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by caitlyncallahan14

setting your rate

If you’re just starting out, you may be wondering how to get started with setting a rate that’s not too low and not too high. Or, perhaps you’ve been working for a while but need to re-evaluate your existing rate.

Either way, determining what to charge people for your work can be a stressful decision. If you don’t charge enough, the work isn’t worth your while and you’re cheating yourself. If you charge too much, you may have a hard time landing clients (especially if you’re just starting out).

You love your work, and it’s important to get appropriately paid for it. Finding that sweet spot is key, and there are a few things you can do to make sure you hit it.

  • Set a savings or salary goal. If you’re not freelancing full time, but want to make it a viable side hustle, start by setting a savings or salary goal. For example, maybe you started a separate bank account for your side hustle and you want to save $5,000 in six months. Or, you’d like to make $25,000 per year. Divide the goal you have by the number of hours you’d ideally like to work each year, which will give you an average hourly rate. Or, think about how many projects you’d like to complete, and how much you’d have to charge per project to get to that goal.
  • Calculate your minimum amount to get by. If the ultimate goal is to freelance full time, you’ll need to do some additional math to determine how much your rate should be.

    First, add up all of your monthly payments, such as rent/mortgage, utilities, car loan, student loan, etc. Then, add how much you spend per month on other expenses such as groceries, entertainment, gas, etc. Include a monthly amount to put directly into savings or an emergency fund (experts suggest having 3-6 months of savings in an emergency fund). This is your minimum amount per month. Multiply by 12 to get your minimum annual income, and go from there.
  • Do research. Search online how much other freelancers charge for their rate. Read about how they determined that rate. Find freelancers who do similar work to you so you have an equal comparison.

    Keep in mind they may be more experienced than you, and their rate reflects that, so starting out that may not be reasonable for you. But understanding what others in your field charge can give you a great place to start.
  • Determine whether you’ll charge hourly or per-project. There are pros and cons to both, so include learning about this in your research to help you determine which may be right for you.

    Something I read to help is “Price the client, not the project, charging for your expertise rather than your time.” Only you know whether you’ll get the best return on your time by charging hourly or per project. Sometimes, it may depend on the client or the project. Be prepared with a rate for both.

    TIP: Regardless of how you charge, always track your time. By knowing how long projects take you, you’ll be better prepared to estimate how much to charge for future projects.
  • Be flexible. You may find it helpful to have a range of rates you would accept for a job. Propose a rate that makes sense for the position and for the client. For example, you may propose a higher rate if it’s a large, national client who likely has a lot more money to spend on a contract compared to a small, local start up. Either way, don’t propose or bid lower than is worth your efforts. Whether you’re charging per hour, per word, or per project, have your average rate but also have a minimum you’d go if you have to negotiate.
  • Negotiate. Stand up for yourself, and don’t be afraid to be negotiate if a client proposes a rate lower than what you’d ideally like. This is why it’s important to have a range of rates you’d accept. Personally, in most of my proposals I include a line like “I’m willing to negotiate a per-word or per-article rate,” leaving the door open to talking with the client instead of them turning me down right away because my rate is too high.

    A good relationship with a client is built on a solid foundation of communication and trust. Work with the client up front, especially if you are very interested in the client or project, to make sure you both benefit from the relationship.

    That being said, if a client won’t go above a certain rate, and it happens to be lower than your range, don’t be afraid to tell them you can’t accept that rate. Even turning down contracts can beneficial for both of you in the long run.

How did you determine how to set your rate? What do you charge? Do you have any tips for negotiating rate?

Share in the comments below!
by caitlyncallahan14

2021 content marketing trends to watch

Empathy. Human. Connection. Transparency. Trust. Authenticity. These are all buzzwords you’ve likely come across when developing your content marketing strategy in the past, but due to the global pandemic and everything else 2020 brought, they will be more important than ever in 2021.

Your content marketing strategy should feed your digital and traditional advertising, social media channels, emails, website and blog. It should showcase who you are as a brand, connect with your audience on a deeper level, and provide value, entertainment and education to your customers and prospects.

Content strategies should be the backbone of marketing plans. Here are a few trends I’ve found to keep an eye on for 2021.

  1. Keep creating

Without content, your business will struggle. It’s an honest fact.

However, many of us are facing challenges we didn’t in past years, like significantly smaller budgets or less manpower. Don’t let those challenges stop you from creating.

If you have the time and money to invest in content, do it. You won’t regret building that into your budget and plan. However, if you don’t, creativity, consistency and authenticity can still go a long way.

  1. Include content in your customer journey

What do you know about your audience? What is their customer journey? Everything you know is likely translated into your marketing plans, and that information is used to create ideal marketing and nurturing campaigns for customers and prospects.

Consumers need you to be where they are when they need you, and each micro-moment is an opportunity for you to use content to move customers through the conversion funnel and customer journey.

Create mobile-first content, lead generation forms and opportunities. Make your content easier to find and navigate. Optimize for local searches and important industry keywords. Try creating content specific to your buyer personas and directed more toward the bottom of the funnel.

And as you do all of that, showcase engaging, entertaining or educational content instead of sales CTAs.

  1. Remarket

We’ve all been to a website, or looked at a product on Amazon, and then seen an ad for the same or a similar product in our Facebook newsfeed. This is a form of remarking, and it should be part of your marketing strategy.

However, consumers are savvy, and they are being more selective about the brands they engage with and purchase from. Your traditional remarking ad may not be enough anymore. Instead, use content to increase brand awareness and keep your product top of mind.

Make your content personalized. Allow the consumer to pick up where they left off. Tie other channel’s such as email, Google ads, social media ads and others together with the personalized content. Make the remarking ads seamless across channels.

  1. Diversify and include

If you have a blog, and that’s been the focus of your content marketing efforts, that’s a great start. However, it may no longer be enough. Diversify your content marketing efforts to be more inclusive of other tactics and channels.

This can include videos, infographics, memes, and gifs. In fact, video streaming has become even more popular than ever before, and with the introduction of Tik Tok and Instagram Reels (in addition to Stories and Snapchat), people are consuming video at record-breaking amounts.

Then, once you diversify your content, include it in everything. Tie together your website and blog, social channels, email and other marketing efforts. Make sure the tone, information and strategy carry over.

If you repurpose content, be sure to alter it (even if slightly) to fit the format and expectations of the channel you’re repurposing on. For example, you shouldn’t promote a blog post in an email the same way you would on your Facebook page.

  1. Improve the experience

How your audience interacts with your content is just as important as what content they are interacting with. In order to drive ROI with content, you need to focus on improving the content experience.

Analyze metrics like bounce rate and time on site, scroll depth, and clicks. It’s not enough that visitors come to your site, they have to engage and spend time with what’s on the page.

Try different content layouts, images, videos and types of content. Offer videos, webinars, white pages, podcasts, and images. Test which topics are the most engaging and informative. Be more tactful about placing CTAs and asking for email addresses. Be more strategic about how you more the consumer from that piece of content to the next step in the funnel.

  1. High-quality SEO

SEO (search engine optimization) has been a content marketing buzzword for years. However, as competition increases, attention spans decrease, and customers are being more selective about brands they interact with and where/how they spend their money, SEO will be a critical piece of your content’s success.

Figure out how you can differ yourself and your content from the big competitors. Focus on more niche, targeted and long-tail keywords. Be sure your content is engaging, including having a low bounce rate, and high time on site and scroll depth.

Take time to create an actual SEO strategy. Include members of your team, like your web analytics team and search engine marketers, to find the opportunities that will be key for you and your brand.

by caitlyncallahan14

2021 social media trends to watch

It should come as no surprise that Statista reported a 21% increase in monthly social media usage this year.

Due to the global pandemic, people turned to social media to connect with loved ones, follow the latest news coverage, shop and find new products, and mindlessly scroll for entertainment.

With more than 3.6 billion people using social media worldwide, and that number expected to continue to increase, brands are now wondering how to continue to engage with their audiences on social, as well as what to plan for in 2021.

With some research, I’ve gathered eight social media trends for marketers to watch in 2021.

  1. Less quantity, more quality

In 2020, you may have noticed many brands posted less often, but created more thoughtful, engaging content. This trend will likely continue in 2021.

Brands had to ask themselves “Do my followers even want to hear from me? Do they care about this content right now?” I’d venture to guess a lot of times, the answers were no. Creating and providing value for your audiences will be key. Focus on producing quality content that your audience cares about and can gain value from instead of posting just to post.

This trend will hold true to paid advertising as well. 2021 will see more thoughtful ad buys, more valued partnerships, and more informed targeting.

  1. Real content

Did you notice an uptick in your favorite brands posting live streams, lower production value images and videos, and more real content? That’s because as teams transitioned to a primarily work-from-home structure, many brands had to adjust how they were creating content.

Posting real, thoughtful and honest content has always been important. Your audiences want to see who you are as a brand, and get to know you beyond your advertising and products, and in 2021 this trend will be more important than ever.

People are being more choosy and selective about how and where they spend their dollars, and what brands they choose to support during these difficult times. Make it easier for them – don’t shy away from live streams and content made from your home office. People want to see that.

  1. Selling vs. helping

A lot of brands use social media as another avenue to sell their product or service. And with access to essentially limitless prospective customers, it’s easy to forget the purpose of social – connection and engagement.

Over the past couple of years, consumers are wising up and engaging less with the brands and companies who are constantly pushing a product. They aren’t offering anything of value or importance to the consumer, other than brand recognition. And in the long run, you may be annoying those customers enough that they will avoid you when it comes time to purchase your product.

Instead of selling, follow the trend of helping. Use your social media presence to help customers, answer questions, have conversations and provide value. Be more thoughtful and empathetic in your nurturing through the funnel. Be human and engaging.

  1. Tik Tok, Instagram Reels, and Stories

Short, snack-able and eye-catching content will reign in 2021. With the rise of Tok Tok, Instagram Reels, and the continued popularity of Stories (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat), brands should focus on content that doesn’t break the attention span.

Graphics, memes, infographics and gifs continue to prove popularity. Additionally, short videos (10-20 seconds) will become increasingly important. Tell stories about your products/services, brand or employees. Go behind the scenes, engage with current events, or simply entertain.

  1. Go live

I touched on it in #1, but I’ll say it again. Live video is key this year. In addition to video content being more popular and engaging than ever, live video gives you the opportunity to stream events, marketing experiences, Q&As, tutorials, and other content for your consumers. It’s real, it’s raw, and it’s something positive that came out of 2020.

Live videos keep your followers engaged with your brand by showing them something they might not be able to experience elsewhere. It gives them a new and different way to learn from and engage with your brand.

And, thanks to the struggles of last year, you aren’t expected to film in a production-quality screening room. Your home office can do the trick just as well.

  1. In-app shopping

This is something Pinterest mastered years ago, but other platforms like Facebook and Instagram are jumping on the bandwagon.

With new capabilities, consumers can buy a product they see in a post without even leaving the app they are on. This adds convenience for both the user and the company, because you don’t have to build a whole e-commerce store to sell your products.

This is great for small business owners who turned to crafting as a side-hustle during the pandemic and furloughs, as well as for larger brands who are looking to conveniently and effectively continue to sell products.

  1. Authenticity and trust

This has always been important, and in my opinion, one of the keys to success on social media.

However, it may be more important now than ever before.

Unfortunately, the pandemic hasn’t gone away. And people are still scared, lonely, frustrated and financially uncertain. It’s especially critical for brands to build trust with their audiences in order for consumers to identify with and invest in them.

Producing and posting authentic content, either from your employees, brand or customers, can help prospects (and existing customers) relate to you, while showing them you care about them… not just your sales.

I know your sales are important. It’s what will keep your business afloat. But, you can still improve your sales without pushing your product on your consumers. Keep existing customers coming back, and show your authenticity as a brand to build trust with prospects. They will appreciate it, connect with you, and come to you first.

  1. Prepare to pivot

If you didn’t learn this in 2020, you might have been living under a rock. Or not on Earth at all.

Last year, brands were forced to almost constantly pivot to stay afloat. Whether that was in their marketing, product offerings, or other facets of the business, COVID-19 showed us you can’t get comfortable with what you know.

Whether you had to furlough employees, transition to work from home, turn off your marketing, change your tone and how you market, create new content (everyone has to wear masks!), or something else, the trend of being able to quickly pivot your strategy won’t go away this year.

Prepare to change. Prepare for the unexpected. Be ready to pivot on both large and small scales, whether it’s your posting schedule, what you’re posting, or your paid ads.

by caitlyncallahan14

setting goals for 2021 after the dumpster fire of 2020

It’s no surprise that the majority of humans are ready to leave 2020 behind.

Not that on January 1 the world is magically going to be a better place, the pandemic will be gone, everyone has their jobs back and life is back to normal. But just that the year where so many terrible things happened is left behind and we can literally turn the page.

2020 was a rough year for many, including myself. I was furloughed for three month, I was (and still am) anxious for family members who are healthcare heroes and work on the front lines, I had family members and friends get the virus, and people close to me lost loved ones. I struggled with not being able to see friends and live our normal, outgoing and busy lives. I was scared, angry, sad and sometimes lonely. Between the pandemic (and everything that came with it), celebrity deaths, wild fires, BLM movement, protests, the election, murder hornets, and more, this year was a lot.

But 2020 was also one of the best years I can remember. I bought a house, got a puppy, went back to my job and now work from home (which I’ve always wanted), went on a mother-daughter vacation that we’ve talked about for years but never made time for, fell back in love with writing and my side-hustle work, read dozens of books, continued building my business and brought on new clients, realized the value of friendship more than ever, slowed down and enjoyed life like I’ve never done before… and without some of the bad, I never would have had the opportunity for some of this good.

Every year, I write “resolutions” or goals for myself and my business. With 2021 just a few days away, I sat down to think about what I want to accomplish next year. Going into 2020, I had some very specific and S.M.A.R.T. growth and opportunity goals. In 2021, I’m going in a different direction.

Here are a few of my goals (personal and professional) for 2021:

  • Read. Read at least two books per month (fun or professional development… doesn’t matter!)
  • Learn. Earn three certifications in something I’m interested in and can help me in my life/career.
  • Build. Continue to nurture relationships with my clients and provide outstanding, exceptional work. Keep my eyes open for potential new jobs/clients, with less emphasis on the “quantity” of clients and more emphasis on the “quality.”
  • Enjoy. Be intentional with any time I get to spend with family, friends or coworkers. Take advantage of any experiences I get to share with loved ones, and stay in the moment to enjoy every second possible.
  • Improve. 2020 was a huge year for learning about myself, my passions, my work ethic, what I want in a career and future. Next year, I want to continue to improve myself personally and professionally. While I don’t know exactly what that looks like, I want to be intentional about recognizing when I have opportunities to do so.
  • Travel. Whether it’s somewhere distant for a week, another state for a weekend or to the park down the street for a few hours, spend more time outdoors and creating and embracing experiences and memories.

While these look different than any other annual goals I’ve ever set for myself, I am more passionate about them and excited to take them on.

If you haven’t yet, I encourage you to think back on 2020, remember the positive things that happened, and take that momentum into 2021. Build on it, grow, continue to embrace what’s really important, be intentional and stay in the moment, and don’t take work, love, family and friendship for granted. Set goals for yourself that make you happy and will improve your life. We’ve all learned a lot this year, and it’s time to make ourselves and the world better next year!

by caitlyncallahan14

ghostwriting

Let me preface this post by stating that ghostwriting isn’t “bad,” and there’s nothing “wrong” with doing it. However, it may not be for everyone, so being aware of what it is and determining whether or not you want to do it is an important step in your freelance career.

Ghostwriting is when something you write or produce is credited to another author. For example, though you, Jane Doe, may write the blog post, it may be published on the client’s website under the CEO’s name “John Smith.”

Pros

  • It’s experience.
  • You can gain experience in a variety of industries and niches, some of which you wouldn’t get if you were credited.
  • You can write about topics that you aren’t necessarily an “expert” in and aren’t your primary focus. You can also write about new topics without having to worry about public perceptions tied to your name attached to them.
  • You can work on a secret passion.

Cons

  • You don’t get credit for writing a piece.
  • In most cases, you can’t include ghostwritten pieces in a portfolio or on a resume. You may even be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and can’t claim or share involvement with the project or client.
  • You give up ownership of the work.

In some cases, it doesn’t matter if your name is attached to work. For example, perhaps you write press releases, copy for client websites and landing pages, or social media posts. The important thing here (if it’s important to you) is to understand if you can list the client as a client in your portfolio, and reference the work you complete.

However, in most cases, if you’re contributing to a book, writing blog pieces, articles or other content, producing art or graphics, etc., it can be beneficial to have your name in the byline. This way you can list or link to those pieces in your portfolio, share them with prospective future clients, and build your brand and reputation around your name.

If you ask some freelancers, or do a quick internet search, many consider ghostwriting to be a form of plagiarism because someone is claiming someone else’s work as their own.

If you sign up to be a ghostwriter, this shouldn’t be a problem. However, if you don’t, it could be.

Personally I don’t bid for or accept ghostwriting jobs because it’s important to me to be able to build my portfolio, brand and company. (There are exceptions, of course, for jobs in which I can reference the client and work, such as running a company’s social media account.)

However, I recently realized some of my work for clients is being published under other names – turns out, I was hired as a ghostwriter. This wasn’t disclosed up front. But this isn’t illegal.

Clients don’t have to tell you that you’re ghostwriting for them, and that’s fine.

Moving forward, it will become part of my regular practice to ask up front:

  • Can I list you as a client in my portfolio?
  • Will I be getting credit for this work?
  • Can I link to this work in my portfolio/share it in the future?

I used to do this when I first started. I worked with some amazing clients, and became lax with my clarification. No longer, because as proud as I am of the work I’m producing, I can’t claim it and I can’t use it.

Again, if you don’t mind not having your name attached to something, or perhaps you prefer anonymity, ghostwriting can be a great opportunity.

TIP: If those things are important to you, be sure to clarify with the client up front what your relationship can be with the work you produce. Don’t be afraid to ask if you’ll be getting credit, or how you can use the work in the future. If you’re working with clients outside of a freelancer service (like Upwork) always include copyright, future use and client relationship information in your contract. Or, be sure to understand what the client’s contract states about these before entering the agreement.