taking on new coaching clients, but he sells an e-book designed to help writers discover a niche that is right for them. (Our own Sheila Ashdown has similar advice.). John’s own niche is in “freelance writing for college textbook publishers,” which has served him well over the years. He is (you guessed it) on Twitter.

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I think there’s an obvious market need for writing advice. I’m on the fence if a “freelance advisor” should focus only on other freelance writers as his/her market. I think you run the risk of giving outdated advice unless you still market to businesses/institutions. That doesn’t apply so much if you’re discussing basic grammar rules or “how-to” prospecting tips.

I’ve learned the most from writers still “in the game,” and that’s why I’ve highlighted Heather, Jake, Laura, and John.

How about you? Who do you feel gives great advice for freelance copywriters?

Tech Tools for Freelancers

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Heather Hyland - Advice, Resources

Full disclosure: I’m new to the freelance game. Entering the freelance world after a career of safe, cushy corporate positions is a bit like a baby bird being pushed out of the nest, but it’s worth the risk to have more direct control over my career. Thankfully, I’m smart enough to know I can’t do it on my own. Whether you’re a newbie (like me) or a grizzled freelancing veteran, there are loads of innovative tech tools for freelancers that can help you run your business like a Fortune 500 company.

Time Tracking Tools

Harvest – limited free option or $12 per month. This flexible, functional time tracking app is compatible with popular accounting programs (Quickbooks, Xero), project management apps (Basecamp), and CRM tools (Salesforce).

Paymo – limited free option or $9.95 per month. Inexpensive option for the sole proprietor offers a goal calendar, client portal and a desktop monitor that will show you how you’ve been spending (or wasting) your time.

Toggl – limited free option or $5 per month. A simple, inexpensive solution offering desktop monitoring, plus a handy Google Chrome extension and a workspaces option for simple, effective project management.

Freckle – $19.95/month. Simplified manual tracking with a clever hashtag feature, professional, Paypal-friendly invoicing and the cool Pulse feature that gives you a calendar view of your productivity.

RescueTime – limited free option or $9/month. Not an invoicing program, but a very robust time tracking/productivity tool. Helps you set goals, block time wasters and rates your activities on a productivity scale from “very distracting” to “very productive,” to produce an overall productivity score.

Social Media Management Tools

Hootsuite – limited free option or $14.99+ per month. Somewhat of an industry standard, it’s robust offerings include management for multiple accounts, team collaboration, scheduled updates and customized analytics. Can get expensive as you start adding team members and/or requesting additional reports.

Buffer – $10 per month. The perfect tool if you need posting and scheduling help across Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+.

SocialOomph – limited free option or $39.99 per month. Compatible with Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn. blogs and more. Features include post scheduling, analytics and dashboard functionality.

Sprout Social – free limited trial then $39-$99 per month. A Hootsuite competitor, Sprout Social lets you manage, monitor, post and analyze multiple social media accounts from one location.

TweetDeck – free. This tool will help you manage, track and organize multiple accounts, as long as they are all Twitter accounts.

Project Management Tools

Basecamp – $20 per month. Widely used cloud-based project management solution.

Freedcamp – free. Essentially a free version of Basecamp, and a functional, robust project management option for freelancers on a budget.

Trello – free to $50 per month. An elegant, visually driven project collaboration tool.

Asana – free. A great, affordable option for smaller freelance operations, free for up to 15 users.

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