Three Ways to Get Paid to Market Your Services in the Self-Help Industry
In his new book, The Versatile Freelancer, expert Don Hauptman shares how developing a variety of skills can earn you more money. It can also land you more clients and secure your status as an industry expert.
When it comes to breaking into the self-help market, these strategies work very well. There are likely many self-help companies right in your area that could use your expertise. From life coaches to self-help publishing companies to personal trainers – they all fall into the self-help industry, and many have the potential to become your clients.
But you need to reach them first. When you use the strategies Don recommends, you’ll market to your self-help prospects by providing a service that will make their business better. You’ll get paid for you time, and you’ll get a chance to tell them more about your copywriting services, which can lead to more work for you.
Critiquing: Small businesses in the self-help sector might not have the budget to hire you for your copywriting services, or it might not be the best timing. However, they may be ready and willing to benefit from a professional critique of their promotional materials.
If you provide them good, useful information about how to make their promotions better, guess where they’ll turn next time they want to hire a copywriter for a project? There’s a very good chance that you’ll land that project. Plus, you get paid for the critique. Everyone wins all the way around.
So here’s what you can do:
- Put together a brief sales letter about your critiquing services.
- Locate the contact information for one- or two-dozen self-help companies.
- Send your letter.
- Follow up with a call within a week or two.
Workshops: Some of your local self-help businesses might enjoy taking a workshop where you teach them how to write a better headline, craft a better offer, or create a stronger marketing message. During the workshop, you have the chance to showcase your expertise, and the attendees come away with stronger promotional materials.
Again, you get paid for the workshop, and you increase the likelihood that these individuals will contact you with future work.
Setting up a workshop takes a little work, but don’t let it intimidate you. Just break it down into easy-to-accomplish tasks. You’ll need to come up with your workshop topic, outline the workshop schedule, and put together materials. You’ll need to locate a venue and schedule a date. Then you need to advertise. You can send sales letters, promote your event through a newspaper or radio ad, or send press releases to your local paper. For events like these, your newspaper might let you include it in their business calendar for a lower price than traditional advertising.
Also, don’t forget to let any local clients you already have know about your event.
Speaking: I’m willing to bet there are many speaking opportunities in your city that you haven’t considered. Colleges host multiple speaking series during the year, trade shows need speakers, and professional organizations hire speakers on a regular basis. This presents opportunities for you to market your services and get paid.
You want to target organizations that fit in with the self-help audience, so do a little research first. Then start making contact with organizations that are a good fit.
When you call, ask about upcoming speaking engagements. Ask the person you speak to if they have a need for a speaker on copywriting or marketing in the self-help industry. Inquire about what they need to receive from you so you can be considered for a speaking engagement.
It’s a good idea to have a couple of specific topics in mind, such as “How to get your direct-mail package opened by more people,” or “Five ways to better connect with your self-help audience.”
When you write down possible topics that you might use, remember to keep the four U’s in mind. That way your topic will be more likely to intrigue the person you’re talking to, and you’ll be more likely to land the engagement.
Each of these ideas takes a little legwork and some marketing in their own right, but they each afford you the opportunity to market yourself from a position of greater credibility.
Remember, no matter whether you’re doing a critique, a workshop, or a speaking engagement, part of what you’re doing is marketing yourself. So do as much as you can to collect contact information from people who attend your events or hire your services. Then contact them regularly regarding your standard copywriting services. Not only will you get more business this way, but you’ll get paid in the process.
To learn more about the nuts and bolts of diversifying your skills, landing more clients and getting paid in the process, check out The Versatile Freelancer today.
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