Category Archives: Marketing

Marketing Ideas for Writers Who Hate Marketing

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It’s not like I haven’t written about marketing ideas or argued why writers need to pay attention to marketing before but it just seems to keep coming up.

Easy Marketing Ideas for Writers

Marketing tips for writers who hate marketing

So here we are again.

But what if you’re the type of writer who just wants to write and have people read it? You don’t want to bother with the muss and fuss of marketing.

Or maybe you’re the type of writer who thinks marketing means selling out.

Are you someone who thinks marketing makes you one of those pushy sales people who alienates friends and family?

I talk about marketing and give out marketing ideas all the time because I believe in its power to transform people’s careers and businesses.

Let’s get something straight: marketing doesn’t have to be like that.

So when I hear excuses like I’m too busy to do marketing or I don’t need to do marketing or I don’t have the money to invest in marketing I think…you don’t get it. None of those things are valid.

If you’re saying any of these things here’s what you mean: you don’t want to do marketing.

Marketing doesn’t have to take a lot of time and it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.

And it’s fine if you don’t want to do marketing. But don’t expect people to find you.

“If you write it they will come” isn’t a thing. It doesn’t work like that.

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End of tough love part. Beginning of marketing ideas part

I wanted to give writers who hate marketing (or are afraid of it) a few easy marketing ideas for easing in.

I do hope these help.

  • Learn how to incorporate your writing into casual conversation
    There is a way to talk about who you are and what you do without coming across as promotional or insincere. Figure this out and you won’t even realize you’re marketing
  • Focus on the benefits your writing offers others
    This is one of those amazing marketing things I love teaching people. Stop talking about YOU and YOUR work. Flip it around and talk about its impact. People don’t care about what you do, they care about the benefit they’ll get from working with you or reading your work
  • Talk about your writing on social media
    Consider your social media platforms as places where you can attract new readers. Talk about your writing in a natural way, like you do with your friends, and see who you can inspire

Just a reminder, these days if you’re a writer hoping to become an author, you need to do your own marketing.

And you need to do it long before your book comes out. No matter if you’re self-publishing or traditional publishing, you are the driver of the marketing vehicle.

If you want to sell books/get an agent/get a book deal/people to read your writing you have to accept marketing as a part of your life.

Other marketing ideas for writers

It's not like I haven't written about marketing ideas or argued why writers need to pay attention to marketing before but it just seems to keep coming up.

One more thing. You may be interested in my free resource library. This is where I keep my files, downloads, ebooks, worksheets and whatever else I manage to create. I love sharing what I learn and want to keep adding to this library so it becomes a wealth of helpful goodness.

This is a free resource but I do require a password to access the library itself. You can get access by popping your email address into the form below.

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It's not like I haven't written about marketing ideas or argued why writers need to pay attention to marketing before but it just seems to keep coming up.
It's not like I haven't written about marketing ideas or argued why writers need to pay attention to marketing before but it just seems to keep coming up.
It's not like I haven't written about marketing ideas or argued why writers need to pay attention to marketing before but it just seems to keep coming up.

6 Unexpected Tips for Better Networking for Freelancers

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Networking is an important part of freelancing but it can be difficult discerning which events are a good use of time and which aren’t.

Networking for freelancers: make the most out of your investment

Networking for freelancers

Being at the right place at the right time and meeting the right person could make all the difference to your freelance writing business.

The good news is, there are many in-person and virtual networking events to choose from.

The bad news is there are many in-person and virtual networking events to choose from.

Here are a few ideas and suggestions for making the most of your valuable networking time and energy. And yes, this applies to you even if you’re an introvert.

Extra reading: How to Choose a Writers Group

Would you like free writing tips? Sign up for my weekly tips & tricks, from one writer to another at robynroste.com/writing-tips.
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Tip 1: Have something to say

I’ve mentioned this tip before (in Meeting Your Ideal Client in Person) but it bears repeating. Before the networking event, prepare a few talking points ahead of time. These will change based on the type of people you’re meeting with but here are a few examples.

  • Networking with other freelance writers? Think about industry questions you have or helpful introductions you can make. And why not prepare a few anecdotes about the writing life too?
  • Attending an event for business owners? Revisit your elevator pitch and make sure it’s updated and accurate. Practice it a couple times. Have business cards handy if it’s an in-person do
  • Participating in a writing conference? If you were teaching a workshop you would prepare ahead of time, treat conference attendance in the same way. Figure out ways to maximize your learning time but also your writing time. Prep answers to common questions like “What are you working on these days,” “What type of writing do you do,” etc. And think of a few creative questions to keep the conversation going

Tip 2: Prepare ahead of time

Whenever I attend an in-person event I try and look at the venue layout ahead of time. This is especially helpful when I have meetings or appointments lined up and want to make sure I show up on time and avoid getting lost.

At a smaller event, perhaps at a restaurant, I try and get a sense for how formal/informal it is and how the flow works. As much as possible I like to have a handle on what’s expected.

Something I haven’t done well at in-person events, but something I always appreciate when others do, is having some sort of name badge to help ease networking. Printing branded lanyards help you ooze professionalism and avoid the dreaded question, “Sorry…what was your name again?”

4 unexpected tips for better networking for freelancers

Tip 3: Have swag, if it makes sense

Maybe it’s cheesy. Perhaps even old school. But when I look at my pen collection I see it’s 90% branded swag from businesses.

While I don’t recommend spending a fortune on merch or even putting much thought into it, good swag can go a long way.

When it makes sense, invest in good marketing materials and some pieces of merchandise that you know that people are going to find useful.  

Tip 4: Make connections and follow up

While it’s possible to book a new client or gain a referral in the midst of a networking frenzy, oftentimes the magic happens afterward. When you follow up.

So even if you’re not a business card person, find a way to exchange information. Here are a few ideas.

  • Ask for their email addresses to stay in touch
  • Or, if it makes sense, ask if you can add them to your email list
  • Ask for their Instagram handle (or other social media profile info) and follow them
  • Invite them to a future event they may find fun/interesting
  • Take a photo of them at the event and offer to text it to them (don’t be creepy!)

Once the event is over, start following up with your new connections and/or leads within a few days. This should start a number of productive conversations and may even develop into new clients down the road. 

Extra reading: How to Get More Email Subscribers

Tip 5: Look for extra opportunities 

If the event is a good fit for you and your business, let the event planners know you’re interested in being more involved.

This could include:

  • Speaking at the event
  • Helping spread the word ahead of time
  • Sponsoring a giveaway
  • Volunteering in some capacity
  • Joining the organization

Not only will this raise your profile, but it will also enhance your reputation as an entrepreneur and influencer in your sector, improving your credibility with potential clients. 

Tip 6: Calculate your ROI

While networking events are fun and all, it’s also important to evaluate their effectiveness for your business.

The return on investment calculation is simple. Do more of what works and less of what doesn’t.

Add up all of your costs, including travel, accommodation and time spent and then record the business impact of attending the event. Financial benefits like new clients or opportunities may not show up right away, so keep in mind the true value of the event may not be apparent for some months. Revisit your event ROI report every few months and update it. Give it time, but not too much time.

Networking is an important part of freelancing but it can be difficult discerning which events are a good use of time and which aren't.

One more thing. You may be interested in my free resource library. This is where I keep my files, downloads, ebooks, worksheets and whatever else I manage to create. I love sharing what I learn and want to keep adding to this library so it becomes a wealth of helpful goodness.

This is a free resource but I do require a password to access the library itself. You can get access by popping your email address into the form below.

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Networking is an important part of freelancing but it can be difficult discerning which events are a good use of time and which aren't.

How to Write a Case Study

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If you know how to tell a story you can write a case study.

How to Write a Case Study

However, if you’ve never done it before you might be wondering how to write a case study. So here we go.

By the way, a case study is a success story told about a client you’ve helped. Simple, right?

Free ebook: How to write a case study: gain trust with prospects by showcasing your client's success

Do you want the ebook that goes with this training? I’ve created a PDF download and it’s available in my resource library.

This is a free resource but I do require a password to access the library itself. You can get access by popping your email address into the form below.

Once you’re logged in, navigate to the writing section and look for “How to Write a Case Study for Marketing Ebook.”

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How to write a case study

Maybe before I get into how to write a case study I’ll talk about what makes something a case study.

In essence, it’s a study analysis where you overview a business problem, outline options for solving the problem and what happened in the end.

The fact that you’re telling your client’s story from beginning to end, and including twists and turns along the way, makes this different than an advertisement or a sales page because you’re keeping the twists and turns in the story.

The fact that it’s not just “I decided to do this thing and then it worked and now I’m successful yayyyyy,” makes it a case to study. Case study. Right!?

Something to keep in mind is although this isn’t a traditional sales page, a case study is a tool in your sales and marketing arsenal.

It’s something you want prospective clients to read and become convinced to hire you. So make sure it’s targeted to people who are on the fence about working with you and tell client success stories that will help them see how you’ll help them reach their goals.

Free ebook: Gain trust with prospects by showcasing your client's success.

Download the ebook that goes with this training!

This is a free resource but it’s in my resource library, which requires a password. You can get access by popping your email address into the form below.

Once you’re logged in, navigate to the writing section and look for “How to Write a Case Study for Marketing Ebook.”

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What to include in a case study

Here are a few sections to include:

Case study introduction

In one or two sentences present your reader with the problem or issue and a quick summary of the outcome.

Background

Think of this section like setting the scene. You don’t want to spend too much time here but your reader should learn what has brought your client to this point in his or her business.

Alternatives

I know this might seem like overkill but you want to list ideas you or your clients entertained/tried in order to build your narrative arc.

Overview what alternative solutions you considered and explain why they wouldn’t/couldn’t work or were not possible.

Proposed solution

This is your moment! Highlight your one and only amazing solution to your client’s problem or issue.

Make sure it’s relevant, specific and realistic, explain why you chose it and support your solution with evidence.

Your evidence can contain research, anecdotes or both.

case study elements

Case study recommendations

Here you’ll overview the steps you took to accomplish your proposed solution. This should be specific, strategic and relevant (are you sensing a theme?).

When writing a case study make sure you tell it from beginning to end, following this outline as much as possible.

Use as much data as you need to frame your point but keep your reading in mind—too much data = dry and boring. Don’t be dry and boring.

A case study doesn’t have to feel like a case study—your reader doesn’t even have to realize they’re reading one.

If you share a client’s success story from start to finish in a compelling way and help potential clients decide to do business with you, then your case study has done its job.

Would you like free writing tips? Sign up for my weekly tips & tricks, from one writer to another at robynroste.com/writing-tips.
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Other posts you may like

The question of how to write a case study is a great one. But maybe you're wondering what a case study is and why you should care about it. I get that.

Want this case study training as a PDF? Download the ebook in my resource library.

This is a free resource but I do require a password to access the library itself. You can get access by popping your email address into the form below.

Get Access to My Free Resource Library

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The question of how to write a case study is a great one. But maybe you're wondering what a case study is and why you should care about it. I get that.
The question of how to write a case study is a great one. But maybe you're wondering what a case study is and why you should care about it. I get that.

Do Better Business with Social Media Marketing

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While it’s important to choose tactics that work for you and your personality in your freelance writing business, social media marketing can do a lot for discoverability and shouldn’t be overlooked.

Social Media Marketing for Business | Tips for Freelancers

Social media marketing for business

No matter if you’re a solopreneur or an established freelancer, businesses need to reach people (preferably their ideal people) if they’re going to survive.

The whole idea is to become known in your industry, building full and healthy business relationships with your prospects.

Would you like free writing tips? Sign up for my weekly tips & tricks, from one writer to another at robynroste.com/writing-tips.
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Honestly, the relationship-building aspect of marketing cannot be overstated. Everything in business points back to one-to-one relationships built on a foundation of trust and likability.

There are so many different ways to market and while it’s important to choose tactics that work for you and your personality, social media can do a lot for discoverability and shouldn’t be overlooked.

Since social media can take over your life I also wanted to add a disclaimer. This is a great tool for discoverability, to reach new audiences and build relationships. However, it shouldn’t be your entire business marketing strategy.

By the way, optimizing your social media profiles is important! You want to ensure potential clients know who you are, what you do, and why they should hire you.

Download your free ebook from my resource library! All you have to do is pop your email address into the form below and I’ll send you the password.

Once you’re in the library, navigate to the social media section and download the ebook called “Social Media Optimization.”

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To demonstrate where I think social media marketing belongs I’ve created a little infographic for you

Freelance writers sales funnel

Here are a few reasons why you should consider adding social media into your marketing plan.

It’s easy

Most likely you’re already on at least one social media platform and you understand how it works. Start there and figure out natural ways to talk about your business.

This could be by

The most important thing is to find something that works for you and to stick with it. Just be careful not to fall into the trap of spending hours and hours worrying about your content or looking for the perfect hashtags. Set a time limit and stick to your boundaries.

It’s free

Posting on social media is free so why wouldn’t you do it?

Yes, many platforms are pay-to-play meaning if you want to increase your reach you have to put money behind it but even still, it’s a great opportunity to test your posts and see how your prospects and readers engage with it.

Just remember this is one spoke in the bicycle wheel that is your marketing strategy. Keep it simple, keep it in perspective.

Extra reading: How to Avoid Social Media Overwhelm

Social Media Marketing

It’s not as simple as random posts though!

Yes you can post anything and use social media as a thowing-spaghetti-at-the-wall type of expirament.

However, social media always is most effective when there’s a strategy behind it and a larger goal at play.

Take the way agencies work, for example.

  • They plan out all kinds of campaigns and strategies
  • They time their posts, thinking about people’s habits and interests
  • There are even social media marketing firms that focus on boosting a company’s brand through social media 

Extra reading: Setting Social Media Goals: How to Do It and What to Track

Billions of opportunities to be discovered

There are so many people surfing social media platforms at any given time, so if you post the right content on the right platform in the right way, you may reach your ideal client.

Of course, going viral is never something you can plan for or count on but it’s nice when it happens. And it won’t if you never post anything.

Need help posting? Try Seasonal Ideas and Prompts for Social Media

Social media is here to stay

Maybe you hate it and feel like there’s no point in figuring out social media because it will be gone soon. I’m sorry to say that’s probably not gonna happen.

While individual platforms may flex and flux the global connectivity phenomenon is something you’re just going to have to deal with.

I mean, unless you figure out a different way to be discovered. It’s definitely possible, yes. But I don’t know how.

Hate social media? Maybe you also hate marketing. Read this post → Marketing Ideas for People Who Hate Marketing

While it's important to choose tactics that work for you and your personality in your freelance writing business, social media marketing can do a lot for discoverability and shouldn't be overlooked.

One more thing. You may be interested in my free resource library. This is where I keep my files, downloads, ebooks, worksheets and whatever else I manage to create. I love sharing what I learn and want to keep adding to this library so it becomes a wealth of helpful goodness.

This is a free resource but I do require a password to access the library itself. You can get access by popping your email address into the form below.

Get Access to My Free Resource Library

* indicates required
While it's important to choose tactics that work for you and your personality in your freelance writing business, social media marketing can do a lot for discoverability and shouldn't be overlooked.

You may also like How to Create a Social Media Portfolio

4 Top Tips to Take Your Content Writing and Marketing to New Heights

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Content writing and marketing is a long game, no doubt. But if you can stick with it you won’t regret investing your time and energy into this stream.

A photo of a freelancer sitting behind a computer working on her content writing and marketing (probably). There's a full bookshelf in the background with all the spines turned backwards.

As a freelancer, your business will only benefit from a strong content marketing strategy. Sure, you can make a decent income from outreach and pitching, but content creation launches you into something called INBOUND marketing, which allows you to scale.

In fact, something like 73% of B2B and 70% of B2C firms actively incorporate content writing and content marketing as a key part of their digital strategy. 

Tips for Improving Your Content Writing and Marketing

Our course, I don’t advocate for random acts of content. You need a system. Here are four tips to help set you up for success.

Would you like free writing tips? Sign up for my weekly tips & tricks, from one writer to another at robynroste.com/writing-tips.
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Make content creation a habit 

The Internet will tell you it takes 10,000 hours of practice to master something, and this applies to content marketing as well. You’re likely already an excellent writer but for whatever reason, doing marketing for your own business is significantly harder than content creation for other people!

So prepare to practice. Make it a habit. You’ll improve.

Maintaining a content creation practice requires discipline. So, creating a writing schedule will be helpful in this! In addition to encouraging you to stay on schedule, it will also help you continue to improve in both writing and marketing.

Try collaborating 

If you’re in the digital marketing or blogging world, then you’ve heard about bundles and summits before. These are collaborations between creators on a particular niche, industry, theme, etc.

Basically, everyone contributes a resource or training and agrees to promote the product or event to their audience. This can be an excellent way to create new content (nothing like an external deadline to motivate you!), network, and expand your reach.

Most people become involved with these collaborations through outreach directly to the creator or through applying to be involved. It may take a few tries to get into your first collaboration but once you become a known name it does become easier.

Keep it simple

I love digital marketing and everything that comes with it: email, funnels, automation, order bumps, down sells, flash sales…everything.

However.

There’s no need to make marketing more complicated than it has to be.

If you’re just getting started then here is all you need:

  • Something to say
  • Something to sell
  • Somewhere to say it

This could mean creating 50+ short-form videos to post as Reels, Shorts, and TikToks. It could. But if that doesn’t feel simple then find something that does.

Maybe it’s a text post on Threads.

Or it’s a Facebook Live in your Group.

Or it’s a blog post that you repurpose for your email list.

Find what works for you, make it easy, keep it simple. That’s how you sustain your content marketing.

Analyze and improve

Getting started is more important than getting it right, and the truth is you’re not going to nail it out of the gate. Again, content marketing is a long game.

Data and analytics are a huge help in figuring out how to improve your content creation efforts. While you don’t want to turn into someone who’s just chasing the algorithm and trying to go viral, you can learn from your stats.

And I know everyone is resisting the big Google Analytics upgrade but hear me now, it’s happening. (Actually, it already happened.) If you don’t want to deal with it, that’s fine. But in that case, consider hiring a knowledgeable GA4 consultant. Let them know what data is meaningful to you and they can build reports for you so you can stay on top of what’s working, what’s not, and where there are opportunities to explore.

Content writing and marketing is a long game, no doubt. But if you can stick with it you won't regret investing your time and energy into this stream.

One more thing. You may be interested in my free resource library. This is where I keep my files, downloads, ebooks, worksheets and whatever else I manage to create. I love sharing what I learn and want to keep adding to this library so it becomes a wealth of helpful goodness.

This is a free resource but I do require a password to access the library itself. You can get access by popping your email address into the form below.

Get Access to My Free Resource Library

* indicates required