As 2012 comes to a close, freelance writer and journalist, Bryn Mooth, is thinking about new goals and strategies for her year-and-a-half-old business. She has made great strides this year and launched a new web site, www.brynmooth.com, that is doing a good job representing the kind of work she has done and wants to do more of.
Now, Bryn is looking ahead and wrestling with how to grow her network. For 2013, she wants to cast a wider net with her marketing and reach out to new prospects outside her current sphere. She has even identified exactly who they are – she knows well which companies and publications she dreams of working with. Finding the actual people and making the initial connections is her challenge.
In our latest interview/podcast, we talked about how she plans to do just that. One tool that’s still missing is a better mechanism for managing and tracking contacts. She needs something that will not only capture contact info but also build in a structure with reminders and ticklers for staying in touch. “It’s the reminders I need help with.”
I recommended 2 systems she could use -- Highrise and Daylite. But the problem with these “systems” is that you have to learn them and they are often more than you need.
Even the free tools are far more complex than you need. For solopreneurs like Bryn, with no more than 100 good prospects to track, she needs something really simple. Or, in her words, "I just need a good calendar system with built in reminders and a more effective spreadsheet."
So I also recommended the just-launched (today!) The Creative Professional’s 2013 Marketing Plan + eCalendar To Get Interactive Work. You get:
- a simple 10-page Marketing Plan (downloadable in pdf format)
- the Marketing Mentor Stay-on-Track Spreadsheet and
- an eCalendar that syncs with your iCal, Outlook or Google Calendar.
