Marketing yourself as a freelance translator/interpreter. SWATI University of Westminster 31 May 2014

Transcription

1 Marketing yourself as a freelance translator/interpreter SWATI University of Westminster 31 May 2014 ADF Translate 2014

2 A little bit of intro

3 Marketing yourself as a freelance translator/interpreter 25 years ago First things first: what are you selling & who to? How will you sell it? How will you keep selling it? Where do you get support? Further reading

4 25 years ago

5 So, you ve decided to go freelance Great, but first things first What are you selling? Translator, interpreter, both, anything else? What specialist areas? What are your Unique Selling Points? Who do you want to sell it to? Agencies, direct clients, both? You are a business selling a service, not someone looking for employment from various sources

6 How? Creating yourself Writing a compelling CV Having a website/blog Having a profile in all the right places Branding Telling potential customers about you Direct mail Cold calling Networking, networking, networking With peers With prospects Social media

7 Creating yourself Writing a compelling cv Be succinct Tell the truth Highlight what really matters to your client and keeping it up to date!

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9 Creating yourself Having a website/blog A simple webpage is enough to start with Makes you more accessible (from a directory) Enables you to let your personality shine A blog drives traffic to your website & can enhance your profile and your standing as a specialist and keeping it up to date!

10 Creating yourself Having a profile in all the right places Your professional association(s) directory(ies) Translators portals (Proz, Translators Cafe) Your chosen social media platforms and keeping it up to date!

11 Creating yourself Branding Some of the most successful translators in the industry ARE their brand > the ultimate objective Consistent business image Visual recognition There is more to branding than logos & clever taglines Fun & confidence/image-building when starting out

12 Telling potential customers about you Direct mail Take care with your approach letter/ Target your mailshots Protect yourself against bad payers Beware of the spam syndrome Follow up Cold-calling Is it for you? Prepare

13 Networking, networking, networking Network with your peers Combine CPD with networking Combine fun with networking Attend conferences, workshops, etc. Get involved! Network on social media Network with your potential clients Attend trade events Use every party/wedding/gathering as a networking opportunity

14 Social media Probably the best thing to happen to freelancers in more than one way Marketing Social media marketing: an emerging science. It s all about driving traffic to your website and being found. Very powerful but very time-consuming Networking Social media create communities of translators/interpreters & are proving extremely popular networking tools.

15 A live and interactive CV/webpage/blog Helps you look for potential clients through groups Useful CPD tool

16 Best for networking Immediate but transient More and more popular Useful CPD tool

17 Many freelancers have a professional FB page but not many use it as a marketing tool A networking tool, useful to keep your private and your professional accounts separate More effective in B2C than B2B

18 Where do you get support? Your professional association(s) ITI, CIoL, ATA, SFT etc. Training organisations ecpd Webinars, Alexandria Project, Proz The online community Blogs, Twitter, etc.

19 It s all very well, but Your work will always be your best marketing tool, because you want repeat business Poor customer service can destroy months of marketing work in one phone call Whatever you invest in your marketing, invest twice, or three times as much in your professional development.

20 Further reading WLF Think Tank, 101 Things a Translator Needs to Know Durban, Chris, The Prosperous Translator Jenner, Judy & Jenner, Dagmar, The Entrepreneurial Linguist: The Business School Approach to Freelance Translation McKay, Corinne, How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator Andrew Morris s Standing Out Facebook blog