Freelancing can provide more opportunities than one can initially think of. It offers freedom to the right person and the limitless work opportunities because every blog and website needs online content. As a beginner, all you need to start working is excellent research skills and grammar. Generally, freelance writing jobs require three major skills from a freelancer – the ability to create high-quality content, self-motivation, and self-management.
For instance, the freelancers may choose from such jobs as:
- ECommerce descriptions of products
- Blog posts
- Data entry
- Email newsletters
- News site articles
- Case studies, reports, eBooks
- Tutorials
- Research
- Teaching materials
- Creative writing
Freelancing is one of the best ways to earn money part-time or full-time at home. You have control of what you want to do, when you want to do it, and where you will do it. However, before you start getting recurring work and referrals, there is always a start. As a beginner, scan through the different jobs available, and you will realize that there are different niches to choose from. Still, you might feel not enough qualified for most of them.
Seek To Write For Individuals
When people hear about freelancing, they usually think of writing articles for popular magazines. Nonetheless, one of the best methods to find a freelance job is to approach individuals who are starting a website or a blog. Most businesses and companies have set aside a budget for marketing, which often includes website and content writing. Most of these individuals post their job opportunities in numerous job sites available online.
Cold Pitching
Cold pitching is one of the strategies used by most beginners in freelancing. That involves creating an online with information about you and your services in order to get prospective clients. It can be done in the form of a website which is service-based on your writing. A website markets your services, and it is in your power to capture the attention of the clients and convert them into your clients.
You can also use LinkedIn for pitching. Search for keywords which describe you best, and use them on your profile to optimize it. Also, use the keywords in the title and your bio description. When writing your resume, share the guest posts that you have written on various publication platforms. LinkedIn is the best platform to find prospective clients and learn of their brands and websites to know what exactly they want. What type of content do they have or want? So, draft your pitch, make sure it doesn’t look too spammy. Give suggestions on what you think about their website or content, and what will create more traffic to the website to generate more revenue for their businesses.
Also Read :- 10 best freelancing websites
Create A Website
This website should strategically put you in a position to attract clients. It is a great marketing strategy – combining it with optimization, you will be able to attract inquiries from the prospects.
A good website marketing needs the following elements:
- Service pages of your services
- ‘About’ page, telling about you and your business
- A portfolio which should include your best work
- Testimonials with what others say about your freelancing services
- Contact page featuring the ways they can contact you
- A profile picture, because clients feel it easier to deal with real people, not just machines
Every time you post anything online, including guest posts, make sure to link it to your website and the author’s bio.
Create Network
Networking is a business fuel, so, in order to be successful, you should network a lot. Networking helps you land more sustainable jobs. Follow other freelance writers online and comment on their posts. That makes them aware of your existence, and they start knowing you better as a writer. This is the easiest way to find jobs because you can be sure that they get gigs that they will need help accomplishing.
Look At Writing Job Boards
There are two types of job boards, some are free, and others are paid. It is essential that as a freelancer, you set aside time as a precious resource. You need enough time to go through job boards, find different job leads, and check out their credibility. Spend time every day, checking out the job boards, and choosing to work on quality and well-paying gigs. When you are on the job boards looking for work, you need to master some essential skills of a freelancer. For instance, you need to learn the research skills practiced by the best freelancers. Unless you are looking for editing jobs, you need to be very good at editing. Your communication skills need to be top-notch. Since you are a beginner and you do not have enough work to sample, you need to have a right balance of confidence when engaging with clients. If you are unsure of your writing skill, blogging should be safe for you to try out.
As you begin to write, keep in mind that nobody knows that you are writing, so the first thing you need to do is to let the online community know that you exist. Take advantage of what you have and what you can easily afford, such as social media networks. Most beginners are desperate to land on their first gig and will do anything you ask as quickly as possible. Finally, avoid doing unpaid test articles, because this is a widely used method to defraud beginners.