The Information Marketer Gun for Hire

Dear Info Marketers.

Think being an info marketer is boring, stay-at-home work?

Well, get this...

My friend Neil is thirty-six years old. He has been comfortably living in his grandmother’s basement for years. Provided he watches over his plus ninety year-old granny, he has the place to himself. He’s had the same job of computer infobase generator for years. Like a vampire, he’s usually a little paler than you and only comes out if you invite him. He dislikes crowds, social gatherings, and anything interrupting his viewing of the latest X-Files DVDs release.

Yes, Neil is one of those shut-in guys. But he’s my bud and I am actually pretty happy for him these days. Worried that his current post is on the rocks, he started applying for jobs and finally got a contract to, of all things, head out west to design computer game graphics for a small entertainment company. He’s a computer whiz and loves these kinds of tasks. He’s going to head out west under the guise of a “family holiday” from his present job, so he can hold both positions at once. As he later told me: “Hey, I’m the computer gun-for-hire.”

Sounds almost like a mercenary, doesn’t it? Well, if you play your cards right, you, as an info marketer, can be a gun-for-hire too and have an exciting career as a result.

I know this sounds like a difficult position to aspire too, but it isn’t. You have knowledge and the skill of the writer on top of that. You are an asset to someone who needs it. You just have to get out there and apply yourself.

Here’s how to become an information gun-for-hire:

--Get your toolkit in order: I would suggest acting like, an assassin here. Actually, forget that example. A mechanic is a better example. Both need a toolkit to use on their job. Yours should include a portfolio of work and a business card reading [YOUR NAME]…Information Specialist. People will ask you what you do once you introduce yourself, so you simply say that you provide written information and content for publications. That’s all you really need to start. Updating your website would help too…

--Go to the right areas: You’d be surprised who needs information. Restaurants need well written, detailed menus. Lots of companies need product descriptions. Magazines need profiles and columns. Blogs need content from know-it-alls… you get the idea. Like when you are seeking out clients for your own info products, finding the right forum for freelance information creation isn’t hard. It just takes time. Go looking for people, show them your portfolio, and then offer to create information for them.

--Get the credit: You researcher it. You wrote it. You are the pro. It’s that simple. Make sure you get the credit in return. If you are happy just to take a fee, great. But, if possible, leave your name and website and/or e-mail address somewhere in the forum that you wrote in. The public will see this and people will seek you out for more gigs. *For this step, make sure you work out a credit deal with your client beforehand. I didn’t do that on a job once and while I got paid, I couldn’t leave my e-mail on the product I wrote for. It was a brochure and I know a lot of people saw it…(!).

--Make sure you know your stuff: Getting the gig is important, but make sure you deliver too. Creating positive, informative content is good. Creating false, over-exaggerated content is bad. Sinful, in fact. If you don’t know everything about what you are writing about, be it a lawyer bio for a compendium or the area in New Zealand where a particular lamb comes from for an agricultural column, find out. Ask the client or seek it out yourself. You can get into some very problematic areas if you don’t. Ones that might involve nonpayment, a ruined reputation, or in the worst case scenario, lawyers.

--Be prompt, clear, and professional: When working as a gun-for-hire, do what you would normally do for your own products. Make it the best content possible. Your client will like it, and you WILL benefit from it in the future.

You’d be surprised the number of people that don’t care for writing content. Their interest lays elsewhere – business, labour, design. Take this as a cue to get out there and offer yourself and your services to the public. Like my buddy Neil found out, your success will only grow as a result.

For more info marketing tips, go to the E-Wealth Daily website here.

Take care,

J.