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CREATIVE SMALL BIZ

Turn your talent into a flourishing business.

For freelance writers and other creative professionals.
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Issue 96: July 30, 2004

Read this issue online at:

http://www.digital-e.biz/newsletter.html


Published and edited by Angela Booth

Contact me at: ab@...

Or visit: http://www.digital-e.biz/

Or:

http://www.prowrite.biz/

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Digital-e Daily ---

More tips and guidance at Digital-e's blog (Web log):

http://www.digital-e.biz/blogger/index.html

And at Pro Write's blog:

http://www.livejournal.com/users/prowrite/

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(For instructions to join or leave the ezine's mailing list,
scroll to the end.)
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In this issue:

1. Editorial: August 2004 Pro Write Special [From the publisher]

2. The Copywriter's Marketing Two-Step [Article - A. Booth]

3. Sponsor Ads

4. Classifieds

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1. Editorial: From the publisher

=> August 2004 Pro Write Special: Your Key To Writing Success ---
A Full Year Of Pro Write

Want to make 2005 the year you achieve success as professional
writer? If you love to write, Pro Write will give you all the
tools you need to succeed, so take advantage of our special which
runs until the end of August.

Our August 2004 Special gives you a full year of Pro Write
membership. That's TWELVE writing workshops to help you to write
fiction, nonfiction, and also to write for business. Each
workshop has three lessons, with exercises, and takes you around
a month to complete. You can post your exercises in Pro Write's
forums for feedback, and ask whatever questions you wish.

More info at ---

http://www.digital-e.biz/specials.html

Enjoy. :-)


=> This Week's Article: The Copywriter's Marketing Two-Step

This week's article first ran in our copywriter's ezine. "Get the
word out", and "up-sell current clients", are classic marketing
methods you should use every day, no matter what you're trying to
sell. Scroll down to read.


Until next week, be well and make $$$ from your talent---


Cheers from

Angela

P.S. Please note, we're having problems with sp#mmers spoofing
our Digital-e email addresses. The easiest way to make contact is
to use the online feedback forms on Digital-e and Pro Write until
the situation resolves itself.

Contact us at:

http://www.digital-e.biz/feedback.html

http://www.prowrite.biz/contact.htm

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=> Earn as you learn with Digital-e! <=

Sick of your day job? If you'd rather stay home and write,
Digital-e's email writing courses will help you to become a
professional writer. Write when and where you want. The weekly
payment plans on our e-courses and coaching programs make it an
affordable option to earn as you learn. (You'll have Angela at
your side to cheer you on. :-)) You'll find the part-payment
buttons on the appropriate course pages. Not sure how it works,
or if it's right for you?

Info on Digital-e's courses:

http://www.digital-e.biz/ecourses.html


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2. Article: The Copywriter's Marketing Two-Step


Copyright C 2003 by Angela Booth




"Will you have fries with that?" It's the classic up-sell, and
we've all heard it. You can apply it to your business, too. Up-
selling is part of a process I call the marketing two-step.

Every working day, no matter what else I'm doing, I think about
where I am with the marketing two-step. This simple and
straightforward method will build your business fast. The two
steps are:

* Get the word out; and

* Up-sell current clients.

Let's see how they work.


=> Get the word out

Getting the word out is classic marketing. I tend to pick a
marketing method and work at it for three months at a time. You
can choose any time-frame that suits you, from one month to three
months. During this period, you'll work the marketing method that
you've chosen. You'll work steadily, without considering whether
or not this process is working. This is because ALL the marketing
you do is cumulative. There's no way you can gauge the success or
otherwise of a method in a week. You've got to keep at it for at
least a month, and three months is better.

The marketing methods you choose will depend on the time you
have, and your budget. Some methods, like Yellow Pages
advertising, are set and forget. You only need to worry about the
Yellow Pages once a year when you place your ad.

Other methods, like cold calling (telemarketing) are intensive
for a month. You might decide that you'll call 200 businesses
and/ or agencies a week for four weeks. This means that you'll be
calling 40 businesses a day, and it's going to take a chunk of
time. However, once you've done it, the follow ups and the work
that result from calling 800 businesses during a single month
will keep you busy.

You could decide that your "get the word out" process for the
next three months will involve getting your own Web site up and
operational. Each day, you work on some small task related to
this effort.

Or perhaps you decide that you'll focus on advertising for a
month. You pick a mix of advertising venues: the local paper,
marketing industry magazines, and Web advertising. The first
week, you write and place a series of classifieds for your
copywriting business. The second week, you create a magazine ad,
and place it. The third week, you write five news releases, and
send them out to newspapers, magazines, and Web sites. During the
fourth week, you place several Web ads. If you're looking for
sites on which to place a Web ad, consider sites similar to
Publisher's Marketplace ---

http://www.publishersmarketplace.com

This site lets you create an entire page, and it makes an
effective ad.

(I've got no connection to this site, but I use it and have found
that it's effective.)


Whatever marketing method you choose, pick it, and decide on
whether you'll work it for a month or three, and then work the
method each and every day.


=> Up-sell current clients

This part of the marketing two-step requires research, study and
creativity. Look on this as a way of building your business and
ensuring that your business continues to grow.

Let's see how this works. You have a client, we'll call Swain and
Company. This company builds greenhouses, and ships them all over
the world. (Please note: this is a fictitious company.) You've
written some advertising for Swain and Company. You spend a
couple of mornings researching their competition. What Swain
need, you decide, is a PR campaign, and a revamped Web site.

How are you going to present this to the business?

That depends on your relationship. If you don't know the
principals well, the best way is with a proposal which you
present via a multimedia presentation. If you know the company
CEO well --- that is, you've had the occasional lunch and are on
comfortable terms, you could present it as a simple report
accompanied by a short proposal.

It's important to present this material in writing. You're
tossing new information at the company, and they'll need to mull
it over and cost it. However, don't make your presentation so
complete that they no longer need you --- present just enough
information, as a teaser. Focus on the benefits to the company.

After you've made your presentation, follow up with the company
every couple of weeks. Answer any questions they have, and do
further research. Follow up until they decide to go ahead with
some or all of your suggestions, or until you realize that for
whatever reason, they've decided not to pursue it.

You'll need to invest time and energy in up-selling your current
clients. Don't begrudge this, because the benefit to you is
greater than the income you derive from this. You're building
your own knowledge and expertise. Once you've made a
presentation, you can create your own presentation template, and
create proposals and presentations for other clients.

The first time you attempt to up-sell a client is the most
difficult. You will be nervous. This is a good thing. It means
that you're moving out of your comfort zone. You'll feel nervous
any time you try something new. Press ahead anyway. By the time
you make your third presentation, you'll be comfortable with the
process.

There you have it. That's the marketing two-step. It's a step by
step way to keep marketing in focus, and to build your business.
Try it.

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3. SPONSOR ADS

**** Web site design and maintenance ****

Do you run a small business? Do you need a web site to help
expand your business? Don't want to spend the equivalent of your
mortgage to set it up? Contact B & P Thursby Digital Services for
a no-obligation quote http://www.bpthursby.com.au

** Ebook: 7 Days To Easy-Money--- Copywriting Success **

By Angela Booth

(A professional author and copywriter for 25 years, published by
mainstream publishers.)

This ebook shows you how to set up your own copywriting services
business in seven short days. The book gives you a complete step-
by-step, easy to follow process, so that you know exactly what to
do. In seven days, you're ready to take on clients.

What will you write as a copywriter?

You'll write the words that sell --- everyday words. The words on
ads, leaflets, brochures, press releases, product instructions
and labels, newsletters, direct mail, and on Web sites.

How much can you earn?

Copywriters can make excellent money, with the most experienced,
enterprising, and productive copywriters scooping in a
comfortable six figures annually.

How hard is it to write for business?

If you can write an e-mail message or a letter, you can write for
business.

More info at:

http://www.digital-e.biz/ebooks.html

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4. CLASSIFIEDS

***Advertise in Creative Small Biz***
CSB readers are hard-working creative professionals. Got a
product or service they should know about?

Visit: http://www.digital-e.biz/advertise.html

Or contact Birgitt at birgitt@...


=> Writing Coaching: Plot Your Novel

This five-week coaching program helps you to create a compelling
plot, fascinating characters, a synopsis, and more. We'll work
with your current novel, or if you don't have a novel in
progress, we'll plot and develop one.

If you've always wanted to write a novel, this coaching program
is for you:

http://www.digital-e.biz/coaching.html#plot


=> New coaching program: Write for the Web

With the long-awaited worldwide economic recovery underway, and
companies increasing their Web presence, Web copywriters will be
in huge demand. Get started writing for the Web today.

You can do it. Work from home, work for yourself, and make a
great income. This program offers personalized, fun one-on-one
coaching.

http://www.digital-e.biz/coaching.html

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FEEDBACK

Send questions, ideas, and feedback to:
mailto:ab@...?subject=feedback

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Creative Small Biz: Copyright C 2004 by Angela Booth. All rights
reserved.

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Your privacy is important. You've signed on for this ezine in
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Creative Small Biz

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Australia

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