Date: 16 - 18 August 2011
Beyond writing, reporting and editing chops, thriving financially outside of a traditional newsroom requires one major skill that most journalists lack: salesmanship. Commercial considerations make many journalists squeamish because they are taught that their job is to inform the citizenry, tell compelling stories and bring truth to light. But like it or not, all of these goals require money.
In this free Webinar, “Sales Strategies for Freelance Business Journalists,” participants will learn simple things they can immediately incorporate into their daily work to help them identify great writing clients, win more assignments and earn a healthy living. You can attend a daily, hourlong, interactive session at either noon or 4 p.m. EDT on Aug. 16-18 and noon EDT on Aug. 19. To register for this free training, click here.
Attendees will learn how to broaden their view of available opportunities, present themselves and their story ideas in a compelling fashion, and bolster their freelance-writing income. Different surveys have pegged freelance business journalists’ annual income at $25,000 to $40,000 a year. Salesmanship is the key weakness that keeps many capable journalists from thriving outside of the newsroom, according to your instructor for this Webinar, Maya Payne Smart, freelance business journalist and founder of WritingCoach.com.
An informal survey in fall 2010 of 67 freelance business journalists by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers found that nearly three out of four freelancers said they are making less now than when they were employed full-time by one media outlet. Image by Flickr user sskennel.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
* Who is looking for freelance business journalists
* How to decide whom you want to work with
* How to consistently turn leads into clients
AGENDA
Aug. 16: Who Hires Freelance Business Journalists? — A wealth of opportunities is available for freelance business journalists in the traditional, new media, trade, academic, newsletter and custom-publishing fields. Too many freelancers think their options end with newspapers and consumer magazines.
Aug. 17: Branding and Marketing Yourself — Learn how to evaluate your brand identity and marketing messages. How much should it cost to market yourself? Check out these specific examples of how real freelancers have used 20 different tools (business cards, advertising, PR, direct mail, networking, trade shows, speaking, joint ventures, ezines, link exchanges, Google Ad Words, search engine optimization, affiliate programs, e-mail marketing, article marketing, blogging, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube) to reach new clients.
Aug. 18: Closing the Sale — How do you get from a lead to a prospect to a customer to a client? How do you win repeat business? What are the best electronic options for storing and organizing prospect, customer and client data? How can you evaluate your sales and marketing efforts and improve results?
Aug. 19: Ask the Hiring Editors — Get your questions answered in an online panel discussion with editors and others who hire freelance journalists. Find out how to establish and maintain good client relationships.
YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Maya Payne Smart
After spending six years in the trenches as a freelance business journalist, Maya Payne Smart founded WritingCoach.com to help journalists, authors and other writers build profitable businesses. Her mission is to provide the tools, information and advice that freelancers need to thrive, from marketing basics to advanced business-building strategies. Smart teaches entrepreneurial journalism courses for the Society of Professional Journalists, the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism and other organizations for wordsmiths. With Poynter.org careers columnist Joe Grimm, she taught the Reynolds Center’s highly successful “How to Be an Entrepreneur as a Business Journalist” Webinars in 2009 and 2010. She serves on the boards of the Society of American Business Editors & Writers and James River Writers. She holds degrees from Harvard University and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
“Business journalists are poised to succeed as freelancers because they can read financial statements and analyze business trends, but too often they fail because of an ingrained disdain for sales. They want to write and report, but haven’t worked up sufficient enthusiasm for market research, self-promotion and pitching,” she said.
FIRST-TIME ATTENDEES
Check out our Technology Help Page for connectivity requirements, helpful tips and an instructional video on how to access Reynolds Center Webinars.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
This free Webinar is sponsored by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism. If you have any questions about the Webinar or the center, please e-mail Executive Director Linda Austin or call 602-496-9187 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 602-496-9187 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
The Particulars
Instructor: Maya Payne Smart, freelance business journalist and founder of WritingCoach.com
Location: Online
When: Noon or 4 p.m. EDT Aug. 16-18 and noon EDT Aug. 19
Contact Information:
For inquiries: Linda.Austin@businessjournalism.org
For submissions: register here
Website: http://businessjournalism.org