When is bulk BULK and how much discount do you give?

What do you mean by "post?" Will you be visibly connected to that company through a by-line through a reputable portion of their site, or what? Are they launching new blogs? What kind of exposure will it actually give you, and will that exposure be relevant to the niche you specialize in, where it may help lead to other gigs?

 

Guess that depends. For me, it would do nothing. I'm not "publicly" in that niche, therefore being published does me no good.

If you're in the health field, then perhaps. Of course, it would depend on what your name is actually associated with. If it's just a forum post or some little "trinket" item, probably wouldn't help too much. Still, if I were in that field, I'd think about it anyway.

 

I like this one. Can be used as a good excuse One of my long-term clients is slowly giving me hints that they want a discount now. Like Jason, I don't want to give discounts but I'm afraid that they'll not renew their contract with me if I don't I want to come up with these little extras that I can offer them.

 

I follow two rules in business no matter what I'm doing:

Rule One: Customer satisfaction means absolutely nothing. Create loyal customers and focus on them.

It's simple. A satisfied customer is simply happy with the last transaction and will gladly conduct commerce anywhere else he/she might feel satisfied at. A loyal customer will take a beating before leaving you. Give me loyalty. You can have the satisfaction. I'll make more money.

Rule Two: Always be wiling to walk away from any negotiation with nothing in hand. (Thank you Mr. Trump)

Whether it's a major deal or a simple discount haggle, I'm always willing to leave with nothing, which is exactly what I had when I approached the table.

And let me just say for the record, I wouldn't want 1-2 main clients. I've seen what having just one main client does to a writer. You basically become an employee (no matter what the writer might think). And your business is held hostage. No thanks.

Think of it this way. Imagine you own a car lot. You have 12 salesmen.

Scenario 1: 11 salesmen do next to nothing and 1 salesman brings in 70% of your sales. If that salesman leaves, you're screwed.

Scenario 2: 12 salesmen each do about the the same amount of sales monthly. If one of them leaves, it sucks, but you're not going out of business either. You'll just keep on moving.

Obviously, scenario 2 is best. Even if it requires a little more work, your business is far more stable.

 

This is the ad for writers on Prevention's website. Here's the homepage for this channel.

I suppose it makes a good resume builder. The pay, though, is less than what I'd expect from a big-name publisher like Rodale. Maybe they figure they can pay so little because it's a "fun" gig.

 

Back to the original question, I have a bulk rate for 10+ content articles as long as they are up to 500-word count and none for any other type of written piece.

Longer articles often involve additional research unless you are a niche specialist, however if a client wants something in which I'm an expert, I may consider a bulk discount for these type of articles.

 

Bulk discounts are less productive than offering bonuses. The bulk discount gives the impression that you are willing to work for less money. So, your service may not seem as valuable as the original price indicated. It's your choice what you are willing to do to get more clients and keep them happy. If business is really slow, and you're starting to get hungry, it may become necessary to give a discount.