Email marketing is a means of getting in touch with customers directly via – you got it – email. It’s usually associated with businesses that sell products and want to push these not only to existing customers but also to its target market in general.
What does email marketing have to do with you, a freelance writer? [Read more…]
This article was written by Tammy Ruggles, BSW, MA, a legally blind freelance writer and finger painter from Kentucky. You can find her on Facebook. We hope her article serves as an inspiration!
If you have a way with the written word and always thought you might like to try freelance writing as a career, don’t let anything stop you. You don’t have to have a degree in writing or journalism, although that would be great; you just have to have a passion for writing and learn what makes freelance writing work: [Read more…]
Today is my last day as part of the Freelance Writing Jobs team. Time constraints and other obligations have made it difficult for me to give this community the care it needs, but I leave you in the very capable hands of Franky Branckaute and the Splashpress Media team.
If you’ve been following my branding series and want to read more about branding and social media marketing, you can follow the link to read a free bonus chapter from my new book, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, and if you’ve been following my copywriting series and want to learn more, you can pick up a copy of Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Everything you need to know to successfully grow your freelance writing business through branding, social media, and content marketing, as well as how to write effective copy, can be found in those books. And of course, you can always find me on Twitter (@susangunelius), Facebook, LinkedIn or visit my company website (KeySplash Creative) for all the details. Don’t be stranger!
With that said, I leave you with 25 tips to become a successful freelance writer (in no particular order). Feel free to add your own to this list in the comments section!
Best of luck for writing success in the future!
Richard Branson is the founder of Virgin Group, a highly successful company with customers around the globe in multiple lines of business. He’s also a serial entrepreneur — he just pursues his entrepreneurial spirit through his larger company (and on the occasional extreme sporting trip).
Today, Richard Branson published a post on his blog called How to Succeed at Failure. That post leads readers to a question and answer series that he participates in, which is published on the American Express Open Forum. In this particular question and answer post, Branson responded to questions about failure, and his answers can be applied to any business, including freelance writing.
As a freelance writer who works for himself (or herself), you’re an entrepreneur and business owner. You need to learn how to market yourself as a business, research and find opportunities, and fill gaps that are not currently being met by a competitor. Richard Branson’s take on failure is motivational and helps put business decisions that don’t meet objectives into perspective.
Branson was asked by another entrepreneur how he decides when to call it quits and switch to another initiative or venture if he’s not getting the results he wants and needs. Branson replied by first explaining that to build a business you need to be confident and ready to stick it out through the hard times, but you also need to admit when something isn’t working. He explains:
“The impending failure of a business is something that you will instinctively recognize deep down, but human nature may prevent you from acknowledging it. … There will be times when you must accept that despite your best efforts, an idea or business cannot be saved. … Overall, it seems to me that if you have been struggling to pay the bills and salaries on a regular basis; if you cannot get traction with customers; if you can’t raise awareness of your product or brand, then it is time to quit.”
When asked how he regroups after a failure, Branson explained:
“Over the years, my team and I have not let mistakes, failures or mishaps get us down. Instead, even when a venture has failed, we try to look for opportunities, to see whether we can capitalize on another gap in the market.”
Clearly, Branson is an advocate of taking calculated risks to build a business and committing to his business decisions, but he does know that not all of his decisions will turn out to be good ones. He’s willing to accept the consequences, learn from those mistakes, and do what it takes to keep growing his business. He explained:
“I have lost count of the number of times rivals, reporters, bankers and even my own finance directors have told me that our time was up — but every time, I kept going and tried another angle, thinking that our situation was not as dire as it appeared. We have sold houses, hotels and even other businesses to raise cash. Sometimes we expanded our way out of trouble by ordering new planes, signing new bands or even buying new nightclubs.”
You can learn from Richard Branson and other successful entrepreneurs as you work to grow your own freelance writing business. Remember, you’re not just a writer. You’re also a small business owner!
You can follow the link to read the complete answers from Richard Branson and get more insight into the mind of a successful entrepreneur.
Image: Flickr
With the risk of sounding like I’m ranting, I’d like to talk about wasting your time as a freelance writer. There has been a lot of discussion here at FWJ about where to focus your priorities. We’ve talked about building skills, about establishing a well-balanced portfolio, and about making an awesome first impression. A lot of you are taking that advice to heart, and I can only assume you’re seeing the success because of it. If not, keep pushing – good things take time to build. [Read more…]
I am absolutely thrilled to announce that Gayla Baer is joining the Freelance Writing Jobs team. She will be writing about business tips and sharing her experience, knowledge and advice for freelancer writers who are learning to work for themselves and build their own businesses — often working from home and with little support.
I had the pleasure of working with Gayla while she was a channel manager at b5media, and I was constantly impressed by her ability to connect with people, engage, and share part of herself as well as offer her guidance. I know she will become an important part of the Freelance Writing Jobs community!
To get you acquainted with Gayla, here is a brief bio:
Gayla has made her own success in the world of online writing and community building. Her blogs and websites, including MomGadget.com, helped her become a 5 figure affiliate blogger and gave her the opportunity to develop and sell multiple sites over the years, ultimately earning over six-figures from those combined sales. Today, she writes and manages several blogs and sites, including her blog network, GadAboutMedia.com.
She has ten years of experience as an internet professional in a variety of positions, including:
Suffice it to say, Gayla has vast experience in working from home, being your own boss, and building your own career and business. She will begin publishing content here on Freelance Writing Jobs next week. Until then, you can connect with Gayla across the social web, and you can learn more about her at GaylaBaer.com.
Please join me in welcoming Gayla to Freelance Writing Jobs!
