The appeal of freelance writing as a profession has increased recently, especially since the pandemic. Many of us have been tapping into our creative sides and finding ways to make money at home from doing what we love. That love is necessary when it comes to writing, because in order to do it consistently, you have to love it. Some might look at writing as a quick way to make some money but it is anything but quick, and also it can get tiresome very quickly without that natural love. Well, now that I have gotten that out of the way, here are some ways that you can make money as a freelance writer.
Start a Blog
A blog will give you a place to showcase your work. Potential clients can see your work and what you have to offer. You can also put your writing portfolio on your blog or if you don't have enough content to put in a writing portfolio as yet, you can use your blog as your portfolio. It also helps you to build content for your portfolio as you go along. Having a blog is also a good way for you to practice your writing. You can write about things that you find interesting or your life, while you improve your writing skills.
Some people also monetize their blog. You can do this by signing up with Google AdSense and allowing google to place ads on your page. This is usually done by placing a banner across your page either at the top or the bottom. You can also do affiliate marketing, which is a good way to make some extra money. However, it is best to find a company that matches the brand image and message of your website because it makes it easier to sell the brand or their product.
Find a Profitable Niche
A niche in freelance writing is your specialization in writing. It is your focused writing area. For instance, you could do travel writing, technology, health and fitness, blog writing or write for press releases. Your niche can be found in any of those categories and then you choose a specific topic from that category, or niche down as it is sometimes called. For instance, in travel, your niche could be nature spots, or luxury cruises or in finance, it could be cryptocurrency or investments. Finding a profitable niche however is the trick that most writers are still trying to figure out. However, at the moment technology and financial niches seems to be profitable, but things change.
My advice is to write in a niche that you enjoy and that you are knowledgeable in or one that you are interested in learning more about. If you choose a niche only because it is popular or profitable, there is a chance that you might not be able to sustain it. You might run out of things to say or you might end up really hating it. So go with what you love and be consistent with it. Hopefully the clients will come your way and appreciate your work. Even if you are not able to find your niche right away, don't worry to much about it, just keep writing and mastering the writing craft. I also know of some freelance writers who became successful without having a specific niche. They wrote about general topics for different companies and made money from it. So different things work for different people.
Have a Writing Portfolio
Now that you have hopefully found your niche and you are ready to get even more serious about your freelance writing career, it might be time to create a marketing portfolio. It is not a necessity in the beginning stages of your writing career but as you progress as a freelance writer, it is a good idea to have something to show potential clients. This can be a physical, printed portfolio or it can be on a website such as word press or squarespace or even here on the WIX platform. The main aim is to have a place where you can showcase your writing, a place for clients to go to view your work and what you have to offer.
Figure Out Your Ideal Writing Client
An important part of the freelance writing process is of course finding that ideal client. It is not exactly the quantity of the clients but the quality. Lots of small clients that do not pay well or not at all is not enough to sustain your freelance writing career. But a few well paying, quality clients can help you to become a successful freelance writer. Here are some criteria for your ideal writing client which is a mixture of some tips I got from fellow freelance writer Elna Cain and from my own experience.
The ideal client pays your specified rates on time, every time, with no exceptions. They communicate in a timely and effective manner. Communication and understanding is important for both parties involved. They provide you with jobs regularly because you need that steady income to continue your livelihood. The ideal client also gives you freedom to exercise your creativity and write about topics that you are passionate about. Finally, the ideal client understands the importance of crediting writers for their work and therefore publishes a byline with your name for every work you do with them. This is important for writers, especially young writers trying to establish their careers.
Grow Your Social Media Presence
In our present climate of social media and working online, to have a successful business you need to establish an online presence. It is also the same for freelance writers. Social media helps you get your name and your work out there. Establishing a good following will also help you to get more attention to your writing when you post on your blog or when you write for clients. So create a twitter account or Facebook page or even a Pinterest board and it can help you to spread your brand.
Apply for Jobs
This is often the scary part. But in order to get jobs and clients funnily enough, yup, you have to apply for them. There are some among us who are lucky enough to land that ideal client right away at the beginning of our careers but for others, we had to go through the process of applying and being rejected and applying and then applying some more. You can apply on job boards looking for content writers. These companies will pay you for fulltime or part time positions. You can decide what you are looking for. You can also use sites such Fiverr and Upwork. There are usually a lot of jobs on these platforms but be aware, they are usually low paying, but you can use them if you just want to get started and want to get your work out there. The best way however to get more quality clients is to do some research on the companies that you want to work with and then apply and pitch your services to them. Have your portfolio ready and some body of experience and get out there and try to get that writing client. Rejection is never easy but you will never know until you try.
Comments