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A constant problem in the life of every freelance writer is the requirement to promote your writing services while allowing enough time to actually provide them. Time management is tricky enough when working from home, and it’s very easy to become swamped in marketing activities, thereby taking away valuable writing time from your busy schedule.

So how can you free up more writing time without letting your business disappear into obscurity? And is it possible to keep new business coming in, without infringing on the copy production line? This article illustrates five easy-to-implement marketing methods that will help you strike that all important balance.

1. Create Standard Templates

It sounds rather obvious, but creating templates for frequently used documents can not only provide huge time savings, but also enhance your company’s professional profile.

For example, press releases all contain the same basic information: who, what, where, why, and when. A template can have the “who” and “why” completed in advance, and sometimes even the “where”, before you sit down to write the release.

Personal introduction letters also work well with templates. If you use strong sales techniques to promote yourself, include those in the letter, so you only have the recipient’s personal details to complete before posting it.

And it doesn’t stop there. This approach can be used for queries, marketing material, and even emails; all of which can be transformed into templates. Any document you need to send regularly can be transformed into a template to speed things up.

It may take you a little while to get the templates up and running, and you may eventually need variations on the same theme, but once you have them it takes only a small amount of work to adapt them as your business needs grow.

2. Look For People With Something To Offer You

When was the last time you scanned your local or evening newspaper with your marketing hat on? Or read a copy of a trade magazine without knowing anything about it? By training your eye to spot opportunities from a variety of sources no matter where you are, you will start to see more and more places where the savvy freelance writer can generate work opportunities.

You might be sitting in the dentist’s waiting room reading a magazine or newspaper, or maybe you are on a train, in a motorway service station, browsing the shops – anywhere there might be an advert or somebody with a story to tell is a potential opportunity.

Look for stories or adverts where local businesses are seen to be expanding, have won an award, or where a key member of staff has changed. New businesses to the area might have a feature story, or perhaps a local event is looking for input or sponsorship.

Take notes of names and addresses, then write short letters of introduction (from a template) that mentions the story and how your services can benefit them. Throw in a couple of business cards and send it off. It’s a method that might just generate the type of interest you are looking for, and will certainly go a long way to creating a memorable impression.

3. Team Up With Other Freelancers

Networking with other writers is great for a freelancer’s soul, but for maximizing business opportunities it helps to create a sub-network of people in other industries who are willing to work with you when the opportunity presents itself.

Hook up with local photographers and graphic designers, and use them when a project comes around that requires their skills. You will find you are able to take on more and varied types of work this way, and can complete jobs much quicker. By throwing work their way you are scratching their backs, and they will be inclined to forward job opportunities that require a talented freelance writer in return.

4. Join A Local Business Organization

Join a local organization such as a marketing or business club. Meetup.com has loads of these types of groups, and there may also be local directories with this type of information for your area.

Face-to-face networking is one of the best ways to get the word out about your business, and if you can do it within social time, then that’s even better. Always keep business cards in your pocket, and don’t be stingy with them either – two at a time to prospects, at least.

Once you are part of an organization get active within it and get people moving and motivated by your energy. Getting noticed by taking a visible role will put you at the top of people’s minds, and you will find you are their first port of call when work opportunities present themselves.

5. Pitch Yourself – Short and Sweet

Cold calling is not something I particularly enjoy, and there is a debate about whether it benefits a business or hinders it. But there are methods similar to cold-calling that have a much warmer feel to them and that are not as scary for the freelance writer to execute without feeling like an alien from outer space.

When you go out, take your business cards, pre-prepared leaflets detailing your business services, and a small folder containing several of your best printed clips. Call into local businesses and shops you use frequently and build up a relationship with them. Chat to the staff about their business and get to know them. When they ask about your business, have a short informal pitch about the services you offer, and how you can benefit them.

Leave some of your material for them to look at later, and if they fancy getting together to chat some more, then it could be the start of a long and profitable relationship. A friendly face goes much further than an unsolicited phone call.

Colin Galbraith is a writer for Daily Writing Tips, a blog focused on grammar, punctuation, spelling and freelance writing tips.