From The Golden Thread Mailbag …
Direct Marketing Continues to Grow
The Golden Thread is a newsletter about helping you achieve the writer’s life – and in this column, I’ll tell you how your fellow members are doing it. I’ll let you in on what they have to say in their phone calls and emails to us about their progress and the jobs they’ve been getting. I’ll share opinions and comments, and answer questions too.
Let’s kick off this week with a bit of news from Michael Masterson’s e-zine Early to Rise that I think will interest you:
Direct Marketing Dominates: The Numbers Don’t Lie
"Direct marketing continues to grow. According to the Direct Marketing Association, more than 18 billion catalogs were sent out last year, a 5% increase over 2003. This represents a long-term trend. Ten years ago, for example, the volume of mail-order catalogs was 10 billion. And sales reflect this growth. In 1997, catalog sales were recorded at $77 million. Last year, they exceeded $140 billion. And those are just catalog numbers. If you add third-class letters, bookalogs, and magalogs to the mix, direct mail reigns as the single biggest form of advertising."
A comment from Mike K. about graphic-design jobs on Direct Response Jobs.com:
"I’m in the middle of a graphic-design job I got from the Direct Response Jobs board. I hope that more people with GD jobs will find the site."
All right, Mike! Congratulations! Though DirectResponseJobs.com was just launched in November ’04, it has already become the best place on the Internet to find a job in the direct-response industry. Right now, we have over 100 postings for freelance assignments. Admittedly, a majority of the jobs are for copywriters – but we haven’t forgotten about our graphic-design members. Our main challenge right now is to get the word out to potential clients about the site itself. We have someone who is actively pursuing both GD and CW postings – and we’re about to start a campaign with press releases and ads to announce the site to all the major direct-mail news agencies. As the site grows and we continue to promote it within the industry, you can expect to see lots more graphic-design and copywriting jobs.
Copywriting member Mistina B.’s unexpected benefit as a result of attending our FastTrack to Success Bootcamp:
"The 2004 Fast Track to Success Bootcamp was my first, and I made several connections that have helped me in recent months as I’ve launched my full-time freelance business.
"I’ve maintained contact with several of the copywriting members, and we continue to help each other out in many different ways. Scott S. and I have exchanged several sales letters and other marketing copy for peer review. Tom T. has literally talked me off of a ledge when the pressures of the new business drove me to the point of tears.
"Also, a mutual friend introduced me to Cherie R., one of the graphic-design members. Cherie and I worked together to create a logo for my new company. In addition, she and I check in with one another regularly to see how our respective careers are panning out and to cheer each other on. She and the others I’ve stayed in touch with have provided an incredible source of encouragement and strength in traveling the lonely and frightening – but undeniably exciting and rewarding – road of self-employment.
"Sure, the main point of the Bootcamp is to hone our copywriting skills, and it definitely succeeds in this regard. But these types of relationships truly make the experience priceless."
Thanks to one and all. Keep those emails coming!
Scott
How to Land Clients in 21 Days with Just Your Computer
How do I land my first client? It’s a question every aspiring freelancer asks eventually. Now, there’s a proven system for landing clients that removes the guesswork. Best of all? No cold calling. Learn More »
“I now have the freedom to work at home, or at any place in the world, as long as I have a laptop and Internet connection. And, not having to battle the brutal Houston traffic each day is a huge plus!”
If yes, you could be in big demand, earning big money, writing just a few hours a day from anywhere in the world you choose to be.
Get Nick Usborne’s step-by-step system for creating money-making information websites.
In just 6 hours and 35 minutes, you can be in business earning $60 – $150 an hour writing simple resumes.
Learn the secrets behind succeeding in this in-demand career.
The work is plentiful … the pay scales are generous and the competition is scarce!
Get the answers to the hundreds of questions and concerns commonly asked in specific, step-by-step details.
Use this eight-step plan to make the leap from aspiring copywriter to professional copywriter this year.
Let your fellow AWAI members show you firsthand the easiest, most powerful way to land your first client … BEFORE you finish the program.
Writing for the web is a huge opportunity for copywriters. Let web expert Nick Usborne show you how to write blockbuster web copy in record time … even if you're a complete internet “rookie”!
It’s an opportunity to make $50,000, $75,000, $100,000 a year or more … working just a few hours a day.
A once complicated profession is now something you can do on a standard computer – even if you have little or no “artistic” ability.
It’s one thing to have a website. But if your website can’t be found by the search engines, it may as well not exist.
The Internet creates new income possibilities every day. The biggest among them: online video marketing.
Get the very techniques top-performing copywriters use to rattle off one groundbreaking control after another.
In his new book, Michael Masterson teaches you his very own formula for powerful persuasion and how to apply it to direct mail sales letters as well as online promotions.
Guest, Leave a Reply
Please Note: Your comments will be visible by everyone.