My quick answer: No!

When I first put my websites for professional freelance writing services online, I ran Google AdSense ads on them. I’d say at least half of the websites for freelance writers that I’ve visited lately have AdSense on them.

But I took the ads off my sites within a few months and never regretted it. I think it’s a mistake to run AdSense or other contextual advertising on your site when you are trying to sell your own writing or freelancing services.

Here is what is says to me when I see ads on a freelance writer’s site, especially in “optimized” locations, like between the headline and the body text, or with the body text wrapping around the ad:

• This writer is more interested in getting me to click on an ad so she can make $0.10 than she is in convincing me to hire her for hundreds or thousands of dollars.
• This writer is desperate for revenue, which means she probably isn’t very good at what she does for a living.
• This writer doesn’t understand online marketing.

I’m not against all advertising, especially when it appears off to the side, instead of in the main body of the site. It can also make sense when ads are presented as “recommended” or “endorsed” products and services (e.g., when you are an affiliate selling someone else’s products that you personally like). Advertising makes perfect sense when that income stream is the reason for the site in the first place and you are creating content to draw people to the site, hoping they will click on your ads.

But if you are trying to convince me to hire you as a professional writer, why distract me with ads for other people’s stuff, especially when it’s unrelated to what I’m looking for? Much of the advertising on writers’ sites is for writers, not for people who need to hire writers.

I hear many of you asking, “But what about a freelance writer’s blog? Writers use blogs to help with search engine optimization and to share with others. Why shouldn’t they earn some advertising revenue off that content that’s not directly tied to marketing the freelancer’s services?”

I think it goes back to your main purpose: Do you want me to hire you or do you want me to click on your ad? If you are writing a blog to position yourself as an expert, then you are using it to market your services. Be very careful about other advertising that distracts from that goal.

Decide what’s most important and then design your site and any advertising on it accordingly.

The Writing for Nonprofits Coaching Program is a month of training and coaching to grow your freelance business and nonprofit clientele. Session starts April 26, 2010. Get the details and register.

A Guest Post by Claire Meyerhoff, a Guest Expert in the “Writing for Nonprofits” Coaching Program

Not long ago, I was talking with my college pal Julie Malkin. Like me, she’s a recovering broadcast journalist who went over to the dark side of professional communications known as “public relations.” For the record, Julie is Public Information Officer for Lucas County (Ohio) Children Services, so her work with at-risk families places her on the nobler edge of the PR dark side. That said, she still qualifies for an unflattering nickname used by journalists for bazillions of years. The nickname?

Flack.

Flack. He/She is the keeper of the information gate who alternates between promoting and holding back. Flacks don’t just say whatever they want; they think about every word they say, then think about how those words will play, then deliver those words to the reporters who call them Flacks. As in . . . . “That Flack knew I had a deadline and didn’t call me back until it was too late. How $%#@ convenient.” Or, “That Flack is a pain in the a$#, I wish he’d stop sending me press releases.” Or . . . “I’m a journalist, I could never be someone’s Flack.”

Until now.

And that’s what Julie and I were talking about, how our friends in the news business are finding themselves downsized, laid off, salary-reduced or just plain kicked to the curb. Left and right, reporters, editors, producers and anchors are losing their jobs or being asked to take insulting pay-cuts, like the network news producer who spent 25-plus years with the same outlet. Management told him he could “reapply” for his job. Only now “his” job comes with someone else’s salary. Someone management figures will do the job for a fraction of his salary.

Who cares that this new person will not have been through eight presidential elections or was even born when one of those presidents clung to life after being shot by a mad man. And this new producer will not even be able to name the mad man or the actress the mad man was mad about or know where the mad man is “incarcerated” today and especially won’t know why the word “incarcerated” is in quotes. (BTW, the producer reportedly declined management’s kind invitation to reapply for his job).

But I digress. Because this blog post isn’t supposed to be about “what happened to the news business” or “old geezers are better news people because we had to hunt down pay phones to file stories.” This blog post is about the conversation Julie and I had about public relations. Specifically, working for nonprofits.

We were talking about how many of our friends are now taking a good hard look at Flackery.

They need new jobs and are attracted to nonprofits, foundations, government agencies and other mission-based organizations because that seems more dignified than pimping for an ugly conglomerate. They figure if they can’t work in news, they might fit in with an organization that promotes the health, safety and well-being of our good citizens and their pets.

Since Julie and I have now been doing the nonprofit thing for a while, many of our friends are asking our advice. They’re hopeful they can slide into a PR job, and for some that’s true. If the stars are aligned, that can happen, but securing a good job in a new field usually comes with a learning curve. Making the transition from journalist to public relations professional takes more than getting a LinkedIn account and putting “Public Relations Consultant” as your job (what job?) title. There are a whole host of reasons why you’re a great candidate for a nonprofit job, and one of the best ways to get your foot in the door is by freelancing.

That’s where the “Writing for Nonprofits” Coaching Program comes in.  It’s not for journalists specifically, but for anyone who feels that the nonprofit world would be a good place for their communications skills.  I’m working with Kivi on the first webinar in the coaching program and I’ll be talking about some of the key insights I’ve learned since I started working for nonprofits, like

• That business thing. There aren’t the same measures of success like profit, output, circulation, ratings that journalists are used to. How does this affect the work culture?
• The reliance on volunteers. How this can help you get a foot in the door (just call it “pro bono”!) — or hurt you when people don’t think they need to pay for all your good stuff.
• The board. What’s that all about?
• How to speak nonprofit-eze.
• And the all important — how to figure out if a nonprofit has any work for you, or the money to pay you.

We’ll even talk a little bit about what you might expect to earn, how to bill and a few other nuts and bolts.

So many people are interested in freelancing for nonprofits that the March program sold out a week after Kivi opened registration in January. But there’s a waiting list, so if you are interested, add your name to it and we’ll see you for the next session later this year.

The Writing for Nonprofits Coaching Program is a month of training and coaching to grow your freelance business and nonprofit clientele. Session starts April 26, 2010. Get the details and register.

A Guest Post by Betsy Baker of Your Grant Authority and a Guest Expert in the “Writing for Nonprofits” Coaching Program

When I was working full time for my nonprofit employer, I was married but didn’t have children. When my husband and I decided that our house was just a little too quiet (oh, what a rude awakening we were in for!), we decided that it would be great for me to stay at home with the baby but that I’d still need to contribute financially. I would be able to do this because I had a lot of experience as a grant writer and was already getting asked to do grant writing jobs on the side. I was hot!

I’d just stay at home and become a grant writing consultant. I had visions of putting the baby to bed, quietly getting my grant writing work completed along with a couple of loads of laundry, and then starting dinner with baby by my side. I don’t believe that once in the nine years that I have stayed at home has that happened.

First of all, it took Baby a little longer to arrive than expected – approximately seven years. I had quit full time in anticipation of getting pregnant which actually prepared me to get into a routine of consulting that worked for me and my husband. While dinner wasn’t served every night, for the most part the house was reasonably clean, there were clean clothes and there was always food in the refrigerator (or freezer – as in frozen dinner.) For some reason, Baby didn’t understand my routine once he got here. Sure, Baby slept. But I did too when he did. I was exhausted.

I’m proud to say that at age three, my not-so-Baby anymore, Rhodes and I have finally worked it out. Like any working mother, it has been trial and error to find what works for us. What I finally decided was maybe I could do half and half. He now has care 2 ½ days a week while I work and I get him the other 2 ½ to play. I love it and I think he’s no worse for the wear.

So, back to my original question, my answer is simple: the benefits outweigh any challenges I might face. This is what I dreamed of when I was working toward becoming a consultant and I haven’t been disappointed yet:

Being my own boss – Who has not dreamed of this? You know your worth to an organization better than anyone and it can be frustrating dealing with those in authority who don’t appreciate or understand your contribution.

Setting my own hours – Being a grant writing consultant basically means you have the ability to write at 3:00 a.m. if you so wish. Once the appropriate information has been gathered you have the freedom to write when the inspiration strikes. This is especially great for families with children giving you the flexibility to write during school hours (on top of carting to soccer practice, putting dinner on the table, etc., hence, the 3 a.m. time frame.)

Working with whom I choose – The beauty of having your own business is the capability to work with clients of your choice. Of course, when you’re first venturing into the consultant territory, you may not can afford to be so selective. As your business grows, however, you’ll find a certain field that you’re most interested in or develop selection criteria that helps you pick clients that suit your interests and abilities.

Client variety – Speaking of working with clients of your choice, as a grant writing consultant you have the freedom to work with a variety of clients. This situation is perfect for those who bore easily or are eager to work in different fields of expertise.

Working remotely – How does working in your pajamas sound? If you’ve never been one who relished fighting morning traffic to get to a job by 8:00 a.m., a consultant’s job is just right for you. Being a consultant doesn’t mean you never have to get dressed – you certainly wouldn’t want to show up at a potential client’s in a bathrobe and curlers. But a consultant not only can work across town, he or she can work across the country. With today’s technology all information can be exchanged electronically. You set the boundaries.

Minimal start up cost – Most homes today have a computer, internet provider and phone. Starting a home-based consulting business is certainly preferable if space allows since it keeps your costs at a minimum.

So, there it is. The beauty of being a Grant Writing Consultant. I personally think it’s all that it’s cracked up to be!

The Writing for Nonprofits Coaching Program is a month of training and coaching to grow your freelance business and nonprofit clientele. Session starts April 26, 2010. Get the details and register.

Before I launched my successful training business for nonprofit communicators at Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com, I had a lot to learn. I was a writer and communications consultant who also did training workshops. I knew lots about my topics, but zip about how to turn that knowledge and in-person training experience into an online training business.

Luckily for me, at about the same time I was setting up Nonprofit Marketing Guide, Brian Clark of Copyblogger fame was launching Teaching Sells. I was in one of the first groups of students, and I learned an incredible amount from Brian and the other instructors. The program became so popular that Brian eventually closed registration so he could revamp the program to accommodate all the new interest.

Well, starting today, Teaching Sells is now taking on new students again. If you are interested in teaching online, take the course. If you are interested in selling your own content online, take the course. Even though the materials are focused on small businesses, I think nonprofits who want earn revenue through selling reports and training (especially associations) could also learn a great deal from the course. I’ve certainly made back what I spent on the tuition fees many times over, simply because Teaching Sells prevented me from making so many rookie mistakes and saved me hours of time trying to figure out how to do this on my own. Even though I’ve been at this for almost two years now, I still login to Teaching Sells every now and then to get some pointers.

I don’t recommend a lot of products, but Teaching Sells is one that I’m behind all the way.

I attended the Land Trust Alliance’s national conference last week in Denver. My husband was speaking and I didn’t want to pass up Rocky Mountain hiking, so I decided to tag along and reserved a table-top display in the exhibit area.

This was the first time I had ever marketed my services at a trade show. It’s too early to tell if it was a success or not, but here are a few things I learned.

People like useful freebies. I gave away pens with my website on them. Of all of the information that I had on the table, people picked up more pens than anything else.

Appeal to the broadest audience possible. I created a free tip sheet about easy ways to market land trusts online. About half the people who took a pen took the tip sheet. My guess is that it was too specific. Something more general like how to create a quick and dirty marketing plan probably would have been more widely appealing than specifically focusing on online marketing.

Location, location, location. I decided to attend this event rather late in the game, and so my tabletop was not in the main flow of traffic. Decide early enough in advance that you will attend, so that you can reserve the best locations on the trade show floor.

Make display items visible from several feet away. Lots of people want to see what you have without having to talk to you. Make sure everything is either hanging on the display or is otherwise standing up. Information flat on the table can’t be seen by attendees unless they are standing right next to it.

Be there in the middle of the conference program. People straggled in the first day. Everyone was there the second day. People straggled out the last day. I’d say 90% of my contact with people came on that middle day.

Put on your outgoing, friendly face. Lots of people cruising the hall won’t initiate a conversation with you, but they will stop and chat if you are really friendly and ask them questions about themselves.

I offered a drawing of free e-courses, e-books, and wine to get business cards and will also add those people to my email newsletter list. I also offered free consulting sessions on-site to get a better sense for what people need. Both produced lots of contacts that I can use to prospect new clients this fall (if I have time).

Have you used trade show marketing for your freelance business? How did it go?

I recently hired a freelance graphic designer for a small job, in hopes that he would really impress me and I could give him lots of assignments. It didn’t happen. Granted, this person is working full-time and freelancing on the side and appears to be a newbie.

But I’m always looking for good, fresh talent to help with client projects, so I’m willing to give the freshmen a try. Sometimes they work out; sometimes they don’t. My latest experience definitely fell in the Don’t category and I’m turning it into a lesson in customer service for creative professionals new to freelancing.

1) If you don’t know a client’s gender, don’t guess. After emailing a few times, Designer Guy called me, and asked for Mr. Miller. This was a call to my business line, so while I am married to a Mr. Miller, I said “There is no Mr. Miller here.” To which Designer Guy replied, “Oh! OK. I thought you were a man.”

Yes, I have an odd name. But why not just ask for Kivi and go from there? I was annoyed with the sexist assumption and should have ended it there, but I decided to give him a second chance.

2) When a client gives you specific instructions, follow them. I gave Designer Guy two specific instructions: no bleeds and make it go with the design of a new website I’m putting up. I gave him two photos to use. I also asked for two different mockups from which to pick.

What did he deliver? One version with a full bleed of one of the photos with my text thrown on top of it. It bore no resemblance whatsoever to the URL I asked him to match. Strike two.

3) Don’t take jobs if you can’t meet the deadlines. When I asked Designer Guy where the second comp was, he said he didn’t have time to do it. I admit this was a rush job (he had four days in between getting my copy and photos and producing a draft for me), but I was perfectly clear about the schedule when I described the job.

If you don’t have time, don’t take the assignment. If you run out of time, be upfront with the client – don’t hope they won’t notice. Strike two and a half.

4) Don’t change your terms at the last minute. When I told Designer Guy that the draft didn’t work, because it didn’t meet my two main criteria (no bleed and matching the URL), he demanded full payment before he would deliver the final product. Mind you, I hadn’t even seen a product that met my needs yet, nor had he previously requested any payment upfront, even though we did discuss his total estimate for the project.

Because my deadline was nearly upon me, the only way I could have paid him anything was if he took credit cards or PayPal. But he wouldn’t take either, insisting on cash or a check. I had no way to get him payment and get the final product within the time I had left (less than 24 hours), even if I were willing to do so. If he had taken credit cards or PayPal, I probably would have given him 50% and hoped that his second draft worked. But the idea that I would pay in full when the only thing delivered completely failed to meet my needs was laughable. Strike three. He’s out.

I stayed up late and did it myself.

One of the pleasures of working for nonprofit clients is knowing that your services are really making a difference for the client and that you are contributing to the greater good on issues that matter to you. But that often means working with small, community-based organizations, and that’s where the pain comes in. How can you as a freelance writer serve small nonprofits, but also serve your family dinner each night? I’ve used several approaches over the years.

1) Use a sliding scale for your rates. If you can make big bucks from a few big clients, nonprofit or otherwise, you can afford to charge the little groups less. I personally group clients into three categories based on the size of their annual budget: under $1 million, $1-5 million, and over $5 million. The organizations with budgets over $5 million get charged as much as I’d charge a corporate client. The others pay less.

2) Limit the number of hours you donate at drastically reduced rates or at no charge. Decide ahead of time, for example at the start of the year, how much of your professional time you can reasonably donate and limit work for those small non-paying or barely paying clients to that amount.

3) Accept comps as payment. If the organization has a membership fee, ask them to make you a lifetime member, or to give you a set number of free memberships that you can then give away to friends, family, or clients as gifts. Same goes for tickets to their events.

4) Get creative with bartering. Create deals with other supporters of the organization who have something you want. For example, maybe a member of the nonprofit’s board owns a construction company. In exchange for you volunteering your communications services, the board member’s company would repair your deck. The bookkeeping can get a little complicated with this kind of bartering, but it can be done. (The board member’s company is basically paying you to perform a service for the nonprofit via barter, so the board member is the donor to the nonprofit, not you, in this case).

5) Trade your time for a testimonial or case study. In exchange for a reduced rate or pro bono project, ask the client to agree to provide a detailed testimonial that you can use in your marketing. It can even take the form of a longer case study that shows how you work with clients over time to improve their print or online publications.

I had a nice chat yesterday with a woman from Ohio named Pamela who has been working for many years as a nonprofit fundraiser and is thinking about starting a freelance writing business to serve nonprofits. She called to ask my advice and here are a few of the tips I shared.

–Nonprofits usually don’t know what to do with “writers.” They do know what to do with “newsletter writers” and “website content writers.” Be specific about what you can write and you’ll connect much more quickly with the potential client. Think in terms of the product you will deliver as much as the service you will provide.

–Consider offering more than writing. Most nonprofits who need a writer will also need to fill gaps in other communications and marketing skills. I started out offering only writing and editing, but now offer print and online graphic design, publications management (e.g. editorial calendars, working with printers), communications strategy development, coaching/training, and more. I subcontract with a variety of other professionals to get all the work done well. But to the client, I’m a one-stop shop.

–Networking is essential to business development. I tried straight advertising in magazines read by nonprofit managers when I first started out and it was a complete flop. Nearly all of my clients have come from word-of-mouth referrals, networking at nonprofit events, and online networking via my nonprofit communications blog.

–Be flexible in how you structure fees. I offer clients the ability to pay by the project, by the hour, or by the word, depending on the task and how they want to pay. Sometimes clients are limited in how they can pay for your services, either by their own accounting rules or by the way they received the funding that they are using to pay you.

–A website and/or blog is critical. I have landed several new clients simply because of my online presence. I supply samples and client testimonials on my website and those have been enough to please several clients who emailed or called and offered me a contract with no additional marketing required on my part.

What tips do you have for freelance writers who are thinking about entering the nonprofit marketplace?

FreelanceSwitch, a great site for freelancers that I’ve just added to my blogroll, has a new hourly rate calculator.

If you still have your Schedule C handy or relatively fresh in your mind, filling out the business expenses section of the calculator will be easy. I guessed on most of the personal expenses and was fairly conservative on the number of hours I work and bill. It spit out an hourly rate that is a bit higher than I typically charge, but not by much.

If you are really new to freelancing, this is a great exercise and tool. If you’ve been around awhile, it’s a reality check to ensure your rates are what they should be.

I’ve written a post on how I stay productive as a professional communicator over at my other blog, Nonprofit Communications. You can click over for the full post, but here is the quick summary:

1. Invest in speed.

2. Prioritize often.

3. File good ideas away.

4. Delegate.

5. Hire professionals.

6. Do similar jobs at the same time.

7. Make a little time for yourself during the workday.

8. Turn everything off and shut the door.

9. Get organized, but don’t obsess about it.

10. Be realistic about long tasks take.

Read the whole post here.