Yes, I know I’m posting my January Roadmap a week late. But I figured it’s better late than never. This roadmap can help you create a plan and get started putting your 2022 goals into action. 

But before we dive into the roadmap, I want to share some exciting results from the recent 2021 Income Survey in my Freelance Content Marketing Writer Facebook group. Over 180 writers took the survey, and I will be sharing results from it over the next few weeks. 

The most encouraging and wonderful news is that 85% of the writers who participated in the survey earned more in 2021 than 2020. This includes both full-time and part-time writers as well as writers in all income ranges and niches. The best part was that 59% of the writers earned significantly more in 2021. 

Only 2% of the writers earned significantly less while 5% earned only slightly less. Of the writers who responded, 5% earned about the same amount in 2020 and 2021. 

What this means is that regardless of your specific business, there is work out there. If you are in the minority from the survey, it doesn’t mean that you are less than other writers. Just that you need to refine your marketing to help you find the right clients. And if you were one of the writers who earned more, it wasn’t luck or a fluke – there is a lot of high paying work out there and you can continue to increase your income in 2022. 

January is a Weird Month 

Every January, I start the month ready to go. But then remember that 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. 

This year for me and my writing friends seems to be in the middle. A little slower, but not as dramatic as usual. I am hopeful that this month will continue to pick up and be back on the 2022 pace of lots of work. 

The trick is to know that January is odd and not take whatever the month gives you personally. I try to have no expectations for January. But regardless, it’s a great month to ramp up your business and do the work to get set for your best year ever in 2022. 

Many writers start the New Year saying that they are going to get a certain number of new clients. But I strongly advise against that. Instead I recommend setting your goals on completing a set number of marketing activities each week. And if you do that then you will more than likely land new clients. I explain why I don’t recommend having ‘get three new clients’ as a goal. 

Now back to the roadmap. This will help you get off to a great start for 2022. Feel free to customize for your situation to make it work for your goals and business. 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. 

First Week of January – January 3 to 7

I know this was last week, but it’s likely that you may have already done some of this. And if you haven’t, sneak them into this week.  I’ve only got a few tasks listed this week, but they really require some thought. 

• Take stock of 2021. 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 your income goal for 2022. Start by setting an income goal for the year and then figure out how much you need to earn each month and each week. For me, knowing this information was a game changer. And then set other important goals as I share in this post. 
• Decide what your best year ever looks like. Having your best year ever means more than making a crap ton of money. This post walks you through designing your best year ever for 2022. 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 10 to 14th 

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. With people trickling back from vacation last week and getting caught up, I expect that business will start to pick up this week. 

• Create your 2022 marketing plan. You need to define how you will reach your goals this year. 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 a survey I conducted a few years ago, 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 earn more. 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 17  to 21 

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 24 to 28

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, it will happen. 

• 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 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 31 to Feb 4

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 you 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 on 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 the 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 it’s 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 2022? Any tips or motivational stories to share with other writers?