Mightier Than The Email

I have a website called markpepper.com, yet when I search for “Mark Pepper” I don’t even come out on page 1 of Google. If I searched for “freelance writer”, I think I would probably die of old age before I came across my website.

Having a website is essential for any freelance writer, but people need to know it’s there and want to visit it. I recently spoke with a guy who specialises in boosting Google rankings for website owners, and I was surprised to learn that it takes a lot more than simply adding keyword-rich SEO articles on a regular basis. Actually, I was happy to learn that fact because it relieved some of the guilt I feel about never adding any.

Having a website that doesn’t show up from a basic “freelance writer” search is like sticking a flyer on a lamppost in the middle of New York City and hoping someone in L.A. who wants a freelance writer will stumble upon it. Never happen.

When I was an actor starting out, the industry norm was to send of 10×8 glossies to casting directors to let them know you’re alive. It was an expensive business, but every so often it came up trumps. Building an actor’s website for myself would not have helped. I would still have needed to send out letters to inform people I had one where they could view my mugshot.

Nothing has really changed in those intervening years – not for actors or freelance writers. You have to make sure people know about you, and I’m not sure that firing off emails to prospective employers is terribly effective. I think that most of the people who are really worth hitting will have spam filters on their inbox, and you will either end up in their trash folder or automatically deleted. If you do make it to their inbox, they may delete your message without opening it anyway for fear you are a virus.

So … what to do?

Have you ever considered sending out a letter in the post, personalised to the person you want to read it? You don’t have to hand-write it. You can use your computer to compose it, and you should include all your email and website details etc so they know you’re not Amish. But then you need to print it out and take it to the local mail box.

My reasoning here is that there are very few individuals who will put an envelope in the trash without opening it. They will have to read it. They will do so because you will have piqued their interest by standing out from the crowd. Here is someone who has made the effort to do more than press the “send” button. So maybe you’ll also be someone who’ll make more of an effort with everything you do – like your freelance writing.

What do you think?

Answers on a postcard, please.