13 replies to this topic

[joker]

Hello All:

In light of the fascinating "Subcontracting" thread on this board, I thought I would put the question on its ear and present it to some of the other folks here:

What are some of the best strategies for subcontracting yourself to SEO, designers, copywriters, etc.?

I will use myself as an example: I currently work for a company and handle all of its internet marketing: SEO, copywriting, design, development, marketing strategy, application development, database integration, etc. You name it, I have probably either done it or written out a report on how to do it.

Now that I am trying to "reach out" and trying to find freelance/consulting opportunities to use my experience, I was thinking that it might be best to start out as a subcontractor and build up my experience in fields that I am not so strong in. Does anyone have any suggestions on how one can go about finding subcontracting opportunities?

[qwerty]

I think forums like this are a great place to make connections, let others know your philosophy and methodology, and let it be known that you're available.

I'm not suggesting you come out and advertise yourself, but just that you make use of the community here to start building relationships.

[dragonlady7]

That's worked really well for me-- I didn't really decide to start my freelance business until a fellow forumite PM'd me and asked me if I would do some work for him.
A lot of that is luck, though. I've been working on developing other strategies to develop leads as well, and I'll try to write them up at some point.

Certainly couldn't hurt to pick your favorite specialty and approach some SEO / Webmaster generalists to ask them if they need anything outsourced-- though you'd have to be very careful not to spam them or annoy them. There are some professionals out there who have pretty poor copy on their sites, for example... Yes, their SEO is fabulous, and the copy's not actively driving anyone away, but it's wooden and uncompelling. Etcetera, etcetera.
Same goes for SEO's who don't design well, or who simply have graphics skills that are lacking...
It's just a question of picking a specialty, or deciding to set up shop as a generalist. (It's also a possibility to look around for specialists who might want to align themselves with a generalist. I'm sure there are those out there as well!)

Have you browsed through the whole Running A Small Business forum? There is a whole load of stuff in there. And some of it's even helpful!

[dragonlady7]

p.s. I thought I might write a short blurb here about the difference between asking around on the forums and promoting yourself-- sure, in lots of posts I've mentioned what I do and my for-hire status, but I have tried quite hard to make sure that that's not all I'm talking about. I'm asking questions others want to read, want to answer, and want to read others' answers to. I'm trying to write something interesting. Sure, it may be on the topic of me and my business and my needs etc. yadda yadda, but it's also meant to be general enough that others will find (and have found! i've gotten lots of comments about the starting a business thread i put up when i was first working out how to do it, from others who enjoyed it) it very helpful to see the question and the answers. I haven't been fishing for leads, I've been asking for answers. Yes, I've gotten leads from it, but more importantly, I've gotten answers. A lead is a lead and may or may not pan out, but an answer-- an answer I can use again and again to get more leads.

That's a guideline to use when asking around. I just thought that might be helpful too.

[qwerty]

Absolutely. A forum is a community, and the reason there's no such thing as a dumb question is that there's likely to be somebody else out there who doesn't know the answer and is glad to see that somebody had the nerve to ask.

The important thing, whatever your intentions may be, is to make posts part of the learning experience for everyone who might be interested. So a good question is like the one you asked: "What are some of the best strategies for subcontracting yourself to SEO, designers, copywriters, etc.?" A bad one would be "who wants to send some work my way?"

[mcanerin]

The important thing, whatever your intentions may be, is to make posts part of the learning experience for everyone who might be interested.

[Paul J]

This forum has definitely helped me out as well. Another way to find subcontracting opportunities is right in your back yard. I suppose it depends on how many people live in your area.

Anytime I'm in the public at all, I keep that in mind. Last night we had a going away party for a girl at work. I've been looking for a developer, and she brought a developer friend to meet me. We chatted, winds up she's well-known around here and really good at it! Now she's going to do some projects for me.

Paul

[dragonlady7]

I'm slowly learning to network. You find opportunities everywhere, not just for business. Found out my boyfriend's cousin is a talented photographer who does weddings as a hobby-- well my sister's getting married and needs a photographer. Bingo! Sis saves a couple thousand dollars, cousin makes a few bucks doing something she enjoys, I get more involved in my boyfriend's family and make some new friends.
I've been finding opportunities like that all over the place as I learn about networking and its arts and sciences. It's actually... kind of fun.

[MIDA]

This post is over a month old but I like the question and would like to revitalize it if possible.

I agree that forums and newsgroups are great places to network. I landed my last full-time job was as a direct request for employment on a web developer newsgroup.

Aside from community resources, I have found a few SEO opportunities on Monster.com, Dice.com, and other job boards. Thankfully, most of them allow telecommuting so I just enter "SEO" to see what pops up.

Another idea could there be a board here dedicated to members posting their sites and/or qualifications for those currently looking for jobs?

Good luck!
MIDA

[Scottie]

If you want local work, you probably need to educate local design firms about what you offer.

Start out by sending a cover letter that includes some testimonials along with verifiable results, then follow up with a phone call and ask to meet with their sales person.

If you give the sales person an additional product to sell along with a web site design/redesign or as a follow up offering to an existing web site, it means more commission for them. You are likely to find an ally if you can convince them of the value.

Even firms who offer SEO in-house sometimes book more work than they can handle- offer your services as a pressure-relief valve when they are overloaded.

Welcome Mida - we've talked about that but really feel that your profile should contain that information. Most people here are active web professionals and the best way to hire someone (through a forum) is to check out their profile if you get a good feeling from their posts.

I am working on some custom fields for the profile that would allow you to sort our member list by specialty- SEO, PPC, Copywriting, Usability, etc. Thanks for the reminder- I need to bump that little task up on the to-do list.

[MIDA]

Thanks Scottie, I've already picked up so much great advice here and I've only been active a few days

In fact, your testimonials gave me another related idea for my web design site, I need to ask my list of regular clients to write up a few sentences so I can add them to my site.

I'll have to look into the next largest city, San Diego, for firms big enough to have SEO. The local designers are more like "We'll make you a rockin site for $99) -ugh.

Thanks!
Shelley

[Scottie]

Great Shelley! Glad you are getting some use out of the forum.

I think Karon just gave you the same advice in another thread, but I agree with her that local clients can really be time-wasters. They are typically small, with small budgets and nervous about every dime they spend. They can be the hardest to convince and make happy because they want to see ROI from their investment right away.

Do check out San Diego firms- I bet there are some decent sized firms there who need your services.

[MIDA]

Holy Moly, I just sent out one request to a SEO firm in N. San Diego and got a reply from the owner on New Year's Day, no less! Cool!!

Gee, Scottie if I land this, I owe you a bottle of Champagne

[Scottie]

White Zinfandel works for me. I can't afford better taste in wines

Good luck, Shelley!