Tip sheet
The Reluctant Freelancer: Tips for Rebranding and Marketing Yourself in an Uncertain Economy
By Tammy Worth, independent journalist
Barbara Feder Ostrov didn't come to the freelance life by choice. She was four months pregnant when laid off from the San Jose Mercury News and was thrown into freelance writing reluctantly.
What she found out is that even reluctant freelancers can make a living, but it takes preparation and marketing to make it work.
Feder Ostrov was one of a three-member panel moderated by New York freelance writer Irene Wielawski who gave tips to fellow journalists on how to build a brand and market themselves as freelancers at the AHCJ conference.
The biggest mistake Feder Ostrov said she made as a staff writer was not thinking like a freelancer while she was still employed. She had no personal cards or source list; she didn't have much use for social networking; her work e-mail was her personal e-mail and all of her notes were on her computer at work.
What she found after she got laid off is that, even while on staff, writers should, "always think of yourself as a freelancer – make sure you can be away from work at a moment's notice and still get work done." She learned the hard way by having to download all of her source books, notes, e-mail contacts and PR sources to her personal accounts.
While she may be a reluctant freelancer, she has since learned a bit about successful marketing.
She used the extracurricular activities she had participated in while on the job as a source for contacts. She said she didn't enjoy it, but forced herself to talk to community groups, moderate panels and teach classes while at the paper. Much of the initial work she received was through the contacts she made at these outings.
She has set up a Web page to showcase her work and has two different cards – one for her academic work and another for other jobs. She uses social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook to market herself as an expert in the field.
"Think broadly when you are talking about expertise," she said. "If you have written extensively at all on any topic, you are an expert and knowledge of a specific area is a bonus."
Mark Forehand, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Washington School of Business, said differentiating one's self from competitors is one of the key components of creating a brand. Offering something that is tangibly different than other writers such as specific training, contacts or area of expertise is important.
But before throwing up a Web site or a blog, Dan Cane, principal at IncitePartners, said writers should really think about how they want to "put themselves out there in the world."
He recommended first taking a step back and looking at what you want to say, who you are and how you will stand out in the marketplace. He said using this discovery period helps you to understand your brand and realize what you do, why you are special and why a potential editor should care. One way to do this is by contacting people you work for and asking them what it is that attracts them to you and why you are valuable to them.
He said determining what makes each writer special can be done by sitting down and writing exactly what they do in 15 words or less. Keep that and read it and rework it until it can define your brand.
"It's what gets you up in the morning, what excites you and what is your passion," he said.
