a marketing plan for freelancers

I'm brainstorming ways of acquiring new customers today, in my slow moments, so I thought I'd add in my list--

1) networking
Events, organizations designed for that, and in social situations-- become adept at giving a good, short, glib pitch whenever someone asks what you do. (i've seen this discussed elsewhere as your elevator tip, i.e. before the elevator gets to the top, you've explained what you do in a manner that makes it perfectly plain to your listener whether you could benefit him or not.)
2) searching
look around for businesses that suit your niche-- i.e., businesses with a poorly-written website that you could rewrite. establish contact with that business, in the manner you prefer, and see if they're interested in your services (which you've pitched effectively and quickly so that they understand the benefits you provide).
3) print ads
come up with a good, solid print campaign, whether it be running ads in newspapers, leaving postcards promoting your services at cash registers in businesses where your potential customers go, tacking business cards to bulletin boards, leafleting cars, mailing letters to the businesses you searched for, above, mailing brochures to potential customers, etc.
4) promote yourself
start a weekly or biweekly email newsletter with interesting, good, new content your potential customers would be interested in, or with content that would interest those you network with. participate actively in forums and contribute really helpful knowledge. promote good karma by helping people out, like doing free work for charities.

what you need to do these things:
1) a strong brand / identity / niche
2) from that identity, a strong, well-worded, well-thought-out, compelling pitch describing your business in brief in a benefits-oriented way.
3) time, money, commitment, and a good sense of purpose.

what have I missed and what's wrong there? let me know, I have no time to proofread just now. :D

san diego wildfires

ugh. it feels like the middle of the night, it's so dark here.
it's raining and i bet the sun won't come out again before it goes down.
the flourescent lights are like a tractor beam that sucks out my soul through the top of my head. ughhhh...

in other, grim news, it's dark in san diego too but not because it's raining.
the wildfires are five miles from dave's sister krista's house.

That's her backyard. San Diego is a relentlessly sunny place and I think I have that same picture at home on my hard drive. It's stunningly blue. She didn't color-correct that photo-- she's sitting at home with the doors and windows shut waiting to hear if they're going to be evacuated. The fires are 5 miles away, on the other side of Highway 8. They have no cellphone reception but they have Internet, or did as of early this morning.
They've put so much into that house, so much money and time and effort and hard, hard, hard work. It would be terrible to lose it. Hundreds already have lost everything. It's terrible. I hadn't heard about it at all until my mom emailed me this morning to ask if Krista was all right.
Dave just emailed me again with more pictures, so Krista's still online, which means they haven't evacuated...


news stories:

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/10/27/MNGA22JTDP1.DTL
http://www.presstelegram.com/Stories/0,1413,204%257E24654%257E1725267,00.html

(no subject)

> From: Krista Wolff
> Date: Mon Oct 27, 2003 4:02:49 PM America/New_York
> To: "David P. Kleinschmidt"
> Subject: Re: San Diego Wildfires
>
> this is the best fire map i've found. click on the top story and then
> click on the fire locations link - that's the most accurate i've seen
> http://www.fox6.com
>
> we're still here. the air is getting worse. eric is coughing now. i
> have been wheezing since last night. aunt jean has already called here
> twice. she's nuts.