Once you find good clients, the goal is to keep them. This seems obvious, but sometimes by raising your rates, you may lose even your best clients. But you can’t stay at the same rate forever if you want to maintain a freelance writing career. How do you raise your rates without scaring off your clients?

When just starting out, many freelance writers set their rates too low. I know I did. It could be fear or lack of confidence or just not knowing what to charge. After a while, you realize you are just not getting ahead and most of you spend most of your day writing with little in return for your time. No matter who you are, your time is valuable. Life is short. And quality writing takes time.

You may be more comfortable sticking with your current rates than telling your clients that your prices are going up. Again, fear and lack of self-confidence can rear its head again.  If they value your writing, a small increase should not scare your clients. But take these tips into consideration when you decide to break the news.

1. Be Honest!

It is amazing how the truth is the most impressive reason for raising your rates. Tell your client that since you began your career, you have developed as a writer. Mention that you are getting more clients and it is time to focus on the jobs that provide the most effective use of your time. Maybe you are more established in the market now, or have learned additional skills you can bring to the table. Your clients will appreciate your honesty. This is a business, not personal, and there really is no need to apologize for increasing your prices.

2. Give Current Clients Plenty Of Notice

When you plan to raise your rates, give your current clients a heads up so they are not caught by surprise. Send out an email and let them know you will be raising your rates in the near future.  Give them an opportunity to place an order before the increase using a “Buy Now” offer at your lower rate.

3. Have Confidence In Your Writing Skills

As I prepare for book, Calling All Freelance Writers, I have learned that the biggest thing that holds people back from charging more is the lack of confidence in their skills. The key is to find customers that understand the value of quality writing. This is even more true with Google chasing down all the content mills and poor quality websites. If you believe you are worth more than $15 an article, than don’t be afraid to ask.

4. Be Aware that you May Lose Clients and That it’s Okay. 

The good news is that many of your clients will understand and if you have proven yourself, they will stay with you even after you raise your rates. There will probably be a few who just can’t afford it. Don’t stress! Remember, even if you’re only raising your rates by a couple of cents per word, it still means earning the same amount of money for less work. You can afford to lose a few clients if you are charging more for your writing. In the end, you want the clients who can afford to pay.

As long as you communicate with your customers, are honest with them upfront, they can afford to pay for content, and they like your work, increasing your prices should not be an issue. If you are hesitating to send over that email to your clients: don’t! Remember, most will see the value in your work and continue to work with you.

Related articles

• Five Valid Reasons Freelance Writers Need a Website (inspiredtowrite.com)
• 3 Tips to Gain and Maintain Your Clients’ Confidence (inspiredtowrite.com)
• Give Yourself a Raise in 2012 (freelanceswitch.com)

Are you writing to make money? Do you consider yourself a professional writer? Then you need an online presence. Having a website is the most logical way a freelance writer can obtain a presence online.  One of the most effective business tools in your arsenal may be your website.

Your website can be as simple and as elaborate as you want to make it. But there is no doubt about it – we live in a digital age. Even if you have been a professional writer since Microsoft was just a spark in a young guy’s imagination, a website is just a part of the world we live in.

You may be asking, can I be successful without a website? Sure you can, but if you are a brand new freelance writer, that may be tough. And it will certainly require a lot of marketing and mailing of samples.

A website makes life easier. Why?

1. Customers Search Online

When you are looking for information, I bet you turn to the web to do your research. The same holds true for finding and researching services or products. Even if you have a product in mind, you will still turn to the web to read more about that product. The Internet is not going away. Why not be a part of it?

There is a good chance your customers will do a web search to find a professional writer for their content requirements. Potential customers will likely do some of their research online. Unless they know of a writer personally, the prospect will look online to find one.  (Who looks at Yellow Pages anymore? And how many freelance writers list in the Yellow Pages anyhow?)

2. The Website Displays Your Portfolio

Potential clients may want to see your writing portfolio before they hire you. Your website offers a perfect place to post your samples and clips.

Not only can you post your portfolio on your website, but all of your blog posts and pages are available as writing samples. Remember, you never know who is looking at your website, so every piece of writing should be free of grammatical and spelling errors.

3. Establishes Credibility and Authority

Credibility and authority are significant buying triggers. Since everyone else wants to create a website for their business, content is in high demand. A website shows your prospects that you have the ability to write online. This helps establish your credibility as a writer. A website says that you take your writing serious and have no plans to skip town as soon as the client makes a payment.

There are also places on your website you can display the professional organizations you belong to. Consider publishing recognitions and awards you have received for your writing.

Your portfolio always demonstrates your professionalism. Testimonials are a huge display of credibility. A website allows you to compile all your accomplishments and put them out there for the world to see.

4. Establishes Your Brand

I started Tiffany Dow’s “Branding Challenge” Course a few weeks ago. The goal behind this challenge is to establish a brand, a personality and positive reputation everyone recognizes and trusts. As a small business owner, your brand is an important element. Customers connect with and want to buy from a brand they recognize. Likeability is a primary buying trigger. If your visitors like you, there is a better chance they are going to hire you. A website established this brand.

The writing on your website will help you connect and communicate with your readers. This is where your personality, ethics, and business style will peek through. Clients and customers will see this as well. This only further enhances your brand to your prospects, which will help sell your writing services.

5. More Effective & Efficient

Finally, your website simply means less work for you in the long run. Instead of mailing samples, marketing full throttle, and answering dozens of emails, having a website is a more effective and efficient may to run your freelance business.

Placing a FAQ page, your policies, an order form or shopping cart, your portfolio, and an About page on your website means all you have to do is send people your website address if they want to know more. This makes life easier for you and your prospects. This helps potential clients do their own research before they hire you.

If you are a writer, a website is simply a must. It really will help you grow and streamline your business.

Home Office (Aktiv Phil via Flickr)

There are several people who are trying their hand at Internet Marketing, or have in the past. They want to either supplement their income, or have a new career entirely. However, I will admit that I also wanted to be my own boss.

I don’t think I’m alone either, as a recent survey held at smallbizopinion.com showed that it was the number 2 reason why people started their own business. The importance of wanting to be your own boss is high, but so are the responsibilities.

There are many ups and downs to becoming self-employed. You are now the main, and probably only, person to make sure that all tasks are completed, even the tedious ones. There will no longer be someone higher up than you to turn to when something goes awry. When you work for a company, you might have help along the way. But, when you are on your own, you are, well…on your own.

Commander in Chief, Secretary, and Delivery Person

Unless you have the funds and space available to hire help, you are not just your own boss, but a person to wear many hats.

When you worked for a company, you most likely had things spelled out for you, long before you even started with them, such as a structured support system, routine, and policies. This is because a successful company finds all of this to be necessary to keep the business running smoothly. Being a solo entrepreneur is no different.  It’s important to have structure and a work protocol, even if it’s just you.

The first step is to realize that there is far more to consider than finding the ideal glass top computer desk, when starting a business from home.

I am going to share with you my top 5 tips in how to be a successful business owner. They certainly helped me to succeed.

1.     Focus, focus, focus.

When you are working at home, it becomes increasingly difficult to stay focused on what needs to get done, due to more distractions than is in the typical office setting. However, I have a tip that will help you stay on track, or get back on quickly.

You are now responsible for every menial task, so having an effective start page on your computer is the easiest way to stay organized and motivated. I placed all my bookmarks, log in data, and even motivational messages at the top, so they are right at my fingertips and within direct viewing. It might sound simple, because it is. But then again, complex isn’t necessarily productive.

2.     Develop an Uplifting Speech.

I am not talking about writing a lengthy speech to share at a conference, but rather a short little ‘ad’ to use when explaining your career to others. For me, it was a little frustrating to see the ‘deer in the headlights’ look repeatedly when I tried to explain that even though I worked from home, it was a real career.

I wrote out how I felt, which in turn built up my confidence, without even having to recite it to anyone. I did use the words though to help people understand. They soon understood that my work was just as significant as anyone else’s. Whether you use it on people, or for you to read as your mission statement, it’s beneficial to write one, even if it’s just one or two lines.

3.     Develop Productive Habits.

In order to work from a home office and be successful, you must develop some good habits and routines. If you don’t, time will get away from you and before you know it there wasn’t much accomplished, if anything at all.

Routines should be in place to prevent the wheels from spinning needlessly, with no ‘destination’ in sight. Plan out a reasonable and productive routine. It will go a long way to keeping you in the proper mindset for reaching goals. Each day, set a goal and a plan on how to reach it. You will be amazed at how productive that is, and it snowballs from there.

4.     Break the Bad Habits.

Many of us, especially those of us who are working in the Internet Marketing business, are involved with social medias and networking such as email, Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter. The downside to working at home at your computer is that they are all just a click away, waiting to snare you in for the day. Next thing you know, it’s the end of the day and the biggest accomplishment you had was writing to your old high school friend, or several comments on statuses.

Let’s not even mention that game of Solitaire that had you saying, ‘Just one more.’ It’s all there, and very tempting. It was easiest for me to simply tell myself that it will still be there when I am done working for the day. Some days I had to tell myself that more than once.

5.     Make ‘Appointments’ for Social Media and Networking.

I know. I just told you to not give into the temptation of it all. But, there is a real place for a little social networking in the business world. It’s a way to connect on a business level, as well as get your name and business known, as well as attract more customers, clients, and readers.

The key is to put this into your routine, like an appointment. Stick to the professional end of it, and set a timer if you find yourself being lured away. Your business will thank you in the end.

Having your own business, and working from home certainly has its rewards. However, just keep in mind that ‘finding your Bestar corner desk’, or the latest in technology, is just the beginning. Dig deep and find the self-discipline, because you will need it. There will be times when you want to give up, but don’t. That is a big factor in why so many home-based businesses fail, giving up too soon.

I am interested in learning about your ideas, and how you handle being your own boss. There is a comment box below; please leave your comments and ideas there.

Editor’s Note:  This is a guest post from Melissa Cameron.  Melissa, who lives in Texas next to her elderly parents, is married with 2 children. She lives a productive life in Austin, freelancing from home, which allows her to spend more time with her family. She enjoys writing about parenting, history, and how to live a life on a budget.

I am first and foremost a mom, of two lovely kids. However, I also wanted to contribute to the household income to take the pressure off my entire family. After a significant amount of soul-searching, I decided to give it a try. I loved to write, and thought I could easily do this from home. Well, I was wrong about the ‘easy’ part of it.

In addition to all the challenges I had read about, such as the distractions from the family, pets, and neighbors, there were more that I hadn’t considered.

Working from Home (Image by Fabio Bruna @ Flickr)

While I was excited that my new career seemed to be taking off, it was disheartening to find myself with back aches, a sleepiness that I was not accustomed to, and my jeans not fitting quite the same.

I guess it was inevitable when I sat a desk all day, and had a full kitchen within my reach, that my back would hurt more, and my jeans might fit less. But, I wasn’t going to just accept it. So, I decided to do something about it, and not let it get out of control.

When meals and grocery shopping aren’t planned out, they tend to become less and less healthy. Making a meal at the last minute, without a game plan in place often leads to quickly throwing processed ingredients together, rather than those that are more healthy and nutritious.

Then, let’s factor in the sedate lifestyle that sitting at a desk all day brings on. My mom always told me ‘if you don’t use it, you lose it’. Well, she wasn’t referring to losing weight. If I sit all day and don’t use the body that I was given, I’m going to lose IT, not the weight.

Beating the Battle of the Work-at-Home-Bulge

First I needed to conquer the nutrition, or lack of actually. After investigating various websites and articles on eating healthy, I decided that planning ahead was the key. So, I now plan out my weekly menu, and grocery list. Knowing what you are going to shop for, and cook, ahead of time really helps you adhere to healthier eating habits.

I also use the slow cooker as much as possible. This not only lets me get the meals started early, but it frees up some of my valuable time, to spend with the kids. There are several websites and cookbooks with fabulous slow cooker recipes. Keep in mind, any recipe can be altered to a healthier state.

Even though healthy eating tends to cost more than unhealthy ‘junk’ eating, it doesn’t have to. In addition to being a writer, I’m also a frugal woman, and proud of it. Finding great coupons goes a long way in keeping the cost down on healthier choices.

Finally, I knew I needed to exercise, because eating healthy wouldn’t be enough to keep me at my healthiest. After searching for options, I found the Bowflex Selectech Dumbbells were something that could easily fit into my schedule, as well as my limited space.

All of the above is something that my entire family can benefit from, so it became our lifestyle, not a diet.

Morphing into a Healthy Lifestyle

• Plan ahead. Planning your grocery lists and menus ahead of time will help substantially in obtaining, and maintaining, a healthy way of life.
• Use the slow cooker. Free up your time to spend more quality time with the family, which was my original goal.
• Cut Coupons. Saving money will keep you on track, and it’s a fun challenge.
• Exercise. I found a great program for the entire family through a P90X program review.

Using the above advice won’t guarantee success, but it will allow your best chance for it. I could have chosen to fall into the trap that I found myself facing, but I didn’t. It has worked out well for our family. Hopefully you will find it helpful in reaching your goals as well.

Image via CrunchBase

You have probably heard of AWeber.  In a nutshell, AWeber is a great email marketing software used to capture names and email addresses for visitors who opt-in. This allows you to email the subscribers with newsletters, special offers, and updates about your business. Often, web owners will offer a free report in exchange for an email address.  AWeber has been helping over 100,000 businesses raise profits and build customer relationships for over 10 years.

The key is the relationship building! Too many people use autoresponders to just sell, sell, sell with affiliate links to every product under the sun!! Blah!! That is the quickest way to get people to unsubscribe. Ultimately, you want to sell a service or product to your list, but you have to offer value, not just sending them links to every product that comes your way.

On my Internet marketing blog and my More Income Blogging blog, I use the AWeber autoresponder software to give away free reports, to keep in touch with my subscribers, or if I want to recommend a good product. Many bloggers and Internet marketers use it for newsletters and other marketing campaigns.

I am not sure why I have not used it here on Inspired to Write. Truth be told, I don’t use email marketing the way I should be. It is not my strong point, and maybe that is why I have been putting it off here. I have a small report I have been working on along with my book – both about freelance writing.  I know many of my readers want to know more about making money as a writer. Why not capture those interested so I can speak with them directly and send them info that is not on my blog? I should.

Email marketing is fantastic – if you use it.  Just like anything you attempt to do to make money online – you have to apply it.  And apply it smartly. I am no email marketing expert, but I know most of the email marketing gurus use AWeber.

AWeber is reputable and makes email marketing much simpler than trying to track subscribers through your own email account, including follow ups, broadcasts, tracking, and more. This is a crucial part of your business because it allows you to build a list of customers and potential customers and to keep in touch with them on a regular basis.

AWeber is NOT for everyone.  If you don’t plan in getting involved with email marketing, don’t waste your time (or money), since there is a monthly fee after the trial period.  With no plans for marketing or staying in touch with your subscribers outside of blog posts, there is no need to get AWeber, or any paid autoresponder system.  I am not going to try to promote something you have no need for.  However, if you think you might go down that road in the future, they do have a 30 day trial period for only $1.

There are some free versions of autoresponders for those not ready to commit. But you can get a much more reliable service by investing in a reliable autoresponder provider like AWeber.

Send Your First Email Newsletter Today – AWeber CommunicationFor those who have no idea of what it is, or are on the fence on how to use it, this video below gives you a basic rundown on how to use AWeber for newsletters.

After you watch the video, you can enter your email address to try it out.  My disclaimer: Yes, the links are affiliate links – so while I will make a small percentage of commission, it is up to you on whether you want to continue with AWeber. I recommend it either way.  But if you are uncomfortable with that you can always go directly to AWeber in your browser.

Editor’s Note:  This is a guest post from Kirk Ward.  Please read more about Kirk in the author’s box.

Become an Expert! (Pete Prodoehl via Flickr)

Freelancers of all types have one thing in common, they are notoriously bad marketers. Freelance writers are among the worst of the lot.

Well, after throwing that out, I’m probably not going to get an all expense paid invitation to come speak at your next writers club coffee klatch.  After all, what in the Sam Hill does an accountant know about marketing writing services?

Nothing. Nothing at all about marketing your freelance writing services.

But, about marketing services, I know a lot. And, it is my opinion that a freelance writer can market their services using the same techniques as any other professional.

Rainmaker Marketing

In the “professions” (law, medicine, engineering and, yuk, accounting) the top marketers are called “Rainmakers.” And, a whole field of thought has sprung up called “Rainmaker Marketing.” If you haven’t heard the term, run a web search and see what you get. You’ll get anywhere from under 40,000 results to over 1.25 million hits, depending on what search engine you use, and whether you use the quote marks or not.

The term Rainmaker was first applied to senior partners in law firms who had such drawing power that they brought in more business than they could handle, so they passed it off to the junior members of the firm who had available time. Since new business rained down on them from the senior members of the firm, the juniors began to refer to the partners who generated the billings as Rainmakers.

Cute, huh? But, why is it important to you?

Until the mid-70′s when the Supreme Court decided in Bates vs. State Bar of Arizona, attorneys were prohibited from advertising, which included sales and marketing. Heck, it wasn’t until 1990 when the AICPA (American Institute of CPA’s) acquiesced and signed a consent order allowing accountants to advertise, in any way as long as it is truthful, as defined by the Federal Trade Commission.

Now, if these guys (and, back then, most were guys) couldn’t advertise, then how in heck did they bring in so much business?

The same way Bob Bly does. (You do know who Bob Bly is, don’t you? If not, here’s a chance to get out the old Google homepage again.) They positioned themselves as experts and celebrities.

Become an Expert in Your Field

Take our buddy Bob Bly.

In addition to his job as an advertising copywriter, Bob is the author of 83 books, either written or forthcoming. Each one of these books has one single purpose: to act as a self-financing business card for Bob’s services as an advertising copywriter.

Bob has positioned himself as an expert. He’s even fashioned a small industry around his writings, with products and services ranging from copy critiques and web page critiques to copywriting, coaching and on-on-one consultations. He’s a veritable whirlwind of activity.

You’ll find that same philosophy taught to accountants and financial professionals over at Secrets of Marketing Accounting Services where subscribers are taught how to position themselves as an expert in their local community. They learn to become public speakers, using their technical knowledge to speak before groups and organizations in their community.

And, just as you are trying to get published, these accountants are told to get published. And, they become coaches, teachers and trainers to small business owners in their community.

The whole program is designed to enhance their credibility in their community. To position them as local experts in their field.

Become a Rainmaker as a Writer

As a freelance writer, you can use these same techniques to build your reputation and develop your own following. No matter what type of writing you want to do, there will be some form of Rainmaker Marketing available to you.

If you’re a business writer, you can pick a niche and develop a recognition as an expert in that field. One idea that jumps out to me is to write a book on how to write a book in a particular field. If you want to write for veterinarians and pet stores, write a book on how to write a book about veterinarians and pet stores.

That’s the route our good friend Bob Bly took when he wrote a book about how to do copywriting.

Bob was a copywriter. Do you think he was trying to get more folks into copywriting so he would have more competition? Heck no. He was building his credibility as an expert copywriter.

If you want to write a book of fiction, maybe you could start an online webinar series coaching other writers who want to write a work of fiction. Build yourself an email list and start offering the webinars for free using a service like AnyMeeting.com.

Besides the networking you’ll do, the open exchange of ideas from the group will spark your imagination, and the contacts you develop can lead to doors being opened for you book proposals.

Back to good ol’ Bob again.

Does Bob really want to improve your writing and create more competition when he offers his services as a copy critic? Again, the proverbial, Heck No! Bob is again positioning himself as an expert.

Whatever your writing genre, if you want to market your writings, there is nothing more powerful than being able to present yourself as an expert in the field. Positioning himself as an expert is what keeps Bob’s fees in the $15,000 per page range.

It’s nice to be looked at as an expert. In any field.

Related articles

• The Crawl Stage to Becoming a Copywriter (inspiredtowrite.com)

Are you ready to make some serious money as a writer?

With all the information out there about copywriting, I will not attempt to cover it all in one post.  One of my regular contributors, Chris Hoole, has written dozens of posts on copywriting.  Today, I am going to address those who are just starting out, and want to know where to begin.

Just as with any new venture, you will experience the crawl, walk, and run stages.  I don’t know where you are in that journey, but this post is designed to help those who are in the crawl stages.  If you are a copywriting sprinter, you can probably run off now.

Quick Plug for a Copywriting Book

I want to begin by recommending a book I have read and found extremely helpful. The Copywriter’s Handbook is something everyone interested in copywriting should have in their library. This book, written by copywriting guru, Robert Bly, covers the whole spectrum for copywriting.  Many of his tips can really apply to writing as a whole.  You can get the Kindle version for $10 or a paperback for $12.  Get it today.

I am sure there are other great books, but I read this one myself.  Moving on. . .

Basic Copywriting 101

You probably have heard that copywriting can be a profitable career, for those who are good.  Some of the best copywriters make six figures a year, even on a part-time basis.

Why? Great copywriters are in demand.  Businesses are willing to pay top dollar for a great copywriter who brings in a ton of money for their product or service.

This is my definition:

Copywriting is a form of advertising, words written with the intention of bringing in buyers, leads, prospects, or customers.  Persuasive writing.

It is not for everyone.

Copywriting is not about fancy words or creative writing. Although good writing skills are important, how you use those words are even more essential.   Grammar is not critical.  Bringing in sales is.

If you can bring in hundreds of sales with one memorable catch phrase, you win.  You are a salesperson more than a writer. Again, it is not everyone’s cup of tea.

If you DO Want to Be a Copywriter. . .

Here are the first steps.

Step One: Get Educated

I don’t mean a formal degree.  While a marketing or business degree couldn’t hurt, it is not required to be a successful copywriter.  What I mean by education is the self-taught kind.  Start by getting your hands on Bly’s book, or another known copywriter’s book.  Read blogs or take a copywriting course.  If you can’t afford to buy books, you can borrow them from your local library.

Besides books and blogs, there are a whole host of top notch online articles and forums where you can learn about every type of copywriting available.   Find a mentor that can teach you the right skills and advice. Many successful copywriters have created an abundance of courses, reports, and articles about the skill of copywriting.  Dan Kennedy, Joe Vitale, and John Carlton come to mind.  Find someone with a “style” that fits you.

Step Two: Specialize

I know it can be hard to narrow in on a niche, but it can help you promote and market yourself better.  Specialization makes it easier to find decent clients willing to pay reasonable fees. Choose a specialty that you enjoy writing about.  If you are going to sell something, you better have a passion for it.  Otherwise, the writing will be painful.  It also helps if you have strong knowledge about the topic.

You don’t need to narrow it down to a small niche, but a few hot topics is a good idea. I prefer to write about travel and health related topics.  It doesn’t mean I am closed off to other topics, but these two areas I have passion for and experience with.

Consider specializing in copywriting formats as well.  However, be careful not to close too many doors.  In the beginning, you may not know where the demand is or where your writing interests are.

Here are a few specialties.

• Direct mail
• Email/autoresponders
• Brochures
• Newsletters
• Landing pages
• Social networking pages

Spend time researching your options. Once you choose a niche, with practice, you will start to become more comfortable writing about it.

Step Three: Take Action

Set up shop.   This is the step most people trip up on.  I do it as well.  It is scary to get out there, but you will not make $1.oo if you do not take action.

What does that mean?

First set up a website with samples and a portfolio.  If you don’t have anything yet, it’s okay.  Create your website anyhow. Spend some time on the copy for your website. This will be your opportunity to make a first great impression; you don’t want to screw that up.

If you don’t have any clients for you portfolio, create mock up samples.  To get the ball rolling, contact non-profits or offer free samples to drum up business.   Yes, you may have to complete a few initial projects that make you little or no money. Remember that this is a short phase, but it gives your potential customers a sample of your work.  Make your copy irresistible!

Step Four: Socialize

Once you have your website and portfolio online, let the marketing begin!    Put the word out there.  Get involved with networking groups or forums. Discuss sales copy. Find social groups or networks to market your work and services.

Connect with people in your chosen topic.  Consider creating a mailing list to stay in touch with customers.  Try article marketing, which can be not only an effective online marketing strategy, but a way to showcase your work.  If it is in your budget, submit a press release.  If you write it yourself, you can submit it for free on i-Newswire.com.

Make your services known.

With a little work and some initiative, you will have customers knocking on your door in no time.

What's Your Brand?

Facebook, Google, youTube, McDonald’s, Apple,Verizon, Mr. Clean, The Marlboro Man.

All of these are brands that everyone that is not living in an isolated island somewhere has heard of.  Why?  Branding.  When people hear these names, they instantly know what company is behind the name.

How does a small time blogger or business do this?  Well, it is not impossible.  Copyblogger, Mashable, and Problogger have all developed a name brand.  A following.

Branding your business is an important step in getting exposure, being recognized, and developing trust with your business.  Tiffany Dow, the Ghostwriter to the Gurus has developed a 30 Day Branding course for a few select individuals. I am one of them and today was Day 1.

Truthfully, I don’t know what my brand is, but I am willing to find out.  This may require doing some things that make me vulnerable.  I may have to take risks that expose more of myself that I typically do.  I am not sure what she has in store.

What is Branding?

The first step is identifying what I want my brand to be.

A brand is more than a name – it is who you are.  Loyal followers stick with you because of who you are.  They trust you.  These followers believe in what you represent – your niche, your product, your strategy.

Currently, I am reading Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing.  As a writer, there is always room for improvement.  Grammar Girl is a brand.  She is the go-to girl for things related to grammar.  This is a great example of branding.

Who are YOU?

That is the question.

Maybe my thing is integrity.  Maybe it is helping others.  Could I be Inspirational?  Smart, charming, and witty? Ms. Lack of direction? Or how about Reinventing Myself? (Sounds better.)  Jill of all Trades?

No clue. Which is why I am taking Tiffany’s course.  I don’t know if I will have a brand by the end of this, but it is worth going down this road.  Maybe it will help zero in on my strengths.

I just want to write, but I guess a brand won’t hurt.

Love to hear comments on what YOU think MY brand is.

Editor’s Note:  This is a guest post from David Smith.  Please read more about David in the bio footer.

Market research is a vital part of starting up any business, and continued success for existing businesses. It may seem like a mystery or something that is hard to do, but it basically boils down to smart research and evaluation of the data you collect.

Every business needs to know what products or services are needed, the target audience you’re trying to reach, the best way to go about offering your goods and services to potential customer, and how to hold onto current customers. For a small business this can mean the life or death of your company.

Before you jump in and spend a lot of your hard earned money and valuable time on market research, here’s ten things you should take care of before and during your market research for your small business.

1. Make a business plan. You need a plan to succeed. Think of it as your road map to success. You probably wouldn’t plan a cross country trip without a plan of which roads you were going to travel and how you’re going to fund it. The same thing is true in business. You need to know where you’re going and how you’re going to get there to be successful.

2. Decide if there is a need for your product or service. Conduct market research on the product or service you want to offer. Make sure there is a viable need for it. Successful businesses answer a need a community has, even if the community is online and global.

3. Is what your small business offers just like a million others out there? If so how can you make your service or products stand out? Take the time to research what your competition is offering, and then you can make plans to make yours stand out from the crowd.

4. Identify the benefits your products or services offer to people. You have to be able to tell people why they need what you are offering and what it is going to do for them.

5. Identify your target audience. Do you want to target young people with disposable incomes, middle age couples who need to save money, or is your target audience retirees? Your target audience will make a difference on how you present your business.

6. How big do you want to go? Do you want to target your local area or do you want to build a global market? Either one is fairly easy now with the availability of the internet if you have a plan and a website that is properly written, designed and takes advantage of quality SEO.

7. Decide on how you will conduct your market research. Will you do it on your own or will you hire a company to do it for you. You can do market research yourself with a computer or at the library, but if you are busy or unsure on how to go about it, you may want to hire a company to do it for you.

8. If you decide to do market research on your own, there are some cheap and easy ways to do it. You can run a poll on your website or Facebook page, hold a question and answer seminar on Twitter, send out polls via email, and talk to people in person.

9. Once you collect the data, analyze it carefully. Be sure the data collected was from a large enough group of people or sources. If not, you won’t have a true representation of the market.

10. Take action. Don’t just do market research and then file the information away. Take it seriously because it is telling you how to improve or start your small business.

Complete market research on a regular schedule. Very few small businesses are successful after they become stagnant. You have to stay on top of the ever changing wants and needs of consumers. If your sales are beginning to wane, consider moving on to other services or products.

Your small business is like a living thing. It needs to keep growing to stay healthy. Don’t be afraid to do market research. It will only benefit your small business, and help you to know what people need, and how you can offer it to them.

A final word on market research is the importance of a website. Every business, no matter how small, needs a website. Websites are invaluable tools for a business. You can tell your visitors about you and your business, why you’re the one to get what you offer from, collect emails for future campaigns, poll your visitors, connect and build community, and help to set yourself up as an expert in your field.

With a well built and planned out website, a business plan in hand, and well researched and analyzed market research, your small business with not only be successful, but thrive.

When I find good clients, I obviously do not want to lose their business. As an ethical small business owner and freelance writer, I take pride in all of my work, and it is important for me to maintain that confidence in all of my clients.

Hiring a writer can cause a little bit of anxiety, especially for  small business owners.  When they are paying you to write for them, they expect a quality product in return.  With online clients, they will most likely never meet you or even talk to to you on the phone.  Sending over money to someone they have never met can be a nerve-racking experience for business owners.

As a freelance writer, there are a few things you can do to make your client feel more at ease with the process. This can inspire and hold their level of confidence.

1. Be Transparent

Don’t try to be secretive and hold back samples or your writing rates.  Publish your samples, clips, testimonials, and policies online.  There are a variety of reasons some freelance writers choose not to publish their rates.  Whether you choose to publish your rates or not, when you are asked what you charge, be upfront.  I am aware that some projects take more time than others and your rates will reflect that.  Just inform your client of that when he asks.

By being forthright, your prospective client knows what to expect from working with you.  This also portrays that you are a professional and run your business in an ethical manner.  It is important that clients see you take your business serious, instead of a hobby.

Consider a FAQ page on your website, a testimonial page, or blog posts reflecting why customers should hire you as a writer.

2.  Be Knowledgeable

Just like any business, you have to stay on top of the latest industry news and information.  Strive to continuously improve your skills, learn about your niche, know your target audience and writing styles. The more you know, the more information you can share and help your customers. Sharing this knowledge and staying on top of the industry will help boost that confidence in your prospective or current clients.

It is easy to share this information through blog posts or through email or face to face communication. For example, if you learn about a new product in a certain niche through a press release, pass that on to clients in that particular niche.

3. Set You Rates Higher

This may sound like unusual advice because it sounds counter-intuitive. However, when you set your rates too low, your clients may have low expectations or not take you as a serious professional.  When you set your rates at a reasonable, yet competitive rate, customers get the impression that you are a professional who is making a living as a professional writer.  Obviously,  you must back up those rates with quality writing, customer service, and a solid knowledge of the industry.

These three tips can apply to any job in which you produce a service or product.  However, in the online community, it is even more important since the face to face interaction is missing.

How you communicate, your response to a customer’s needs, making reasonable changes, and being dependable and reliable are all additional ways to inspire and maintain your client’s confidence.

The more confidence you gain in your prospects and current clients, the easier it will be to build a solid writing business that aligns with your professional goals.