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How To Attract More Clients By Writing Articles For OPEs
by Steve Slaunwhite
There is at least a dozen, and probably a lot more, email newsletters that target the same prospects as you do.
For example, if you write copy for nutraceutical companies (a rapidly growing niche by the way) you'll find several marketing consultants, PR gurus, graphic designers, project managers, marcom strategists and more, all promoting themselves to the same market via an email newsletter.
Now keeping up with a regular ezine publishing schedule isn't easy. That's why most of these professionals welcome article contributions from colleagues.
That's a serious opportunity for you as a writer. You can contribute articles to other people's ezines – OPE's – and get your name in front of dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of new potential clients.
How do you get started? Here are the recommended steps to take:
Step 1:
Identify at least five OPE's that target the same types of clients that you're hoping to attract. (Of course, avoid other copywriter ezines!)
Step 2:
Contact the publishers of these ezines directly, preferably by phone.
Tell them that you have an article that would be of interest to their readers, and ask if they would like to use it in their newsletter.
Step 3:
When you submit an article, be sure to include a resource box. You've seen these before. A resource box is simply the text – usually a sentence or two – at the end of an article that provides information about the author.
Here's an example:
"Jane Smith is an award-winning copywriter specializing in the nutraceutical industry. She helps marketers develop online copy that turns browsers into buyers. For more information, contact ____"
Step 4:
An ezine publisher might ask if she can submit an article for YOUR newsletter. This is a common arrangement. Say Yes. It's worth it.
Step 5:
Get a firm commitment regarding dates. Don't settle for a vague, "I'll run the article in the fall." At the very least, find out which month your article will be published.
Step 6:
Once the article is published, send the publisher a handwritten Thank You note or card.
Don't email one of those virtual postcards you can only view on the Internet. Mail a REAL note or card. A Thank You received in the post has a much greater impact.
Step 7:
After your article is published, ask the publisher if she will consider another article from you. It's not uncommon, over the course of the year, to get two or three articles into the same ezine.
I have attracted a lot of terrific clients using the above steps. So I can personally vouch to their effectiveness. In fact, I would rank "Writing for OPEs" among the top seven self-marketing strategies for freelance writers and copywriters
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