Business cards and flyers - marketing strategy for writers?

Writers, quick question:

Do any of you distribute business cards, flyers, or the like? I once paid someone to do this at two local universities, but nothing came of it. Maybe they all ended up in the garbage :|

When I just typed research papers, did graphic art and wrote resumes from a home-operated secretarial service (this is pre-Internet about 35 years ago), I blanketed the local university bulletin boards with 11 X 17 flyers (except Oral Roberts University where the students were creepy), advertised in the Penny Saver, and distributed business cards everywhere I went. I survived for 4 years doing this going to school part-time until I was offered a job as a paralegal while I finished by BA. I don't think any of these strategies would be effective today, especially given the changes in the types of services offered. I've received good responses from my ads on EssayChat, but WOM takes some time.

You can find tons of people on fiverr who will distribute flyers for you at campuses all over North America. Kind of doubt it will drum up much business, though.

This used to my best avenue, but recently it hasn't been working out so well for me. Craigslist isn't so popular here, but I do get something from that now and then. The most popular alternative in the UK, Gumtree, recently banned the promotion of our services, unless for editing/proofreading only, so that isn't much use either. Google adwords is a constant battle and sites like freelancer and upwork are useless. I'm nearly at the end of my rope trying to figure out the best way to promote myself.

I know in theory they don't allow advertising of 'academic paper services,' but in fact there are sites that do advertise with them (still, they mostly use disposable domains which just redirect users to their main, mostly foreign-owned, websites). I wonder what is the current typical rate per click (from google.com, not from third-party ads) - my guess is it could be between $1 and $3 per click..

I've started a free blog (professorverb.blog - Professor Verb's Place) (don't know if that'll get past the mods or not) just for this purpose. Please note that the site is still under construction and I'm not sure how this will go, but let's find out..

This is a very altruistic move. I'm impressed. The new Essaychat. I hope it works out.

I've had a couple of Web sites over the years. I never enjoyed the kind of conversion rate other writers describe in here and the focus wasn't strictly freelance academic writing, but I had fun posting what I wanted. [professorverb.blog.com/freelance-writing-services-offered/] In this case, the only postings I'll delete will be from those writers whom I know to be fraudulent based on feedback in EssayScam and EssayChat.



<-- Not me

I've attempted to keep a couple of blogs over the years, but they always fell by the wayside. My most recent endeavor was blogging about backpacking around the world for a couple of years, but in the end I was too busy enjoying myself and interacting with people to write about it. I'd constantly meet very spiritual, earthy-types around campfires in India, who I thought lived very simplistic lives, only to see them hunched over a $3000 Macbook Air the following day in a cafe. Those people were better at blogging than me.

I did this too, but I was carrying a gun (and a steno pad). Your version sounds like an enormous amount of fun, and you're right, people also constantly surprise me with their depth and intellect (the reverse applies to people I encounter in traffic).

Don't forget about social media marketing (as presented in the research article below):

Technological advances have made an enormous impact upon marketing, particularly those related to the internet. At this point in time, thanks to various internet-related methods of collecting personal information (e.g. via social media outlets like Facebook, clicks on banner ads, and so forth), marketers are able to target demographically-oriented campaigns in a far more effective and focused fashion than ever before. Marketers are also better able to track the progress (successes and failures) of their campaigns, again due to the immense information-gathering ability of the internet and various software applications designed to make sense of the vast information flow.

Social media can also enable marketers to enhance brand awareness, cultivate a loyal customer base (which will then spread the word about the brand and its products to others who are tied into their networks), maintain brand reputation, and other brand-specific marketing tasks while, at the same time, allowing them to track the progress of such efforts as locating new leads and seeing whether or not particular outreach efforts are being effective.

In a very significant way, internet-related technology has allowed marketers to truly put into practice the tenets of customer-related marketing, in that each and every client - both current and potential - can in theory be reached, just as long as they are connected to the internet (which most are at this point). In part, this is achieved by the vast number of possible approaches to such marketing. These include blogs, Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, MySpace (although that is waning), Linked In, and many other venues and applications. With such a plethora of avenues, there is sure to be at least one which reaches any given client (or potential client), and given that the use of these media is not highly advanced in itself, that means that marketers truly have the ability to reach virtually everyone without enormous expenditures of time or money.

I have found that most professional business persons use electronic calling cards these days. Scanning information into a cellphone is faster and ensures a more permanent record of the contact details for that person. I believe that this is a better method of keeping in contact with potential clients as there will not be a tendency to misplace the card or accidentally trash the flyer. Those old school ways of promotion don't work too well for the technologically savvy millennial who would probably stare blankly at both before picking up their small screens again. They won't have any idea what to do with it. Networking through a technology that the students understand also helps to make them remember who you are and why your numbers are in their address book. However, the technological promotion using e-cards and similar reminders will only work if the writer himself can penetrate the area the millennial frequents. So having a younger friend who can get you into the places and introduce you to his crowd for self promotion will help.

I'm hoping that never becomes necessary because I don't even have a smart phone. I carry my wife's old Razr and don't use it for anything except the occasional outgoing phone call from my car. No Internet on it, no email, no message system set up, and nobody even has the #.

It is quite wonderful to learn that such a phone still exists and is fully functional! My phone has a particularly designed, native app to scan business cards this way, but I have yet to try this feature, so I am hoping that good old ways still work.

One of my cousins, much older, goes completely the old school ways. I don't know why but he has never liked a cell phone. He runs his business and keeps a contact diary that stays with him all the time.

@Smiley73 However, I do not mean to belittle this feature in any way. It must be helping many people to stay organized the better, digital way. I am sure those who find it more convenient will benefit a good deal from it.

Hi steal
I would highly recommend to do a digital marketing campaign on students websites or social NW. as you can also cooperate with career centers at universities to let them know about you. In addition, you can be a tutor or make some causes in your country for the students and I'm sure there are many will attend Because we really need improve this skill. And if you like to do so I would help you for free in the digital marketing as an ESL student love marketing so much.

I wish you the best of luck

I have not carried a business card or sent out a flyer in about 5 years. I've taken to using QR cards and e-cards for promotional tools. My ecard comes with a QR code that, when scanned, leads them to a secured website where my sample work and resume can be found. My prized writers benefit from the same promotional tools, which I provide for free. Our information doesn't end up in the trash and only those who are truly interested in acquiring my or my company services have access to our exclusive information. It gives us an aura of importance and impresses the potential client no end. If you are still using business cards and flyers to promote your business then you are wasting your time. First impressions count and these days, you do that by having a digital imprint during that first meeting.

I am pleased to read that @Smiley73 and @Write Review also use the modern way of promoting their businesses. I too follow the same template. If I show a student or potential client a business card, they would laugh their heads off. Rather, we scan each others codes which carry our complete business information. Including a link to my YT promotional video for my services, and a complete listing of my social media accounts. Millenial students have no idea what a business card is, what it is for, and how to use it. If it isn't digital, if it doesn't give you a social media presence of any sort, they are not interested in finding out about you or your services. The academic writing and freelance writing game has upped its promotional tools. Anybody still using flyers and calling cars will be left out of the game. Potential clients will not be impressed. Instead, they will pity the person still using old school promotional styles and think, "there is no way this person can do the work I need." To snag clients these days, the writer needs a 21st century image and promotional tool.

Everything is designed using Canva these days, even business cards and flyers. You can still order these from printers if you wish to. However, Canva and word processing programs already come with built in calling card creators. Some of these even have downloadable apps so I don't see why people would stop using printed cards and flyers. Let's be real here, not everyone can rely on electronic advertising. You'd have to spend a bundle to make sure your ads are seen by people. Going old school makes sure you are publicly seen where it counts, and in a more community oriented manner.