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As a freelance writer, you will most likely submit your work to many different calls for content and exciting opportunities to snag a by-line. With a never-ending pool of talented writers pursuing the same objective as you, rejection is a common part of freelance writing. Even the best of writers have suffered rejection. However, it’s what you do after the dust settles that truly matters.
Why Did I Get Rejected?
Inappropriate Writing Style
Not everyone is going to fall in love with your writing style. While some clients enjoy punchy statements and original thought, others encourage writers to present a conservative tone that oozes professionalism or speaks to academic circles. Certain clients view highly descriptive pieces and imagery as ‘fluff’ or ‘flowery text,’ while others demand detailed pieces that allow readers to indulge in all five of their senses. Sometimes, you’ve simply been rejected because your writing style was not the perfect fit. Don’t take it personal.
Misunderstood the Market or Target Audience
Clients are looking for writers that can speak to their target market, audience or a specific gender; sell products and services; improve brand recognition; and express the thoughts and ideas that they are unable to convey. For example…
- When a job calls for web content geared towards teenagers and the video game market – your writing tone and knowledge of the subject is vital.
- It is not uncommon for a retired chemical engineer to encounter a bit of trouble connecting with 4-year-olds looking for a bedtime story.
- And… if you don’t have any experience writing persuasive, sales copy – getting rejected for a sales letter gig on your first try shouldn’t come as a surprise.
One of the most important aspects of writing is to understand your market. Who is the reader and what kind of information are they looking for? What will keep the reader interested? Let’s say you’re interested in writing for a magazine. The first thing you should do is scan an assortment of publications to get a feel for their audience, tone of voice, content, and style of writing. Make sure to become familiar with the ins and outs of a magazine, including the kind of ads they publish. This will help you better meet the needs of a potential client when sending sample submissions.
Didn’t Follow Directions or Writer Guidelines
Go over the original directions or writer guidelines with a fine-tooth comb – did you deliver what was asked of you? Perhaps you injected opinion when you needed to remain objective in your writing. Maybe you were instructed to send an original sample of your work, but submitted a previously published E-Zine article.
Sometimes, adhering to a specified word count is a deal breaker. When a 500-word sample article is asked of you, sending a 2,000-word piece (no matter how brilliant it is) probably wasn’t the best idea. Keep in mind that many clients are looking for writers who know how to write under various restrictions…and follow directions.
Time of Submission
There are tons of freelance writing opportunities decorating the Web, including Craigslist ads, blogrolls, newsletter services, Elance, Guru, and Scriptlance. The competition is fierce, as you are sometimes vying for projects that have caught the eye of thousands upon thousands of other writers. The key is to strike fast in order to increase your chances of being ‘heard.’ Although you may have written the ‘next best thing,’ chances are – if you’re #788 out of 900 responses – your piece may never come in contact with the client. For example, some clients choose to sift through only the first 100 replies they receive for an ad. Many writers are rejected simply because they never had a chance to shine.
…and the dreaded Didn’t Write Well Enough
Sometimes, the answer to your rejection is staring you right in the face as you glance over your work – incomplete sentences, spelling errors, improper tenses, and overall poor grammar. Have someone look over your writing piece, making sure they are familiar with the project details. Did you fulfill what was asked of you? How many grammar mistakes were found? Did you carelessly misspell a common word? Poor grammar and spelling blunders quickly overshadows any good writing and thoughts.
Overall, writing is a never-ending journey of learning and growth – a process that matures as you mature. In the end, you will find that practicing your craft is one of the best ways to sharpen your skills and improve client and reader responses.
We shake hands with people we’ll never see again and exchange business cards that collect dust, but for every person you meet and greet – you come one step closer to increasing your clientele and customers. Networking is a powerful advertising tool and a lot of business owners unfortunately overlook this key ingredient to success.
Whether you must conquer shyness, dust off the suit jacket, or become more active in the community – the possibilities are never-ending when you make a dazzling first impression that benefits your business. Getting involved and mingling about town is one of the best ways to get your name and company out in the open.
When you’re looking for ways to accomplish this magical marketing task, consider the following:
1) Join the Chamber of Commerce
The Chamber of Commerce is a collection of business people who join together to further the interests of members on a local, state, or national level. Start gaining the support of your community and watch interest in your products and service rise. Don’t forget to attend meetings, luncheons, and contribute to fundraisers. The key is to stay active and hopefully form beneficial alliances within your niche. You never know who will become a vital asset for the future of your business.
2) Attend School Board Meetings
The educational system is comprised of educators, administrators, parents, and children – a goldmine for many businesses and a rather effective venue for getting the word out on a business. Good (and bad) news spreads like wildfire throughout this particular arena, so it is important to make a strong first impression and put forth a solid effort to contribute during meetings. Always keep a business card on hand.
3) Become a Member of the Arts Council
The symphony productions, plays, art shows, and museums that decorate your city are usually guided by one or more arts councils that often include an assortment of wealthy and influential individuals or companies. Become a member of this particular organization and you can tap into a whole new world of networking.
4) Participate in Charitable Events
Embrace the positive energy that comes with giving back to the community and the gesture is returned in more ways than one. Not only will you gain respect as a business owner, but it feels good! In the long run, you will become a familiar face about town that
consumers are more willing to trust when it comes to spending their hard-earned cash.
5) Update the Community
Share important company events and information by posting ads or announcements in the local newspaper; updating your main website; and/or creating a mailing list consisting of past customers for shipping out friendly postal reminders and ads.
6) Newsletters
Create a newsletter that updates your community on the latest happenings pertaining to your business. Perhaps you have launched a new product or would like to offer free trial services in exchange for feedback. Maybe you’d like to provide valuable information regarding your business niche. Whatever the case – newsletters are a great way to build a bond with the community and persuade potential customers or clients to trust in your company’s services and goods.
For additional marketing articles, insight, and tips – don’t forget to subscribe to our monthly Priceless Newsletter. It will only take a few seconds to enhance your business savvy; keep up-to-date with unique article discounts; and learn how quality content can increase sales and boost profits.
Search engine optimization has governed the minds and actions of webmasters everywhere for the past decade. Some online entrepreneurs spend thousands of dollars trying to please the search engines. From hiring SEO specialists to participating in questionable tactics thought to improve rankings, the typical website owner places most of their faith in the ability of the search engines to drive their traffic -
If Google disappeared tomorrow, would your website fade as well?
Not long ago, every internet user turned to the search engines for their online needs. Whether you were researching, shopping, or just surfing - Google or Yahoo were typically the starting point. Today the search engines still play a very important role in our online experience, but our methods of discovering new websites are shifting tremendously.
How do you, personally, use the Internet?
Chances are - your target audience uses it the same way. The internet has evolved into an interactive community. RSS feeds, social media, and the new web 2.0 have changed the way we search, surf, and work online. While you may ‘Google’ the new car you’re considering or search for the latest sports scores, the typical internet user of today will see, read, and even share dozens of websites each day without ever seeing a search engine — is your website benefiting from this type of traffic or are you still relying on nothing but SEO?
The New Face of Search Engines
With more and more internet users trusting their peers to recommend the best websites and online destinations, it makes sense that the major search engines would want to follow suit. In fact, a new Google is just around the corner. Instead of backlinks and keywords - ratings from other users, reader reviews, and comments will determine your rankings and drive your traffic.
Search engine optimization as we know it today could very well become a thing of the past once social search engines are in place and functional. Is your website ready for the next generation of SEO?
Search Engine Optimization for Web 2.0
The above link outlines several possibilities of tomorrow’s SEO but the key to a successful website, with or without the search engines, is to provide the rest of the online world with valuable, informative, and entertaining content. While keywords will still play a role in social search engine optimization, original, quality content will be more important than ever before.
You can prepare for the Google of tomorrow by being an active part of the online community today.
- Participate in social media sites like Digg and StumbleUpon.
- Use micro-blogging applications like Twitter and Plurk.
- Become part of a blog community and actively contribute.
- Connect with others at social networking sites like Facebook or LinkedIn.
While search engines will probably always be a significant part of the internet, they will not always be the search engines we know today. The social side of the internet is growing at a rapid rate and, in the very near future, Google’s new search engine will create an even bigger shift toward interaction, active involvement, and - most importantly - useful, informative content.
Further reading at The Future Buzz: This is a terrific first-hand example of the success organic traffic building can have today, as well as in the future. Great content and sincere interaction have built a successful website that will naturally fit into the new Google experimental search engine.
We all know how important search engine optimization is to your website. When you’re selling products or services, having great Google, MSN or Yahoo ranking is absolutely a must. In fact, most people who search for keywords don’t go past the 2nd page of search engine results. So, how do you make sure your site ranks high on the search engines? Well, there are several important factors that come into play when you’re search engine optimizing your site.
The Biggest SEO Myth – Sprinkle Some Keywords and You Will Be Fine
Not! It’s amazing how so many wise marketers will pay a few dollars for a poorly written article that contains a few keywords. Many people think that as long as you have one or two keywords sprinkled through your articles, your site will rank high in the search engines. Putting your faith in a cheap article written by amateurs is like going fishing without a hook! Search engine optimization is much more than just a few keywords.
In order to really rank high in the search engines, importance should be placed on many things, including:
Unfortunately, it seems that everyone who learns how to slap sentences together and call it an ‘article’ claims to be an SEO expert. Trusting professionals to search engine optimize your site is extremely important. Wise marketers and online business owners have started to realize an important fact –
“You Get Exactly What You Pay For!”
Although you won’t find an SEO expert to create excellent rankings for just a few dollars, it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg either. I’ll give you an example. Recently, a client paid to have two pages of his website rewritten with search engine optimization in mind. For this service, he paid less than $150 but gained TOP Google rankings on more than 15 different keywords which were vital to his business. He took up the number one and number two spots for most of his selected keywords and shut out his competition.
With the Right SEO Expert, Your Return on Investment Can Be HUGE
This client will make an enormous return on his investment and will most likely snatch up customers that would have originally gone to his competitors. A large amount of research was conducted, quality backlinks were created and keywords were strategically placed for his pages. Rather than relying on a few sprinkled keywords, this wise client invested in his business and he’s taking home the cake!
Your Business is Your Future – Never Settle
While you shouldn’t pay a fortune to search engine optimize your site, beware of companies who promise SEO for a couple of dollars! A less than average article just isn’t going to provide you with the kind of traffic you need. When you invest in your business and purchase quality service for articles, search engine optimization and content – you’ll always come out on top!
Backlinks have always been a big deal in the world of rankings and websites. Today, the quality of your backlinks is even more important than the quantity. Search engine spiders and robots read the links pointing to your website to determine the popularity and the quality of your content. In search engine logic, a site with a few quality backlinks from similar or related websites is actually more likely to display in search results than a website with hundreds of useless links.
What Are Quality Backlinks?
Simply put, a quality backlink is a relevant incoming link from a respectable website that is similar in content or related in topic to your own. The algorithm the search engines use to determine your ranking is not that simple, unfortunately. There are a number of different factors that influence the quality of your backlinks:
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The importance of the website providing the link. A relevant link from any useful website is nice, but websites with higher page ranks typically provide you with higher quality backlinks.
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The relevancy of the link. If your website is about tree care, a backlink from a gardening site would be a better quality link than one from a website offering unique and custom content.
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The text of the link. ‘Read more’, ‘click here’, and other common generic links are not quality backlinks. Your incoming links should use strong keywords targeted for your site – like the link above – whenever possible.
How Do You Get Quality Links?
Knowing the difference between a link and a quality link is just half the challenge – actually generating those quality backlinks to your site is the rest. There are several different ways to do this and not all techniques work the same for every site. The most effective method, guaranteed to work on any useful website, is to publish original, high-quality content. Unique content that is informative, entertaining, and well-written will naturally gain backlinks because other websites and blogs enjoy pointing their readers to intriguing and useful material.
Article marketing campaigns are also effective ways to gain quality backlinks. Directories like GoArticles, ArticleBase, and similar sites allow authors to publish their original content on the site and then these articles are made available to other website owners for publication. Each directory has guidelines in place regarding the number of links allowed as well as their placement but most allow at least 2 quality backlinks. When the articles are downloaded and published by other webmasters, you have incoming links from a variety of relative websites.
You can also buy incoming links. There are an assortment of backlink programs available and a big percentage of them are completely ineffective. Some may even gain your website a search engine ban so it is important that you purchase links with care. I would personally recommend a company like Blogvertise where you can hire a blogger to post an article relating to your website, even specifying the keywords to use for the links.
A final method to consider is posting and commenting on blogs and forums that share a similar audience to that of your own site. For best results, become a part of the community and interact with other members rather than leaving cookie cutter comments that are often seen as spam. You will not only gain quality backlinks by participating, you can build your credibility and expand your business network.
Gaining quality backlinks is an essential part of building a successful website. Check out the 10 types of backlinks you should avoid at all costs before deciding on the best link building techniques for your website. If you need an article for directory submissions or original content for your website, contact the Priceless team for premium copy that will gain you the quality backlinks you desire.
When it comes time to hire a new “member of the team,” many employers dread the juggling of applications, impressive cover letters, and glowing recommendations. On paper, a candidate can easily seem like the perfect fit and even after they’ve passed the one-on-one contact stage – it can take several months before you realize that maybe Harvard-grad John Smith wasn’t the best one for the job.
Today, an increasing number of employers are learning that it takes much more than a bright smile and exceptional resume to make the grade. In the long run, large companies stand to save millions when hiring is done right the first time around. It costs money to bring in new staff and satisfy outgoing employees – something that hurts small, mid-sized, and large businesses alike.
- Ask Questions Based on Experience and Behavior – You can learn a lot from the past behavior of a candidate in order to gauge their future performance. Make sure to ask questions that highlight how a candidate has responded to adversity and other important circumstances in the past. For example, instead of asking how an applicant would deal with differences in opinion regarding a project – ask he or she to describe a specific situation that took place in the past. Encourage detailed accounts and snippets of dialogue.
- Dig Deep – Many employers make the mistake of not digging deep enough during an interview. For every question that you ask, deliver a follow-up question.
- Keep Your Company Environment in Mind – Often times, a candidate is well qualified for a position within your company, but you find their personality or work ethic is not compatible to the majority of your workforce. For instance, a candidate that prefers to work alone is probably not the best choice for a position that involves constant group interaction.
- No Experience… but Has Skills – During the interview process, it’s always good to keep an open mind and consider candidates that offer wide-ranging backgrounds. Don’t get too stuck on the titles displayed on their resume – but instead focus on the skills they have acquired along the way.
- Intimidation is Not the Key – Many employers miss out on the perfect candidate because they resort to intimidation tactics to sort out the “strong” from the “weak.” However, let’s face it – interviews are known for sending the calmest individuals into a panic. If you approach the interviewing process with the intention to loosen candidates up and make them feel comfortable, you will learn a great deal more. Try sitting next to the candidate when interviewing instead of propping yourself behind a desk.
- Follow Up on References – Some candidates will choose references by what looks most impressive. Displaying a law firm as a reference seems notable at first, but upon further investigation – there is a great difference between completing a 3-day internship and receiving three years of paralegal experience. Follow up on references and ask questions about your potential hire that reveals valuable information (regarding leadership qualities and accountability).
- Don’t Hire Less-Experienced Employees Just to Cut Costs – Some companies believe hiring a less-experienced candidate for a newly opened position will save money. However, you will only miss out on the versatility of an experienced employee that can tackle multiple tasks. In most cases, a more ‘expensive’ hire ends up costing less than bringing aboard two entry-level workers to cover the same type of responsibilities.
Remember – hiring suitable candidates the first time around can save large companies millions of dollars and help smaller businesses cut costs as well. Long-term employees help businesses thrive, prosper, and advance within the industry. Their continued experience and past contributions within your company is an asset that will only increase your overall productivity the longer they are employed under your care.
Article marketing campaigns continue to be one of the most popular ways to drive traffic to your website, create more conversions and make more money. While most people know what article marketing is – a lot of people aren’t sure how to do it properly. If you’re not following the unspoken rules, you could be forfeiting a lot of customers and a lot of sales. Here are those rules and some helpful tips on how to follow them.
Article Marketing Rule #1 – No ‘Spammy’ Sales Techniques
Sure – you’re submitting articles in order to pre-sell your products or services. However, the key to article marketing is to make it seem as if you’re not selling anything. If your articles are full of blatant plugs for your company or your products – potential customers will only see the fact that you’re trying to sell them something.
What is the first thing you do when you answer a telemarketing call, receive junk mail or open a spam e-mail in your inbox? You hang up the phone, throw the mail in the trash or delete the e-mail. This is how your potential customers will feel when your articles are full of hype and ’spammy’ sales techniques.
Following the Rule –
With this rule in mind, there are a few things you can do to keep your articles informative and attract potential customers rather than scare them away.
- The first and probably the most important thing you can do is provide honest and helpful information. Make sure your tips and tricks are truly useful and that your readers can take the information and run with it - without having to purchase your product. You’re thinking, ‘But…I want them to purchase my product.’ Well, they will be more likely to purchase the product if they have already been give helpful information that actually works!
- When your article marketing article outlines a problem that people usually experience – don’t just offer them your product or service as a solution. Offer them several solutions and include yours. If your product or service is good enough – it will stand up to the other solutions and your readers will be receiving real, valuable help rather than just a sales pitch.
Article Marketing Rule #2 – Always Provide Top Quality Articles
One serious mistake that many internet marketers and business owners make with their article marketing campaigns is thinking that it’s just good for a back link. For this reason, many of them hire cheap writers or purchase low quality articles to use in their campaigns. Not only can this turn readers off and prevent them from visiting your website – it can also hurt your reputation and credibility.
One of the main reasons for creating article marketing campaigns is to brand yourself as the expert in your niche. Everyone emphasizes how important this is and for good reason. When people read your articles and they are low quality, contain spelling and grammatical errors or are not interesting – you will quickly lose credibility and lose your niche to someone else. (Probably someone else who only uses top quality articles with their campaigns!)
Following the Rule –
No matter what sort of industry you’re in, you can create or purchase top quality articles and you should. When you demand only top quality for all of your campaigns – you will quickly see the benefits.
- If you’re creating your own articles, make sure to proofread them and fix any spelling or grammatical errors. Also make sure that they are compelling and keep the reader interested. Try to look at your own articles as if you were a stranger seeking products or services like yours – or, get someone else to read the article and give you feedback. Is it interesting? Are there any mistakes in the article? Keeping the article clean, interesting and compelling will help build your credibility.
- If you’re not able to create your own articles, hire only the best writers to produce them for you. Ask for samples before hiring the writer and make sure to provide the writer with important resources to help them create the best articles. It is helpful to get a writer who has past experience creating article marketing campaigns – and who already knows the subtle rules of article marketing!
By following these two unspoken rules of article marketing, you can build your credibility and become the expert in your niche – no matter what it is. You can also drive more traffic to your website and get more sales or sign-ups.
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