Successful authors usually have one thing in common: they know a thing or two about marketing.
And you certainly don’t need a degree in marketing to be a savvy marketer of your books.
In this article, I’m going to introduce you to a strategy that is not only relatively easy to set up, but also requires little effort to maintain, and can help boost your book sales substantially.
Companies and brands all over the world use this simple strategy to increase their sales. [Read more…]
As online content creators and freelancers, it’s a necessity to not only ‘be on social media‘, but also to take advantage of it in as many ways as possible.
It’s also not just about building a following, but also knowing how to use it in the right ways to help grow your following, build your brand, and also increase new client work and follow up orders. Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are all great for this, but one of the most underused platforms being used by freelancers and content creators is Instagram. [Read more…]
Back in 2014 I started writing my friends’ CVs for them, to help them out during their job searches.
Realising there was some demand for this service, I started offering freelance CV writing services to individuals alongside my day job. [Read more…]
If you’ve recently landed a new writing gig, your first thought may be “when do I get started?” Before you ever write that first word, however, you need to ensure that your future as a freelancer is secure with a legally-binding freelance contract that protects you and the income you’ve planned on receiving.
Contracts don’t need to be complicated or even very long. They do, however, need to be clear. Here are the basic steps to making a contract that your clients will be comfortable signing and that covers your interests. [Read more…]
As digital marketing becomes an even more prominent aspect of business growth, the demand for freelance writers continues to skyrocket. But as a freelance writer, it’s often difficult to know which direction to go. There’s a lot of demand, but which niches are most profitable? Once you discover the answer to this question, you’ll find that the money has a way of rolling in.
Target these markets and expand your freelance writing business. Click To TweetOne thing that can set you apart as a freelancer is dedication to professionalism in billing. When your invoices arrive on time, include all the relevant information, and are formatted properly, it shows that you’re a serious business person who your clients can rely on.
If you haven’t explored all the benefits of better invoices yet, now is the time to get started. A few simple tweaks to your current setup may greatly enhance your image. [Read more…]
As freelance writers, we’ve all been there.
Where?
In debt.
Maybe it’s not a lot of debt – maybe just a couple of credit card bills that are racking up some interest because your income forecasting fell short. It’s just a bad year in a cycle of good and bad years. Or maybe it’s more than that. Maybe you’ve recently faced some emergency expenses and you’re buried under a pile of loans and bills, some of which are even going to collections. [Read more…]
Most freelance writers will tell you that writing isn’t the hardest part of their career. Finding clients is much more stressful and can be more time-consuming. Some writers spend 70% of their time finding new clients, which is a killer to their actual earnings per hour.
Fortunately, your freelance writing career will go much more smoothly if you streamline the way you find clients, while also implementing a few key steps to stand out from the crowd.
Here are some ways that you can get more freelance writing jobs.
Many freelance writers get all of their work by pitching clients on Problogger, Upwork, and other job boards. This is often a race to the bottom because their pitches don’t stand out among hundreds of other applicants. Even if they do get noticed, they often have to offer very low rates to compete.
You won’t run into this problem if you have your own website to generate leads. Here are some reasons you can’t get by without one:
Your website will be the center of your online branding strategy, so it needs to be professionally designed. You also need to make sure your content is compelling and flows well, so potential clients know that you are worth their money. If you still are at a loss for how to start a website or blog, be sure to check out my step-by-step guide here. At the same time, if you are a struggling freelance writer who is working on a very tight budget, you can take a look at these low cost hosting alternatives. I know how important it is to save money when you are starting a new business, but passing up on a domain name and web site of your own is definitely not the way to get more business!
I am still surprised how many freelance writers don’t have their own logo. Why do you need one?
Are you dreaming about your own Logo, but do not know where to start? Logaster prepared recommendations and examples which will help make your personal Logo. Click here to read the article “What Is a Transparent Logo and How to Create One?”
Well, people remember images much more easily than words. If you have a compelling logo, it will stand out in their minds. They will be more likely to remember you and reach out the next time they need a freelance writer.
However, at the same time, I can see how freelance writers might not be sure where to start when it comes to logo design creation. I recommend taking a look at Designhill, as they have a seamless process of starting a logo design contest which allows you to pick a design from many different graphic artists.
Not only does it make the creation process easier for writers, it can also provide you with something pretty unique and amazing in the process!
I have been hiring freelance writers for years. Some of them are excellent at their jobs, while others don’t deliver the content I need. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to tell ahead of time, unless I know they have provided great value for previous clients.
I am always more confident about a writer if:
If your clients speak highly of your work, then you should always ask them for a testimonial. It is a good idea to have them place their testimonial on your LinkedIn page because it is more public and people know that it probably wasn’t fabricated. LinkedIn testimonials are especially helpful if they come from clients that are large brands and thought leaders. You can always use the same testimonials on your own blog.
You may be surprised to see how effective testimonials are. Ben Gran wrote a guest article on Make a Living Writing stating that he earned thousands of dollars in new writing projects by using testimonials. You can also read more about LinkedIn testimonials at liprofilewriter.com, which is where the example testimonial above is from.
Many freelance writers don’t like guest blogging because they don’t get paid. They would rather write content for content farms at two cents a word.
This is the wrong attitude! While you don’t get paid for most guest blogging gigs, writing guest articles can be a great way to bolster your brand and bring new clients to your door. Onibalusi Bamidele, Carol Tice and lots of other six-figure freelance writers have built their careers off guest blogging…. and for myself, I love guest blogging and the many opportunities and benefits that come along with it — which is why I continually provide new content to FWG.
Unfortunately, too many freelance writers give up on guest blogging, because they don’t do it properly and don’t get results. If you are discouraged from lack of results, you may need to make the following changes:
If you follow these guest blogging tips and best practices, you should start seeing a major improvement in results.
SEO is a very important skill that many freelance writers lack. According to an estimate from GoSquared, Google drives 40% of all Internet traffic.
If you don’t know SEO, there are two reasons that you need to learn:
There are plenty of great sites out there to help you learn SEO. Moz, Search Engine Land, Search Engine Journal, SEO by the Sea and SEOBook are great places to start.
If you are proficient in SEO, make sure you let clients know. Show them that you have successfully gotten other clients to the front page of Google for competitive keywords. They will be willing to pay a premium for your services. For more advice and methods to become a better SEO and freelance writer, be sure to read this FWG article.
Tips to Become an All-Star Freelance Writer!
As you can see, to become a successful freelance writer there is a lot more than just writing skills involved. With so much competition and demand out there for quality writers, you really need to put in the time and effort to stand out from the crowd. Follow each of the tips I’ve laid out for you above, and there is no reason why you shouldn’t see an increase in your writing and client earnings.
You have decided you want to start your own freelance business. That’s great! If you are like most freelancers starting out you are working with a limited budget. Whether you are going to be a freelance writer, translator, coder, you want to look professional. Here are 10 awesome resources to help you look like a pro and run an efficient operation right from the start without breaking the bank. [Read more…]
As a freelance writer, your income depends on your ability to market yourself, bringing on new clients and attracting desirable work. Without the force of a company with a marketing budget, however, it can be hard to put yourself out there. You need some low-budget, high-return strategies.
Luckily, there are plenty of simple marketing tricks that can help you attract work, from the mundane to the peculiar. At the end of the day, much like writing, marketing yourself depends on using what you have and working your networks to build professional connections. [Read more…]
