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Get out of the Copywriting forum!

Discussion in 'Copywriting' started by latoya, Aug 6, 2008.

  1. malcolm123

    malcolm123 Peon

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    #41
    Wow, great thread. I've got a lot to think about as I begin my freelance career.

    Derek
     
    malcolm123, Aug 12, 2008 IP
  2. lukemeister

    lukemeister Peon

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    #42
    haha, great advice. blunt but dead on.
     
    lukemeister, Aug 12, 2008 IP
  3. LadyCallie

    LadyCallie Peon

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    #43
    Thats a pretty good plan...but some people might see it as spam or report for harassing or something. . . couldnt they?
     
    LadyCallie, Aug 13, 2008 IP
  4. latoya

    latoya Active Member

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    #44
    Depends on how you do it. jhmattern mentioned somewhere else in the thread that randomly PMing people to pitch your services could result in an infraction or ban. So, don't randomly PM people.

    You can also contact someone offline if they have links to a website in their signature. Make sure it's actually that person's website, since many members rent out their signatures and advertise other members' websites.

    Even randomly emailing is a waste of time. Target your contacts and you have a better chance of making a sale.
     
    latoya, Aug 13, 2008 IP
  5. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

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    #45
    Just to clarify DP rules - sending any unsolicited commercial PMs is considered spam, and if the recipient forwards it to a moderator, we give you an infraction or ban you (depending on things like how many people you sent it to, how many infraction points you currently have, etc.).

    That means, you can't see someone on DP, decide that the site in their sig or something they said makes them a good prospective client, and PM them to pitch your services - no matter how targeted you think you're being. If you want to go that route, you need to find a way to contact them outside of the confines of this forum.

    If you see someone advertising, certainly you can respond via PM. If they happen to mention in a post that they're looking for help with something specific, then PMing them wouldn't be "unsolicited" even if it's not directly an advertisement on their part.

    Hope that clears it up.
     
    jhmattern, Aug 13, 2008 IP
  6. latoya

    latoya Active Member

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    #46
    Exactly. :)
     
    latoya, Aug 13, 2008 IP
  7. marketjunction

    marketjunction Well-Known Member

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    #47
    Think I need to get out of the Copywriting forum permanently. :D

    It's been fun.
     
    marketjunction, Aug 13, 2008 IP
  8. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

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    #48
    But you love us so you won't. :p Besides, what kind of networking example would that set for newbie writers? (not that you care all that much about newbie writers lol)
     
    jhmattern, Aug 13, 2008 IP
  9. marketjunction

    marketjunction Well-Known Member

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    #49
    I'll kind of stick around and post here and there.

    I'm not a good example for writers anyway. Sure, you can make $100,000 a year writing for others, but why cap yourself? ;)
     
    marketjunction, Aug 13, 2008 IP
  10. Geli4ka

    Geli4ka Peon

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    #50
    I agree completely! As for me, I only write on-line, if I find a really interesting topic to write on.;)
     
    Geli4ka, Aug 14, 2008 IP
  11. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

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    #51
    Ah, but that's why I generally think of you as a good example - you're showing them they should be writing (at least in part) for themselves to really maximize their potential earnings. Good stuff.
     
    jhmattern, Aug 14, 2008 IP
  12. jeewant_gupta_051275

    jeewant_gupta_051275 Well-Known Member

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    #52
    Well well well..
    we have a lot of interesting things going on around here. I have a very simple, yet wierd question to ask the moderator-jhmattern here..
    Don't you think working on "cold marketing" and "Doing" things so as to catch the clients' attention would result in spamming, unwillingly though? Can you suggest a way to market under the hood and yet be in full consonance with the TOS at DP?
    I know you have clarified this anomaly to a good extent here, but still, how do you differentiate between a marketing gimmick and spamming?
     
    jeewant_gupta_051275, Aug 14, 2008 IP
  13. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

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    #53
    Spamming is a "marketing gimmick." The rules are pretty cut and dry - if it's unsolicited, it's spam. Let's look at some examples:

    1. You browse over to the website reviews area of the forum and see someone's asking for reviews of their new site or blog. Their site happens to be in a niche you specialize in. You PM them, pitching your services. - SPAM

    2. You see someone advertising for writers in a niche you cover, so you PM them (b/c you're not allowed to say you're interested or post your rates in response publicly with the "new" BST rules, so you have to PM them to respond). - Not Spam

    3. Someone has a link or message in their signature stating that they hire writers. You PM them to pitch your writing services. - Not spam.

    4. You see another writer offering a similar service to yours. Someone posts to say they're interested in the advertised services / deal (even though that's against the rules). You PM them to pitch your own services to try to compete. - SPAM

    5. Someone knows that you offer writing services, because you either advertise it periodically or have a link to a professional site in your sig. They PM you wanting rates or more info to order. - Not spam.

    6. You see an Internet marketer posting over in the SEO forum or something, it's clear they have a team of SEO writers working for them, but they haven't advertised for writers or said they're looking for new writers. You PM them to pitch your services. - SPAM
     
    jhmattern, Aug 14, 2008 IP
  14. jeewant_gupta_051275

    jeewant_gupta_051275 Well-Known Member

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    #54
    Exactly, so then, how do you actually indulge in the "cold marketing" being talked about here without pitching in your services to people NOT asking for them clearly in any of the forums?
     
    jeewant_gupta_051275, Aug 14, 2008 IP
  15. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

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    #55
    Simple - you don't do it here. No solicitation = no pitching on DP.
     
    jhmattern, Aug 14, 2008 IP
  16. marketjunction

    marketjunction Well-Known Member

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    #56
    Simple.

    I'll tell you in my $47 report that's coming out tomorrow. Kidding of course.

    The formula is very easy:

    you + lots of participation + lots of good quality info = reputation

    Show you know what you're talking about.

    For whatever reason, people here think I know something about marketing and writing and therefore contact me about it without me asking.

    There are other ways too, but this isn't a marketing forum and I'm not going to say anything. The one listed above works all day long on any forum.

    Good luck out there!
     
    marketjunction, Aug 14, 2008 IP
    chillingbreeze likes this.
  17. internetauthor

    internetauthor Peon

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    #57
    You can bring them to you by building up your reputation throughout the forums OR you can take your business off DP completely and contact them through their website.

    Most users post a primary website in their public profiles. If you think you might be just what a webmaster needs (and he doesn't know it yet), take the time to figure out what site he's working on and then pitch your services through that site. Every reputable website should have contact information available. You might just have to research a bit to find it.

    It's only the unsolicited PMs that are considered breaking TOS on Digital Point. DP can't monitor or ban you from contacting someone through his own website.
     
    internetauthor, Aug 14, 2008 IP
  18. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

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    #58
    Nope. We don't care what you do through their own website. We have enough to worry about right here. :D
     
    jhmattern, Aug 14, 2008 IP
  19. jeewant_gupta_051275

    jeewant_gupta_051275 Well-Known Member

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    #59
    I really like jenn's advice on contacting the client -off DP to save oneself from infractions, and yet be able to pitch my services. But the real thing started as tips for earning here AT DP, and after all the discussion here, I guess we are back to the basics, as market junction mentioned in the above post.
    The gist of it, as interpreted by a new member like me would be to participate a lot and let potentially high paying gigs SPOT me themselves, which again brings us to ground zero, as someone just suggested the need to DO rather than wait!!
    But in totallity, this thread has been more than helpful to me when i consider the kind of strategies that have been discussed here and how a writer of a good caliber can actually do wonders with these strategies, if used in the right manner and in compliance with the TOS at DP
    Thanks and regards,
    Jeewant
     
    jeewant_gupta_051275, Aug 14, 2008 IP
  20. chillingbreeze

    chillingbreeze Well-Known Member

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    #60
    Weldone Latoya! Such a great advice offered with awesome sense of humour :) Though almost everybody knows about cold contacting yet you did a great job of reminding of; better say explaining it nicely. Loved it!

    @ Marketjunction

    Selling content-rich sites; no doubt a profitable idea provided you choose the right niche and write content worth buying. I'm sure many of us would have implemented by now. :) In fact, you motivated me too to try it again. Now, I'll just have a look at those poor domains waiting for me to pick them up :p Many thanks on your way for much appreciated advice.

    I must say, a nice original post inviting awesome ideas from others. Wish I could give rep to entire thread :p
     
    chillingbreeze, Aug 14, 2008 IP