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How to Build a Successful Blog for Freelance Writers

July 11, 2017 by FWJ 1 Comment

As a freelance writer, you likely already know that having a website dedicated to your services is an integral part of your business’s success. You might also think that your website and samples of your client work are enough to prove your ability. Wrong! Blogging is even more important for a freelance writer. The blog is where you show off your personality, your passions, etc. It is where you make a name for you as a human not just for what you can offer your clients.

It would be really great if fantastic content were all that was required to create a successful blog. That’s how it worked when blogging was first getting popular. Today, though, there is a lot more involved in creating a successful and profitable blogging career. It takes a lot of work and, thankfully, most of that work is pretty fun.

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5 Working Examples of How to Generate Leads through SEO and Content Marketing

March 24, 2017 by Zac Johnson 3 Comments

When it comes to content creation on the internet, the great majority of it is produced with the common goal of generating leads online. Without the revenue and lead generation from such content, there wouldn’t be the budget to outsource and create such content for freelancers to write in the first place. This is why it’s so important for both the ‘content website’ and the ‘content creator’ (also known as the freelance writer) to understand how to write content that results in audience engagement and has the necessary call-to-actions in place.

If you have a website or online business, you are likely already trying to collect leads and bring in as many new customers as possible. No matter what type of marketing budget you have in place, there are plenty of ways to make your content, marketing, budget and time go a lot further if you know the right methods to use.

To help with this process, I wanted to highlight some of the best working methods for both lead generation through SEO, content creation, and marketing — all important components of the content writing and outsourcing process. Best of all, no matter what type of brand or business you currently have in place, you can start implementing each of these methods today and start seeing steady results tomorrow.

Create Great Content to Rank Organically

If you want to offer real value to your audience and also have a long-term strategy for ranking in the search results and continually bring in new traffic, you are going to want to invest in some quality content for your site. When done correctly, creating content for your site that provides is a win-win situation for both your audience and your business. Search engines like Google love really good content — but it has to be really good! Gone are the days when a 500-word article gets the job done. Now it’s all about creating 2,000+ word resource guides, tutorials or how-to posts. If you know what your audience is looking for, you simply need to create a great reference and value for them, while also giving them a solution to their problem.

Once your article is live, it’s then time to put in the necessary time and effort to make sure it gets promoted to the right audiences and referenced on other sites within your niche. This all goes back to the quality of your content. The better your content, the more likely you will find willing sites to link and reference your site within their own content (thus further improving your search results). If you are completely new to the concept of how to rank in Google, check out these simple SEO tips.

Skip SEO and Simply Pay for High-Quality SEO Leads

As effective and wonderful as content creation and ranking within Google is, it definitely takes a lot of time, work, and effort. This is especially true if you have a website or blog that doesn’t have a lot of authority, or is already in quite a competitive niche. The good news, however, is that there are other ways to rank at the top of Google, or simply get leads from other sites that do. The first and most obvious example of this is to simply create a Google Adwords campaign and pay a high cost per click to rank for whatever keywords you like. Another option is to buy data from sites that are already ranking in the search results organically and generating leads that would apply to your business or lead-gen process.

A perfect example of this would be Buy SEO Leads. Instead of scaling out their business to serve the excess of leads they are generating, they instead created a service to pass such leads to relevant clients. They explain this process on their site as “All Leads are people that expressed interested in SEO or related service such as Reputation Management or Web Design“. Since millions of sites are ranking organically in Google for millions of search terms, it only makes sense for businesses to cater to this audience, when not every site can rank at the top of Google on their own.

Use Whiteboard or Explainer Videos to Increase Conversion

When you’ve mastered the art of content creation and getting people to visit your site, then it’s simply a matter of testing different methods to see how you can improve the conversion process. In most cases, your content and backlink references are going to help with the rankings for your site. However, getting traffic to your site is only the beginning.

One method that has been working extremely well for websites and brands over the past few years has been whiteboard and explainer videos. We all know the power of online video, but whiteboard and explainer videos have been proven to work extremely well because of how they engage with the audience and makes them want to keep watching and learn more. The more a visitor watches a video on your site, the more likely they are to complete the specific call to action you might have.

While the concept of creating a whiteboard or explainer video might seem exciting, it can also be quite costly and time-consuming process to figure out. Fortunately, there are some better solutions out there for any site owners or brands working on a limited budget. MySimpleShow.com has created a platform where such videos can be created with a simple drag and drop platform, while also adding in your own text and voice overs. This is definitely something everyone should check out and invest some time and resources in.

Publish a Unique Infographic in Your Industry

While “Content is King” is a popular saying for content creators around the world, it’s also important to remember that not all content needs to come in the form of basic text. An excellent way to bring your content to life is through the use of a custom infographic. Infographics make the process of consuming ‘boring’ data a lot more fun. At the same time, they are one of the best methods for generating additional traffic, social shares and backlinks to your site.

The best way to create an effective infographic for your site is to first decide what type of content your audiences likes best — and where you can also provide the most value. A good example of this would be if you had a social media marketing based-business and wanted to highlight trends on Twitter, Facebook or Linkedin for your audience. You can actually see a live example of this here.

Once you’ve pulled together enough content and data for your infographic, find someone who can design a custom image for you, or simply use a free solution like canva.com to get the job done. After you’ve created your infographic, it’s then time to post it to your site and also share it with your audience. Be sure to also reach out to other relevant sites in your industry to see if they’d like to post it to their site with a unique article as well. You can also view this list of infographic directories for quick and easy infographic submission.

Go Live with an Expert Roundup with Industry Experts

One of my favorite methods for creating high-value site content, while also featuring authority expertise, is through the use of expert roundup posts. The way an expert roundup post works is simple. All you need to do is come up with a simple question for industry experts in your space to answer, then compile all of their answers into one big mega post. You can see 17 examples of this here.

The concept sounds easy enough, but this can be a very time-consuming process the first time around. This is mainly due to the outreach process and making sure you get the right contact information for each of the experts you want to feature. When sending out your email, be sure to make it short and sweet — simply asking them a question for your upcoming roundup, and also letting them know they will get a profile picture and backlink to their site as well.

Focus on Your Content Strategy to Expand Your Business in 2017

It doesn’t matter if you are currently writing your own content or outsourcing it through freelance writers, the end goal is still the same — which is to provide value to your audience, while also converting new visitors into valuable leads and paying customers.

The game of content creation and SEO is a long-term strategy, but one that works extremely well when you put in the time and effort. Run through the list above and see which of these best working methods for generating leads and traffic through content creation and SEO might be best for you. Each method is unique in it’s own way and will vary depending on the niche you are in. The important thing to remember is to put in the time and effort to research how you can best provide value to your audience and make sure your content is getting seen in the process. The more value you have in place, the easier it is to attract new audiences and grow your brand.

How to Design Infographics With Ease

February 6, 2017 by FWJ Leave a Comment

Thanks largely due to the fact that more information is at our fingertips now than at any point in human history, we’ve entered into an age where both of the following statements are true:

People are consuming more content online than ever before, and
Fewer and fewer people are actually willing to spend time reading that content.

As freelance writers, we have to work on a myriad of projects – from content writing to blogging to content marketing. When it comes to blogging and content marketing, visuals are more important than ever.

The State of Modern Day Marketing

According to a study reported on by Slate, roughly 38% of people who click on an article or blog post online don’t actually make it past the headline. Of those that remain, a further 5% only ever read the first paragraph – IF they don’t have to scroll, that is. If they do have to scroll, they don’t even make it that far. [Read more…]

3 Ways to Make Money While You Work on Your Bestseller

October 12, 2016 by FWJ 1 Comment

The dilemma of the starving artist is nothing new. For as long as anybody can remember, it’s gone something like this: You’re an artist rolling in the dough because you were lucky enough to make it big or have connections that got you behind the right closed doors with the right people. Or, you’re practically on the streets, desperate to sell your art, and there is nothing else you can do because you were made to create and not doing so would kill you inside. [Read more…]

New to Blogging? Here’s How to Find a Profitable Niche

July 29, 2016 by FWJ Leave a Comment

Blogging successfully is a daunting task from start to finish. There is never a dull moment; every day should be dedicated to developing strategies on how your website can improve and grow. But, first things first. You must lay the essential foundations that will make sure your blog is headed in a profitable direction. [Read more…]

4 Reasons to Make a Newsletter for Your Blog

July 20, 2016 by Noemi Tasarra-Twigg 1 Comment

As a freelance writer, you’re well aware that writing is the lifeblood of digital marketing. Though videos, infographics, images, and charts are growing in popularity, it’s still the blog posts, newsletters, white papers, and e-books that remain constant.

But if you’re already writing a blog to market your writing skills, doesn’t a written newsletter seem redundant? Not at all. In fact, an email newsletter is an excellent way to bring in greater readership, connect you to more clients, and create a deeper connection with your readers.

If you’re not convinced that an email newsletter will benefit your blog, here are some facts that may clarify the matter. [Read more…]

Telling Your Stories: Tips for Using Personal Narratives in Your Writing

July 4, 2016 by FWJ 1 Comment

As freelance writers, we encounter many different types of assignments; and while some leave no room for creative personal narratives, there are other cases when your stories could be a centerpiece or valuable example for readers.

Personal stories are also a great way to plant a hook at the beginning of a story, something to grab the readers’ interest. When it comes to the sharing personal details, however, there are a few things we need to take into account, particularly the privacy of others who may be involved in our stories. [Read more…]

Blog Post Ideas: How to Identify what Your Audience Wants to Read

March 28, 2016 by FWJ Leave a Comment

Content is probably the single most important thing when you are content writer, blogger, or a content marketer. This is why so much effort is poured in by people in those niches every day to make it as good as it can be. However, creating brilliant content is only half the battle. You need to make sure to promote it properly and get it in front of your target audience.

But what if that fails? You’ve written a post which you are proud of, and you’ve done a hell of a job promoting it across all social media platforms, only to receive a lukewarm response from your audience.

The Case for Running Your Own Blog While Freelance Writing

First of all, don’t beat yourself up, because this sort of thing is quite common. Bloggers will often work hard to put out truly brilliant content, which they think their audience will want to read, and end up with meager results.

The problem with this approach is that just because you think your audience will love the topic, doesn’t mean you are right. So, in order to engage your audience, you need to figure what it is they are going to love. Here are 6 effective ways to get the right blog post ideas. [Read more…]