Freelance writing is a great way to earn money while enjoying the perks of staying at home, flexible timings, and exercising your passion for writing. Significantly, since the COVID 19 pandemic, the demand for freelance writers has increased dramatically. However, to start in this field filled with opportunities isn’t hard but does require a plan. A few tips and tricks go a long way in kick-starting your career as a freelance writer.
To your luck, this article shall provide just that!
So, what is the first thing you would do to land potential clients?
Read About Freelance Writing
Stepping into the vast world of freelancing without adequate research is like driving on a highway with your eyes closed. You do not want to do that!
First, you must understand the various types of freelance writing gigs available and know where you must put in your energy, resources, and time to read about the market. It would help you decide whether freelance writing would show itself to be a herculean task or something you could easily waltz through. Read about other freelancers’ experiences, what clients want, how to improve your blog, how to price your services, etc.
Build Your Portfolio
Your portfolio represents you in the eyes of the client. Its quality helps the potential client gauge whether they want to hire you and if you would be the right fit for the job. Therefore, needless to say, that a good portfolio is a must! Make the most out of it and include all relevant credentials and sample work, don’t shy away from doing that.
As a beginner freelancer, while including samples, you probably would polish up your old university essays or include work you submitted to your local magazine. These are good ways of having a sample. However, starting and maintaining a blog happens to top the list. Your work on the blog would be accessible to everyone. It wouldn’t just be a PDF that you would have to share with people actively. Having a blog elevates your presence considerably on the hiring radar.
A few tips here would be to write regularly, hone your writing skills, and enjoy while doing so!
Try Out Job Boards
Freelance job boards are a great way to find listings for remote and work from home jobs. There are paid as well as free job boards available to use like Blogging Pro and FlexJobs respectively. There would be various listings that may match your profile; however, do stay alert for red flags, meaning that the post is a scam. Do not let go of any opportunities; even if you aren’t a 100% match for the job, do apply. Because if you wait for a job customized just for you, you would wait too long for your first job.
You can also register with regular job boards like Indeed, where the jobs listed would be a mix of freelancing as well as regular 9 to 5 jobs. You can filter your search here. It is a great idea to follow freelance job boards on social media such as Twitter or LinkedIn so that you would be intimated sooner and more regularly about a potential hiring spree.
Do Not Consider Rates A Havoc
As a beginner, your priority should not to earn the maximum money but to familiarise yourself with the market and establish yourself as a freelance writer. However, do not ignore overhead costs. Basic accounting of your expenses, such as monthly membership fees, is recommended even before your first payment comes in.
Write A Correct Pitch
Cold pitching happens to be one of the best ways to land a freelance gig. It involves reaching out to entrepreneurs, bloggers, content managers, or any potential client and offer them your writing services to help them grow their business.
The critical step here is to shortlist the right people to whom you must pitch. You can do this via social media sites or pitch directly to their website or blog. Once that is done, all that is left is to send your pitch.
The correct pitch must include details about your professional background, how you find about the company, and what you can offer to improve their standing.
Focus On Building Long-lasting Relationships
In the freelancing world, contacts and connections can help you go a long way both personally and professionally. Creating a good relationship with clients could ensure that you would be their first preference for their next writing job. Their positive reviews could help you a lot with your next job as well.
Having a long-lasting relationship with fellow freelancers would also help a lot, in the long run, to grow as a community. It would also give you insight into what the prices are for writing services in your area at the time. You would also be able to build a large network via these relationships.
Define Your Niche
Determining your niche is essential to follow when starting your journey as a freelance content writer. It would let potential employers know what type of freelance writing you want to be assigned. It would allow you outstand your competitors for the demanding job and ensure that you are doing something that you enjoy and are passionate about.
This way, you would avoid being saturated while writing; freelancing could be extremely taxing otherwise. It would also help you increase your pay considerably if you can achieve the expert status in your field of interest.
Appreciate Feedback
Constructive criticism is very handy in the freelancing market. It allows you to understand how you can improve as a freelance writer. Undoubtedly, there is a fierce competition in the freelance content writing industry. Thus, you have to amplify your writing skills to establish yourself in this competitive market. In this way, you can easily build your strengths- subsequently, increasing your pay and further boosting your freelance writing career.
Frequently Asked Questions About Freelance Content Writing
How to apply for freelance writing jobs?
Here are a few things to consider while applying for freelance writing jobs:
- Make sure you read about the company and its requirements thoroughly to check if you meet their criteria.
- Customize your job application
- Keep your description short and precise.
- Proofread your application and ensure whether it’s perfect for sending it to the company.
How can I improve my freelance writing?
With regular practice and a passion for writing, you can improve your freelance writing easily. Try to write short sentences, keep it simple and real, focus on delivering value, and practice more.
How to find freelance writing work from home jobs online?
You can look out for various freelance writing jobs on popular job boards like ProBlogger, indeed, Mediabistro, etc. All you need to do is to read the requirements carefully and consider what they are asking for.
By now, you should have landed your first freelancing job. If not, keep trying; you are very close!