It's much too easy to forget about marketing our writing services to someone once we've landed them as a client. However, sometimes all it takes is a reminder or a little nudge from you to bring in even more work. Here are five things freelance writers can do to keep existing clients coming back for more:
- Keep in Touch - A simple email or phone call periodically can prompt a client to order services. Keep their past work in mind. Did they hire you the previous year before a holiday to draft special ad or newsletter copy? Then contact them before that same holiday (or before another holiday) to see if they're interested in similar projects. It's very possible they're willing to pursue it, but simply haven't thought about it yet.
- Ask for Referrals - Send your clients an email asking either for a testimonial for your website or for referrals to other businesses or publications. It's basic networking. You could also offer a special discount or something else to clients to refer new work to you - not only will it encourage them to send new clients your way, but you'll give them a reason to order from you again to take advantage of that discount.
- Pay Attention to Their Needs - I find that clients often tell me much more about their business efforts than are actually necessary for my writing projects. That often includes telling me about other marketing plans or other types of writing that they don't know I provide. When that happens, I pay attention. I get a feel for their overall plans, and I'm then able to promote other services of my own to help them meet their needs. For example, if I'm working on a press release and the client mentions story ideas for more general articles, I may offer feature writing services. If your client hires you to overhaul the copy on their website, and they send you outdated brochures or other marketing collateral to pull information from, you can pitch your services to overhaul or update them.
When marketing your freelance writing services, existing clients are not only worth remembering--they should be a marketing priority. No one can bring in new business better than an existing client with a large referral base, and if they're already happy with your work you'll have to do much less to convince them to hire you.
How do you promote your writing services to existing clients?
For More on This Topic:
- Attn Freelance Writers: How to Get More Work From Existing Clients
- Build a Freelance Writing Client Mailing List
- 5 Tips for Marketing Your Freelance Writing Business
- 27 Proven Freelance Marketing Tips
- The Most Powerful Way to Presell Any Product or Service
Great tips!
I find #1 works really well for me, although it is a tightrope you are walking, don’t contact them so often that you are becoming a pest.