This is an article “How to Earn as a Freelance Writer” by Marc Primo
Aside from dealing with the threats of COVID-19, many Americans have also found themselves suddenly struggling to secure jobs and earn money. This, as numerous small businesses begin closing down leaving thousands unemployed. With the current debate on whether to restart the economy or hold quarantines in place fueling confusion all over America, one industry stands out from the rest in how it manages to maintain a ‘business as usual’ approach despite the current quagmire—freelance writing.
Now, you may ask just why freelance writing and not other jobs that can be freelanced online? Remember the phrase “writers spend a lifetime of solitude so that others have something to talk about”? Well, that alone makes it a fact that quarantine situations like these are perfect for writers, but also because content is king when it comes to marketing. In these times, people can only do so much other than read and watch television inside their homes, and freelance writers are in more demand than ever to man the marketing frontlines.
Want to earn a profit as a freelance writer? Here are a couple of useful tips to get you started.
Set your rates fairly
Freelance writing doesn’t mean you simply write down an article that offers some insight into what people are interested in and charge clients random figures that come to mind. Several factors are considered by businesses when hiring content writers to manage their blogs or websites, such as experience, professional credentials, expertise, and originality, to name a few.
With these factors, you can gauge how much to charge your clients as it is you who best knows what monetary value there is in the quality of your writing and overall work. Do you research thoroughly, perform multiple fact checks, and proofread to perfection? Some writers who have established their online authority as influencers can also charge more than others, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t charge competitive rates.
The best way to gradually increase your rate is to start developing your writing style and getting as much work as you can out there for people to read about. Post your work on a personal blog or your social media accounts and get people to talk about your articles by sharing them. This way, you can present your articles in a writer’s portfolio for clients to appreciate.
Write about things you are most passionate about
Today, there are quite a number of business niches you can focus on for your writing and it’s always best to do freelance work on industries that you know like the back of your hand or the ones you are interested in learning about. www.thebetternormal.com is one such blog that was started when a couple of ladies decided to share their own thoughts, learnings, adventures, and interests on topics that range from lifestyle, wellness, to travel to netizens. Today, The Better Normal has established quite a following among women who have made it their go-to website reference for everything cool and trendy.
If you land a job as a freelancer and find yourself writing about topics that are predetermined by the site owner, it would be to your advantage to search for niches that you are knowledgable in before you seek potential clients. The first thing you want to achieve is to impress your client and then know the audience you’re writing for to gain more online engagement. What’s the secret formula? The bare necessities are impeccable grammar and compelling topics that you can share with your readers. Consider it the cherry on the cake if you're already well-versed at the topics.
Define your brand and its strengths
Yes. Freelance writers must also have their personal brand which they can use in establishing both online authority and client recall. Here, we return to picking the specific business niches you feel you can become an expert as it gives you leverage to become an influencer, rather than just shoot blanks at subjects you aren’t passionate about.
As soon as you build your brand and make it to top-ranking websites that have heavy online traffic or social media accounts with a significant number of followers, you instantly present yourself as a credible writer whose two cents are worth reading about. Plus, you can now appreciate your rates as your brand becomes stronger online.