Are you a freelancer who wants clients out there to know about what you have to offer? Despite your hard work to promote yourself, you still may be struggling to capture potential customers’ attention. Attracting the companies you need with your writing is not rocket science, but there are definitely tricks that make the process easier. You just need to know what and how to write to get those clients rushing to you.
Use the Internet As Your Platform
Media is the platform through which you tell companies about your service, product, or talent. It could be a website, blog, article, press release, or resume, etc. If you are still relying on pamphlets and flyers on community boards, you are missing out on an international scale. To hit a community level, these tactics still work, but if you are looking to expand your outreach and visibility, heading to the internet is your smartest move.
Maintain a Website/Blog
If you are using some form of website or blog to get the word out about your products and services, you’re in the right place. You just may need to make a few adjustments to make yourself noticeable.
If you have yet to build your website, use starting from scratch to your advantage. I recommend using WordPress and the best hosting provider for your needs. With a free WordPress plugin theme called Sketch, you can optimize your site to reap the full benefits of business transparency and customer communication.
Be sure to include the following self-marketing strategies. Not only do you want to market your business, but you also want to market yourself. When writing copy for these sections, keep it concise, professional, and friendly.
- Headshot: Headshots aren’t just for auditions anymore. Including a headshot on your frontpage will help the customer connect with you right away. A trustworthy smile means a trustworthy business connection.
- Personal Statement: Introduce yourself to your clients and let them know how you can help their business if they hire you. Write to your target audience and use language that will appeal to them — but also don’t lie about yourself. If you are passionate about helping small-town businesses, cater to this passion in your writing. If you are looking to attract Wall Street corporations, including the language of finance, high-stakes business, and why you’re qualified for the job.
- Call-To-Action: Including call-to-action helps seal the deal. You don’t need ten of them on your webpage for this strategy to be effective either. A simple, “Get Your Free Quote Now!” will do.
- Include Testimonials: This is where other people will do the writing that attracts companies for you. Including testimonials means you are not making the sales pitch solely, but others are vouching for your services.
Convey Your Niche Through Your Tone
Your writing should match your business’s mission and aesthetic. For instance, if you are advertising yourself as a songwriter who writes jingles for pet commercials, discussing animals in a way that makes it seem like animals trouble you is probably not the best way to score a client. If you are a photographer who takes moody pictures, having an overly-formal tone can take the creativity out of your deeply creative practice.
Part of creating a brand is maintaining continuity between design and content. When your content/copy meshes with the niche in which you are working, you come off knowing what you are doing. Just always make sure you are professional, never rude, or offensive.
Stand Out By Writing Well
Companies don’t want to hire or entrust a big writing project to someone who cannot write. Sure, not everything that comes out of your head will be a Pulitzer Prize-winning piece. But everything that goes down on the page and circulated in public needs to be readable, especially in a business setting.
Since you cannot speak for yourself in this situation, you need to write for yourself. Think of your words as your first impression. Don’t be sloppy, dress to impress, and edit until it sparkles. Writing well means clear communication, and clear communication attracts companies towards your services.
Use Best SEO Practices
Search engine optimization (SEO) is how your website is prioritized in search engine results. The better your SEO strategy, the more likely you’ll show up on the front page of a Google search. Believe it or not, SEO is not something that’s generated by code, but by your writing.
Related: Read this article from SEMRush (a leader in SEO) about some basic SEO tips.
Use keywords smartly and techniques that search engines like.
- Shorter sentences.
- Shorter paragraphs.
- Bullet points/lists.
- Header tags.
There are other ways to optimize your SEO, but starting off with the basics is a great way to quickly increase company attraction with your writing.
How to Talk About Your Business, Service, or Product
In most cases, when looking to attract companies specifically, you’ll need a solid business description. Though you know your business the best, it is sometimes the hardest thing to write about.
A business description describes the main aspects of your business and what makes your business unique. It should be clear and thorough, but not overly long. Your business’s mission statement should always be included in a business description, as well.
Use 5 Ws and an H
Your business description should answer the who, what, where, when, why, and how. These questions can be whatever you like, but some good standards to follow include:
- Who are you as a business or freelancer?
- What is your product/service?
- Where is your business located?
- When do you plan on achieving your goals?
- Why would a company want to hire you or buy your product?
- How will you handle business/achieve your business goals?
Do Not Sensationalize
A business description does not have to be bland, but it should not be fantastical either. Avoid hyperbole (exaggeration) and overuse of cliche or metaphor. There are ways to convey your passion for your business while also being reserved in your writing. When a company sees that you can balance the two, they will take your writing, and therefore you, seriously.
Your Company or Business in the Future
Write a vision statement for your company or business. What do you want your business to look like in the future? Make it detailed and clear, but keep it to a paragraph.
Optional: Include Business Structure
It’s good to include your business structure in your business description, e.g., sole proprietorship, LLC, corporation, or partnership. Also, list any business attorney who helped you with registration, regulations, and liabilities. This legitimizes your business and will reassure a company that you are serious about your job. However, you don’t always have to explain why you have chosen this structure for your business.
Wrapping Up
I would say that writing to attract companies to your business is 25% creativity, 25% skill, and 50% common sense. What do I mean by this? If you want to bring in potential clients, use your common sense when you write. Target your audience, use SEO strategies, include the information they need to know, and edit your copy. You can always make your writing fancy later.
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