It’s hard to believe that the Christmas and New Year celebrations were still in full swing less than two weeks ago. Days quickly return to normal once you’ve back in the daily grind (who’s ready for a bank holiday already?!) but we’re still barely half way through the month, so I thought I’d take the chance to say a few words about getting back into the swing of things freelancing-wise.
I don’t know about you, but after a nice long break I go back to work feeling refreshed and ready to attack. It’s a cliché but the New Year really can be a fresh start—it’s a chance to re-evaluate things and get back on track, perhaps approach new markets with renewed vigour and motivation, and if you start well you’ll have a fantastic kick-start to the year. So, here are a few ways to start it as you mean to go on:
- Increase your marketing efforts. You know that email template you’ve got languishing on your hard drive? Get it out, dust it off and start approaching markets. Search for local clients that might want to use your services or even do a wider search for copywriting/marketing/press agencies – you never know where you might be able to snap up some additional work.
- Get in touch with old clients. If you’ve got clients that have used your work in the past, what’s stopping them from needing your services in the future? Don’t be afraid to be pro-active – a simple email could be all it takes to remind them you’re there and available for work, and even if they don’t need your help straight away you’ll be fresh in their mind should something come up.
- Use social media to your advantage. There’s no denying that social media can be a huge time-sucker (Twitter being my procrastination method of choice), but if used wisely it can lead to fantastic benefits. I’ve managed to nab a few clients using this very site, and just last week I noticed a Tweet from a copywriting agency seeking new writers – a quick email and a test piece later and voila, new client. It’s often the case of being in the right place at the right time but there’s no reason you can’t search for potential clients who might be in need of your services, and besides, who wouldn’t like an excuse to spend more time on Twitter?
- Think bigger. It’s a New Year and that means it’s time to be brave and put yourself out there, because you never know what’s around the corner. Whether you’ve got a fiction idea itching to be put onto paper, a non-fiction proposal waiting in the wings or even a desire to break into journalism now’s the time to get going, because with all that stored up motivation it’s the perfect opportunity to take some risks.
Of course, these are tips that we should always be putting into practice but sometimes it’s easier said than done, with daily life and work stresses often getting in the way of clear, logical thinking. That’s why now’s the perfect time to get back into the proactive mind-set to make some positive changes, so what are you waiting for? Start the year as you mean to go on and get out there and do it!
I keep referring back to this post, it’s very inspiring and motivational. I especially like the bit about finding a new client through Twitter – I don’t feel so guilty about losing track of time when I log onto Twitter now that I know there’s a chance (however small!) that I might secure some work through it! In all seriousness though, this is a really useful post :-)
Thanks Stacey, so glad you like it and found it useful :) *blushes* and yes Twitter can be great for securing work, you never know when you might see that all-important tweet!