How do you get a potential client to trust that you are as good as your word?

You pay attention to detail. In Ideas and Opinions, Albert Einstein tells us, “Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.” (1)

One of the small matters in freelance writing is mechanical correctness.

Paying attention to grammar, punctuation, and spelling goes a long way to showing your expertise in writing. Part of the mechanics of writing is properly citing your research sources and that’s a “small matter” that is often overlooked in web freelance writing.

Because the web can be a very informal means of communication, freelance writers often view citation as an unnecessary, time-wasting extra that only serves to lead their readers to other domains by linking to researched content. However, the core principle of creating trust for the freelance writer is credibility. While your opinions may be valid, they are only your opinions unless you can back them up with solid facts. Citing your sources is that extra small matter that improves your credibility in both the originality of your content and as an authority on your topic.

Citing your sources gives your readers (sometimes potential clients) access to your research. Not only can they explore your topic as fully as you explored it, they can also see that while well-researched, your content is original… not just a copy-paste version of someone else’s idea.

The easiest way to cite Internet sources is to just leave a link under a “Resource” section at the bottom of your web page, but if you want to build trust and confidence in your writing expertise, easiest isn’t always the best. Properly citing sources takes a little more effort, but once you have the basics down, it becomes almost second nature.

Although different methods of citing sources apply to different types of content, the most often used traditional methods come from the Chicago Manual of Style, which offers acceptable solutions for citing most types of documents, online and off.

The following method of citation is also acceptable for most types of Internet content writing.

1. Author Name (if known)
2. Document Title
3. Content Date (if known)
4. “Site Name or Title”
5. Date Accessed
6. <http://domain.tld/directory/page.ext>

For instance, to cite this article, use:

Linda Jenkinson. Are You as Good as Your Word(s)? Dec 2007 “Older Space” 20 Dec. 2007.

If you have trouble getting the hang of correctly citing resources, you can get started with the Son of Citation Generator or explore the various methods of citing sources at Online’s Citation Styles.

Theodore Roosevelt is remembered for saying, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” In freelance writing, the combination of research and citation is a bat that turns soft opinion into hard-hitting content, which builds trust in your writing expertise and adds credibility to your content.

1. Albert Einstein. Ideas and Opinions. New York, NY: Wings Books, 1954. World Cat. 6 Dec. 2007 <http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/48862178&referer=one_hit>
2. Theodore Roosevelt. The Columbia World of Quotations. Ed. Robert Andrews, Mary Biggs, and Michael Seidel. Columbia University Press, 2006. eNotes.com. 2006. 6 Dec, 2007 <http://www.enotes.com/famous-quotes/speak-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick>

• The Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide. 2006. “The Chicago Manual of Style Online”. 6 Dec. 2007 <http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html>
• Harnek & Kleppinger. Citation Styles. 2003. “Online!” 6 Dec. 2007. <http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/citex.html>
• David Warlick. Son of Citation Machine. Apr. 2006. The Landmark Project. 6 Dec. 2007 <http://citationmachine.net/index.php?source=166&callstyle=11&all=#here>

Popularity: 100% [?]

Writing an article like this one is probably one of the easiest forms of writing because I get to say exactly what I want to say exactly how I want to say it.

Write what you know.

That’s what they tell you in school, but in the real world of professional web content writing you’ll often be called upon to write content on subjects that are completely foreign to you. When you write for a client, even if you are “in the know”, you still need to thoroughly research the subject just to be sure your knowledge conforms with present day facts. Researching topical articles can be time consuming, but at least once you’ve done your homework you have a solid base of information to begin your client’s content.

Although writing sales content is the type of writing I find most profitable of all web content writing, sales content poses special problems. In order to write sales content for a client you, of course, first have to know 1)what the client wants on his/her website and 2)what needs to be on the website in order to make it rank well in the search engines and convert visitors to customers. Often those two elements butt heads. If the client doesn’t have an existing web site, it can be like pulling teeth to get the information you need. If s/he does have a website, you’ll frequently find that the current copy isn’t written to sell. Most often, it’s written to tell.

The Client Content Questionnaire

This was a real problem for me when I first started writing web sales content for clients. I know what I’d like to see on their pages but often my clients opinions differ radically from mine. Finally, I developed a client Content Questionnaire that my clients fill out before I begin their web content projects. In less than 20 questions it gives them an idea of what they’ll see on their pages and discreetly helps them learn what needs to be on their web pages.

The Content Questionnaire is built into a MSWord® form with a text block under each question that my clients may use to add extra information. Below is a truncated version of the form. If you’d like a copy of the complete form, I’ve put it in a zip file for you and you can download it here (It’s free!).

1. What information is the most important to emphasize throughout your website content? (products or services)
2. What is your business structure? (corporate, partnership, sole proprietorship)
3. What additional information would you like to see mentioned on your home page?
4. How long has your company been in business. (Year started if known)
5. Who founded the business and what was their incentive to begin the business?
6. What specific information about key people would you like to see on your website?
7. What other information about your company would you like to see on your about or company history page?
8. How would you describe your business in your words?
9. Do you have brochures, flyers or other media that contains product or service information?
10. Who is your primary market? (commercial or consumer)
11. What is the range of your market?(local, regional, nationwide, global)
12. Should your website cater specifically to your present market range or work to extend your market?
13. Is location or regional information important to your business?
14. What sort of feel do you want your website to have? (Sharp and professional; Friendly and Inviting; Intellectual; Down to Earth
15. Does your business hold any special qualifications, certifications, licenses, memberships, etc. that you would like mentioned on your website?
16. If your business is product oriented, what shipping information would you like included in your website, if any?
17. Does your business have a slogan, mission, and/or vision statement that you would like included in your website content?
18. Does your business have any product and/or service disclaimers that are necessary to your website content?
19. Do you have other comments, requests,or information that will help us to write the content of your website to reflect your business accurately?

Popularity: 84% [?]

Common Craft is fast becoming one of my favorite blog subscriptions. Their blog is full of entertaining how-to-do-its and just good, common sense advice on a variety of topics. Today’s blog was called Classic Lesson Being Small and Happy. I was surprised to see they used a fishing story to bring their point home.

My last blog post used a fishing story as an example of measuring success, that you don’t need a big system to be successful at freelance. Of course it’s normal to want your freelance business to grow, but how big do you have to be before you feel successful? The Common Craft blog post gives us all a reminder to keep our idea of success in line with our happiness.

I believe that one of the most important roads to success in freelance is defining your business model and staying true to it. “Plan your work and work your plan”. Don’t be manipulated into going into deeper waters until you’re ready and sure you can navigate through the currents and waves. And be sure you don’t go so deep that you can’t get back to solid ground when you need to.

Anyway, the story at Common Craft does a far better job of making the point than I can. Click the link above and enjoy.

Popularity: 58% [?]

A thread on The Blog Experiment and member Vertexity’s avatar got me thinking… what is success?

If you look at the stick figures, at first glance it appears that Lefty was more successful than the fellow on the right. But, what if I told you that Lefty caught his fish after a long day of fishing in a new boat using a depth finder and a full tacklebox and the other fellow caught his fish in ten minutes with just some strong line, a hook, and a worm?

Lefty certainly caught the bigger fish, but the other guy knew his business and captured quick results.

What does this have to do with freelance?

Line, bait,hook?—sound fishy?  

What’s Your Line?

Fishing line is strong and transparent. In freelance, your line is your business model.

Keep your line strong.

Focus your services on the areas of your expertise. Don’t over extend your business into those areas where you won’t shine. Gather a good list of trustworthy service providers in other areas and use it as a resource for outsourcing or referrals.

Be transparent.

Write a proposal that puts you and your client on the same page. Tell your prospective clients exactly what you’ll do, how long it will take, and how much it will cost.

In my proposals, I have a section that I call “determination of responsibility”. I use it to tell clients what I’ll do and what I need from them (e.g. content information, logos, photos, etc.) to complete the project. The section could also be used to let the client know about peripheral services that you don’t provide. For instance, if you don’t offer hosting but have agreed to find a web host for them, you might use that section to detail what you’ll do and what they’ll need to do to get the service started.

The bait

A worm on a hook wriggles as if to say, “look at me”. It’s an active invitation for the fish to bite. In business, the bait might be called “promotion”. It’s what draws attention to your business and gets you noticed. Flyers, your website or blog, business cards, press releases, advertisements are all bait.

However, the best and least expensive way to promote your freelance business is to show your niche market your expertise through activity in the niche, whether it’s joining an on-line forum or an off-line group. The keyword here, is “active”. Become an active, indispensable member of whatever groups you join and you’ll get noticed for what you can do.

The hook

Fish hooks are those shiny bits that attract and snag fish. The hook is the one thing that makes your freelance business shine and often the decisive element that persuades a prospect to become your client. It’s what puts you ahead of your competition. Some call it “your unique selling proposition”. Some new freelancers think that price is their only hook, but your resourcefulness, dedication, experience, and expertise are all attractive aspects of business, and in my opinion, better long-term hooks than price.

You don’t need a big system to get results. Although you might be “the other guy”, if you know your business, you can fish with the best of the pros. However, don’t be afraid to start small. Capitalize on what you do well. Find your niche and put your line in the water. Small fish often school together. If you use the right hook, line, and bait you have all you need to catch your limit.

Editiorial note: Thanks to a comment from Dave McNally (Vertexity), I reversed the sections “The Bait” and “The Hook”. I hope my meaning is clearer now!

Popularity: 73% [?]

Many freelance businesses have static portfolio and/or business websites that don’t necessarily connect to their business blogs. For a long time, I’ve wanted to put Older Space on my business site, Linda Jenkinson Web Content Design, but I figured that RSS syndication meant paying a bunch of money for some kind of complicated software. Although the tech savvy freelancers out there probably already know about Feed Digest, I just found it today.

Feed Digest lets you put up to five RSS feeds on your blog or website for free and makes doing it as easy and enjoyable as a walk in the park. You start out by creating one feed digest, and when that’s finished, you can edit the digest to add more feeds from other blogs. There are also upgrade options available if you aren’t satisfied with five feeds.

Choose how you want your feeds to appear from a sweet selection of pre-defined templates or build your own template using Feed Digest’s special tags. Feed Digest gives you plenty of control over your digest, from choosing your own title to key-wording the content you want to display and listing in what order it should appear.

Tell you what… they probably explain it much better than I can. You can see an example of Feed Digest on my site or just go to Feed Digest to find out how easy it is to add RSS feeds to your blog or website.

Feed Digest is the easy way to add syndication to your website. Get the details here.

Popularity: 59% [?]