by Elna Cain | Featured Contributor
Are you a freelance writer?
Been at this for a while and not seeing progress?
Maybe you tried pitching here and there with no luck. Or worse, you signed up to a freelance marketplace and found out prospects aren’t willing to pay more than $20 for content.
You’re probably thinking this isn’t a viable career choice, and you’re just going to go back to AdSense or sponsored posts while you continue going to the day job you despise.
Well, being a freelance writer is a perfect choice for bloggers, aspiring writers, stay-at-home parents and those who hate their 9-5 job.
I was able to replace my full-time income as a teacher by only working part-time hours as a freelance writer. I’m a work-at-mom with twin toddlers, and if I’m able to make it as a successful freelance writer, I know you can too.
If you’re struggling to land a high-paying clients or land recurring work, here are four proven strategies to help you succeed.
1. Constantly Refine Your Writing
If you want to get paid to write, then it’s a bit obvious you should know how to write!
But, this doesn’t mean you need a journalism background to be a freelance writer. You can be a profitable freelance writer even if you’re an average writer. The key to being a success is to have the desire to improve your writing over time.
This means learning how to write for an online audience. Instead of writing big blocks of paragraphs – as you would in school – online writing favors shorter paragraphs and even the notable one-sentence paragraph.
It also means having the desire to learn new types of writing like copywriting. If you can inject some persuasive writing elements into your blog posts or client pieces, you’ll become a better writer and have no shortage of work coming to you.
2. Blog Consistently
Do you have a blog? Or worse yet, do you have a blog that hasn’t been updated since your child started walking over four months ago?
I strongly believe every freelance writer should have a blog. Whether it’s a personal blog, a professional blog, or a blog on the niche they want to get paid for, if you’re a writer, have a blog!
Because you know what? Clients and prospects look at your blog, and this can be a deciding factor whether or not they want to hire you.
If you provide fresh and consistent content – and have some form of engagement and social shares – clients will be more likely to take an interest in your services.
So, do your business some good and get back to a consistent blogging schedule. Provide high-value, targeted content for your audience and wow prospects that land on your site.
3. Have a Pitching Process
Want to know a secret? The truly successful freelance writers rarely need to spend time pitching. This is because prospects contact them for their content needs. They actually end up turning down work due to lack of time!
But these freelance writers didn’t start off like that. They had to hustle and pitch daily. And that means you should too.
Have a pitching process that you can stick to on a weekly basis. This means:
- Set a goal of how many pitches you want to send out in a day. For example, try to send out at three pitches a day.
- Check the job boards – like Problogger – at night and in the morning for the best chance of landing a gig.
- Constantly review your pitch. If it’s not converting the way you want it to, then change it. Include different samples, or work on using power words to convey your expert knowledge.
- Keep track of your pitches. Make a Google sheet or Excel sheet and keep track of the job boards on where you found the pitch, the company or blogger you pitched to and when you sent your pitch. This helps when it’s time to circle back and revisit unresponsive emails you sent.
4. Invest In Your Business
Freelance writing is a business, and you’re not just a writer; you’re a businessperson. And the best thing you can do for your burgeoning freelance writing career is to invest in it.
Invest in a freelance writing course to help you be that A-list sought after writer you know you are. Learn the skills and tools you need to profit from your writing.
Because it all boils down to making an impact with your writing. And if you can do that for your clients, you’ll have no problem landing consistent work.
Wrapping it Up
The demand for freelance writing is huge. More and more businesses are coming online every day. They all eventually come to realize they need content – quality content. You can fulfill that need.
But, you may have a difficult time from the start. Instead of making mistakes and feeling discouraged, improve your writing and practice writing every day on your blog.
And to really see an improvement, develop a solid pitching process and invest in a freelance writing course to give your business that extra attention.
Over to you – what’s stopping you from being a successful freelance writer?
I’m Elna and I’m a freelance writer and coach. I help people become profitable freelance writers. Check out my free email course on Get Paid to Write Online and learn the steps you need to be a freelance writer.
I’m Elna and I’m a freelance writer and coach. I help people become a profitable freelance writers. Check out my free email course on Get Paid to Write Online and learn the steps you need to be a freelance writer.
6 Replies to “4 Solid Strategies to Boost Your Freelance Writing Career by @ecainwrites”
ChrisTucker@ESignature
Social Media is best function for your needs is to help you market your services. By focusing on creating good, solid, informative content you can truly build up your reputation that social media sites can tout.
Elna Cain[ Post Author ]
Thanks!
Social media is a great avenue to build your platform. The thing with freelance writing is to that you have to get your name out there. And one way is via social media!
Neena Nandagopal
Hi Elna,
Excellent advice for freelance writers but also for entrepreneurs in general.
Consistency and action are two things you need to do in any business.
Elna Cain[ Post Author ]
Thanks Neena!
Yes, being a freelance writer also means you are a entrepreneur so treat your writing as a business. Taking action is a huge part, but there are many new writers that find this step the hardest.
Thanks for your comment!
Cheri Read
Hi Elna!
This is a great post. I know when I started pitching regularly recently, I started landing more gigs. Having a pitching plan in place definitely helped keep me on task and I’m finally starting to see the growth I’ve wanted!
Elna Cain[ Post Author ]
Hey Cheri!
Thanks so much. Glad you enjoyed the post. Great to hear you are using some of these strategies to give your business a boost! Congrats on landing a contributor role here! Can’t wait to read your content.