{"id":952,"date":"2010-12-15T09:06:04","date_gmt":"2010-12-15T09:06:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alexeames.com\/blog\/?p=952"},"modified":"2010-12-15T09:06:04","modified_gmt":"2010-12-15T09:06:04","slug":"four-facets-of-marketing-for-freelance-translators-tranfree-76","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/alexeames.com\/blog\/2010\/12\/four-facets-of-marketing-for-freelance-translators-tranfree-76\/","title":{"rendered":"Four facets of marketing for freelance translators &#8211; tranfree 76"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Listen to tranfree 76<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/tranfree.com\/tf76.mp3\">tranfree 76 &#8211; Four facets of marketing<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/tranfree.com\/tf76.pdf\">Download PDF<\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Editorial<\/h3>\n<p>Hello and welcome to another <em class=\"tt\">tranfree<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Since this is the last <em class=\"tt\">tranfree <\/em>of the year, let me wish you all a Happy Christmas.  As a Christmas special, I\u2019m offering a 20% discount off the price of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.translatortips.net\/business-success.html\"><strong>Business Success for Freelance  Translators<\/strong><\/a> until the  end of December 2010.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you agree or disagree with what  they\u2019re doing, Wikileaks is making governments look \u201csilly\u201d and causing a lot  of people to think about freedom of speech on the internet. I\u2019ve found the  whole story quite intriguing, but haven\u2019t yet fully decided in which camp I  stand. Publishing stolen information seems inherently wrong to me, but the  handling of the situation has made the US authorities look even sillier than  the \u201crevelations\u201d did. It\u2019s a classic case of two wrongs make a fight.<\/p>\n<p>One thing is certain though. We\u2019re in  for a season of change. With the US taking on more debt and the Eurozone  bankrupt in all but name, we\u2019re in for some \u201cinteresting times\u201d. We\u2019ve already  got revolting students on the streets of London (deliberate ambiguity \u2013 interpret  as you will).<\/p>\n<p>Times of change bring threats and opportunities.  The opportunities for translation continue to grow. I can\u2019t see that stopping  any time soon. This edition\u2019s feature article covers four facets of marketing,  which I hope will help you think about how to make the most of the  opportunities out there.<\/p>\n<p>I hope you enjoy and benefit from <em class=\"tt\">tranfree <\/em> <img src=\"http:\/\/www.translatortips.net\/ubb\/smile.gif\" alt=\"smile\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.translatortips.net\/images\/alexsig.gif\" alt=\"Alex\" width=\"79\" height=\"60\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Alex Eames <em class=\"tt\"> tranfree<\/em> editor, Author &#8211;<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/translatortips.net\/business-success.html\">Business Success For Freelance Translators<\/a>,<a href=\"http:\/\/www.translatortips.net\/ht50.html\"><br \/>\nHow to Earn $80,000+ per Year as a Freelance Translator<\/a> and<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/translatortips.net\/sell-your-services.html\">Selling Your Professional Services on the Web<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Four  Facets of Marketing for Freelance Translators<\/h2>\n<p><em>By Alex Eames<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Distilled down to its pure essence,  marketing is about persuading people to buy what you are offering. It\u2019s a  huge subject, but in this article, I\u2019ve chosen to focus on four specific areas  that I feel are important to freelance translators. There are many more, but  those are for another day. <img src=\"http:\/\/www.translatortips.net\/ubb\/biggrin.gif\" alt=\"big grin\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Marketing is about mathematics<\/h3>\n<p>This is a  surprising way to start a marketing article, but please bear with me for a  couple of sentences. It\u2019s a linguistic pun, which I hope will help you to remember  the point better.<\/p>\n<p>In  mathematics we use calculus to determine the location of a turning point on a  graph. (I can hear you groaning from here at the mention of calculus.      <img src=\"http:\/\/www.translatortips.net\/ubb\/wink.gif\" alt=\"wink\" \/>) This process of calculating \u03b4y\/\u03b4x,  is called&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><strong class=\"r\">Differentiation<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>And the reason  I dragged calculus into it is that <strong>differentiation  is a key part of marketing. <\/strong>Once you figure out how important it is, it  will be a <strong>turning point<\/strong> in your  business life.<\/p>\n<p>How you  differentiate yourself from other similar providers is key to&#8230;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Attracting new clients \u2013 (why should I choose you and  not her?)<\/li>\n<li>Being able to  justify higher prices \u2013 (how can it possibly cost that much?)<\/li>\n<li>Targeting the market sectors you are interested in \u2013  (ooh they specialise in my field!)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>OK, so  let\u2019s back up a minute and say what we mean by \u201cdifferentiate yourself\u201d in the  context of marketing. Here are four possible definitions&#8230;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How do you show  yourself to be different from others?<\/li>\n<li>How do you stand out from the crowd?<\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s different about you?<\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s your  Unique Selling Proposition (USP)?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These are  all different ways of saying essentially the same thing. In marketing,  differentiation is about differences \u2013 the more obvious, the better.<\/p>\n<p>The other  mathematical link is that marketing is a \u201cnumbers game\u201d. This is particularly  true of direct mail, email and web-based marketing. As long as your message is  a good one, getting more work and clients is simply a matter of ensuring that  it is seen by more and more qualified prospects.<\/p>\n<p>I know. I  make it sound easy. <strong>In reality, it can  be a long hard slog. And so it should be!<\/strong> If  success were \u201ctoo easy\u201d, it wouldn\u2019t be success. I think many western economies  are discovering the painful truth of that statement at this time, as they brace  themselves for some lean years after a period of \u201ceasy\u201d growth fuelled by excessive  borrowing. <strong>Success requires hard work  and lots of persistence. <\/strong>But sometimes a little luck can help speed things  up.<\/p>\n<h3>Marketing is about constantly looking for new ways to  reach people<\/h3>\n<p>Wherever  there is a large concentration of people, someone will find a way to sell them  something. You need to develop this mentality and apply it to your own  business. Always be on the lookout for new opportunities to reach people with  your message.<\/p>\n<p>Always be  looking for connections that others might miss. Be willing to experiment and  open to trying new approaches. Adopt the Thomas Edison approach to  experimentation.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>&#8220;If I find 10,000 ways something won&#8217;t work, I  haven&#8217;t failed.<br \/>\nI am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt  discarded is<br \/>\nanother step forward.&#8221;<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">Thomas Edison<\/p>\n<p>Experiment  with different approaches and don\u2019t be knocked back if something doesn\u2019t work  brilliantly straight away, the first time you try it. Change it, refine it,  improve it and try again.<\/p>\n<p>Face to  face or on<em> <\/em>line? Try it all and see what suits you best, and what works best.<br \/>\nIf you\u2019re  a \u201cpeople person\u201d you might find it best to talk to people on a face to face  basis. If you\u2019re a bit timid about doing that, maybe some form of online  communication would be preferable for you? The good news is that both can work.  Social and business networking sites; online forums and portals; becoming a  regular commentator on blogs you follow; these are all ways of getting your  name out there. But make sure you set the right tone (friendly and helpful is a  good start). This leads us nicely into the next facet.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Marketing is about impression management<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In the  film \u201cthe madness of king George\u201d the king was behaving strangely, so took a  break from public life to recover. At the end of it he said that he was not  mad, but he had merely forgotten \u201chow to seem\u201d. He had lost sight of the need  to pay attention to how he \u201cseemed\u201d to others. He didn\u2019t have a spin-doctor or  a PR officer to manage and massage his image.<\/p>\n<p>How do  you think you should \u201cseem\u201d to your clients and prospects? It matters less how  good, efficient, friendly, quick, reliable and expensive you are. What matters  is how good, efficient, friendly, quick, reliable and expensive <strong>you seem to be.<\/strong> So think about how can you control, or at least influence, prospective client  perceptions of you? If everything you do exudes quality and competence, that\u2019s  a very good start.<\/p>\n<p>Do you  think the highest earning translators in the world are necessarily the best at  translating? I strongly suspect that they are the ones who are best at  marketing and justifying high fees. (I bet they\u2019re pretty good at what they do  too.) I bet they\u2019re the ones who know how to package a \u201cbig picture\u201d value  proposition to decision-makers. Of course it helps to have friends in high  places, but even that is not enough on its own if your work or approach is  lacking.<\/p>\n<p>The best  way is to live the part. Professionalism and excellence in all things.  Everything you do should reinforce your message. As a translator, this is  particularly important in your written correspondence. An occasional typo is  permissible in an email, but make sure there aren\u2019t too many \u2013 ideally none.  It\u2019s all too easy to let things slip when you\u2019re busy. But <strong>quality written communications take time.<\/strong> <strong class=\"r\">And  you\u2019re selling quality written communications,<\/strong> so make sure your communications with your clients  shout the QUALITY message loud and clear.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Marketing is a way of life<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Excellence in everything.<\/strong> Every contact you have with the outside world is  marketing of one form or another.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Being good is not enough.<\/strong> You have to be visible \u2013 seen to be good.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Be generous <\/strong>\u2013  preferably in a visible way \u2013\u00a0 it will  come back to you. Here\u2019s a recent story to prove this point. I did some  unofficial photos at a friend\u2019s wedding in September. They were so pleased with  them that I was commissioned to do some commercial event photography for the  groom\u2019s employer as a result of it. It wasn\u2019t planned, it just happened that  way. I don\u2019t intend to become a professional photographer (although I do have a  history of developing self-funding hobbies). This underlines the point that,  very often, if you are helpful and generous, you get rewarded \u2013 even if that  was not the underlying motive for being generous. But you can also be  strategically generous if you choose to be.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Be patient.<\/strong> Everything comes to (s)he who waits. Lasting success rarely comes out of the  blue. Most \u201covernight success\u201d stories have years of hard work and hard times  leading up to the \u201cbig break\u201d. Don\u2019t expect instant miracles. <strong>You\u2019re unlikely to get into the top tier of  any field without earning your stripes.<\/strong> The world teaches us to want  everything NOW. But, hey, the world\u2019s in a mess because of that way of thinking.  Instead of \u201cbuy now, pay later\u201d try to work your way up to the top in a  sustainable way. Instead of \u201cget rich quick\u201d, live well within your means and  invest the rest (perhaps in your own property or business?) If you get wealthy  by gradual accumulation, you\u2019ll develop the character needed to handle it along  the way.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Be direct.<\/strong> It\u2019s easy to target agencies \u2013 they are a very precise target market for  translators. The best paid translators have a (large) proportion of direct  clients in their portfolio. Find as many ways as you can of identifying and  targeting clients who are likely to have a need for your services. Trade show  catalogues, professional associations and trade directories are great for this.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Be careful with your public persona.<\/strong> If you like to rant or discuss controversial subjects  in online forums, make sure your name is not associated with this. (It\u2019s not  hard to have an anonymous ID on an online forum is it?) A good way of thinking  about this is to assume that everything you ever post on the internet will be  there forever. Will it look good for you in 10 years? I\u2019ve lost count of the  number of people who made posts on translatortips.com bulletin boards and  forums since 1999 and later decided that what they wrote a few years ago is  embarrassing now. Not everybody will be willing to delete pages and spoil the  linking structure of their site for the sake of covering up your naivety.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Be online.<\/strong> Have Your own web site \u2013 but make a real one \u2013 don\u2019t just buy a domain name and  point it at your ProZ profile \u2013 you\u2019re giving the farm away. Why send potential  clients to a place full of other translators? Isn\u2019t that kind of dumb? If  you\u2019ve got their attention, keep them interested in you and what you have to  offer them (remember \u2013 your USP?). Your site is also an opportunity to showcase  your work and should exude credibility and professionalism.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Be analytical.<\/strong> \u2013 My son was teaching me how to play \u201cCard-Jitsu\u201d on Club Penguin the other  day. He made the observation that most other people usually start with  \u201cfire\u201d.\u00a0 He was right. I was impressed.  We used that observation to win a lot more often than we lost. It\u2019s just the  same in real life. Observe, analyse and spot the details others miss. Then win  more often than you lose.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hang out in places where you can meet clients.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Develop  useful hobbies, which can either be linked with or used to enhance your  business. Join a business or social group or association where other members  would likely be in your target market. The best way to become interesting to  other people is to be interested in other people.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Be thorough.<\/strong> Most people are fairly sloppy with emails. (I know I\u2019ve mentioned this already  \u2013 I\u2019m being thorough.  <img src=\"http:\/\/www.translatortips.net\/ubb\/tongue.gif\" alt=\"razz\" \/>) Every email should read well  and contain no mistakes (if possible). If you are overtly careless in small  things, how can you be trusted with large ones? OK, I agree that email  correspondence is \u201cless formal\u201d than sending a letter, but you carefully need to  manage the impression you put across to others. Remember what I said earlier?  Marketing is a continuous process and <strong>every  contact you have with the outside world should be considered to be some form of  marketing.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Alex Eames is the founder of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.translatortips.com\">translatortips.com<\/a>, editor of <em class=\"tt\">tranfree<\/em> and author of the eBooks&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.translatortips.net\/business-success.html\">Business Success for Freelance Translators<\/a><br \/>\nand<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/translatortips.net\/sell-your-services.html\">Selling Your Professional Services on the Web<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Four facets of marketing for freelance translators &#8211; tranfree 76. Marketing Mathematics, reaching people, impression management, way of life. tranfree December 2010.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3,7,8],"tags":[114,115,105],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/alexeames.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/952"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/alexeames.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/alexeames.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alexeames.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alexeames.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=952"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/alexeames.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/952\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/alexeames.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alexeames.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alexeames.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}