What are you doing right now? I hope you’re changing your hobby writing passion into a money-making profession!
Becoming a freelancer is the hot thing right now.
This is a good thing because we have the ability to set our rate and find new freelance clients.
A challenge many of us face is finding freelance writing jobs. Where the heck do you find freelance clients that pay well?
You hear stories of how to get freelance writing clients and you’ve been struggling on Upwork trying to make more than $20 a project.
I know for new freelance writers, this is the most challenging thing. I get ya!
But, did you know that you can find a way to attract clients to you? It’s called inbound marketing and if you know how to get new clients, there’s no need to jump on job boards and ask around for work.
Here are 12 effective ways you can get steady work if you are looking for clients.
1. Hone Your Niche
What’s your writing niche? Is it parenting? Real estate? Law?
These are pretty general writing niches. To get a client online, it’s best to hone your writing niche and make it easy for prospects to find you and to realize you’re their writer.
Maybe you’re a parent writer for apps or freelance academic writers. Look at your niche and see if you can dive a little more deeper and see where you can exploit your writing.
For more information on finding the best writing niche, check this article here.
2. Guest Post
As a new freelance writer, you have to get your name out there! One easy way is to guest post.
This is writing for another blog. You get an author bio with links to your website or hire me page. Prospects who read your writing can contact you and hire you on the spot!
I write for OptinMonster and I get a lot of inquiries from prospects based on my posts on that site.
If you don’t have any freelance clients yet, the best way to get out there is to guest post and market your author bio. This is the most effective piece of real estate you can have on your post.
And you know what?
You can get paid to build your portfolio. There are blogs that pay writers to guest post on!
3. Improve Your Skill
No one is born to be an online writer.
This is a new profession and if you want to be in this industry for a long time, it’s best to improve your skill as an online writer.
This means learning how to market your business, handle clients in a professional way, or it might mean being certified for a skill.
Be versed in the latest trends in your niche; know how to use certain tools like Asana or Skitch or Trello.
Freelance writing clients will see that you are easy to work with and don’t have to worry about teaching you or changing their routine.
4. Develop a Strong brand
One thing I learned is that you need a brand as a freelance writer. Now I know my writer website has been changed a lot over many years.
But, each of those new changes had a strong brand behind it. And with this Elna Cain site, I also have a brand associated with this.
A brand is made up of your visual elements as well as what you stand for and how you portray yourself online.
You may be a writer that’s also a blogger or a writer that likes to curse or a writer that only writes for popular magazines.
By branding yourself, you become easier to remember and prospects will find that you fit their brand and contact you.
5. Get Testimonials from Previous Clients
If you have freelance copywriting clients already, make sure you gather some testimonials from them. Having a place with your testimonials can help you attract clients.
How?
Because of social proof. When prospects see that other people like your writing and would recommend your services, then they are more likely to hire you.
When I first started and didn’t have any clients, I used my connections. I was guest posting on FreelancerFAQs when it was still owned by Alicia Rades and I asked her for a testimonial.
So, it’s okay to ask other writers or freinds for a testimonial of your work.
6. Provide Value
Clients want your writing, but it must fulfill their idea. Remember, they are paying for your words, so your words better be dang good and have uber value.
If you’re writing is engaging, can help solve a problem, gives good tactics, tips and strategies, has images or screenshots to elaborate what you are talking about and all that jazz…your client will love it.
7. Wow Current Clients
I’ve talked a lot on this blog, but it goes without saying that part of being a freelance writer, isn’t constantly hustling to find work, it’s nurturing your client list.
For a lot of my freelance clients, I’m their only content writer. Whether it’s ghostwritten or not, I mostly provide weekly content for their blog.
So, if I’m constantly late on deadlines, change the content schedule, or don’t fulfill the scope of the project, a client isn’t going to keep you.
I’ve been writing professionally for over two years and a good chunk of my clients have stuck with me and I’ve had one-off clients reach out to me again numerous times.
This is because I provide a stellar service.
My writing is error free, is engaging, has a visual component and it’s properly formatted for their content management system like WordPress.
So, how does wowing clients attract more clients? Clients will refer you behind your back…I know! It’s happened to me and I’m utterly shocked..
Your clients hang in the same circle and they are actually friends! So wow your current clients because you never know who they are talking to.
8. Be Helpful
One way to finding clients is to be helpful on social media. If you hang out on Facebook groups, answer questions and make it known that you’re a writer.
If someone has a question about their sales page content or blog content or managing their schedule, jump in.
Facebook – for me – has been a great way to market my services. I have a Facebook page that helps me drive traffic to this blog and get noticed with bigger brands.
9. Be Available
As a freelancer, the one thing that many people think about is that we can set our own hours and if we don’t want to work, we don’t have to.
Well, that is right, but typically, when we don’t work, we don’t make money.
I’ve been doing this for many years and even though I may not be in work mode during the weekends, I still check my email.
You have to remember that the nature of being an online writer means that you will have clients from all over the world. What’s your morning, it may be their midnight.
For example, I have clients in Israel and their weekend starts on my Friday and ends on my Sunday. So it’s not usual to get emails from them on Sunday morning.
So, if you want to know how to get clientele, be available!
10. Have a Blog (or Two!)
Do you have a blog? I hope so! Not having a blog as a freelance writer is almost like having a dentist with bad teeth! It just doesn’t make sense to me.
A blog can serve as a marketing strategy by providing samples for your portfolio, show your dedication and consistency (only if you blog consistently), and it provides material for social posting.
I recently started Twins Mommy and within several months I was already getting emails from people wanting me to write for them based on my Twins Mommy posts.
So start a blog and be consistent!
11. Tell People What the Heck You Do
One thing I see with new freelance writers is that they don’t mention that they are a freelance writer!
Instead, they mention their hobbies or likes. For example, here’s one that sites their hobbies and another one that tells you what they do.
Both of them are writers, but one looks like it’s a hobby, while the other tells me she’s getting paid as a writer.
So, whether it’s on social media or on your author bio, tell people what you do.
12. Have a Professional Website
You don’t technically need a professional service-based website in order to land clients. But, you do need one if you want to attract clients.
Clients have to find you and it’s easier for them if you have a home base like a writer website. It’s professional and it makes you look legit. And it’s a great place to house your portfolio.
Of course there are other places you can have a portfolio like Contently, but having one centralized place just makes it easier for prospects to learn about you and your services and to see where you’ve been writing.
The Long-Term Strategy
I know there are many of you that need to land a freelance writing job last week. I totally get you.
And while there are job boards you can use to quickly land a gig, the best way to get higher-paying clients and ensure that you will never be without work, is to learn the steps to become a freelance writer and run a successful business.
And my freelance writing course is the only one out there that really dives into attracting clients, finding clients and wowing clients. With over 95 ways to find clients in my course, I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to find hoards of clients with my course.
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