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A bit from me: yes, I know that in RuNet it is customary to say “copywriting”, calling this word any work with text (except for editing). Below in the text you will see an explanation of what copywriting actually is, and why writing texts in general is not entirely correct to call it that. Therefore, we will dwell on the terms “writer”, “writing”.
Perhaps you’re tired of getting vague advice instead of a list of real steps that really get you started.
Well, we have good news. Starting to make money writing texts is not difficult. In this article, Freelance.Today will cover everything you need to know to start your freelance writing career.
You don’t need a college degree or expensive certifications. Sure, good writing skills get you started, but you can (and should) keep improving them all the time. In fact, if you have a keyboard and an internet connection, you are already capable of getting started as a freelance writer, wherever you are.
So let’s get down to business!
What is a freelance writer?
You might be wondering, what is a freelance writer anyway?
And what is freelancing, for that matter?
Simply put, a freelancer is someone who is self-employed and sells their services to individuals or companies, often on a short-term basis.
So, as a freelance writer, you usually work with individual clients, agencies, or companies for writing services.
Writing is a flexible and potentially lucrative way to make money online, either as a part-time job or a full-time job.
It’s true – freelance writers have complete control over their career path, choosing their own schedule, who to work with, what projects to work on, where to work, and so on.
Great, yes?
Not to mention, there are several different kinds of writing you can do.
Let’s take a look at the most common types of freelance writers.
Content author
A content author creates content on the Internet that informs, educates, or entertains. Good content writers need to be able to write in a variety of tones and styles and generally know the basics of search engine optimization (SEO).
Some of the types of content they create are blog articles, web pages, video scripts, white papers, and more.
Copywriter
While there are many similarities, copywriting differs from content writing in that it is all about persuasion; copywriters use a data-driven, strategic writing approach that is designed to convince people to buy a product or service.
Freelance copywriters write things like search engine and social media ads, slogans, website landing pages and product pages, email copy, and more.
Columnist
A freelance columnist regularly works with a particular publication, publishing articles through the prism of his own opinion and worldview. Whether it’s a newspaper, magazine, or website, columnists usually contribute to a specific section, such as food, sports, or politics.
Ghost author
Freelance writers create written work on behalf of another person or company and donate it to the other person’s account. Ghostwriters often work closely with those they write for, following their voice, style, and other characteristics.
Freelance writers can work on a variety of projects, from fiction and non-fiction manuscripts to online articles, guides, or speeches.
Freelance academic writer
As the name suggests, academic freelance writers write fact-based academic content. Because of this, academic writers need exceptional grammar and research skills, as well as an understanding of reference styles such as APA, MLA, and Chicago/Turabian.
Some common types of content produced by freelance academic writers are articles, scientific journals, and educational materials.
How to start making money writing texts – your first 5 steps
1. Explore Freelance Writing Opportunities
The best way to get started is to see what writing opportunities already exist.
There are several online freelance marketplaces you can explore, with thousands of jobs posted every day. Popular options are Freelance.ru, ETXT, FL.ru.
I suggest starting with an online platform instead of trying to develop your own website.
Once you take your first steps into a freelance writing career in an existing market, you can land paid jobs and find your first clients right away.
Start by looking at job listings and taking notes on what clients are asking for.
Here are some features to look out for:
- Type of work (blog post, social media copywriting, etc.)
- Suggested prices
- Popular Industries
- Popular Niches
- Problems and goals
- Desired Skills
During this process, you will learn what desirable opportunities exist for you and how you can position yourself to please the customer.
So, instead of picking a niche from the start, as many suggest, use this research to help you choose your path. What is in demand right now may surprise you.
And while you’re doing this research, you should consider which of your existing skills and interests fit into your opportunities.
Takeaway: It’s important to get a complete understanding of what customers want first so you don’t waste time creating an irrelevant profile, presentation, or portfolio.
Gaining this solid understanding will give you a clear idea of where to start.
2. Create your profile on the exchange
Now that you have a great idea of what freelance clients are looking for, it’s time to create your profile.
After taking a few minutes to sign up, we’ll focus on three sections of your profile that will help you stand out from other freelancers:
- A photo
- header
- About myself
A photo
When choosing a photo for your avatar, it’s best to choose the one where you smile. This communicates on a subconscious level that you are a friendly and even trustworthy person.
What’s more, a genuine smile makes you more approachable, which helps customers feel comfortable talking to you.
And, of course, the goal is to attract customers to you.
header
Come up with a job title that relates directly to the needs of clients, rather than describing your role.
For example, instead of calling yourself a “freelance content writer,” use a title like “Content that gets you more traffic.”
The idea is to put yourself in your target customer’s shoes and use the language they are actively searching for.
By doing so, you will show them that you can be the solution to the problem they are trying to solve, inspiring them to take a closer look at your profile and possibly hire you.
About myself
Similarly, you want to take a customer-centric approach to your profile review.
This is an opportunity to elaborate on what you can do to solve your client’s problems and how to do it.
So instead of talking a lot about yourself, where you want to go on vacation, and your cat, tailor the description to focus on the needs of the customers, positioning yourself as the solution to their problems.
Since you’ve already done your research, you should have some ideas about the problems clients are currently facing and what skills or experience you have that can help solve them.
Describe the client
The first step in writing a review is to describe who your target customer is.
Paint a clear picture of who they are so they can immediately identify themselves.
By talking directly to them, you will immediately establish a connection.
Describe his pain
Then describe the problems, difficulties, and annoyances that your target customer is having.
By describing these pains, you will begin to strengthen the established connection with them.
If the client can relate to the issues you mentioned, they will see that you understand them and can potentially help.
Describe the benefits he wants to receive
A client’s “benefit” is the value they want from a freelancer.
This is where you will put the results they are looking for in words to show once again that you are the best person to help.
Position yourself as the solution
Now you want to tell customers straight out that you are the exact solution to their problems—the answer to their unique needs.
Show reviews and results
At this stage, it is recommended that you provide proof to support your claims. This will help establish credibility and really win over a potential client.
An example of a validation could be a glowing testimonial from someone you’ve previously worked with, or proof of positive results you’ve achieved.
End with a call to action (CTA)
Finally, don’t forget to end with a call to action.
Believe it or not, people like to be told what to do, or better said, they like to have a clear option that says “Do this and you’ll get what you want!”
And that’s exactly what a CTA is.
A good call to action serves as a stimulus for a potential client, guiding them from inactivity to action – primarily by encouraging them to work with you.
CTAs typically use active voice, addressing the reader directly with specific instructions on what to do next and the benefits that follow.
So an example CTA might look like “contact me today” or “get more conversions now”.
3. Make a portfolio
Once you’ve set up your profile and have a firm grasp of what customers are asking for, you’re ready for the fun part: promoting yourself.
When you start sending out your applications, you can start building a portfolio.
Yes, we advise you to wait until you actually apply for a job before putting any effort into a portfolio.
Why? This way you will know what content is currently in demand by real customers, and you can create a targeted sample that matches the specific job you are applying for.
This strategy is called the MVP method, or Minimum Viable Portfolio.
Basically, instead of wasting time coming up with random ideas like “101 Ways to Weave Baskets” that no one might be interested in, you will create an effective email template that matches what the client is looking for.
And the big advantage of the MVP method is that all you have to do is spend half an hour or so to write just one highly effective sample of 200-400 words, instead of spending days or even weeks writing several long samples. portfolio texts that may not be suitable.
This is the old “quality over quantity” advice put into practice: you will show your target client a small example of what they can expect when you work with them.
Keep in mind that your sample should be similar enough to match the topic and content type mentioned in the assignment, but not so precise that a client could steal your work.
For example, if a client is looking for blog articles about dog grooming, you could create a sample of “3 Easy Tips to Survive Bathing Your Cat.”
When clients see that your writing experience matches their needs, they are far more likely to hire you than your competitors.
And even if you don’t get the job this time, you’ll now have the advantage of an existing sample portfolio.
4. Take one or two writing courses to hone your skills
So, it’s a start: you have an attractive profile, you’ve applied for jobs and built your portfolio, you may have already completed a couple of orders.
This is the moment when it’s time to focus on improving yourself as a freelance writer.
It means really honing your skills so you can grow your business, deliver a seamless experience that will amaze your customers every time, and of course, get higher and higher paying projects.
How will you develop your writing skills? Perhaps the best and easiest method is to take a course.
You might be thinking why should I wait until now to take the course?
Because you don’t have to spend a ton of time and energy taking courses before actually getting started as a freelance writer.
Now look at yourself, you already have an established momentum and the only place to go from here is up.
And the right courses will give you a structured path—or a ladder, if you will—to enhance your skills and help grow your business.
5. Grow your business with your own marketing funnel
Now that you’ve established yourself as a freelance writer and have reached a certain level of success on freelance platforms, your next step is to create your own marketing funnel.
There are several reasons why learning to market yourself outside of freelance platforms is a great idea at this stage.
In doing so, you will set yourself up for success by building your own brand and reputation; you will own your services without being dependent on external marketplaces to keep running and you will be able to avoid any middleman fees that reduce your income.
Sounds good, right?
And, perhaps most importantly, you will set your business up for long-term success by learning how to bring customers directly to YOU.
That’s it, here are your first five steps to becoming a freelance writer. By now, you should have a much clearer idea of where to start your career.
Let’s take another look at the steps we went through:
- Explore Freelance Writing Opportunities
- Create your profile on the exchange
- Make your portfolio
- Take one or two courses to hone your skills
- Grow your writing business with your own marketing funnel
This plan can help you get started right away and move from first paid commission to growing your writing business in no time.
There is always something to learn when you start a new career, so take it step by step and enjoy. You will continue to improve and grow as you progress.
source: Freelance Today
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