Many years ago outside becoming a tech bro, one of my biggest goals was to become a freelance writer and make a living out of it, but I didn’t know how to get started.
There were a lot of guides on how to get into freelancing and even make a business out of it but most of those guides were not relatable. I couldn’t use them.
Outside using unrealistic steps that were not relevant due to my geographic location, too many times, some of the guides were not practicable.
But I decided to pick what I could anyways and I started.
Along the way, I made some mistakes and I failed woefully on some of my endeavors as freelance writer. I also made some decent success out of my freelance writing journey.
But most importantly, I gleaned some very important lessons that shaped my journey. And in this guide, I’ll be sharing these lessons with you in the following paragraphs:
Know what Freelance Writing is About
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Over the years, I have received a handful of DMs from writers aspiring to become a freelance writer.
Curiously, one thing I’ve noticed out of most of the DMs I have received is that some of these writers do not have any idea about what freelancing is all about.
As an aspiring freelancer, one of the key things you need to understand is that freelance writing is not just a walk in the park.
It is a client focused writing that involves writing content for clients on a contractual basis as an independent writer. And before getting started, you must have a certain level of fluency as a writer.
As a freelance writer, you can choose to be in any niche writing either blog posts, articles, social media posts, op ed, technical articles, product description, copy writing etc. You choose!
What this also means is that as a freelance writer, you don’t necessarily have to be under the permanent employ of any employer so you’ll have the freedom to choose who to work with or what projects to work on.
That just like any other freelancer, your job and contracts can start and finish at any time. And there’s not necessarily a job security outside the ones you create yourself.
And finally, freelancing gives you more freedom just as it can decide a lot of your time. But you’re the ultimate decision maker at the end of the day.
Now that this is out of the way, let’s get into the more detailed parts…
Have a Goal
As someone aspiring to become a freelance writer, it’s very important that you have a key goal on why you want to get into freelance writing.
This is because people get into freelancing for different purposes.
For example, there are people getting into this because they want to use freelance writing to augment their paid salaries from their other jobs.
There are others getting into it because they want something they can be doing part time while doing other things like schooling etc. I was one of these set.
There are also some freelance writers who started out because they didn’t want to get into the hassles of the regular job market.
You have to find your own goals so you can tailor your strategy to easily fit in with these goals.
With this, it becomes easier to get yourself prepped up, beat the odds and achieve success much more faster than you would, without a goal.
Define Your Niche
Now that you’ve already identified the goal you plan to achieve as a freelance writer, it’s time to identify your niche.
Some of the most popular and high paying niche in freelance writing includes: Health, Finance, Technology, Travel etc.
But as a beginner, you may not have the experience or interest to write in either of these niches. Or they may be too congested for beginners.
So it’s always best to choose a niche you can fit in before getting started.
Now before you get to choose a niche, to make things easier for you, take a step back and pick out your areas of interest as a writer.
As someone that’s already exposed to writing, you already have some topics you’re familiar with. Things you can easily write about without breaking a sweat.
There are also topics and areas you’re fascinated about. Either areas you have adept experience in or an area of interest you’re learning about.
These are always the low hanging fruits you’ll be most inclined to get started with as you find your way to become a freelance writer.
However, keep in mind that while it might be easy to get started in a niche you’re already familiar with, it doesn’t always mean that niche is going to deliver on your expected outcomes.
I started freelance writing in a niche I was very familiar with. While I created a lot of content in that niche, I didn’t make any income for a number of years.
This is also the story of a number of other freelancer writers out there.
Although starting with a familiar niche might be very helpful. Be sure the niche you’re starting with is also very profitable.
Where your preferred niche is not profitable, move into the next profitable niche that is manageable for you. Learn and grow in that niche.
Set up your Brand
One of the most impactful things that will help you on this journey will be building a powerful brand that your target audience can easily relate with.
As someone that aspires to become a freelance writer, your target audience do not only need to see you evolving into a writer they can work with, they have to see you embody everything your profession entails.
Choose a Brand Name: At this stage, you want to start with choosing a brand name.
Since you’re a freelance writer and your definitely building a personal brand, you can opt to use your personal name.
But if you’re not comfortable with that, you can also opt for a pen name, pseudonym or whatever works for you.
But while thinking about creating a brand, think long term. Don’t just focus on creating right now.
As soon as you’re able to choose w name, it’s now time to choose a logo, brand color etc.
Whatever you choose at this stage, you have to keep it consistent with the expectations of your target audience for your brand.
Set up Social Media Platforms: As soon as this part is sorted, its time to get over to social media and build your brand.
Before doing this, remember that your clients are not on all social media platforms.
To make it more manageable, choose only platforms that has the highest number of your target audience and build your brand there.
Get a Website: To expand your reach and get even better visibility, build a website for your brand as a freelance writer.
This is very crucial as it shows clients that you’re professional, well established and intentional. And your website can also serve as a lead magnet for new clients.
Create your Portfolio
It’s rare to become a freelance writer without having a portfolio of previous works you can show to a potential client.
Before you can write for clients, you have to be able to convince them that you’ve written actual content. And they will need to be able to verify it.
So the best way to do this is to create your own portfolio with your own content.
Now, this is where your niche comes in.
Since you already have a niche, you have to start building your portfolio, right in that niche.
You can start with writing content about topics in that niche where you share on your social media, your blog, third party websites etc.
Outside enhancing your writing skills, this will also expand your visibility while serving as a testament of your expertise.
Engage in guest posting. This includes writing and posting content on other websites in return for visibility and a link over to your own websites.
Start with low hanging fruits. As a new freelance writer, starting with lower paying jobs can give you opportunities to build your skills, experiences and understand the job market.
Offer freebies. Yes freebies can also serve as valuable content for your portfolio as well as a gold mine for some decent testimonials.
Get Visibility & Sales
At this point your freelance writing business is all set. All you need now is visibility to get the actual clients.
To get this consider taking the following measures:
Engage in Content Marketing: Identify your target audience, find out their needs then engage in strategic content marketing to attract them over to your platforms.
Step up with Social Media: Social Media Platforms are also filled with potential clients and prospects. Create, share and engage with your prospects on these platforms. This will enhance your visibility.
Optimize for Visibility: Take steps to optimize your website, blog posts, social media content etc. to gain optimum visibility for each post.
Use Storytelling: Use storytelling to create relatable content that will have an impact on your audience. Outside visibility, storytelling can also position you as the expert in your niche.
Collaborate with other writers and creators. This can give you the chance to get exposed to new audiences etc.
Use Paid Advertising: If you have the money to spend on advertising, you can consider paid advertising on social media platforms, Google or third party websites.
Get a System
It is not enough to become a freelance writer. You also need a repeatable system that can deliver consistent outcomes for your business.
You might think that getting a business system is not a priority but actually doing this can do you a whole lot of good
Start with getting a marketing system. How do you plan to market your freelance writing business to get visibility?
Find a way to do this repeatedly to create consistent results. This can include aspects like creating content, days you’ll share your content and possibly a content template.
Furthermore, you’ll need a pricing system that works for the different segments of your niche.
You’ll also need a structure that outlines what a customer can expect from your business. And a contract template that is adaptable.
And finally a client acquisition system, payment terms, workable deadlines based on project type etc.
PS: As part of your system, you may also need to set up a work flow using some online tools to make your job easier.
Now while putting this together, one thing you have to keep in mind is the fact that you don’t get to build systems in your first few months.
You’ll have to evolve them over time. So, do not put yourself under pressure. Just be sure you observe what’s working and what’s not.
Evaluate Your Outcomes
After successfully becoming a freelance writer, to create success in this niche, you need to iterate and find ways to build better outcomes for yourself.
This will mean evaluating your results from time to time so you can identify the aspects that worked and the ones that didn’t.
When you do this, you can pick out strategies that worked and make them to produce better results while also identifying and removing strategies that didn’t deliver on your outcomes.
Now this evaluation also extends to identifying client feedbacks and using them to forge better outcomes for you and your business.
It further extends to using analytics and insights from social media and other platforms to position your actions for better results.
This is very important.
Final Words
As you can see, not only is it possible to become a freelance writer or you use the steps you just learned today, a lot of aspiring writers like you have done that.
While using these steps, you have to make plans to engage in consistent improvement. Don’t just learn about how to build success in freelance writing today, make yourself a life long learner.
Commit to finding about trends in your industry. Evolve to become a thought leader. And further more, don’t be scared of making mistakes and taking calculated steps.
Now that you’ve learned the key steps to become a writer online, take your learning further, sign up for our content writing master class here.
Now it’s your turn. What are your biggest challenges when it comes to freelance writing? Drop your comments below.
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