Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Web Writing - Learning From Clients and Peers

Today I have a new client who has joined the Dana Prince Writing Services family. I'm looking forward to it as they're a company in SEO but one that does things a little differently. I look at this as an opportunity to learn some new angles on search engine optimization.

One thing I truly love about my business is how much information I get to assimilate on a day-to-day basis. Not only do I get paid to do something I love but I learn new things on a regular basis as well and learning provides me with a huge pay-off.

Learning from Clients

Many web writing clients do things a similar way but some of them do things uniquely and as an extended member of their team, I get to learn their secrets. I guard them closely but they help me in my career as well. I'm now working for three very different SEO companies, a successful internet marketer as well as a global writing agency with many different clients plus I have other clients as well.

Most of them approach things such as search engines and articles and keyword usage a bit differently from one another. Through so many approaches I've learned many secrets and tricks of the trade by seeing what works well and by seeing what approaches actually kick butt as well.

As a writer trying to create multiple streams of profitable income, I get to use these skills to help my clients and the bonus is that I help myself too. One client taught me a lot about how to get my page rank up. Another client taught me all about The Long Tail. Yet another has helped me learn to write kick butt autoresponders. One client bought me a copy of a valuable e-book to help me learn his desired formula for writing his copy. That book taught me some great tips that I still use when I write even though that client is finished their project and hasn't needed me in a while.

Another client shares internet marketing insider information with me that he has paid a small fortune for that's allowing me to write effectively for him and is also teaching me marketing skills that will help my business as well.

Learning from Peers

I also learn from others in the industry. Some of them are a little out of my league in terms of experience but through their sharing, I'm building my skills. Each day I try to do something to increase my knowledge level. Today, for example, I spent time practicing some tag line creation after reading a post on CopyBlogger by James Chartrand.

And then, I picked up some valuable info from an older post on a different blog about the word Freelance and how it can be a dangerous word in business by reading: Are You Using The F Word Around Your Clients? which prompted me to do some tweaking of my own website copy.

Fun Learning Stuff

And on the fun side of things, yesterday, I learned about 50 Uses for Plastic Easter Eggs. Ok, that info won't necessarily make me a better writer but can help me be a more organized person and after my publicly flipping off the innocent and very helpful FlyLady (sorry about that!) the other day out of frustration for the clutter in my house, I need all the help I can get!

In all seriousness, learning not only exercises my brain but helps me be a better writer and a happier person. So instead of looking at that assignment on my desk with that flared-nostril-rotten-egg smelling disdain-filled face, next time, I'll attempt to think about it in a new way. I'll consider trying out some new copywriting techniques and will treat it like a learning assignment as well as a paying one.

Gotta love the information highway!

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