Here's a tip to help you make the most of your marketing plan/writing schedule for the week.
This tip is simple, and if you follow it, you'll see results fairly quickly. Here it is.
Every day, look at your marketing plan and - Do the most important stuff FIRST!
So What is the Important Stuff?
The important stuff is the stuff that has the potential to bring in some immediate (or nearly immediate) income! It also has the potential to create a list of steady clients and customers for you.
It's stuff like searching online job boards every morning with the intention of finding at least three jobs to apply for, then applying for those three jobs right away.
It's stuff like writing and submitting queries to publications you wish to write for. Sending out a single query every now and then won't cut it. You need to be constantly creating new queries and getting them out to editors, publishers, etc. - so work on a new query every morning (or at least once a week) BEFORE you post to your blog or visit other blogs to make comments.
The important stuff also includes sending out an LOI (letter of introduction) to several businesses you would like to have as clients or editors you would like to work with. Again, this activity gives you a much better change of attracting immediate clients and assignments than say writing a blog post does, so make sure this activity has priority on your daily to-do list.
What to Do Next
Once you've done the most important stuff FIRST each day, then move on to creating new content for your site(s). Write a blog post or create new articles for your newsletter. Also, take time to create more of your own products to sell and make sure you have a plan for marketing these products.
Finally, move on to the social networking stuff on your plan. Stuff like tweeting, posting to Facebook, or reading other blogs and leaving comments. These items are important, too. But they are NOT the MOST important items on your plan because more than likely they won't produce immediate income.
Once you begin to do the important stuff first - on a regular basis - you'll start to see your freelancing income double, maybe even triple. You'll also be more systematic in the way you market your business, and that will help you be more successful, too.
Try it!
