Are you a new freelance writer?
Finding some freelance writing tips to help you get started on this new journey can be a challenge for sure.
There are so many different types of freelance writers dishing out advice that may not work for you or is just not possible.
I’ve been sharing tips for freelance writers for many years now, and I’ve learned that if you just started freelance writing, there are some top tasks you need to do every day to see the biggest impact for your business.
This means acquiring more leads and in the end, translates into making more money.
Of course, that’s the end of the road for your goal if you want to be a freelance writer!
Let’s look at five daily freelance writing tasks any new writer should be doing as a way to land freelance writing jobs and get more income.
1. Check Job Boards
Freelance writing job boards post daily with new gigs in a lot of different niches.
For example, the Contena freelance writing job board has filters to choose the exact jobs in your freelance writing niche.
The ProBlogger job board has location and keyword filters to help you find the right freelance job for you.
If you just started out recently, create a list of your top freelance writing job boards and visit them daily – sometimes twice a day.
Try to be the first one to apply to the gig as new ads are more likely to give you the gig than staler ads. My other suggestion is to look at the job board first thing in the morning to see what new jobs have been posted over the night.
This can give you a leg up on your strategy to land your first gig.
2. Practice Writing in Your Niche
Do you know your freelance writing niche? This is the very VERY first step to finding the right gig for you and start making money as an online writer.
And, once you find that niche, I want you to practice writing in that niche. This might mean:
- Starting a blog for your freelance writing business
- Creating a sample in your niche
- Writing a guest post
- Posting on Facebook about your niche topic (for example, if your niche is parenting, it might mean posting in a parenting Facebook group and sharing some knowledgeable tips to other moms, making you look credible in your niche topic)
It’s important to hone your writing skill and credibility in your niche, by writing in your niche daily. This will help you become more confident and will help you earn more income since writing every day improves your skill level.
3. Market Yourself
I would say if you could only do two daily tasks, make it marketing yourself and checking job boards.
These will give you the highest ROI for your business.
As a new freelance writer, I was learning how to effectively market myself so that clients could come to me. So, what sort of daily marketing tasks should you be doing to grow your freelance biz?
The first is pitching.
While you don’t need to pitch every single day (just in a set period of time), it’s one of the ways to market yourself. The process of pitching is something that can easily be incorporated into your daily to-do list.
You can pitch:
- Job ads
- Guest blog opportunities
- Businesses as a cold pitch
- On social media
Another daily marketing task can be to comment on blogs that you want to write for. If there is blog commenting available, take a few minutes each day to leave a comment that can show your credibility in your niche.
I was able to land a great gig by blog commenting, so don’t knock this tip!
Finally, update your portfolio with relevant topics that showcase your best writing.
Free Course on Getting Paid to Write Online
4. Post to Social Media
If you’re not on it already, I encourage you to start a Twitter profile and a LinkedIn profile. These two social media platforms yield freelance writing jobs for many people.
When you create your social media profile, you need to post almost daily, whether you’re on Twitter or Facebook.
Having fresh and new content on your social media profiles keeps them active and updated. This can help attract a potential client.
So, what do you post:
- Your guest posts
- Your blog posts
- Blog posts of sites you want to write for
- Blog posts of useful content about the niche you want to write for
- Blog posts from big brands you want to work with
When you are posting daily, it looks to prospects that you are “in the know” with online marketing tactics. Now, if you can’t be on social media every day (and watch out, it IS addicting), I suggest you automate your social media posts.
I like to use Tailwind for Pinterest and Buffer for Twitter and Facebook.
5. Learn More About Freelance Writing
Finally, the last daily freelance writing tip to give you is to keep learning about your industry. Learn how to be a better freelance writer and make more money doing it.
This might mean taking a course as a way to ensure the success of your business, or about reading different blogs about freelance writing like:
Even if you’re not new to freelance writing, it’s important to know what’s going on right now.
Treat Freelance Writing as a Business
Just like you would go to a job every day, it’s the same for your freelance writing business. Try to show up every day and do the tasks that can help you grow your business, land clients and make you more money.
It is possible to make a living from this, and it’s possible to love and enjoy what you do 🙂
Now, tell me, what tasks do you do daily to land a freelance writing job?
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Hi Elna. Thanks for the advice. I’ve wanted to start a freelance writing business for a couple of years now, but it’s been frustrating trying to figure out how to go about doing it. I have written for various online and print publications, and ‘content mills’ such as Upwork. But I really want to get well – paying clients.
Hi Chris,
Sorry for your struggle! I was there as well and once I decided to create my OWN writing platform everything changed! Good luck!
Hi Elna,
Thank you for the great suggestions!
I need to employ them in my business.
Thank you, Elna! I am only 5 percent into your course, but I can already tell that I will learn a great deal. You use phrases like “be mindful” and “stay present” which are my daily mantras. I already write three-five tasks I want to accomplish for my life in the areas of fitness, credit, or my current field of massage therapy. It’s comforting to know that we have the same approach. Now I just have to streamline the tasks to freelance writing. I am beyond excited!
Hi Jamie!
Thank you so much for your comment! I’m so happy you are taking Writeo1k to heart and applying it. Yes, being mindful is so important when you start your own business! So happy for you!
Hey Elna,
I just now got started on freelancing and expecting to learn more! Your post is very helpful. I definitely will check out more of your blog 🙂
Keep writing!
Hi Anum,
Thank you so much! I hope you are enjoying Write Your Way to Your First $1k! Make sure to review the post on your Gravatar!
Thank you for sharing all your wisdom and insight. You are so thorough in every article. After a 6 month break, I started your Writeto1K course again. I often struggle while setting goals. I get so overwhelmed. I am using these 5 tips to help get me on track. Thanks again 🙂
Hi Jillian!
Thanks again for enrolling in Writeto1k! Setting goals can be challenging but try to take it one day at a time!
Hey there Elna,
I really want to thank you for sharing such a plethora of wisdom for new and even seasoned freelancers. I always come back to your blogs for inspiriting and understanding of my craft. You are a true voice for us newbies in the field of freelance writing. Keep up the awesome work!
Hi Eboney,
Thank you so much for your comment! I love freelance writing and helping others. Happy to hear you enjoyed this post!
You’re my go-to source to learn about freelance writing. Thank you so much for making your knowledge so accessible! It’s an absolute pleasure to learn from you.
Hey Ellen!
Wow! Thanks for letting me know! So happy you found some ideas for your daily freelance writing tasks! Figuring out how to manage your time as a freelance writer can be a challenge so hopefully these tips can help you.
Thanks so much for your informative and incredibly helpful articles. I really enjoy learning from you!
Hi!
Thanks so much! So happy you found some freelance writing tips with your writing!
Thank you for sharing all of your brilliant wisdom and insights. I am following you on social media as reading your blog and am just so grateful to have your strong voice helping to guide me on this journey. Cheers and gratitude!
Hi Deborah,
Thank you so much for your kind words! I want to help as many people become a freelance writer as I can! Thank you for helping me 🙂
Hi Elna,
My daily tasks is to write every day. Simple as that. I encourage people just starting out to write at least a half hour a day 5 days a week (but 6 days is better than 5 days and 6 days is better than 7 days — good to have that one day off). I currently try to write 2-3 hours/day, but I’m unemployed, so I have the time. I’d understand if others don’t have that time.
Hi Keith,
That’s a great goal to have. I have to confess I don’t write every day. I’ve had some family issues and it has lead me away from being on the computer and focussing on my business. So I need to get back into these daily tasks for sure!
I have trouble reaching out to join groups, etc. It’s not that I’m shy because that is definitely not the case. I’m too short-sited, so it’s difficult for me to see the benefit because I’m not thinking long term. Great article.
Hi Monica!
Thanks for stopping over! I’m sure you’ll see the benefits of groups soon enough!
I get stuck at #5 quite often. As one of your other posts mentions, writers get caught up in learning, because we’re scared to “do.” I need to get my butt out there and DO it. Thanks, Elna, for your tips and for constantly cheering on your writerlings!
HI Bonnie!
Yes! You can DO IT!! I know you can Bonnie! I’m here to help you out!
Learning more about freelance writing in general and reading in your specific niche are some of the best ways to stay determined and inspired! Whenever I feel a lack of inspiration, I read what other bloggers post and I instantly get new ideas and a fresh outlook. Thanks for this brilliant article, Elna!
Hi Nick!
Yes, I do this too! I get inspiration from my subscriber’s emails, on Pinterest and reading other bloggers’ content. Thank you so much!
Great tips Elna! Definitely recommend aspiring freelance writers start a blog. Not only is it a great place to advertise yourself, it’s also a good way to point people to your writing samples when you don’t have much of a portfolio yet!
Hey Ashli!
Love love love your blog mama! Thanks so much for coming over to my freelance writing blog! Yes, samples of your writing can be your blog for sure!
I think the last step in your list is crucial. No matter how many years you’ve been freelancing successfully, in this industry learning never ends. Some professionals even take off one day a week purely for learning. As after all, you cannot know too much, can you?
Thanks for the article!
Hi Ange,
You are so right. The online world changed like every 6 months and you need to be on top of that no matter what industry you’re in!
Hi Elna! I loved this, especially the part about searching for jobs on platforms such as Contena. Thanks again for the always informative articles!
Hi Kat,
You’re welcome! So glad you found some info on finding those freelance writing jobs!
Hi Elna,
Another interesting article. Making it a habit to check job boards daily is amazing, as new jobs are posted regularly. It offers you the opportunity to get noticed before others come around.
Guest posting is in fact, remarkably amazing because it helps you showcase your expertise. I actually got my first and second clients via guest post. They read my articles, contacted me and asked me to write for them. It is a great way to get clients.
Hi!
That’s awesome to hear about landing gigs with guest posting! And yes, checking job boards daily is essential to land that gig!
Excellent advice, Elna! I haven’t had much success with job boards yet, but I think that’s mainly because I haven’t done it daily as you’ve recommended. I do have a question, though: is there a certain amount of work I should have published as a portfolio before I start cold pitching? I feel like companies would have little reason to hire me if I’ve only managed to put out an article or two.
Hi Rhyan,
For your portfolio, I would start pitching when you have at least 3 samples. This gives you a bit more credibility.
Hi Elna!
Great tips!!
I need to sign up for the course.
Thank you!
Awesome tips Elna! Totally agree that it’s all about consistency. Every time it feels like things aren’t working, they always turn around quickly when I just take action. Thanks!
Hey Carrie!
Thanks for stopping by! Yes, consistency is key to all of this. It’s very easy to blow off “work” and go hang out with a friend or take a day off when you’re your own boss. But, that won’t help you grow your business!
Hi Elna,
Rocking tips my friend.
#2 is so true. I landed a substantial amount of freelance writing work without ever having a freelance writing page on my blog, or anywhere. All clients simply read my blog or one of my guest posts and asked me to write for them based on my skills alone.
Ryan
Hey Ryan!
Long time no see! So glad you popped over! Thanks so much! Yes, practicing your writing in your niche can show your credibility fast! That’s awesome you landed a lot of work based on your blog!