Entries from March 2012 ↓

As a freelancer (whether a copywriter, designer, social media adviser etc.) you love your clients. After all they are the ones that help you keep your business afloat and pay your bills.

But there comes a time – every now and then – when you have to say goodbye.

We’ve all been there – at first the relationship with your client is good, but as time goes on, cracks begin to appear. They are taking up more and more of your time, arguing over everything, they take an age to pay their invoices and they start to quibble over your fees (which they were perfectly happy with).

The time has come to part company to save your sanity. Not an easy decision as your livelihood will take a hit, but what’s more important, cash or your mental wellbeing?

So, how do you do it? How to you sack a client?

Stage 1: Always be professional

No matter how tempting it may be to tell them exactly what you think of them and that you never want them to darken your door again – don’t.

You are a professional and that is how you must remain at all times. And yes, in this type of situation it may mean you taking the blame for something that has nothing to do with you. Tell them you don’t feel as though you’re the right person for the job, or perhaps you don’t have the time to give the project that it really needs. Another good one is that you have to put your prices up and therefore your services no longer fit their budget.

Whatever reason you come up with, make it sound as though really you’re doing them a favour.

Stage 2: Be ever helpful

Once you’ve made your excuses to terminate the relationship, go that extra mile by suggesting someone else who may be able to help them.

How great will you look? Not only have you pointed out that you are no longer able to do their project justice, you’re also helping them find someone else who can – God you’re good.

Stage 3: Tidy up

After cutting the apron strings and making a few suggestions for alternative suppliers, make sure everything that should be completed is completed – you don’t want to leave anything half finished. Go to whatever lengths are necessary to make sure all the ‘I’s are dotted and ‘t’s crossed.

No one likes to end a business relationship, but there are times when you have no choice. Just make sure you come out of it holding your head high, knowing you’ve done everything you could to help your client.

Twitter – a social networking platform where you can communicate in 140 characters, which amounts to relationship building in a literal nutshell.

Take a good a look at the third word in that opening sentence – social.

How can you automate being social?

Social is relationship building, spontaneity, conversation and all those things you need to be present to do.

And yet people still profess that automating your Twitter usage is the way to go – but why?

The Pros of automated tweeting

Those in the ‘pro’ camp will try to convince you that automating your tweeting will:

• Save you time
• Give a constant presence
• Give your followers a stream of tweets to keep you in their mind
• Provide your followers with timely offers
• Help you plan your strategy to target potential customers

But there is a problem with that. Sending out random tweets isn’t always constructive. Plus, some people who automate will schedule the same tweet to go out at weekly or monthly intervals. They may think it saves them time, but it’s not long before their followers get fed up with seeing the same message. And that type of repetitiveness highlights the fact that you’re an absent tweeter.

The cons of automated tweeting

So, that brings us to the cons of being automated:

• There is no engagement with your followers
• Your tweets can appear random and disjointed
• If you’re not there, you can’t respond to replies or RTs (retweets)
• There is no conversation
• You can’t react quickly to someone else’s tweet

The ideal strategy

I am no Twitter guru, but I have been using it for a while now.

For me, the best strategy is to be there in person when I’m tweeting. The only automated tweets that go out are those showing my latest blog posts when they are published – everything else is me. That way I can react to other people’s tweets, join in with conversations and offer help and advice when needed.

Over to you

What’s your take on this?

What strategy do you use?

Leave a comment below and have your say about the pros and cons of automated tweeting.

Sally Ormond – Copywriter

This article was supplied by printed.com digital printing, suppliers of high quality business cards members of the Direct Marketing Association.

The author’s views are entirely his own and may not reflect the views of FreelanceCopywritersBlog.com. If you are interested in producing a Guest Post for this blog, please get in touch with your ideas.

When it comes to promoting your business, get your hand in before the competition with a business card that tells your customers who, what and where you are. Next time they need those services, they’ll know who to call.

Every business has to ‘buy’ its customers, in one way or another. Spending your budget on business cards is a very simple but extremely effective marketing strategy. There’s nothing like getting your name out there when it comes to attracting business. Not only this, but compared to placing adverts in papers or on the radio, creating business cards is incredibly cost-effective thanks to digital printing. Digital print runs are short and economical, and supply high quality material quickly. Follow these five steps to make a business card that stands out from the crowd and enhances the professional image of your business.

1. Content

Small as a business card may be, it’s all about getting the right information onto it so that your customers know who you are, what you do, and how they can get hold of you. Leave just one of these out and your cards are as good as useless. Don’t forget contact details, including a website address and phone number. Social media information is vital in this day and age: add your Twitter name or Facebook URL to broaden your customer base. Once you’ve got down the basics, it’s important to add a personal touch that demonstrates why your company will deliver above and beyond the competition. Creating a tagline that’s catchy but not flippant should achieve this. A call to action such as “Visit our website” or “Contact us here…” will put your customers on the right track. Lastly, proofread your content again and again before going to print – there’s nothing like a typo to put off potential customers.

2. Design

Your content won’t work its hardest unless layout, images and logo make it presentable. An attractive design grabs the attention, and images have the capability to convey a message as well as or sometimes better than words – and sometimes in less space. If you go for something a little bit different (check the internet for ideas on creative business cards) make sure it fits with your branding and ethos, so that it really inspires people to think rather than coming across as a gimmick.

3. Be Brand Consistent

Content, design and logo should match your wider branding, from in-store branding to website design. This strengthens your brand and reduces customer confusion. If your business card uses one colour scheme, and your website another, your branding will be weakened. Make sure your designs support and integrate with each other to make your message more powerful.

4. Quality

The best design in the world will suffer if the printing is poor quality. Choosing a print company with a good digital colour machine, and which prints on 400 gsm stock or heavier, will ensure your cards are completely professional. Business cards should ideally be coated on both sides for durability and sleekness. Ask for some test prints to make sure the design prints well.

5. Going to print

Digital printers produce the best quality cards for the least amount of money. Most companies require designs of at least 300 dpi, but ask your chosen printer for their individual guidelines and requirements. The company should be able to advise you on matters such as design and layout, and offer test prints before the full print run.

With a little effort, and attention to detail, the company will be able to produce business cards that perform far beyond the outlay invested in them. The whole face of your brand will be improved by the use of business cards, which give off a slick and professional impression. As long as pitfalls are avoided (including typos, missing content, inconsistent design and poor quality printing), your handy business cards are the ideal way to circulate the capabilities and details of your company, in a neat, pocket-sized and transportable form.