Opening doors to corporate writing opportunities

orking with agencies to open doors to corporate writing opportunities.
A VIEW FROM AN AGENCY PERSPECTIVE

Who am I?
VP and Account Director of Adventure House, a marketing communications agency in NYC
VP, in charge of corporate accounts

What I’m going to tell
you 15 minutes.
Agencies can help you get to corporate clients
How to position yourself effectively to an agency
Ways to be a valuable long-term partner to an agency
How to use LinkedIn to find agencies with the corporate clients you’re looking for
A word on pricing

Agencies look for:

This means:
1 You are analytical thinker.
You do research on an industry, product, and its target market.
(The material will often be complex and you must be able to organize it to tell an effective story. )

This means:
2 You have journalistic abilities.
Like a reporter who keeps looking until you find the story’s most interesting angle.

This means:
3 You can tell an engaging story.
Cast interesting characters and tell stories about a product or service that engage the audience’s interest and motivate them to take action.

Your To Do list:
Choose a sector and become an expert on it. Read up on it and research it.
Have your website ready: Who are you? What are your success stories? List your capabilities. How do you stand out?
Have your blog ready. Demonstrate thinking and expertise. If no experience in the corporate space, write on topics demonstrate thought leadership.
Have your cover letter ready. Tell me your qualifications but stand out, give me some insight into as to what it will be like working with you.

A letter that
stood out:

What qualities do agencieslook for in a writer?
Strategic. Understands corporate objectives
Authoritative knowledge. Has complete command and up-to-date knowledge of the sectors/products they will write about
Brand expert. Quick study on the nuances of a brand’s vocabulary
Range of capabilities. Has written for a diverse range of corporate communication pieces

What qualities do agencieslook for in a writer?
Evolving expertise. Through a long-term relationship, you can become a subject-matter expert
Storytelling ability. No matter what, keep the audience engaged
Availability. Be there
All of this equals TRUST

Conversely, agencies fall outof love with writers when:
Unable to deliver engaging, strategic, branded content
Unavailable or show a lack of interest

FINDING
THE
RIGHT
AGENCIES

Using LinkedIn is a great, free tool to connect and a great alternative to cold calling.

1 ConnectingResearch and follow companies of interest

1 ConnectingFollow the company for updates + see if you’re already connected

1 ConnectingSee how many “2nd” connections exist in your network already

1 ConnectingIdentify potential connection leads

1 ConnectingGet introduced—ideally through a 1st connection

2 GroupsFind the right groups

2 GroupsParticipate in groups
Or, even start your own group!

3 JobsFind jobs

3 JobsSearch for the right jobs for you

A WORD
ON PRICING

Pricing yourself effectively

In closing…
Do your homework. Analyze the industry or sector you want to write for.
Tailor or build your current website and blog to incorporate your abilities and show your personality.
Acquaint yourself with the different mediums you’ll be writing in.

www.adventurehousegroup.com

http://adventurehousegroup.com	96
http://www.slideshare.net	4
url_unknown	4
http://www.educlic.net	3
http://www.istikbal.gr	1
http://www.cmd.ie	1
http://prodtest.sophiaapp.com	1
http://www.adventure-house.com	1

Opening doors to corporate writing opportunities

by Adventure House on Apr 30, 2011

Accessibility

Categories

Tags

Upload Details

Usage Rights

8 Embeds 111

Statistics

Opening doors to corporate writing opportunities — Presentation Transcript