{"id":36409,"date":"2019-05-15T14:31:53","date_gmt":"2019-05-15T18:31:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/?p=36409"},"modified":"2019-05-15T14:31:53","modified_gmt":"2019-05-15T18:31:53","slug":"following-up-as-a-freelance-writer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/following-up-as-a-freelance-writer\/","title":{"rendered":"Hit Send: Making the Case for Following Up as a Freelance Writer"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a freelance writer, sometimes it feels like a losing battle to get work. <\/span><\/p>\n

You send dozens of email pitches to prospective clients<\/a> but hear nothing but crickets — or at least, that\u2019s what often happens to me.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recently, though, I had a mindset shift. I\u2019m not <\/b>just <\/i><\/b>a writer; I\u2019m a business owner. <\/b><\/p>\n

I\u2019m selling my services. And if you\u2019ve ever been on a company\u2019s email list, you probably know that they follow up with a vengeance, time after time after time. Does it work? <\/span>50% of sales happen after the fifth follow-up<\/span><\/a>, so that\u2019s a yes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s why following up on your pitches is so important for freelance writers, and the best ways to do it with success.<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be afraid to follow up<\/span><\/h2>\n

Too many freelance writers are afraid to follow up. They think it makes them seem pushy or annoying and they\u2019ll never get a client from a follow-up email, so why bother?<\/span><\/p>\n

I used to have the same fears — that is, until I started getting clients from follow-up messages.<\/span><\/p>\n

Think about your inbox. It\u2019s crowded, you\u2019re busy and sometimes things fall through the cracks. If you delete a message without reading it (and without fully realizing what it is), would you be mad if the sender emails you again a few weeks later? <\/span><\/p>\n

Of course not \u2014 especially not if they\u2019re offering something of value.<\/span><\/p>\n

Remember, the person on the other side of the computer is just that: a person. <\/span>If you follow up after an appropriate amount of time and do it with respect and kindness, they should have no problem with your email.<\/b><\/p>\n

Do follow up correctly<\/span><\/h2>\n

How long should you wait before following up on a piece of marketing? Use five business days as a bare minimum; people are busy, and they don\u2019t have time to dig their way to the bottom of their inbox each day. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re approaching or returning from a holiday, give people even more grace. And remember, life circumstances can strike at any time, making email even less of a priority. <\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a little controversy about how many times to follow up with any one client. I know some writers who don\u2019t follow up at all. I know others who keep following up for years. I fall somewhere in-between.<\/span><\/p>\n

I used to send two follow-up emails to each prospect \u2014 one a week after my initial point of contact via LOI (<\/span>letter of introduction<\/span><\/a>), and one more two to three weeks after that first follow-up.<\/span><\/p>\n

Eventually I realized that I was getting lots of responses to the first follow-up email, but zero responses to the second. So I decided to let prospects go after just one follow-up message.<\/b> And with job applications, I rarely follow up at all. <\/span><\/p>\n

Experiment and figure out what works for you.<\/span><\/p>\n

You also may want to <\/span>make sure your emails are getting opened<\/span><\/a>. Use a tool such as Hubspot Sales or Streak, which is a Gmail add-on, to see if your initial email was opened. If it wasn\u2019t, you might have the wrong email address, or your message may have landed in the recipient\u2019s spam folder. Whatever the case, you don\u2019t want to waste your time sending emails into a black hole.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, change your mindset about following up. You\u2019re not just asking for work \u2014 you\u2019re cultivating a relationship. Consider sending your point of contact an article that made you think of them or wishing them a happy holiday during the appropriate times of year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Craft your follow-up message carefully<\/span><\/h2>\n

A good follow-up email has three primary components: <\/span><\/p>\n