Volunteering and Information Marketing

Dear Info Marketers,

It's summer. It's rainy. I am trying to find a good patio and yet even getting to one is a job in itself. Anybody want to help me...?

Helping...now there's a topic...

So I have to ask…how do you feel about working for free? Doesn’t it make you feel great inside that you are helping others by donating your valuable time and energy to assisting in the success of their endeavors? And don’t you just yearn for the next occasion that you can help them again?
I know what you are thinking: “Whatever, bud. Thanks for coming out and good luck trying to your bills. You must live at home…!”

All jokes aside, I have wanted to write about volunteering for a while now but forgot about it until I spoke with my cousin’s wife at a recent family barbeque. She’s an English grad and, at one time, an aspiring poet. Between the times of her 1998 graduation from university to her marriage to my cousin in 2004, she worked like crazy to write and get her stuff published, which she periodically did. After that though, she became dejected, decided to have a family, and is now a stay-at-home mom. She still hasn’t given up her aspirations though and is always got a pad handy for when her children are asleep or she has a spare moment.

I asked her if there was anything she regretted from that period in her life. Her reply was: “I think I should have focused more on the writing itself and getting it out to magazines than helping out with festivals and events. I really went into volunteer overkill and it didn’t come to much.”

This is a term to note as an information marketer: volunteer overkill. It’s something a lot of people quite innocently fall into and can lead to failures of business. It starts with you wanting to get ahead and offering your services for free. Your buddy needs info content for his website or a connection needs a newsletter done up for his astrology mail-out. You gleefully do it to see your name in print and something of your own creation published. And you do it for absolutely no financial compensation.

But the problem arises when you do it again. And again. And again. People take advantage of your talent and while you build a portfolio of work, your telephone bills and meal tickets are left outstanding. This is volunteer overkill and it can be dangerous to the survival of your business.

To clarify, I am certainly not saying that you should forego volunteering altogether, especially when starting out. You have to build up a portfolio of work and that takes time. But, like any other activity in info marketing, exercising some philosophy beforehand is essential. Make sure you see what you are writing content for. Ask yourself if what you are writing for free is going to be a useful assignment in creating your portfolio and pertinent to the type of information you will be continually writing about. If you want to be an automotive information marketer, don’t waste time creating free content for a tattooing website. As well, quiz the prospective client. Ask them if there will be any paid opportunities in the future for your services. If they seem professional, go ahead and form a partnership with them. If they seem flimsy or unsure, look elsewhere.

As well, consider the fact that once you get established, you can always volunteer your services later on or mentor an up-and-coming information marketer. By then, you will be a well seasoned pro and can help those out who are just starting out or provide content to a rookie business. Your contribution to either party with be greatly appreciated and you can walk away knowing you did a good deed while not sacrificing anything for yourself.

Like any business, starting out in information marketing can be tough. There is no shame in wanting to get ahead, to work hard, and to be ready to take a few knocks in the process, including receiving no pay. Helping others for free can be useful, but don’t forget about your own goals and aspirations. Always serve your best professional judgment and look to help others when you can along the way. This route will ensure your success and contribute to others’ success at the same time.

For more information, visit us here at the E-Wealth Daily.

Take care,

J.