In the haste to secure the next writing assignment, sometimes writers overlook one of the most essential elements in actually procuring more work. Whether you’re crafting a profile for LinkedIn or the ‘About Me’ page on your website, your profile is one of the best chances you have at grabbing the attention of new clients and securing more potential business. For this reason, it is important to not treat it as an afterthought.
Make Your First Impression Count
What do you want your potential clients to know about you? Your profile is where your potential clients get to know a bit about you and how you can help them. It should not be a recap of an outdated resume. The truth is that people enjoy working with those they feel a connection with. This is your chance to reel them in and hold them captive. Using a bit of creativity and injecting a bit of personality allows clients to get a sense of who you are while highlighting your skills as a writer.
What’s Your Story?
Weave a tale that paints a vibrant picture and showcases your talent. At the same time, you must appear authentic. Once you have achieved authenticity, you are a virtually guaranteed success. In the technology era, it is not enough to simply let your work speak for itself, you must brand yourself to stand out from the crowd. Your profile should be written in the 1st person if possible to make it more relatable. Your polished story (profile) should engaging, unique, and of course, well written. This is your opportunity to be both remarkable and memorable.
How Can You Help Me?
Great! Now your potential clients feel they know you. The next question is, “How can you help me?” Once you’ve gained their confidence, your potential clients need to understand how what you do can serve their needs. Anyone can say they are a writer, but in the end, results count. Show them how you can help them achieve their goals and create the results they desire. Use examples of how you have helped others.
Tailor Your Profile to Your Audience
Though you will likely be able to use parts of the initial profile you created in various places online, you will need to tailor your profile specifically for the audience for which it is intended. The profile you create for your LinkedIn profile will vary from the one you create for your Facebook page as the audiences are different. You may be able to use some of the same ideas and thoughts, but resist the urge to copy-and-paste. If you have your own website (and you probably should), you will be able to create a more in-depth, thorough profile than you would on many social media or writer focused websites. Take advantage of this opportunity.
Your Headline Is Important Too!
Finally, once you are satisfied with the stellar profile you have created, do not allow all your hard work to be for naught by neglecting your headline. The headline is what draws people in and urges them to check out your business (writing). So make it good! If you are branding yourself and have a slogan, you can use that. However, the caveat is in making sure your slogan adequately represents what you do and can help your clients achieve. Ultimately, your headline should make potential clients think, smile, and act.