reynoldswriting.com Blog

I starting running late on this blog post because I was sick. Not falling-down, call-the-doctor sick or anything — just one of those minor but annoying bugs that tries to hijack your brain to Cuba for a couple of days. Or let’s just say that was my excuse for running late. Why would I dismiss my perfectly good reason as an excuse? Well, maybe it’s the fact that I didn’t have any trouble writing my clients‘ regularly scheduled blog posts on time, as always. And that website job…and that editing job….and that brochure job….

It’s interesting that I wouldn’t dream of blowing off a client’s writing project while I’m willing to leave my own marketing high and dry. I know better. But it seems to be a universal issue — the expert who fails to take his own advice. I’ve talked to plenty of other copywriters and marketing consultants who admit to occasionally letting their own marketing efforts slide down the priority list. We’re so busy putting our clients’ needs first that we forget our own: “I’ll get these big marketing campaigns off my desk, and then if I have a few minutes to spare I’ll work on my own stuff.” A marketer short-changing his own marketing is like a CPA who forgets to file his own taxes, or a doctor who never has time for her own physical.

You can see the problems in such an approach. First of all, failing to keep up with critical everyday tasks in your own business hurts your ability to conduct or grow that business. Second, failing to “eat your own dog food” gives the impression of hypocrisy. A marketing consultant can’t preach the importance of blogging regularly and then fail to blog regularly. And you might laugh at a movie scene in which a chain-smoking doctor coughs and splutters within a halo of smoke while listening to a patient’s lungs — but how seriously would you take that doctor’s lecture on the dangers of smoking?

If I had followed my own advice, I would have built up a stockpile of ready-to-go blog articles for those days when I’m feeling sick, stumped or just plain lazy. My clients who order my Blogger’s 4-pack enjoy just such a benefit. They receive four finished blog posts at a time, and if they stagger their purchases they can end up with more blogs than they need at any given moment — a perfect strategy for refreshing their online content on time and on schedule.

So from now on, I will treat myself like one of my writing clients. I’m looking forward to it, actually. I’ve heard good things about this guy….

For more about my writing services and current deals, check out my website at www.reynoldswriting.com.

When you think of a freelance copywriter, what comes to mind? A hungry-looking person slaving away at a keyboard morning, noon and night? A creative partner in your marketing strategy? A brilliant wordsmith who uses language the way a great painter uses a canvas and brush? Some poor jerk who can’t leverage his Liberal Arts degree into a real-world job that doesn’t involve fried foods and paper hats?

Because we writers make up a diverse population, and because everyone perceives the occupation differently, I’d accept any of the above answers. But in my case, another definition applies: I’m a service provider.

What difference does it make to think of me that way? Plenty. Let’s take your cable provider as an example. If you needed Internet, phone and cable TV services, imagine what a hassle it would be to call a bunch of different companies around town and say, “I’d like, uh, some Internet and some phone service and some cable TV.” What does that mean? How many TV channels did you have in mind, and which ones? What speed of Internet connection do you need? How many long-distance minutes do you plan on using every month? When the customer faces all these unanswered questions, suddenly the idea of a quiet room and a dark TV seems oddly soothing.

That’s why service providers have found a way to make the choices a lot easier — through productizing and bundling: “Here’s the Starter Pack, and here are the Bronze, Silver and Gold Levels. Oh, and here’s our menu of individual services and fixed fees.” Suddenly you have something concrete to point at and say, “I’ll have that one, please.” Multiple problems solved, with minimal loss of brain cells.

That’s why I offer clear, fixed-rate products such as my Small Website Package and Blogger’s 4-pack. Productizing takes all the uncertainty out of the process. You, the prospective client, always know what you’re getting and what it costs, just as if you were ordering a cable, Internet or phone package. This gives me a huge advantage over other freelancers who simply name an hourly figure for “whatever you need.” “Whatever you need” doesn’t evoke a clear image or help define what those needs might be. A well-defined product package does.

My next step? I’d like to collaborate with an increasing number of marketing companies in the creation of product packages and bundled services, allowing those companies’ clients to buy different combinations of Web-marketing or print-marketing products in one fell swoop. If you’re in the marketing industry and you’re already offering package deals to your clients, why not throw copywriting into the mix and give yourself one more edge over your competition? I know a guy who can help….

For more about my writing services and current deals, check out my website at www.reynoldswriting.com.