Just in case if you’re interested in becoming a freelance writer so you can easily earn an exceptional income from home, we have got you covered.
Let’s pretend to be your own boss, having almost unlimited income potential while at the same time, successfully able to work from home. Rather than wasting yourself away in a cubicle all day, you can easily rely on your resourceful talents to live a dream.
Regardless of an employer to answer to, you will be able to take time off according to your own will. Besides, this freedom also leads innumerable family vacations and also makes it convenient for you to be a better parent.
While keeping in view the innumerable perks associated with becoming a freelance writer, you must have your heart set on becoming a successful freelance writer. Let’s discuss some of the simple steps that can help you get on your way:
1. Create a “starter” portfolio
Before you become scared, know that you have just as much chance to create a killer portfolio as experienced writers.
1. Select a Niche
Choosing a particular niche is how you can target clients and score projects. When clients are going through the portfolio of writers, they will always prioritize those who excel at their desired niche.
It’s way better than randomly writing down a variety of niches. Position yourself as an expert at the niche to gain more bucks and attention. Here are some questions to ask yourself to choose a niche:
- Which type of writing is in your comfort zone? For instance, sales emails or case studies.
- What niches are you aware of? Think about your hobbies and obsessions – something you are already familiar with.
- Do you have any previous samples, or something you wrote in college? Past experience will save your time.
2. Consider your Ideal Client
If you were your ideal client, what samples would you like to see? For instance, if you are a beauty writer, your ideal client may be a mid-range beauty brand selling products and invested in drilling new content. In your portfolio, you would prove your value by demonstrating how your capabilities will help your client.
3. Write Content that Demonstrates your Skills
As a beginner writer, you will have to write some pieces for free in your niche. Imagine that you have been assigned a project by your ideal client. By adding these pieces in your portfolio, potential clients will decide whether you are worthy of hiring. And proofread everything!
4. Final Touches
After writing your samples, you should show them off. Here is how:
- Make a portfolio via Behance.
- If you have published clips, you can make a new Pinterest board having pins connecting to the published clips.
- Publish on your website.
- Pitch your work as guest posts for other websites. Clients are impressed when your work is published.
- Make a folder on Google docs and share the link with potential clients.
- Publish the samples on LinkedIn or Medium.
Remember to send only PDF format to potential clients. Never send an Excel spreadsheet of your samples.
2. Setting Up a Website or a Blog
Through virtual presence, you make your own territory. Businesses aren’t the only ones that need a website. Freelance writers can get noticed by clients and generate money by having their own blog. It also brings value to your portfolio.
1. Decide the Domain Name
You can buy a domain name from any registrar. Find an affordable one that reflects your writing career. If you can’t find any, use a domain name extension.
2. Find a Hosting Solution
Get a hosting platform that will offer everything needed to develop your blog. A solid option is GreenGeeks as they offer all vital tools to form a freelance writing blog, including a domain name.
3. Choose a Content Management System
Your blog will be built on Content Management System. Tons of CMS platforms exist that can be installed on your hosting dashboard cPanel.
WordPress is highly recommended as it’s reliable, intuitive, and easy to set up.
4. Find a Theme
If you have chosen WordPress, you will be spoiled for choice regarding themes and plugins. These can be utilized to curate a brilliant freelance writing blog. Remember that many themes are made especially for a niche. But any small business theme can be picked and adjusted. For instance, Corner and Profile are great WordPress themes.
5. Select Plugins
Both free and paid plugins are available on WordPress. While there are niche-specific plugins, others are essential for any blog. Attach a solid SEO plug-in. Other plugins to consider are for optimization and image compression. For freelance writing, editorial calendar and testimonials widget are some good options.
6. Make Relevant Website Pages
Your website content should be in a decent amount, without being overbearing. Apart from the main blog, relevant pages should exist too. This will enable clients to access what you want them to see. Below are important pages to include in your freelance writing website:
- Home
- About
- Writing rates
- Services
- Blog
- Contact
- Portfolio
- Hire
3. Choose your niche
Choosing what you want to write about is the most important step. By selecting a niche you’re passionate about is the best option rather than finding you can write well without spending too much energy and time on research.
The most useful thing about the niche of your choice is that your energy will shine through in your own work. You could select one of these renowned niches, or choose a favorite hobby or interest of your own.
There can be so many options to choose from when it comes to showing off your writing skills. The most popular ones include travel, fitness and diet, health and well being, family, relationships and parenting, yoga and meditation, cooking and nutrition, finance and budgeting, leadership and careers, crafting and knitting to name a few.
4. Invest in yourself
The key to success in freelance writing is relentless self-improvement. While keeping in view the fact that newbies don’t have any writing experience when they started blogging, they can faced quite a big learning curve at the beginning.
After several months of trying your luck in the field, you can easily start getting freelancing gigs and also candid feedback. This feedback can be easily implemented in your future work immediately.
The best thing about the feedback is that it allows taking a course that packages everything you want to know in an easy-to-digest format. You’ll employ money, but the best part is that it can easily pay off.
5. Master the art of pitching
After mastering the basics of how to become a freelance writer with no experience, it’s time to woo your potential clients through pitching.
● Make a Great Subject Line
An eye-catching subject line is how you get them to read your email. To develop a surefire subject, know the particular niche and industry details. Remember that you are selling yourself. Learn how to craft great sales email subject lines.
● Customize It
Don’t write a generic email and use it to apply everywhere. This is known as shotgun pitching and it hardly works. Add the recipient’s first name in the greeting instead. Make any other necessary adjustments to match with the industry needs.
Your pitch should reflect the client’s mission. Show them that you have carried some homework. Explicitly mention how you will be valuable to them.
● You Toot your Own Horn
Establish trustworthiness, particularly if the client has never done business with you before. Add some published links of your previous work. Mention some upscale pubs that have published your writing. Add your social media profile links, but only if they are strong.
Wrapping Up
Becoming a successful freelance writer isn’t that easy, however a strong-willed personality is what you need to build a successful career and keep going. However, you have to find the courage to pursue your goals to the very end. The reason why freelance writing is the most desirable option is that it helps you attain the kind of job flexibility and also autonomy most folks only imagine, but you have almost unlimited income potential as well.
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