orking with agencies to open doors to corporate writing opportunities.A VIEW FROM AN AGENCY PERSPECTIVE

Who am I?+VP and Account Director of

Adventure House, a marketing communications agency in NYC

What I’m going to tellyou 15 minutes.+Agencies can help you

get to corporate clients

+How to position yourself effectively to an agency

+Ways to be a valuable long-term partner to an agency

+How to use LinkedIn to find agencies with the corporate clients you’re looking for

+A word on pricing

Agencies look for:

This means:

1 You are an analytical thinker. You do research on an industry, product, and its target market.

(The material is often complex and you must be able to organize it to tell an effective story. )

This means:

2 You have journalistic abilities. Like a reporter who keeps looking until you find the story’s most interesting angle.

This means:

3 You can tell an engaging story.Cast interesting characters and tell stories about a product or service that engage the audience’s interest and motivate them to take action.

+Choose a sector and become an expert on it. Read up on it and research it.

+Have your website ready. Who are you? What are your success stories? List your capabilities. What differentiates you?

+Have your blog ready. Demonstrate thinking and expertise. If no experience in the corporate space, write on topics demonstrate thought leadership.

+Have your cover letter ready. Clearly state your qualifications but give it some personality and insight into what it will be like working with you.

Your To Do list:

A letter that stood out:

What qualities do agencieslook for in a writer?+Strategic. Understands corporate objectives+Authoritative knowledge. Has complete command and up-

to-date knowledge of the sectors/products they will write about

+Brand expert. Quick study on the nuances of a brand’s vocabulary

+Range of capabilities. Has written for a diverse range of corporate communication pieces

What qualities do agencieslook for in a writer?+Evolving expertise. Through a long-term

relationship, you can become a subject-matter expert

+Storytelling ability. No matter what, keep the audience engaged

+Availability. Be there

=All of this equals and builds TRUST

Conversely, agencies fall outof love with writers when:+Unable to deliver engaging,

strategic, branded content+Unavailable or show a lack of

interest

FINDINGTHE

RIGHTAGENCIES

+Using LinkedIn is a great, free tool to connect and a great alternative to cold calling.

1 Find companiesResearch and follow companies of interest

1 Find companiesResearch and follow companies of interest

1 Find companiesResearch and follow companies of interest

1 Find companiesResearch and follow companies of interest

1 Find companiesEach company has a “home page” on LinkedIn.

1 Find companiesFollow the company for updates + see if you have any “1st” connections already

1 Find companiesSee how many “2nd” connections exist in your network already

1 Find companiesIdentify potential agency connection leads in these “2nd” connections

1 Find companiesGet introduced through a 1st connection.

If not possible, find out what groups they’re a member of and message them directly.

2 GroupsFind the right groups with agency leads

2 GroupsYou can select ‘Groups You May Like’ as a starting point

2 GroupsEvaluate the group choices

2 GroupsAnd join many

2 GroupsParticipate in groups, answer questions, and connect

Or, even start your own group

3 JobsYou can also find jobs on LinkedIn

3 JobsSelect the drop-down menu

3 JobsAnd search for the right jobs for you. Agencies advertise often on LinkedIn

A WORDON PRICING

Pricing yourself effectively

In closing…+Do your homework.

Analyze the industry or sector you want to

write for.+Tailor or build your

current website and blog to incorporate your abilities and show your personality.

+Acquaint yourself with the different mediums you’ll be writing in.

For more information:adventurehousegroup.comtwitter.com/adventurehousefacebook.com/adventurehouse