Emails are ubiquitous. Approximately 183 billion emails are sent every day, which translates into two million every second. For those keeping track at home, that’s officially a boat load of emails. Or, dare I say, a cruise-ship load?

Not surprisingly, a large percentage of these emails are business-related. Solicitations, time confirmations, follow-ups, thank yous, adulterous propositions (often followed by sexual harassment legal notices), the list goes on ad infinitum. However, years of experience as an entrepreneur and discerning email sender/receiver have shown that the majority of emails, even those that are business-related, are not –- I repeat, not –- effectively written.

The pitfalls vary, but the consequences are always the same: a poorly written email leaves an equally poor impression. And, as a freelancer, when your source of income is entirely dependent upon your relationships with clients, often grounded in your email correspondences, you absolutely cannot afford to be less than stellar.

Granted, many people couldn’t identify strong email writing if hit them over the head with a Mac truck, a bulldozer, and Queen Latifah attached. (Dang, that would hurt.) But even if these people can’t identify it, strong email writing will inevitably make a positive impression over time and produce meaningful results for your business.
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Image by j / f / photos.

Oh we so love e-mail. It’s fast, it’s a nice archive. We don’t have to get out of bed to send our first e-mail of the day (sometimes). But is e-mail the best way to communicate with your clients? Is it the best way to do business and send proposals? I don’t think so — and here’s a few reasons why.

The Digital Divide

As most of us are web workers, communicating via e-mail, VoIP and IM is second nature. The freelancer lifestyle in most cases means that we do the bulk of the work ourselves. Fast communication in these cases is crucial, but sometimes it can cost us projects. Why e-mail is bad:

Lack of emotion. Business is business, but people get emotional. No — I’m not talking about crying over your invoices or clients giving you a big hug when you finish their logo. I’m talking about the voice, the face, the stance, the actual reaction. You don’t get any of this via e-mail. Is the client really happy with the logo? Is he really that ecstatic? Does he hate your press release proposal or just think it needs a few tweaks?

Magnification. The purest form of communication, the written word. One word, one sentence can mean so many things to so many people. Find a potential client who doesn’t know (and doesn’t need to know) how to write well and you’ll really enjoy those e-mails… Continue Reading

When sighing in front of an over-stuffed inbox full of emails that want something from you (work, money, answers, etc.) it’s easy to wish you were running a freelance business in 1988 rather than 2008.

If you conduct a lot of business through the web, a lot of email is one inevitable side-effect. The way freelancers interact with email is unique because of the types of email we get and the actions they require. One-size-fits-all strategies don’t work for us.

This post is an attempted antidote: an email guide for freelancers only. If managing email is something you struggle with, this guide might just contain the approach that’s right for you. Continue Reading

Ok, confession time — I like to write. I guess that can be a good thing, but often it can also be bad. Why? Because I tend to write too much when something short would have worked just as well.

At one time, I became known for the length of my emails. I was sort of proud of it at the time, thinking my rhetoric and wit were appreciated by all. But then I realized I was pretty much just wasting everyone’s time.

Being wordy can waste your valuable time and it can also frustrate your readers and clients by wasting their time as well. So, if you tend toward wordiness like I do, why not challenge yourself to streamline your communications, or your proposals, or whatever else you’re writing.

I know it’s hard. After all, I’ve got a lot of brilliant thoughts in my head right now that I’d like to add to this article. But, I think the point has been made.

‘Nuff said.

There are some mythical freelancers who like unicorns that prance in open fields and sasquatches who lumber through the forests… have fully booked schedules and are never in need of finding new clients and work. For the majority of us though, we’re always on the hunt for new leads.

Jobs boards like the one here on FreelanceSwitch are a great place to find clients looking for some freelance work. I recently posted a job opportunity for a freelance designer on the board as well as on several other boards and in light of how many application emails I received that left a little to be desired, I wrote this post to share the insights I gained when looking to hire a freelancer. Now this may come off a little tough, but remember that I’m trying to give you an honest assessment from the point of view of a hiring client. If you’re finding your job applications aren’t hitting the mark with clients, consider the following tips:

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By Kristen Fischer

Image from iStockPhoto

It was just the other day when I submitted a writing assignment. After saving my final draft and sending it off to my boss, I took a deep breath. It was another success for a regular gig, and I had managed to get it done before deadline—as always.

But just when I thought everything was fine, a return email from my boss with a replied subject line appeared in my inbox. Expecting him to confirm he received the project, I unknowingly opened up the email to find a statement that set me off. After telling me there was an error in the title, he wrote, “Come on!”

Now, I know what “Come on!” feels like when you’re being cheered on or motivated. This was not that kind of two-word phrase. It was a snap. A sarcastic brush off that shocked me. First, I had made a mistake, which is always frustrating to cope with because I want every client to be satisfied with my work. But more so, it was how my boss said it that upset me most. It was like he was spitting out nasty comments to someone who didn’t matter, and he could say it because we weren’t face to face.

Who does he think he is, I asked myself. What’s so hard about saying, “There’s an error on the title. Please fix it and return.”
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As a freelancer there are three main purposes for which you are going to use email marketing:

1. Finding Your First Clients
2. Staying in Touch with existing Clients
3. Getting new work from existing Clients

In this article we are going to discuss the what, why, where, when of using email marketing, look at different products you can use including a review of MailChimp and then talk about the different types of mails you can send and look at some samples.

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