Freelance lifestyle + steady paychecks

5 guidelines for a steady stream of writing income [The Writer’ s Life]( March 19, 2021 Hi {NAME}, Retainers are one of my favorite opportunities for writers, because they're a "best of both worlds" scenario … The freedom of the writer's life combined with the stability of a steady paycheck. And when it comes to retainer arrangements, social media is hard to beat … You can literally work from your smartphone, any time, any place. You get paid to talk to the prospect, which makes you a better writer in your niche. And it opens the door to so many more writing projects. AWAI Success Michele Peterson has gotten to enjoy that freedom firsthand — handling social media accounts from her smartphone while her son was practicing baseball. Today, she outlines 4 Cs and an F that she learned are essential to success as a Social Media Manager. These guidelines have helped her maintain a steady stream of retainer income for more than 10 years. With 90% of companies now using social media in their marketing efforts, there are millions of businesses who need your services. And whether you're a new or experienced writer, you can be very busy with just a handful of retainer clients. Plus, you can be up and running as a social media writer in just a few weeks … [>> Check out all the details here.]( But do it today — it's your LAST CHANCE before the 50% discount goes away at midnight! To your success, [Rebecca Matter’ s signature] Rebecca Matter President, AWAI 4 Cs and an F that I've Learned Are Essential to Success as a Social Media Manager By Michele Peterson [social media manager holding a smartphone showing apps] I was not one of the first people to jump on the social media bandwagon. I didn't participate in chat rooms or forums. I didn't have a MySpace account. I didn't join Facebook until 2010 … four years after anyone over 13 with a valid email address could join. And yet, I was quick to see the business opportunity of managing social media for clients. Recurring monthly income I can count on. Short copy. Never boring … in fact, maybe even fun! It turns out, being a Social Media Manager is all of that and more. It is fun work. And it really stretches my creative muscles. It also requires systems and discipline, as well as a commitment to honor the nature of the medium. I've learned that success as a Social Media Manager boils down to following 4 Cs and an F. These five guidelines have helped me maintain a solid client base and a steady stream of income for more than 10 years now. I hope they'll spur your success as well. Let's dive right in … Conversations Social media demands a conversational writing style. Throw out the formal "rules" of writing … although please maintain professional standards! Good social media management is not just about scheduling broadcast sales pitches and then leaving it alone. We are guiding the conversation, not delivering a monologue. We want our audience to be engaged with us. We strive for the Likes, comments, and shares. But, let's face it, we have to earn each Like, each comment, each and every share. You need to respond to comments, even when there's push-back from your client. Because if someone has stopped the scroll and has taken the time to tap out that comment, they deserve our attention. One of my clients wanted me to simply delete any negative comment that was posted on their page or on their posts. I told him it was better for his long-term reputation to keep the comments … and publicly respond to them. To have a respectful conversation for everyone else to see. He agreed, but I knew he wasn't convinced. I remember one particularly unhappy customer who wrote a public rant about this client. I got the details from my client and wrote a reply that respectfully told his side of the story. And that's when the magic of the medium kicked in. Other customers also started commenting on the post … in support of my client. My client was blown away by all the positive things his customers had to say. So, I gently pointed out that they wouldn't have said any of those things publicly like this if we had deleted the comment instead of continuing the conversation. He was convinced. And he stopped pestering me about deleting customer comments. Consistency You get out of social media what you put into it. If you post on an inconsistent basis, you'll get inconsistent engagement. You have to consistently make deposits into the relationship account if you want to have anything there when you want to make a withdrawal (i.e., when you want your social media followers to buy something or share your messages). Clients understand this in a general sense. They also can't — or don't want to — commit to that consistency themselves. This, in addition to our copywriting skill and marketing knowledge, is why they hire us. Now, this doesn't mean that you have to live on social media to be a successful Social Media Manager. I've found that creating batches of posts and ads all at the same time is the system that works best for me. It's time efficient, and I can simply stay in my client's voice and get everything done at the same time rather than jumping in and out of character. Once it's created, I can then schedule the content out according to the overall social media marketing plan so there's consistency for the brand community. Community You (and the client you're managing social media on behalf of) aren't alone on an island with a moat around yourself. Don't act like you are. Social media is supposed to be … well … social. So, invite others to participate. Give them a sense of community … a sense of identity … a sense of belonging to something bigger than themselves. It's human nature to want to belong. And we Social Media Managers can instill that in our followers. We need to honor and respect our followers as our community. But we also need to participate ourselves (as the brand we're representing). Not with a megaphone from a stage, but down in the crowd, arm-in-arm with them. Also, realize you're not the sole content creator for your client. Customers and brand followers also create content with every comment — both on your page and elsewhere. Every post they publish about you becomes your content, too. Commitment Being a Social Media Manager requires a commitment, not just to your client, but also to their brand community. For example, there have been times when I've taken on the role of advocate for the community and stood up for their user experience when my clients were a little too insistent on constant promotional content. There has to be a balance between promotional content and content that's inspirational, informative, educational, or just plain fun. It's the Social Media Manager's job to keep that balance. There's also a commitment to ongoing learning. Because the "rules of engagement" are constantly changing. You can't ever get too comfortable. Fun Let's face it, social media is supposed to be fun! Sure, users expect value, but they also want it to be fun. And being a Social Media Manager should be fun for us, too. I have a sticky note that travels from my wall to the edge of my computer screen when I sit down to write my batches of social media content. It says this: Are we having fun yet? It's a reminder to keep the fun in what I'm writing for social media. It's also a reminder for me to have fun with the work. It makes me smile every time it catches my eye. Your Turn … So, to recap, my 4 Cs and an F to success as a Social Media Manager are: - Conversations - Consistency - Community - Commitment - Fun I don't spend all my time managing social media for clients. In fact, it's a relatively small part of my writer's life. And yet, it has accounted for about a third of my overall earnings as a copywriter. I know other writers who make social media their full-time gig. If you're ready to get started in social media, Nick Usborne's program, [How to Make Money as a Social Media Expert]( will get you up and running as a social media writer in a matter of weeks! Check it out today. What could you do with your social media skills? I'd love to hear, so [let us know in the comments](. Editorial Note: You can add this retainer project on for any clients you have to increase your fees with them … or use social media management to get your foot in the door with clients. And it doesn't matter if you have years of experience or are completely new to the world of paid writing, because you likely already have a lot of experience with it. Plus, 90% of companies need someone to help them with it! And the best part? You could be up and running in just a few weeks. [This is the only training you would need to start making money.]( It's your LAST CHANCE to grab it at a 50% discount! --------------------------------------------------------------- Just one week from today … What Copywriters Need to Know in 2021 and Beyond … Revealed by Today's Biggest Digital Marketing Experts Join us for the FREE online event: 2021 "STATE OF THE INDUSTRY" VIRTUAL SUMMIT A Virtual "Who's Who" of Digital Marketing Rarely do you have a chance to be "in the room" with the best and brightest minds in direct-response and digital marketing … Proven leaders who've built multimillion-dollar businesses and helped define what digital marketing is today … Experts who businesses and organizations happily pay thousands of dollars an hour to hear their insights and recommendations. On Friday, March 26, they'll be working for you for free at AWAI's annual "State of The Industry" Summit … Mapping out the FUTURE of online marketing … And revealing the BIGGEST and BEST opportunities for content and copywriters in 2021 and beyond! [See which top writing and marketing experts you'll be hearing from here.]( [Or, go here to grab your free ticket right now.]( Then mark your calendar for Friday, March 26, starting at 12 noon ET. Can't wait to see you there! --------------------------------------------------------------- LAST CHANCE: $3,000 Monthly Writing Retainers [Social Media icons] Businesses are so desperate for writers, they'll gladly pay $3,000 a month to those who can take social media off their plate. Land just a small handful of retainer contracts and you could be looking at a six-figure income. And until midnight, you can get the training that will teach you how to do it in a matter of weeks … AND save 50%! [Click Here Before Midnight!]( TODAY! Join PWA for $1 Right now you can join The Professional Writers' Alliance for just a dollar! With all the membership perks at your fingertips, you can find and land clients easily … Run your freelance writing business efficiently … Minimize your "unbillable" hours so you can spend more time writing and making money … And join the ranks of well-paid, fulfilled, professional writers. [Get Your Invitation to Join for $1 Here!]( Last Day! Get a Full YEAR of Barefoot Writer — Just $11! Grab a deeply discounted subscription to Barefoot Writer magazine today for a steady dose of paid writing tips and instruction delivered straight to your inbox every month. 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