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Tag: Freelancing Guide

  • How To Become A Freelance Writer? | 9 Tips to Follow

    Freelancing is on the verge of conquering industry upon industry, people are leaving their daily 9 to 5 jobs and are opting to become a freelancer. There are various reasons for this, flexibility, good payments, and freedom of work are some of them. Freelancing is one of the strongest career paths today. Writing is one of the most popular tracks in freelancing. This is a major reason behind the plethora of content writers you see today. A freelance writer can reach great heights once he or she perfects the art of writing and indulge themselves in the profession.

    There are several categories within freelancing writing one can pursue, copywriting, editing, blog writing, b2b writing, and others. Each one of them is an entire world in its own sense. The process of becoming a freelance writer within any of these mediums is all similar.

    A freelance writer with enviable skills can easily earn more than 50,000 INR per month in India, in fact, even more. In this article, we will talk about how to become a good freelance writer. So without any further ado, let’s get right into the business.

    Skills You Possess
    Choose a Niche
    Research About Your Niche
    Create Your Target Audience
    Build Your Portfolio
    Platform for Freelance Content Writing
    Email Marketing
    Seeking Clients Through Social Media
    Think Yourself as a Brand

    Skills You Possess

    Writing capabilities in terms of grammatical expertise and eloquence is the base requirement. If you don’t know the difference between they’re and there, and is completely clueless about vocabulary and grammar, no one’s going to be interested in your write-ups. Hence, having command over the written form of the language is essential.

    You can become a freelance writer in literally any field and industry. However, if you have some experience and expertise in a certain field, any piece you write related to that domain is a notch higher than writing on a totally alien topic. For example, if you have done some cool projects related to Blockchain and know the nitty-gritty details about it, the information you’ll impart via a Blockchain-based article will be a treat to read. So make a list of the domains and fields you have knowledge about. Go through your work experience, education, hobbies, other activities you follow, and the topics people reach out to you for advice as to the guiding star, this is how you build a niche. Figure out the overlap between a profitable freelance writing niche and your background and then work on it.

    Choose a Niche

    Once you have a list of topics and domains decided, it’s now time to prioritize them. There’s going to be one topic where your experience and expertise triumph over the other shortlisted topics. While the ability to write on multiple topics as a freelancer is appealing, establishing credibility in one genre is better for the writer and shows their excellence in the said genre. Keep in mind that it may take some time to figure out what your niche is. Don’t be afraid to start broad and then narrow down as you go.

    Research About Your Niche

    Once you get your niche, you need to research further. Make a comprehensive list of businesses, agencies, social media accounts, blogs and websites of the big shots in the industry dealing with that same genre. The more you know about the industry, the better off you are going to be. Having a list and the contact information of all relevant individuals in the niche get you through a long way.

    Create Your Target Audience

    Figure out the potential clients who will be interested in your write-ups. You should ask questions like who are they? Where do they live? How much money do they have? What do they do for a living? What do they do for fun? These are some indicators to get a good sense of the audience you want to market yourself to.

    The more you can get in their head and understand their needs, the easier it becomes to showcase your offerings. Say, you want to start writing about smart homes and connected devices. Make a list of all the products the target audience uses every day, it could be smartwatches,  audio systems, Alexa, and whatnot. It could be a connected car technology. These components fit in the smart home universe. Remember, the aim is to establish a deeper connection with the client.

    Make a list of the different resources the target audience uses to get information online. You want to be familiar with the concepts and the trending news in the niche domain chosen.

    So, when you are talking to potential clients you have to be upto date relevant and be speaking the same language as them. Then, start thinking about what can you write. It might be product blogs, trade magazines, trade publications, industry sites or others. You can start breaking it down, you should have a good idea of the types of people you are going to pitch.

    When it comes to the type of writing, there’s a long list as well. It could be a blog post, white paper, thought pieces, E-books, product launches, sales email. By the time you are done with all the decisions, you have a game plan and is ready to go. Now, it’s time to start putting the business into motion.

    Build Your Portfolio

    You can use Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress. WordPress is the most flexible and robust way to build a portfolio at present. New resources like Ghost are also coming up. You are not necessarily using this website to find a bunch of new clients, and it is probably going to take some time for you to rank in search engines. You need to build up content on this website where people can organically find you and your portfolio.

    One doesn’t need an over-the-top website. An about page, contact page, portfolio page, and an appealing homepage would suffice to start with. You may also have a rates page where you talk about your pricing. Adding a link to your blog is an awesome way of showing off your writing ability. You can have a handful of samples that shows the different writing types you are capable of offering as a freelance writer. The aim is to give people concrete visibility which sets you apart from other random freelance writers down the street.

    Platform for Freelance Content Writing

    After confirming your niche, one needs to look for platforms where they can get freelance content writing jobs. Sites like Contently, Skyward, and Freelancer are some platforms to seek freelance writing assignments. They have the best-paying customers and clients and you can reach out to them directly. Having some projects done on freelancing websites helps build a profile and makes it easy to find new leads.

    Email Marketing

    Sending a personalized cold email is a famous way to gain clients. It can be painful, tedious, and time-consuming, but it works overtime. It is truly a numbers game if you send 500 personalized emails even if it takes a couple of months to do it. Email marketing is surely one of the best form of marketing.

    You will get clients this way, and some of them will become permanent. The key to doing this correctly is not sending the same email template to every prospect. That’s not going to work. Take time to research, the person you’re pitching to, and send a personalized email. It’s a matter of dedicating some time. These people probably get dozens of emails. Do something to reflect the time and efforts you put in and that you respect them enough to send something personal beyond a blanket template email.

    Seeking Clients Through Social Media

    This is important for any freelancer and not just a freelance writer. LinkedIn is phenomenal for building relationships via social media. Most people don’t think about it, they overlook LinkedIn even though that’s where most of your target customers are hanging out.

    Identify organizations and companies that are looking for freelance content writers. This will also give you an idea of what’s in demand with respect to a content writer, what do the majority of the job descriptions seek, these details worth a lot.

    Go to LinkedIn and click on the jobs section; you might get lucky and find some engaging projects. If not jobs, connect with people who work for the type of organizations listed above. Look for people with titles related to marketing, content, or social media.

    Send a contact request with a personalized introduction. Under any circumstance, do not directly pitch for a job in the first introduction. Establish a connection, start a relationship, and get the conversation going. If you do this with enough people in your industry, there’s a good chance of finding some freelance jobs along the way.

    Think Yourself as a Brand

    You have to be consistent with your effort. Have a plan for building relationships and clients? Spend some time every single day on marketing your business, be it by sending emails, talking to people on LinkedIn, working on your website, creating content for yourself, meetups, or looking on freelancing platforms for projects.

    Think of yourself as a brand, a business that has to succeed on all frontiers. If you truly invest in yourself and treat the entire process akin to building a business, you will secure plenty of paid writing assignments over time. It will help transition from being unhappy to bringing in money accompanied by newfound skills to building a long-term content writing business.

    Conclusion

    After Covid-19, the freelance market of the world has increased tremendously, people have found their peace in this way of employment and are preferring it over a 9to 5 job. Freelance writers are in great demand and with the current ongoing trend, the demand is only going to increase in coming years.

    FAQs

    Do freelancers get paid?

    Freelancers get paid after completing their work.

    What does a freelance writer do?

    A freelance writer is a self-employed person who writes articles, copy and and other types of content.

    How many people are involve in freelancing?

    Approximately, there are 1.1 billion people who are freelancers.

  • How to Turn Your Freelancing Hobby Into a Profitable Career

    You have a freelancing hobby that looks like it could become a full-time career option then you need to make some major changes in your work environment. Some changes will be easy and comfortable while others can be difficult and time-consuming.

    For example, if you are planning to start your own company, you have to pay taxes at both the state and federal level. Something that your company took care of before. We have provided you with a map here showing everything that happens when you leap.

    Let’s start with some of the basic pre-requisites to launch your freelancing career.

    • Make sure that there are a fair and profitable market and a client base out there that you can cater to.
    • Make sure that you love your hobby enough to make it a full-time job that gives you income.
    • Ask yourself this question before you start, am I willing to put in the work and energy that it requires this business to become a successful source of income? You have to remember that the goal of every freelancer is to become successful and earn good money.

    The number of freelancers is increasing day by day because more people seek flexible working hours

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    Have a Business Plan

    Before you start with the actual work, there is a need for a basic plan. A plan that tells you what the fundamentals of your career are going to be. You need to chalk out certain points that form the basis of your work.

    • The number of hours that you are willing to put in every week.
    • An account of what your expenses are going to be.
    • Your goal and your purpose behind your career. Basically what you hope to get from all of it.
    • Your long and short term goals.
    • How are you different from your competitors in the field and why should your customers choose you over them? You need to provide not only your area of expertise but the specifics of your skills. The longer and more elaborate the list, the better are your chances to get selected/hired by prospective clients.

    Income

    Income
    Income

    Now that your hobby is going to become your job, you need to make sure that it brings in enough money. You have to do a thorough calculation for this purpose. Calculate your annual salary and calculate what you need to earn in a month.

    You have to take into account various aspects like unforeseen expenses, clients leaving and months where you need to beef up your productivity.

    Take a good look at your budget and your level of industry expertise and decide on the number of hours you’re going to work in a week.

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    Growing Your Business

    Now, this sector is big, as in you have to rattle your brain over this because this is what keeps your business alive and going. When all of this was just a good old hobby of yours, you took whoever came to you as your client. But now you have to be wise and selective when it comes to choosing your clients. You need a source of income, preferably one that is long-term and also stable. Look for clients who have spent at least $10,000 online and are looking for long-term relationships.

    Marketing Your Services

    You need to increase the number of clients. That is of primary importance. This is the most basic strategy of success in your business. Also as your number of clients increase you will start to look “official” to your existing clients.

    It’s the age of the Internet and to be a successful freelancer you need to have an impressive portfolio/webpage. There are multiple ways to do this and it’s really easy.

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    Portfolios

    There are many websites where you can build your portfolio. If you are a content writer then here are the websites for you Clippings.me, Press folios.

    If you are a graphic designer then you can create your portfolio on Wix, Kro.

    These websites have attractive templates where you can drop in your information. Or if you want a webpage of your own then you can go to Weebly or WordPress to create your website. You don’t need any type of programming skills to develop your website on WordPress.

    Be it a portfolio or a webpage, it’s a good idea to include case studies showing the problems that your client presented to you and the way or the skills that you used to solve them and a visual (if possible) showing your final work. Your portfolio/webpage must include who you are, what skills you’ve got and why you are better than others in your field.

    LinkedIn Marketing

    LinkedIn is a necessary tool that can further your career. Your account should be polished and complete with authentic information about your working history and skill set. If you have a web-page or a portfolio then make sure your LinkedIn page has their link. Include a professional-looking headshot and if possible, testimonials from past clients.

    Try and reach out to potential companies and recruiters. There’s an even more effective way to make sure that companies notice you. There are LinkedIn groups that are great for networking and getting new clients. Show active participation in group discussions and put your skills to good use and someone or the other will notice you. Some of these groups allow automatic joining whereas in others you have to request access.

    Cover Letter

    Another thing that you have to learn is that Personalized cover letters give you a better fighting chance. This shows your interest in the company and your willingness to work with them. Begin by researching the company and learning about its needs as much as you can. If possible address the cover letter to the hiring manager’s first name. Your message should be brief with proper official format and language. But try to give a little touch of personalization and discuss how you could add value to the firm. Make sure to include email address, phone number, Skype ID and available hours to set up an interview.

    Benefits Of Turning Your Hobby Into A Full-time Career

    There are so many advantages to choosing a freelance job as a full-time career. You can travel anywhere in the world. This is the best way to work while you are travelling because in a full-time job under any company you will not be able to do this. But if you choose to be a freelancer for full-time then you have the opportunity to work from anywhere, travel to beautiful places and eat delicious foods.

    Many people are now becoming Digital Nomads to enjoy their life and to be free from the regular 9 to 5 schedule. So, take advantage of this time and just ride on the wave of success.

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    Conclusion

    As we can see, it’s a long journey and it also has to be a well-planned one. You have to keep your patience and keep working, trying to bring in more and more clients to make yourself eligible to work with some big-shot companies out there. There’s fierce competition out there but as the wise old owl said there’s nothing that a good business plan and determination cannot achieve.