From Reads to Leads is a newsletter for writers who want more. It's about marketing. Strategy. Positioning. Operations. Results. And yes, it talks about writing too. But through a marketing lens. If this was sent to you, subscribe here so you don't miss the next email.
In today's newsletter:
I started working with a client a few months ago. We're building everything from the ground up: positioning, website copy, content strategy, SEO, LinkedIn.
Their industry is highly competitive, but despite only running it for three months, the results have been amazing ↓
They have a marketing team of five.
So, what did the team hear from the CEO in our last meeting?
"Great job, everyone! You're crushing it!"
Not quite.
Instead... everyone was fired.
Marketing is stressful. Unlike CFOs, COOs, or PMs, marketers must constantly defend their value to people who've never marketed anything.
The low entry barrier makes it worse. Everyone thinks they could do your job if they just had the time.
Is this fair? No. But these are the rules of the game. Here's how to play it:
No matter if you're hired for a full-time position, as an agency, or as a freelancer, do these three things to make sure they don't say "bye” to you in a few weeks ↓
Figure out the quickest, most impactful result you can deliver in the first month or two. Something that makes the client (or employer) think, Whoa, this changes everything.
This builds trust.
For us, this "wow" moment is our content, especially our positioning and homepage offer. When I show the results, I can literally see my client’s confidence in us skyrocket. They get it. They trust us. They know we know our shit.
Make sure the client understands what’s realistic given their budget, market, and distribution tactics. Otherwise, you’ll end up in frustrating conversations like:
"We’ve been writing content for a month. Why aren’t we seeing results?"
Also, remember – they don't need content. They need business results. So, even if you position yourself as “just a writer,” make sure you speak business language.
Always ask for financial limits, and agree on budgets in advance, especially in the beginning. The more trust you build, the fewer budget-related questions you'll have to deal with later.
You can be fired at the first sign of trouble.
Their sales team isn’t closing leads?
A big client just dropped them?
A market downturn, a pandemic, or just a bad quarter?
Guess who’s the first to go? → Marketers.
That’s why your job is to constantly remind them why they need you.
Send thoughtful follow-ups, share detailed result reports and audits, speak up in meetings. Keep pushing the right people to give you what you need, because without it, you can’t deliver the results they expect.
And make your contributions impossible to ignore or forget. Highlight your wins. Repeat them on every call, every report, every update.
Your client should know exactly what they’re paying for. Every invoice should clearly outline what was delivered, where the budget went. Vague billing creates doubt.
Don't be a writer who just writes. You're a marketer. And marketing without measurement is a dead-end.
At my agency, we get access to Google Analytics and build monthly reports to measure our content traction.
Because, as I have already said, nobody needs content. They need business results.
There’s a lot of noise about not gating content. But if nothing is tracked, how will your client or employer measure your effectiveness?
If you don’t set up ways to measure success, you’re making it easier for them to question your value.
Our client, who fired everyone, kept us. Because they knew exactly what they were paying for. Because they liked the content. There was no doubt about the value we were bringing.
Do I think it’s fair that we survived while everyone else was fired? Not really. But as a business owner, I get it.
When tough decisions need to be made, the people who can clearly show their worth are the ones who stay.
I’d love to hear your thoughts! Just reply to this email and tell me: Do you like my emails so far? What do you think I should do better?
Kate
P.S. If we aren't connected already, follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram. If you like this newsletter, please refer your friends.
P.P.S. Need a hand with content? Fix your mediocrity problem with Zmist & Copy
Need a Head of Content? Here's where to find them and how to evaluate them.
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