Obtaining contacts

[John Zee]

Does anyone have any suggestions as to obtaining contacts at companies for an email campaign? What sources can we use to get this info: name, title, URL and especially email address. Some references have URLs, but company email information seems to be lacking. How do you make your initial contacts about the services you offer?

[ATP]

An e-mail campaign? Without knowing any additional info, how do you distinguish what you plan from spam?


ATP

[John Zee]

Good point. I meant a limited email cmapiagn to contact companies for freelance business writing work.

[ATP]

This is all contingent on you not sending spam, as you say. But,it depends a fair bit on your budget. Simplest and cheapest, is to do marketing research - check company websites, pr newswire, Google and the like.The more expensive is to purchase a database list from companies which have supposedly done all the leg work for you. The only caveat with this is they are neither cheap nor always up-to-date.

As to the effectiveness of e-mail marketing? If you are a freelancer/independent service provider, this in turn depends on who you are marketing your services to, and what form?

ATP

[theengel]

Dude...totally the wrong approach. You're tying to find companies and convince them they need a writer. Meanwhile, there are thousands of companies out there trying to find a writer.

Business writers are unapreciated enough. Tap into those people who actually want one.

Or perhaps I didn't understand your question.

[ATP]

The purpose of marketing at the level of the independent operator is simply to promote and scout for business. It would be ideal if one could hit the jackpot each and every time with those needing the service immediately.

However, some potential customers might have a need then and there, some maybe later, some will be tire kickers, some may refer others, and quite a number will likely ignore it.This is the nature of the beast.Some say one of the principles of marketing is that an audience will need to see your message at least three times before it 'registers'. And for independent operators, this also means having to spend 50% of all their time engaged in all forms of marketing activity.

If the 'thousands' you are referring to are from the bottom dwelling 'seo merchants', then I think that there is enough commentary in the freelance forum to indicate that these are very low paying, and mainly for hobbyists and newbies.

ATP

[Good Word]

A couple of things I've done:

1. If you live in an urban area, drive through a industrial/business park (for example, here there are a lot of software companies) and write down the names and look them up online. Sometimes there are names of people that may not be the person you want, but who can send you to a good possibility.

2. Do some vertical marketing--dig up names of all the PR agencies in your area, call and follow up with an email including a link to your website, and maybe some hard copy.


I wouldn't buy a list--it's unlikely that you will get to the right person that way. People come and go at companies constantly. Better to develop your own list over time.


Lisa