There’s a lot of money to be made from ‘Freelance Online Writing’ and more and more people are getting into this business. However, to ensure that you become successful and not just give up like some people do, it is good that you have some prior knowledge about it. It is important to be in the right frame of mind in order to earn a full-time living from online writing. A highly practical guide, like this one, is what you need. This guide will help you to;
- Think, Live and Work differently
- Create more freedom in your life
- Be your own boss
- Earn more money
- Do something you Love (Write).
A Complete Guide to Freelance Online Writing
It is important to note that online writing is not necessarily easy. It might require some savings and time to build a reputation for yourself, but if you work smart and be creative, you can build up a healthy living relatively quickly. It’s all about realizing that as a freelance writer, you can do better for yourself financially and lifestyle wise than a permanent employer ever could. THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ONLY LIMITED TO WHAT YOU THINK YOU CAN ACHIEVE.
We are going to break this guide into actions that you will be required to do to get the most out of this course. Let’s get started.
Action One:
Be in the right Mindset.
- Make a list of all the fears, excuses, and doubts in your mind that are holding you back from making a full-time living from online freelance writing.
- List the actual obstacles in your way preventing you from making a full-time living from freelance online writing. Be very honest with yourself about this – are they real obstacles or just obstacles in your mind?
- Compare both lists and if the first list is longer than the second, then be happy because we are going to dismiss the whole first list in this guide. If you take the actions in this guide, I will help you get rid of all the things in the first list.
Action Two:
Find your Niche
- Write down three general topics that you love writing about, e.g. Technology, Fashion, Travel etc.
- Take your general topics and divide them into sub-topics you enjoy writing about. e.g. for technology you can have a sub-topic like mobile phone reviews
- Go through the sub-topics and see if there’s something you could get paid to write about on a regular basis
If you are having problems finding your niche, consider the following questions:
- What kind of thing are you the ‘go-to’ person among your peers? Which topics do most people ask you for help or advice with?
- What do you love reading about most? What ever it is, you know something about it
Action 3:
Create your professional writer’s website (Blog).
It makes a lot of sense that if you want to write online, you have to be online. Having a writer’s website will enable potential clients to view your portfolio, learn about your niche, read testimonials and get in contact with you. In terms of web space, you can borrow a writer’s website platform using free sites like wordpress.com, weebly.com or blogger.com. They will get you started and ready for the prying eyes of potential clients. However, using these free sites can denote amateur status and to be viewed as a professional writer, you will require a professional writer’s website.
It has become relatively easy to own a website over the years and one of the best platforms for a professional online writer is WordPress. The platform itself is free but you will have to pay for hosting. One of the best hosting companies is TrueHost. You can create a WordPress website for yourself, or if you have some cash saved up you can contact us and we will create one for you at a reasonable price.
Your website should have an ‘About Me’ page, to let clients know what you write about. This page needs to immediately appeal to your target client. You need to communicate what you do and how it’s of benefit to potential clients. The page may also contain testimonials from satisfied clients that you have already written for, if you have any.
Your website should also have a contacts page that will contain your contact information and a form which visitors and potential clients can use to interact with you and request more information or a quote. The form also allows the visitors and potential clients to leave their contact information that you will use to get back to them.
Action 4:
How to use blogging to attract writing clients.
Blogging can be defined as ‘creating well-crafted and engaging pockets of useful information’. To keep on getting your marketing message – that you’re a remarkable and reliable online writer – out to potential clients, you need to employ deliberate marketing strategies, like blogging. Blogging allows you to explore and develop ideas, test different writing styles and gain valuable feedback.
Apart from the huge benefit that practicing your craft on a consistent basis it gives you, having a blog delivers your ‘Writer for Hire’ message to potential clients. Blog to be useful, inspiring and entertaining. Blog to help other people learn and grow and soon enough, you will get clients. It’s important to be consistent when it comes to blogging. Commit to a certain routine rather than post whenever you feel like it.
Action 5:
How to use social media to market your freelance online writing business.
You have created your professional writer’s website and have probably started blogging at this stage. However, how do you get people to come to your website, read your articles and ultimately hire you? This is where social media comes in. There are various social media strategies that you can implement to draw people to your website. Create social media profiles on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, LinkedIn etc. Make sure your profile descriptions convey your niche, the services you offer and how they would be of benefit to potential clients.
Treat these accounts as extensions to your website and use them to increase engagement. Increasing engagement basically means increasing likes, comments and shares. A good way to increase engagement getting people to comment on your posts. Do this by asking questions that require short and simple answers. Post quality content consistently and people will feel compelled to share. It’ll help your engagement levels to rise.
There are various tools that will help you make the most out of social media platforms like twitter. Tools like Buffer and Social Bro will help you find the best time to post updates on twitter. Use hashtags to reach specific targets but make sure you don’t over-use them so that it doesn’t appear ‘spammy’.
You might also be interested in How to Make Passive Income – Selling Digital Products.
