How Not to Slam Copywriting Clients on Your Blog
March 11th, 2008 Dina at Wordfeeder.comWhat’s that song that Britney or somebody had out a few years (or was it a decade) ago? “Oops, I Did it Again…”
No, I’m not talking about leaving the house without any drawers on. I’m talking about when copywriters bad mouth their clients right there on their blogs for all the world to see.
Hey, listen. We freelancers all endure our share of frustration. One of the great joys of blogging is to unleash your fury upon the unsuspecting blogosphere.
And one of the most horrid repercussions is when that bad energy BOOMERANGS back to you in the form of negative feedback from someone (client, colleague, competition, random passerby) who now thinks you’re a classless wretch for the brazen manner in which you just publicly spewed.
Nothing feels finer than ripping through a scathing tale of injustice while the other copywriters of the world rally around you and encircle you in a loving and protective embrace.
But you know what? Those other copywriters are going to be no help to you next week when the rent or the mortgage is due. And even if you don’t say names, and you cloak it all under the pretense of “Here’s what happened to this guy I know…” it’s STILL bad form to spank the client on a public and easily searchable forum.
You don’t see your clients bashing THEIR clients on their blogs… do you? (And if you do… get some new clients.)
Here’s what to do if your clients or potential clients seem to be “getting the best of you” on any given day…
1. Break away. If you’re in the heat of the moment, get as far away from the computer, your office phone, and all forms of communication as possible. Sometimes we all just need a time-out now and again. You’ll find that you’re able to cool down and get some clarity if you physically move away from the uncomfortable situation.
2. RUN, FOREST, RUN! Or walk, if that’s more your speed. The point is: pound your frustration out on your Nikes. May as well use that extra energy for something good - making your muscles work and your heart pump while you burn calories. It’s a lot more productive than letting your mouth run your reputation into the ground.
3. Tell it to your mom. Talk it out with someone you trust, and (this is the important part) - do it in private. If you’ve got friends in the business, that’s even better. Everyone should find some form of support or another. Maybe you even have a life coach who you can unload your problems to once a week or so.
4. Convert to good energy. Huh? This is the part that nearly everyone misses. When we feel aggravated with certain work situations, most everyone enjoys a hearty round of bashing and fuming. But when we’re done having our little tantrum, we have more work ahead of us. Time to take the problem and match it up with a viable solution. This is the “what to do so I don’t screw this up again next time.”
5. Turn this life lesson into an article. You may be tuckered out after running through steps 1 through 4. I’ll permit you to take a short nap, and then it’s onto Step 5. Translate this whole scenario into a high-minded, problem-solution oriented article. We call this “making your troubles work for you.”
The article should come from the rational adult part of your brain - NOT the emotional child, who got you into this mess in the first place. The audience who will be reading your article should be… guess who… people who will become your future clients. And, your existing clients. Because, after all, we’re all facing the same problems and we can all use a guiding hand.
In this article, the client should be portrayed as a friend and professional partner - NOT a foe or life-force-sucking vampire who should be avoided at all costs. If you can’t muster this up in a way that puts you and the client on the same team, refer back to Step 1 (break away) and begin the cycle again.
At this point, you should be thoroughly exhausted and devoid of any further need to blaspheme your clients out in the open.
People are always asking me: where do you get all those ideas for web content? How do you manage to write copywriting and marketing articles, week after week?
You turn your sour grapes into wine. That’s how you do it.
Now YOU do it!
Copyright 2008 Dina Giolitto, Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing. All rights reserved.
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