As a author, you’re doubtless already utilizing social media to advertise your printed work—or you ought to be! And because you’re already a wordsmith, cobbling collectively intelligent and interesting tweets, Fb posts, and descriptions for Pinterest and Instagram comes pretty simply to you.
Understanding this, have you ever thought-about placing your writing expertise to work by providing social media companies?
Companies in every single place are leaping into the world of social media, however tons of them simply don’t have the time or know-how. Whereas they might not all the time promote their want for a social media supervisor or content material creator on LinkedIn or Craigslist, you’ll be able to simply establish 5 companies in your metropolis which might be doing a poor job with social media. (In fact, you’re not restricted to native shoppers on the subject of social media, however they’re an awesome first possibility.)
Begin together with your current shoppers, those who already know your work as a author. Merely shoot them a message letting them know that you’re now providing social media companies and ask whether or not they know anybody who wants this sort of help—or in the event that they want it themselves. In case your shoppers are keen to contact their networks, craft an e-mail to make it simple for them. Add an incentive by providing a free hour of labor in trade for every referral.
To land new shoppers, attain out to a few of your favourite native eating places, retailers or bars. Identical to you would possibly pitch an editor by main with a praise on their latest work, you are able to do the identical while you contact a enterprise you already get pleasure from.
I’ve been capable of land just a few new shoppers by gently mentioning a straightforward method to enhance their social media, like claiming their Fb self-importance URL, beefing up their Fb About web page, or including milestones to their historical past. Together with suggestions like these in your pitch exhibits that you realize your stuff and provides worth for the enterprise—you’re serving to them out earlier than they’ve even employed you.
Discovering ongoing work together with your new shoppers
Signing a brand new social media shopper opens the door to the opportunity of taking on further writing-based duties. Possibly you would launch or contribute to their weblog, or write and distribute their month-to-month publication. Maybe they want some canned response emails, press releases or up to date web site copy.
If you start new relationships with companies that always want content material advertising, you set your self up for regular gigs that don’t require pitching an editor or scouring a job board. And that’s a pleasant place to be.
Method pricing for this work in the identical means you do your writing companies. You might need to provide an hourly charge to start out out, however ultimately I’d suggest transferring to a month-to-month retainer bundle. That is mainly your hourly charge multiplied by the variety of hours you anticipate spending on work for the shopper.
Webpage FX has an in depth charge sheet for his or her social media companies to provide you an thought of what you would possibly need to cost. In fact, you would possibly need to begin out with a decrease charge to land that first social media shopper, however you’ll have the ability to elevate it as you acquire expertise and shopper testimonials. The Write Life founder Alexis Grant additionally gives sources that can assist you construct your social media enterprise.
Take into account that you’ll common at the least one hour per day (typically three to 4 hours), on daily basis, creating content material and responding to buyer messages, so make sure you add some cushion to your charge. Social media by no means sleeps, and additional duties often creep in, so reevaluate the mission scope periodically.
