PR and marketing client matchmaking service launches
By Rich Leigh on Friday, August 22, 2014
Towards the end of April, I had the idea to turn the community and databases I’ve built over the years into a network that could prove both useful and profitable to every person on it and using it.
I wanted to build a marketing client matchmaker network, covering many areas of marketing (although I knew PR was likely to be the primary discipline given PRexamples’ and my Twitter audience).
Here’s how I first pictured it:
- Client X needs a PR freelancer or small agency.
- They search a database of registered PRs for free, filtering by years of experience, sector experience, location and more and
- Find, shortlist and contact the PR person/agency that fits the bill
The sign-up response within the first 24 hours was positive (stats in this post). In response, I said:
It certainly makes sense to go ahead and create a publicly searchable website on which freelancers and small agencies can be found by potential clients/employers/partners.
So, I’ve done just that. I’ve stumped up for development and, with the support and help of friends and the lovely people of Twitter, can announce the launch of…
It does exactly as hoped – allowing businesses to freely search through registered freelance marketers and small agencies to find the right match.
Five quick facts about Find Me a Marketer:
- Marketers from 21 countries around the world have registered (in no particular order, there are registered marketers in every country in the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada, Hong Kong, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Dubai, Singapore, Lebanon, Switzerland, Israel, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, India and Georgia).
- The split between freelancers and small agencies is roughly 50-50 (click for graph).
- Every marketing discipline is covered. 82% of registered marketers have experience in PR. More than half have experience working in social media marketing. 41% have managed events. 14% have experience in video production/editing. 10% have experience in search marketing/SEO (click for graph of full breakdown)
- 92% of registered marketers have more than 3 years of experience – the majority (20%) of registered marketers have between 10-15 years of experience in their field (click for graph).
- Every sector imaginable is covered, with thousands of clients referenced to help businesses find the right marketer for them (click for graph)
So, if you are a business looking for PR/marketing support – sign up for free at findmeamarketer.com, filter by what you’re looking for and, I’m confident you’ll find marketers that fit the bill. Businesses have already used it in testing and connected with professionals they otherwise wouldn’t have.
If you are a freelance marketer or work in a small agency, you can sign up for a small annual fee from the homepage, too. Just one connection and you’ve more than made your money back. As I say, connections have already been made whilst in testing.
If nothing else – and nobody else signs up again, it’s one hell of a comprehensive (and free!) international contact database for agencies keen to find good freelancers/suppliers to work with.
I’ve seen a real shift in the industry in the last few years, post-credit crunch. We’ve all seen retained clients become project clients in an entirely reasonable bid to ensure PR (and wider marketing approaches) pays its way. We’ve watched as upstart agencies have won household name client briefs, in whole or part, with flexible, relevant and personal approaches.
Clients are keener than ever to appoint based on relevance and the marketer’s ability to get the job done – which can only be a good thing for all involved.
I hope Find Me a Marketer helps facilitate this shift and proves beneficial to every freelancer, small agency and business that uses it.
Publishers/bloggers can become a part of the Affiliate Partnership Scheme – allowing those selected to earn for every marketer registration they are responsible for, whilst giving their readers a discount, too. If this is of interest, please see details on the Affiliate Partnership Scheme page.
