Q: How do you find the right person within a prospective company to contact about potential writing work? How do you find that person’s email address?
A: (Katie Yeakle) It depends on the size of the company, but the best way to find the right person to contact about writing work really comes down to simply asking.
In some cases, you can go online and read through the staff listings on a company website to look for titles like “Marketing Director” or “Creative Director.” Sometimes you’ll even find their contact information, such as their phone number or email, is provided on the site.
But sometimes, the listings either aren’t up-to-date, or the person with that title doesn’t make direct hiring decisions.
That’s why it’s better to call or email the company directly and simply ask. Your question can be as basic as, “Who makes the hiring decisions when it comes to freelance writers or contractors, and what is their contact information?”
You might find the knee-jerk response from a receptionist is either, “We’re not hiring” or “We don’t work with freelancers.” Yet it’s worth pursuing, because the person on the front end of a company may not always be aware of when, or even if, higher-level managers outsource work.
Your best bet in this situation is to ask, “Can you tell me who is in charge of your marketing campaigns?” or, “Who do I talk to about the web content that’s posted on your company’s site?” You can also replace “web content” with email, sales letters, social media posts, or whatever your writing focus is.
Once you get connected to the right person in the company, remember to be persistent and follow up appropriately. Chances are, they’re busy and may not see or have time to respond to the first few messages you send.
