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7 Benefits of Hiring a Ghost Writer

August 29, 2011 By 3 Comments
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Let’s face it; some people don’t enjoy the art of writing as much as others do. Some find writing to be a tedious and time consuming process; they’d rather be golfing. Hiring a ghost writer could work for you because you hire a person who loves to write. Most writers (me) find writing to be second nature — it’s like breathing. If you have an idea for a book or eBook, consider hiring a ghost writer today. Tomorrow, you could be selling and earning income on Amazon.com

Benefits of hiring a ghost writer

1. The pressure if off of you to write and produce a book.

2. You’re able to spend time on other things such as setting up a website/blog, social media sites, email campaigns, etc. However, a ghost write that’s skilled in marketing and social media can assist you with these business endeavors.

3. You receive a well written book or eBook.

4. You take all the credit. However, some ghost writers are given credit because they’ve worked with a client numerous times. It’s important to work with a ghost write that’s checked their ‘ego’ at the door.

5. A ghost writer loves to write and will probably finish your book ahead of the scheduled deadline.

6. A ghost writer understands the importance of marketability and can give you objective feedback on your book’s subject matter.

7. Hiring a ghost writer means you don’t have to through the process alone. Perhaps you considered writing the book yourself but didn’t want to work alone; the writer’s life isn’t for you. However, working with a ghost writer may inspire you to co-author your next book. It could happen.

When you hire a ghost writer, it can feel as if a burden or weight has been lifted off of you. Your time can be spent on the business side, i.e., developing your web presence, scheduling interviews and speaking engagements, building a social media platform, connecting with the ‘right’ people, etc. You don’t have to worry about your book because it’s in good hands with your ghost writer. You can now breathe a ‘sigh’ of relief.

Rebecca

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Filed Under: Authors, Clients, Freelance Writers, Freelance Writing, Ghostwriter, Networking, Overcoming Obstacles, Publishing, Tips and Tricks Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Secret to Twitter Retweets … Choose Characters Wisely

August 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Question: I’d like to increase the amount of ‘retweets’ on my Twitter stream. What can I do? I adhere to the 140 characters or less. This can be tricky because Facebook allows 420 characters. I receive some ‘retweets’ but not many. Help!

Answer: Forget about tweeting 140 characters … Tweet 100 characters!

Remember, Twitter is about content and Facebook is about developing relationships. If you provide great content along with cleverly written ‘tweets,’ you’ll see an increase in the amount of retweets you receive. However, it’s best to post a tweet that’s 100 characters or less. This leaves 40 characters and allows another person the opportunity to add verbiage to your tweet such as, “Read this now; Check this out; and Visit this link.” It allows followers to provide their input to the conversation. On the flip side, if you’re ‘tweet’ is too long, followers may have to edit it. They may not want to spend time editing your tweet. They’ll find something else to retweet.

How to write the perfect tweet that gets retweeted

1. Write eye-catching tweets that will be retweeted. Put your ‘reporter’ hat on and think about the story. Remember the importance of who, what, where, when, how, and why. Peruse newspaper headlines to get a ‘sense’ of how readers are ‘hooked’ into reading a story.

2. Share valuable content.

3. Stay under 140 characters.

4. Shorten the URL before you post it. FYI: Twitter is now shortening links.

Tip: It’s important to write attention-grabbing and concise tweets. Of course, you may not have enough time to spend on social media management. You can hire a freelance writer to manage your social media sites. Communication is their business.

Before you post a tweet read and reread it. Is it eye-catching? What makes the ‘tweet’ unique? How informative and pertinent is the content? More importantly, is it 140 characters or less? If you’re tweet is 140 characters, revise it. Edit it until it’s 100 characters or less. Once you develop this habit, you’ll never go back to using 140 characters. Before you know it, your tweets will be retweeted. Go forth and tweet!

Rebecca

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7 Points to Look for on Social Media Sites When Hiring a Freelance Writer

August 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Social Media: Changing Business

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Let’s face it; social media and the internet can be a blessing and a curse. Most people are courteous and professional on their social media websites like Twitter, Facebook, etc. However, a select few post lewd photos, unsavory links, don’t agree to disagree, and bash people. This information is available for everyone to see, including potential freelance writing clients. Like it or not, social media leaves a freelance writer and their professionalism open to interpretation. Here are several points to help you navigate the murky waters of social media when you check out a freelance writer.

7 Points to Look for on Social Media Sites When Hiring a Freelance Writer

1. Bashing previous clients. You’d think this would a ‘no-brainer’ but some freelance writers have been known to bad-mouth former clients and employers. They don’t understand that it’s not good business to ‘burn or blow up’ a bridge. It’s best to walk away in a professional, dignified manner.

2. Negative Nancy or Nick. Most freelance writers are aware of how to write comments on blog posts and forums. They’re professional and agree to disagree. However, some may tear people a part. This isn’t professional or helpful to the conversation. If you come across a freelance writer like this, they may not be the writer for you.

3. Sketchy contacts. There’s a saying about how you can tell a lot about a person by the company he/she keeps. This is why it’s important to choose  friends and contacts wisely. Peruse a freelance writer’s list of contacts. How solid are they? Are they legitimate contacts? Is a writer’s social media website filled with a lot of contacts to make them look good? Ask these and other questions to determine the legitimacy of contacts.

4. Endorsements. LinkedIn allows endorsements; it’s a hot topic. Review endorsements carefully. Does a freelance writer have solid, well written endorsements from actual clients? What about former employers? What did they have to say? Not all endorsements help a writer. Unfortunately, most of them are for show and don’t tell you much.

5. Unsavory media. This is a sticky area. What a freelance writer does on their personal time is their business. However, if you find pictures of them ‘jugging’ from a beer bong while wearing a lampshade on their head, you may receive the wrong impression. How would this affect your decision to hire them as your writer? Can you imagine having lunch with your potential freelance writer with that image of them in your head? Listen to your ‘gut instinct’ if you feel comfortable hiring the writer.

6. Grammar and other mistakes. This is why it’s important for everyone to set a Facebook Personal Page to the highest settings. There’s nothing wrong with Lol!, LMAO, and other abbreviations; however, a freelance writer’s business is writing and communications. Check out their Twitter page, Facebook fan page, and LinkedIn page to see what they’re posting.

7. Does the freelance writer interact on their blog and fan page? Social media can make your head spin! However, a freelance writer who understands the importance of ‘connecting’ and developing relationships will interact with fans and followers.

Rebecca

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Filed Under: Clients, Freelance Writers, Freelance Writing, Networking, Overcoming Obstacles, Social Media, Tips and Tricks, Travel Writing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Freelance Writing Clients Build Websites on a Budget

August 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Clients and potential freelance writing clients often ask me, “Are you a web designer?” Some clients have viewed my resume and noticed my graphic design experience. They automatically link this to web design — they do go hand-in-hand. I’m interested in web design; however, I’m waiting for the day when web coding becomes more streamlined. Until that day, I’ll do-it-myself the best I can or hire a web designer.

If you’re a freelance writer with a graphic design background, tell clients they could build their websites on a budget. Most companies use WordPress which is a user-friendly content management system that’s easy to customize. You don’t have to get fancy (advise against it) with a website. Keep it clean and user friendly, offer unique and informative content (hire a freelance writer), and enjoy the web traffic.

How freelance writing clients build websites on a budget

1. Sign up with Weebly.com. Offers a ‘drag and drop’ platform, making it easy for you to customize your website. Weebly is free; however, you can purchase a domain through Weebly (uses Registrar.com) or transfer a domain. Weebly offers over 100 templates which can be customized to fit your needs. You can add media such as audio, video, and graphics; create a photo gallery. You can also create a ‘customized’ contact form specifically tailored towards your target audience.

2. Hola! Actually, it’s Yola. Choose a free plan or purchase one from $99 to $499 per year. Yola offers customers over 100 themes which can be customized to suit your business needs. Features include premium styles, site hosting, and analysis. Both plans include advertising credits for Facebook and GoogleAdWords. The $499 per year plan includes a consultation with a professional web designer.

3. It’s hip to be square with Squarespace. College kids created this platform in 2004 from their dorm room. Go figure! Squarespace costs $12 to $36 per month and includes hosting, a content management system, design tools, widgets, and add-ons; you can use your own domain. The Business Plan ($36/month) includes priority support, unlimited bandwidth, pages, and storage; management staff, and access to features such as FAQs, SSL, form builders, and member registration.

4. Snap to it with SnapPages. Like Weebly.com, SnapPages is a ‘drag and drop’ website platform. Choose a free plan (doesn’t include the use of your own domain) or the Developer plan at $30 per month. The latter includes features such as premium themes, 10 GB of storage space, use of your own domain, CSS control, project management tools, SEO settings, and much more.

5. Buildor Pro or BuildorLite. Obviously, the ‘pro’ has more features than the ‘lite’ version of Buildor; offers a 50-day free trial. Most website development companies have a 10-day or 30-day trial period. You build and design your website ‘in the cloud’ as opposed to a WYSIWYG environment. BuildorPro costs $10 per month and is billed through PayPal. BuildorLite is free. It may be helpful if you have an ‘intermediate or advanced’ knowledge of web coding.

Building a website doesn’t have to be a lengthy process. With the ‘click of a button,’ you can have a professional looking websites that attracts customers. Don’t overload your website with graphics and multimedia because it will look cluttered. Avoid bombarding customers with paid advertisements because this could deter them from visiting your website. If you like DIY projects, consider using one of the above website platforms. The alternative is to hire a web designer. Happy web designing!

Rebecca

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How to Write Attention-Grabbing Subject Lines

August 17, 2011 By 2 Comments
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Freelance writing clients and all clients in general could be approached from a fishing perspective. Clients are the fish and subject lines are the lure. It takes one line, one hook to catch their attention. Do this and you’ll have no problem reeling in BIG catches every day.

A great headline is hard to resist — a subject line is no different. It opens the doorway to communication. It’s short, sweet, and to the point. Use five to eight words and no more than 40 characters to entice readers to click on your email campaign.

How to write attention-grabbing subject lines

1. Write your subject line and then rewrite it. Do this until you’re completely satisfied.

2. Test email campaigns with various subject lines and analyze which ones offer the best return.

Tip #1: Write your message first, write your subject line last.

3. Consider personalizing the subject line. If you use an email provider such as Constant Contact, you should be able to customer email blasts.

4. Let’s face it; a deadline-driven subject line could do the trick. If your offer is very tempting, clients and potential clients will feel an urgency to respond.

Tip #2: Avoid exclamation points and other symbols because they’re linked to spam email.

5. Is it really Urgent? How much will clients Save? Can this be true? A Free offer? These call-to-action terms are overused. Do they still work? They do; however, savvy clients and customers will chuckle at them because they ‘spammy’ terms when they read them. Your email blast has a good chance of being  flagged as spam. Or, it could go straight to trash!

Format email campaigns in a clean, clear, and concise manner. Focus on providing solid information instead of overwhelming clients and potential clients with a bunch puffn’ fluff. It’s tempting to fill email campaigns with graphics and videos but your email will mostly end up in the spam or trash folder. To ensure your message is received loud and clear, provide useful content and avoid all the fluff.

6. Read magazine and newspaper headlines and think like a ‘seasoned’ magazine or newspaper writer. These folks know how to write headlines that make readers stop and read the article.

7. Get to the point. Keep a subject line between five and eight words.

Tip #3: Know your target audience and email list. Sending an email blast to everyone on your list isn’t a good idea. Tailor email blasts and campaigns accordingly.

Gain Thousands of Web Visitors Overnight … Offer Ends at Midnight … are examples of calls-to-action to motivate clients and potential clients. Your call-to-action could motivate clients and potential clients to visit your website, “like” your Facebook fan page, follow you on Twitter, connect with you on LinkedIn, review your video tutorials, etc. Your call-to-action will set you apart from the competition.

Rebecca

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