As a new freelance writer, one of the skills you need is researching blog topics for your clients. Understanding which sites to go to or which sources to link to is important to not only wow your clients but to show your credibility as a freelance writer.
So, when you have a brand new freelance writing job and that client doesn’t supply content ideas, what do you do?
Check out my latest YouTube video on finding some topics for your freelance writing client. Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel too!
Okay.
So after reviewing the video, I hope, now you want to know what’s next?
Here are the steps you should do after you figure out some pitch-worthy blog topics for your freelance writing jobs.
Email the Client Your Blog Post Ideas
I would email several blog post topics to your client. Depending on the client, you may only have to write a couple of headlines or dive deep into each topic. For some of my clients, this is what I do.
Once you email the client, you just wait. Fun times eh?
Get Approval and Do the Research
Once the client approves a topic or gives more suggestions, it’s your turn to turn that outline into a blog post.
How do you do that?
With research. Just like you did for finding blog post topics, you do the same for researching the topic – if you are unfamiliar with the topic.
For example, I don’t know much about Reddit, but if the client approved my Reddit post, I’m going to spend most of my time researching it.
Since I broke my outline down, I have a top-down writing process.
This means it’s hard for me to start in the middle of the post or do the ending first.
I have to start from the beginning. For me, this sets the tone and engagement level of my post.
So, figure out what works for you in terms of YOUR writing process.
I usually spend a day or so researching the topic. I may put a website next to a subheading so that when I write the post, I can refer to that post and link to it if necessary.
Write The Post
I know some of you can be perfectionists, but let me tell you that doing this won’t scale your business.
You have to let go of that and just write.
Write your first draft and know it’s crap.
Let your writing sit for a day and then go back and edit. Read the introduction and make sure you have a hook that draws a reader in.
Look at your explanations and see if you need to break it down even more.
Finally, look at the formatting. Do you need to add a bullet list? Do you need to break up the paragraphs more?
Submit the Post
Depending on the client, you may submit the post via Google Docs or in an email. I like to create a zip file as I usually have screenshots and images in my post.
In my email I always mention,
Let me know what you think!
This opens up the dialogue and any revisions requested (which is usually none).
Payment
Again, depending on the client, you may request half payment up front, invoice them right after you hear the client got the post or after a set time.
I usually invoice monthly for most of my clients as I have recurring projects with them.
For brand new clients, I do invoice right after I get a notification they received and enjoyed my post.
There Ya Go!
I hope that helped. Finding contents idea for your freelance writing clients can be a challenge if this is totally new to you.
Know that Google is your friend and it’s okay to get inspired by other posts that write about the same topic you are writing.
As long as you infuse your style of writing and your expertise in that topic, your post will be authentic and not generic.
Let me know in the comments how you come up with topics and the process of submitting to your client! I’d love to hear your projects!
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