Note from Jennifer:  Yes, a new post! My goal is to get back to blogging once a week this year. I’ve missed sharing my thoughts with you and want to be regular about posting new blogs.  

Last January I earned less than a thousand dollars. I had almost no paying work. It was scary and I started to stress. But last year I created a Roadmap to January for my readers so instead of freaking out (at least too much), I bucked down and followed it. And it work. In March of 2019, I earned over 20K in a single month.

January is the weirdest month of the year for a freelancer. It is pretty much a total crap shoot. I have had my best week ever as a freelancer in January and, in other years, I’ve lost all my anchor clients in January. But across the board, it is typically a slower month than usually, which is frustrating because most of us start off the year gung-ho to market our services and find new clients.

The trick is to know that January is odd and not give up. I try to have no expectations for January. But more importantly use the time to focus on tasks that set me up for a great year. I always start the year with the urge to just dive and start marketing to anyone I can find. But that typically doesn’t give you the best results.

Because so many writers, including myself found my January Plan helpful last year, I decided to update it for this year. Yes, it takes work. Yes, it takes focus. But by taking the time to make a solid plan that works for your goals, strengths, weaknesses and personality, you are much more likely to have your best year ever in 2020.

And yes, I personally think that the key to success as a freelancer is hidden in that last sentence. There is no right way to run a freelance business. Just what works best for you. And when you abandon trying to follow some unwritten rules or the way other people run their business is when you will hit your stride and really see success.

You can also use this roadmap for any month of the year that you want to ramp up your business or when you are first launching your freelance business. Yes, many of these tasks are covered in the January Marketing Challenge, which I will be launching on January 6th, but this roadmap gives it a bit more structure to help you get started.

First Week of January – January 2nd and 3rd

I think the world is still asleep this week, but I know I’m ready to get back to work. This is a good week to reflect. I’ve only got a few tasks listed this week, but they are ones that really require some thought. And if the other people who live in your house are still around during the day, you have my permission to go to a library or coffee shop or anywhere you want to get some quiet.

• Take stock of 2019. Hopefully many of you already did these tasks last week. But if not, now is a great time to do so. I think it’s really important to take an honest look at the past year in order to grow your business. Check out this post for steps and things to consider.
• Set you income goal for 2020. Start by setting an income goal and then figure out how much you need to earn each month and each week. For me, knowing this information was a game changer.
• Decide what your best year ever looks like. Having your best year ever means more than making a crapton of money. This post walks you through designing your best year ever for 2020. Don’t skip this step. You are not really successful if you make a lot of money but are miserable.

Second Week of January – January 6th to 10th 

If you didn’t do anything workwise last week, no worries. Just add in the tasks from last week to this week and move forward. I expect that the beginning of this week will be slow as people head back to work, but that you will start to hear from clients at the end of the week. I don’t currently have much lined up either. Instead, take the time to focus on your business.

• Create your 2020 marketing plan. You need to define how you will reach your goals this year. And be as specific as possible. Check out this post for step-by-step directions on how to create your own marketing plan.  And be sure to also check out this post from Holly Bowne on the results of her marketing plan.
• Consider adding a new niche. Based on my recent survey, pay varies pretty dramatically based on niche so your income potential is tied partially to your niche. So consider adding a higher paying niche to add. Find a new niche in your clips, on your resume or from one of your hobbies. Or add a technology or B2B focus to an existing niche – odds are you have some clips that will work.
• Send out emails to your current clients and past clients letting them know you have availability. Be sure to let them know about any new niches or experience you’ve gained since you last worked together. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get a lot of work from these emails. Most businesses are planning for the new year and digging out from the holiday vacation. But the point is to be on their minds and in their inbox before work hits their desk. Go back as far as two or three years. Check out this post for a template to use.
• Update your marketing materials. You want your marketing to be as up-to-date and polished as possible. Make sure your website is also current. Check out your About Me page to make sure it is accurate and compelling. Add new clips to your portfolio and organize them by niche if you have multiples. Look at your LinkedIn profile to make sure that it includes all of your niches and past clients. Use this fabulous post by Carole Tice to improve your LinkedIn profile.

Third Week of January – January 13 to 17th 

This week things start picking up a little. And it’s a good week to start sending out LOIs. But don’t be surprised if you don’t land work right away. You probably won’t. It usually takes a few more weeks for businesses to get in gear enough to start assigning work. But the goal is to be on their desk waiting when that time comes.

• Take time to complete the Audience First exercise. Read this post and actually take the time to make the lists. Every writer who goes through this exercise comes up with new client ideas that they had never considered. It really is worth the time and effort. If you need help, be sure to join The Freelance Content Marketing Writer group on Facebook and we will be happy to help you come up with ideas.
• Ask for referrals from current clients. This is by far the most effective marketing strategy that I’ve used, tied with referrals from other freelancers. Check out this post for details on exactly how to ask for referrals. And don’t feel awkward, you are helping them help their friends.
• Make a list of content marketing agencies to contact. Start with local agencies and agencies specializing in your niche. Check out this post for lists to use to start your search.
• Write an LOI (Letter of Introduction) for each niche. Spend time customizing your LOI for each niche. Ask a writer friend to read it or post in The Freelance Content Marketing Writer group to get feedback. (If you’ve never used LOIs to market yourself, read this post.)
• Start sending out your weekly allotment of LOIs. Get into a routine for days of the week and time of day. The more you turn sending LOIs into a habit, the easier it will be. Check out this post for a step by step approach.
• Start doing your weekly and daily marketing activities from your marketing plan. Marketing is more than just LOIs. Make sure you are also finding personal connections, LinkedIn connections and networking with other writers.

Fourth Week of January – January 20th to 25

This is the week that I usually start to get work again from my regular clients. But every January is different so don’t stress if it doesn’t happen. If you keep plugging away and keep marketing, then it will happen. Be sure to log your marketing tasks in The Freelance Content Marketing Writer group so you can get points for the January Marketing Challenge (which launches later this week) and maybe win a $100 Amazon gift card.

• Make any adjustments to your marketing routine. The goal is to get your daily and weekly marketing tasks into a habit that you naturally do every day. There is no right or wrong answer, just what works for you. You want to continue this habit throughout the year. Keep adjusting until you get a schedule that works for you.
• If you still don’t have much paying work, increase the number of LOIs you are sending. A massive action plan will work. Not instantly. Not overnight. Not in a week. But if you follow up then you can very easily make money for even years later off a single push. So instead of binge watching Netflix if you don’t have work, send out 25 (or more) LOIs every day.
• Make a plan for conferences to attend this year. The best marketing happens when you make connections with other people in real life. Yes, you should consider marketing and writing conferences, but also think about industry conferences. Check to see if there is an American Marketing Association chapter in your area and plan to attend local events. Look at Meetup.com to see if there are marketing meetups in your area or, even better, meetups in your niche.
• Find an accountability buddy. I am positive my career would nowhere be what it is without my accountability buddy (who is now one of my closest friends). The relationship can be whatever you need – daily, weekly or monthly checkins. If you don’t have someone to ask, post in the FCMW Facebook group and odds are high you will find a match.
• Reach out to freelance friends to let them know you are looking for work. Other freelancers are the best source of referrals. And if you don’t have any freelance friends, you should make this a priority.

Fifth Week of January – January 27 to 31

You are almost to the end of the month. If you aren’t seeing results, don’t worry. I promise, it will happen. Just keep going. Things usually start to look up this week or the first week of February. Sometimes it all happens at once, sometimes it happens slowly. Don’t give up. Just keep going. In many ways this is the most important week: it’s time to follow up.

• Find more potential clients to target. If you have already gone through your Audience First list, make another one.  Most businesses need content so your options are endless.
• Follow up with your past clients that emailed in the first week. It’s very possible that more work has come up and they need help now. As long as you are professional and aren’t emailing daily, you aren’t bothering them. I promise.
• Follow up with the LOIs you sent the second week of January. This is the most important step. If you don’t do this you are leaving money on the table. Check out this post for ideas on how to follow up.
• Create a system and routine for following up. Since you are sending out LOIs daily or weekly, you need to also incorporate following up into your routine. Figure out what works for you and stick with it.
• Determine how much you earned this month and make adjustments to your monthly goals for the rest of the year, if needed. I often do not meet my income goal for January. And it’s okay. The good thing is that this crazy month is the first month of year. Figure out how much you fell short and then adjust your weekly and monthly goals for the rest of the year to make it up. If you need the money sooner, you can make your Feb and March goals higher.

Congratulations! You’ve made it through January. It’s over. And hopefully you are feeling more confident in your ability to make 2020 your best year ever. If you haven’t seen dramatic results, don’t worry. Building your business is a long game. It doesn’t happen overnight. And it takes longer than you expect to see results. Remember that all of the marketing that you are doing now can likely carry your business through the year with follow-up.

January can feel scary when its slow. But remember you aren’t the only one. Keeping marketing. Keep moving forward. And remember that you can do this.

Are you planning to do anything different with your marketing in January 2020? Any tips or motivational stories to share with other writers?