Author / caitlyncallahan14

Unknown's avatar

Posts by caitlyncallahan14

I’ve wanted to be a writer for my whole life. In kindergarten, I wrote my first short story about a horse and her five babies, one of which got lost and had to find her way back. I started journaling in second grade. I started writing poetry in third. I took my first journalism class during my freshman year of high school. I worked for a local newspaper covering high school sports during my junior and senior year. I graduated college in 2014 with my Bachelor’s degree in journalism and public relations, and 2015 with my Master’s degree in media management. I had spent the last five years studying journalism, communications, traditional and digital media. I’d held several internships, spent a year working for a local magazine, held reporter and editor positions for my college newspaper, and even spent time studying abroad in Italy, where I wrote for a local online newspaper. When I graduated, I began working for a mid-sized business as a member communications coordinator. Some of my job duties included developing a blog and wrote weekly articles, developed and executed a social media plan, coordinated the company Ambassador program with monthly newsletters and other forms of traditional communication, managed content and updates for web-based communications, reported weekly data analyses. A year and a half later, I moved to a different company as a marketing manager where I was in charge of the business line’s social media marketing, email marketing strategy, and publication content and advertising. Needless to say, I’ve spent almost my entire life immersed in the communication world. There’s nothing I want to do more than provide information to and help others through the power of the written word. After only three years at a desk job, I’ve found that it’s difficult to do what you love when what you do is determined by a greater need for meeting numbers, hitting profits, and reporting upwards. That’s why I’m taking my career, and my future, into my own hands. Working for myself, in my own home, on my own time. All the while providing support in the form of articles, copy writing, and development of social, content and email marketing strategies, and more for people and small business that need assistance.
by caitlyncallahan14

you get what you pay for

This post is for both freelancers and clients who hire freelancers.

Putting in all caps for emphasis: YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

Many times throughout my freelance career, I’ve found myself shocked at the work people request for the rate they are requesting. For example:

10 posts per week
1,000-2,500 words per post
Must provide topic ideas for approval, outlines, and full articles with headings and keywords
Extensive research required
Will run through Grammarly for grammar and originality
Written for SEO rankings
Must be available for additional rounds of edits
Must be able to post to WordPress, format, and add images
$10 per article

Guys, I can’t make this up. That was a real job posting. Someone looking for an expert, who can provide topics, outlines, and full, well-researched and formatted 1,000-2,500 word articles, then post and format them on WordPress with images, for $10 per article…

Here’s another one (summarized):

500-750 words
Minimum 2-3 citations
English native language and located in U.S.
PLEASE BE EXPERT LEVEL AS I HAVE POSTED. Please don’t waste either of our time.
Every piece proofread through Grammarly
Work must be all original, have the proper flow, and be on time. Most assignments are due in 1-3 days.
I am looking expert writers, please. This post is going under the expert level, so please, please have that qualification.
$25 per article

Now, don’t get me wrong, someone will take that job. But let me be clear to this job poster: you will likely NOT be getting an expert. Because while someone just starting out or in need of a client may accept job that because it’s not a bad rate, for as important as an expert is to you, your chances are much smaller that you’ll get one.

I’ve seen rates of $1 for 100 words, $5 per hour, or $10 flat rate for 2,500+ words — all tagged at the “expert” level.

Again, for those in the back who may have missed it: YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

If you are offering an extremely low rate, you will not be getting an expert writer. Because experts know they are experts and know what they are worth, and I promise it’s more than what you are offering.

I’ve had clients turn me down because my price is too high, and then come back six months or a year later saying their other hire didn’t work out and wasn’t providing the quality of work they need. While I truly don’t believe I charge too much for what I provide, you may not get what you need from someone who charges less.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of freelancers out there who provide excellent work for a low price. Perhaps they are just starting, building their portfolio, or they are only freelancing as a side hustle and don’t really worry about the rates. That’s wonderful, and I applaud you for your efforts and work.

However, to my fellow freelancers – don’t underestimate yourself, and charge what you are worth.

While you may have to re-define your job search terms, spend more time searching and/or submit more proposals, the client who hires you at the price you are worth is worth it in the end.

I remember when I first started, I took on a client who was paying me $20 an hour. With Upwork fees, I was only making $16. While the client was wonderful and I loved working with him and his team, I would spend hours writing a piece (due to research and length requirements) and only make maybe $100 (even though I knew it was worth more around $300-400 for the length and effort). I was just starting, thrilled to have a client, and taking whatever I could get to build my portfolio. And, I didn’t believe I could charge more.

Today, I have a client for whom I spend around 1-1.5 hours per piece, and I make $200 for each one.

I’m not telling you this to brag. I can’t express how thankful I am for my clients today. I assure you I spent the same amount of effort, and provided the same quality and excellence with both of those clients. I’m still proud of the work I produced for both, and am happy to share both in my portfolio. But only one was more willing to pay for what the work was worth.

To clients: If you have insane job requests, are looking for an incredible amount of work, and/or want expertise and high-quality writing, please pay your freelancers for it. If you won’t, don’t be disappointed when you don’t get what you’re looking for, have to spend hours on rounds of edits, and/or get frustrated with your relationship with your freelancers.

To freelancers: Spend the extra time to find that right client who will pay what you deserve; however, your rate should reflect your experience, quality and expertise. If you aren’t an expert, don’t charge as one. Find somewhere in-between until you build your portfolio and confidence. Either way, don’t get discouraged, work hard, and keep building relationships. You’ll find that right rate in the end.

If you’re currently a freelancer, how did you set your rate? Any advice for those just starting out? If you’re a client, how do you set your price for work? What do you take into consideration?

Let us know in the comments!

by caitlyncallahan14

1,000 words

A picture is worth a thousand words.

How many times have you heard that saying? Probably at least a thousand, referencing both good and “bad” photos (we all have at least one picture on our Facebook we are embarrassed about).

Pictures can evoke emotion, bring back memories, tell a story… each worth a thousand words.

But have you ever sat down, looked at a picture, and written 1,000 words?

I hadn’t. Until today.

While reading a book about tapping into and expressing creativity, the author (a photographer) described how each photo he takes, he embodies how photography is about capturing a moment and creating a story – at least 1,000 words worth.

It sparked an idea for me – I’ve never actually written 1,000 words about a picture. And what better way to practice writing, express creativity, and hone my craft than doing just that?

The general guideline is each typed page is about 500 words, so I sat down at my typewriter to write out about two and a half pages (since typewriter keys are larger than typical computer font). I scrolled through my phone’s photos and selected one I took today of my view from my patio chair. It’s not a spectacular photo, and it’s not of a spectacular time, which I thought would make for a challenge.

You don’t realize how many words 1,000 words really is until you’re writing them. But I found that my fingers flowed across the keys and typed out 2.5 pages in just under half an hour. Even though I had taken the photo only a couple of hours before, I felt so much emotion writing about it. Gratitude, joy, satisfaction, relief, content. I described the sky, trees, flowers, and grass. My dogs. My book. The sun. The breeze and warmth from the day.

Honestly, I could have written 2,000 words. Maybe more.

And the point is it got me writing. It inspired this blog post. I spent half an hour of my day writing, letting my mind wander, exercising my fingers on the keys. Practicing my craft.

I’ve written before about Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert rule. Today I added to my expertise.

I encourage you to take at least 30 minutes a day to practice your craft. To better yourself. Whether it’s exercising, writing, reading, learning, cooking, painting, knitting, or whatever it is that you love to do, start with 30 minutes. And then make time for 60. Or, if you have a busy day, take just 5 or 10 minutes.

And if you’re a writer, I encourage you to take or choose a photo and write 1,000 words about it. Tell a story. Feel the emotion from the photo, or evoke emotion from the viewer and reader. It doesn’t have to be perfect. But the more you do it, the more you practice, the better writer you will be.

by caitlyncallahan14

my morning routine

Over the past few months, my morning routine has changed drastically.

And I am not complaining.

What is your morning routine like? Do you know the importance of having a positive morning routine, and how it could set you and your day up for success?

When I was working in the office, my routine consisted of:

  • Hit snooze, usually multiple times.
  • Take care of the dog, probably in my PJs and with my eyes partially closed.
  • Make breakfast and scarf it down.
  • Hurry to shower, get dressed and ready for work.
  • Rush out the door, jump in my car, sit in traffic and be frustrated.
  • Get to the office, sit at my desk, and immediately start with emails, meetings, and other work assignments.

How enjoyable does that sound? Not at all… then the rest of my day is spent rushed, jumping from meeting to meeting, worrying about everything I have to get done at home or errands I have to run, and sucking down coffee because I’m exhausted and worn out.

Now that I’m working from home, I’ve created a different schedule for myself.

  • Still hit snooze, but only a couple of times. I’ve also started getting up earlier.
  • Still make breakfast, but I sit down and enjoy it.
  • Pour a cup of coffee and relax on the couch with the dogs, enjoying the light coming in the windows and front door.
  • Take a few minutes to center myself, journal, express gratitude. Usually with a live beach scene and wave sounds in the background.
  • Boot up my computer, skim email, check the calendar and mentally prep for the day.

Sometimes, I’ll sit outside on my patio for a bit and watch the birds, or simply enjoy the fresh air. Sometimes I’ll take the dogs for a morning stroll. Sometimes, I’ll even turn on Netflix and watch an episode of my current show.

I don’t rush. I take time to enjoy the morning. I am able to spend time on myself and my own mental health. I’m able to do what I want to do in my own time instead of rushing to sit at my desk all day. I feel ready for the day and prepared to tackle everything on my to do list. I feel a more positive energy. I’m happier.

Experts say having a morning routine sets us up for success throughout the day. It lets us control our schedule instead of our schedule controlling us. We can better focus on what needs done, and what’s important, and plan for how to tackle what comes our way during the day – often with a more positive attitude. And ultimately, it gives you time to be with yourself.

I don’t have children. And I am working from home. So I know my morning routine can be a little more flexible than it can be for others.

But I stress this: take time, even just for a minute or two, to set positive intentions for your day. Perhaps you simply take one minute to really enjoy your morning cup of coffee. Or, in the car on your way to the office or daycare, instead of listening to music or the radio you think about three things you’re grateful for and one goal for the day.

One of the huge benefits of working from home and having my own business is being able to do all of these things. It’s something I’ve worked incredibly hard for, and plan to take full advantage of for as long as I possibly can.

Your challenge is to wake up tomorrow and have some sort of positive morning routine. Do one thing tomorrow morning that you didn’t do today that will help set you and your day up for success. Wake up 15 minutes earlier (or just don’t hit snooze). Sit down and eat your breakfast. Enjoy your coffee or tea. Journal or meditate. Express gratitude. Take a breath. Whatever it is, do it for yourself and only yourself. You’ll thank me for it.

by caitlyncallahan14

when it’s not a good fit

When you have a small business, your customers or clients are your lifeblood. They are how you keep your business alive, and ideally, the more you have, the more you thrive.

When you run a freelance or consulting business, developing great relationships with your clients is critical. It’s something that’s personally incredibly important. I do everything I can to have and maintain positive working relationships with my clients:

  • I give them several ways to get a hold of me, including messenger, email and my cell phone number for calling or texting.
  • I never miss a deadline. In fact, I try to go above and beyond deadlines and get the pieces in earlier than asked for.
  • I spend the time it takes on my assignments, making sure they are exceptionally written, edited and formatted to their expectations.
  • I always ask for and embrace feedback, and offer one round of edits on all of my work to make sure it’s exactly what they need.
  • If I haven’t heard from a client in a few days, I reach out. Make sure they saw my assignment submission, check in, ask about any other assignments they may need, etc.

But sometimes, even through all of that, a client just isn’t a good fit. They might even just be a prospective client who after having conversations with, you aren’t sure they are the best for you or you for them.

Spoiler alert – that’s ok.

It’s taken me my whole life to come to this conclusion, and three years of freelancing to really embrace it. In my opinion, what it comes down to is your value for yourself, your time, and your business.

Recently I’ve ended a few contracts with clients because they were unresponsive, had unrealistic expectations or requests, communicated poorly, or no longer pay what I believe my work is worth. I also turned down work from a new client because I didn’t feel like having the “client count” or money from the assignments would be worth what I knew would be a tough, struggling and even frustrating relationship.

Doing these things, and saying no when I wasn’t comfortable, was incredibly freeing. I’ve learned to value myself and my work more than accepting poorly paying jobs just so I have something. I run my own business and I am a professional, and I want to work with clients who treat me and my work with the respect I believe I deserve.

I’m going to assume that if you’re a freelancer, consultant, or other small business owner, you’ve encountered something like this in your career. It’s not fun. But, having to deal with customers or clients who are not a good fit is how we learn who is a good fit and grow in our professions. We are able to recognize the value of ourselves and our work, appreciate clients and our work on another level, and have a greater respect for ourselves and the business we’ve worked so hard to build.

It’s hard to turn down work that could add to your portfolio. Or payment for an assignment that you really could do. Something is better than nothing, right? Perhaps, and if you’re in the situation where that’s the reality, then you may have to take that job or work for that client until you can get back on your feet. (I’ve been there, too.) But the more you stand up for yourself and your business, and continue to work and build relationships with clients who matter, the more value you will get out of what you do – both professionally, and personally.

by caitlyncallahan14

it’s a digital world (part 3: digital)

Welcome to part three of my “it’s a digital world” blog series, briefly highlighting the importance of social media, content and digital marketing and why you should implement these tactics in your marketing plan, no matter how small your business.

Today, I want to talk about some more general digital marketing tactics you should consider, including email, SEO, SEM, display and pay-per-click (PPC) ads.

This list is not by any means all encompassing of digital marketing tactics out there, and is not inclusive of everything you should know about them. But, they are ones you are more likely to come across or wonder about, and the stats supporting them are pretty compelling.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways for you to connect and engage with both existing and prospective customers. Email allows you to provide helpful tips, promote your business/products/service, give inside information and more through text, images, videos and links.

  • About 80% of marketers have reported an increase in email engagement over the past year.
  • There are nearly 4 billion email users worldwide.
  • Consumers open emails with personalized subject lines at a 50% higher rate than emails without.
  • A series of three emails performs better than a single email: 90% more orders for welcome emails, 63% more for abandoned cart emails, and 75% more for customer reactivation.
  • Emails segmented by user interest see nearly 75% higher click rates.
  • Email is ranked as the second most effective medium for building brand awareness, and has the highest return on investment.
  • Almost 50% of all marketing emails are opened on a mobile device.

Whether you already have an email marketing strategy or you’re looking to improve it, more than 20% of marketers report email design improves their email engagement rate. Focusing on your design, especially making it mobile-friendly, can help increase your click-through-rates.

Also take into consideration an A/B testing strategy. Litmus reports that companies who A/B test see email marketing returns nearly 40% higher than brands that don’t test their emails. You can test subject lines, images, calls to action and placement of CTA buttons, types of copy, etc.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

When we Google something, most of us will stick to the first page of search results, or even just the first few websites, to find our answers. Appearing at the top of that list has to do with your SEO strategy. SEO helps you to understand how your customers and prospects are both searching for and finding you online. Optimizing your SEO strategy can help ensure the maximum number of visitors come to your website by ranking it high on the search engine page.

  • About 64% of marketers actively invest time and energy into search engine optimization.
  • 49% of users say Google is their primary search engine for finding a new item or product.
  • More than 50% of searches on Google end without actually clicking on a result (which is why your meta title and description are so important).
  • Nearly 95% of all internet searches happen on a Google property.
  • There has been a more than 900% growth in mobile searches for “___ near me today/tonight.”
  • 60% of smartphone users have contacted a business directly using the search results.

There are a few ways you can help optimize your website for SEO and high search ranking:

  1. Be sure to include title tags and a meta description to help the search engine know what your website/page is about.
  2. The body content should be unique, educational and engaging. Answer questions users are searching for, and make the content sharable. Use relevant keywords and phrases with good search traffic potential.
  3. Mark your images with alt attributes, which provides alternative information for an image if it can’t be viewed.
  4. Be sure your website is accessible.
  5. Build relevant links from other high-quality, high-trafficked sites.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Also known as paid search, SEM is promoting your website (with budget dollars) and increasing its visibility in search engine results.

Open a Google tab on your phone or computer. Search something, like “best dog food.” The first few results will say “ad” next to them – those are paid search results (SEM). Advertisers bid on keywords that users may enter when searching for specific products or services, and then you’d appear with those results.

SEM differs from SEO because you pay for search engine marketing traffic, but SEO helps you rank higher organically.

  • Nearly 93% of all web traffic comes through search engines.
  • Google processes 2 trillion searches each year.
  • For each $1 a business spends on Google Search and Google Ads, it makes an average $8 in profit.
  • The average click-through-rate (CTR) for the first position on a Google search query is 19.3%.
  • Approximately 63% of users will click on a paid search ad on Google.
  • 66% of search queries on Google lead to at least one click.

If you have dollars in your budget and want to help ensure you rank high on the search query page, therefore leading to more clicks to your website and increased brand awareness, consider implementing an SEM strategy.

Display and Pay-Per-Click Ads

Digital display and pay-per-click (PPC) ads can help take your marketing strategy to the next level by getting you in front of the right consumers at the right time, attracting customers, increasing brand awareness, and ultimately driving revenue.

  • In 2018, U.S. advertisers spent nearly $50 million on digital display advertising, and 68% of marketers state it’s “very important” or “extremely important” to their overall marketing strategy.
  • Google Display Network reaches 90% of internet users worldwide.
  • Mobile advertising spending is expected to reach more than $280 billion by 2022.
  • 65% of all clicks made by users who intend to make a purchase do so through paid ads.
  • Visitors from a PPC ad are 50% more likely to make a purchase than a visitor who came organically.
  • The average click-through-rate across all industries is nearly 3.2%, but can vary higher or lower based on industry.
  • The average cost-per-click across all industries is $2.69, but can vary higher or lower based on industry.
  • The average conversion rate across all industries is 3.75%, but can vary higher or lower based on industry.

The most effective PPC channels are text ads, remarking, and mobile display ads. Consider what you know about your customers and prospects – what do they like to do? What websites do they search? What products or services are they interested in? Using audience insights to place your ads is key, and can help lead to higher click-through and conversion rates.