If you happen to’re a author who has thought of working with an company then you definately’ll have an interest on this first-person case research. Working with businesses isn’t for everybody however for some it may be the monetary and profession breakthrough you’re searching for as a freelancer.
It was Might 2014, and I used to be panicking.
I used to be laid off from my job at a New York media startup three months earlier than, and was squirreling away no matter severance cash I had left.
To complicate issues, I moved to Orlando after getting married, abandoning the most important media market within the nation for a metropolis the place media jobs had been scant.
So, I did what any job seeker would do and scoured the job boards.
I got here throughout the Orlando Public Relations Society’s job board and noticed a contract place working for a neighborhood advertising and marketing company on a hospital’s web site redesign.
That three-month challenge launched my freelance profession and have become a part of a method I’ve used the final three years to repeatedly improve my earnings whereas rising a sustainable freelance content-marketing enterprise.
Why working with an company can assist your freelance profession
Most freelancers draw back from working with businesses for 2 causes: the positions are normally in-house and the pay might be decrease than working immediately with a consumer.
These are legitimate considerations, however with the rise of content material advertising and marketing there are extra alternatives for distant work than ever.
My first company challenge, which concerned creating content material for a big hospital’s web site, required 4 in-person conferences over three months. I did most of my make money working from home.
That first place led to extra initiatives with the company, producing ghostwritten weblog posts, press releases and content material for e-mail campaigns. Finally the company put me on retainer—and I nonetheless work for that group right now.
Freelancing is a hustle.
Getting shoppers—and holding them—is vital to constructing a enterprise. However that is typically essentially the most troublesome half for freelancers. Advertising and marketing takes time, however businesses minimize down the lead time for freelancers to get new shoppers as a result of they’ve already performed the exhausting work of constructing the connection. Additionally they handle the entire course of, so that you don’t have to fret about all the executive work and conferences which are a part of a direct consumer engagement.
Through the years, all my company work has been distant. I’ve labored with an company in California that hires freelancers to supply longform B2B content material, a New York-based content material advertising and marketing company that works with Fortune 500 firms and a Boston content material advertising and marketing company that does the identical factor.
I’ve additionally labored with the in-house content material studios of some New York media firms, one other sort of company that’s emerged because the content material advertising and marketing trade has grown. Many of those shoppers pay $1 a phrase. Some pay much less, however all have given me a gradual stream of labor, which principally has helped me keep away from the monetary ups and downs which are typical with freelancing.
Learn how to get began working with an company
The very best factor about working with an company is that in case you’re good, the work retains coming. However how do you get work within the first place? Comply with the following pointers.
Begin native
Attain out to native advertising and marketing and PR businesses. Entrepreneurs are expert strategists—not expert writers, so many businesses want folks with journalism abilities to write down for his or her shoppers. Contemplate buying a Ebook of Lists out of your native enterprise journal, a complete listing of the highest native firms that additionally has contact data for his or her key executives. Or, scour on-line sources to search out data for businesses in your space.
Ship a Letter of Introduction
After you’ve recognized firms, ship the advertising and marketing supervisor or director a letter of introduction (LOI) highlighting your writing expertise and topic experience. Make the letter concise and tailor it to their enterprise. You might get work immediately or it could take months. Both method, an LOI can put you on a advertising and marketing supervisor’s radar and set up an preliminary relationship.
Keep linked
If you happen to reside in a smaller city, social media is one of the best ways to increase your attain. Keep energetic on LinkedIn and Twitter (X), as a result of that is the place potential shoppers reside. Have interaction in dialog, like their posts and share fascinating content material. Final yr, I landed work after staying in contact with a former colleague on LinkedIn who now labored for an in-house content material studio. She wouldn’t have identified I used to be now freelancing had I not up to date my profile.
Be part of organizations
Be part of the native chapter of a advertising and marketing or public relations group. Attend chapter occasions or volunteer. Doing this can allow you to join with folks within the trade you’d possible by no means meet. If you happen to’re an skilled freelancer, be a part of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA). ASJA is beginning to embrace content material advertising and marketing and holds digital occasions and a giant convention yearly the place you possibly can join with shoppers.
Begin a weblog
Begin a weblog targeted on a subject you’re obsessed with. I attended a webinar with Skyword, a content material advertising and marketing company that works with massive shoppers, and their neighborhood supervisor stated they typically take a look at a author’s weblog when choosing freelancers for campaigns. A weblog can present potential shoppers your writing model and data a couple of matter—and it doesn’t price you a cent to launch one with a platform like Medium.
Working for businesses has helped me create a sustainable freelance enterprise.
I really like doing content material advertising and marketing, however there’s no method I might have written for manufacturers like Hewlett-Packard or Marriott with out an company.
Freelancing might be feast or famine, however businesses can assist you navigate these extremes so that you by no means starve for work.
