How to Market Your Freelance Writing to Improve Your Earnings

Let your time and efforts do the trick

Freelancing is sheer love! It gives us the freedom to work from anywhere and anytime around the world at our own pace.

I started working as a freelance writer around 6 years ago, with no certain goal of making it big. At that time, the sole goal was to explore this unique niche, learn its do’s and don’ts, and see if it was really meant for me.

I started it from scratch and took baby-steps to understand my clients’ requirements, improve my writing skills, and how the industry works. And if you ask me today, I’d say that I am still in the ‘learning phase’.

As a newbie, I relied on a couple of websites such as Elance (now Upwork) and Guru to find freelance writing gigs and pitch to new clients. I was getting paid, but finding new clients was still quite a challenge.

And that was when I realized cold pitching clients was not enough. However, the amalgam of pitching and marketing helped me land some exciting projects and eventually, grow my earning potential as a freelancer.

Having a solid plan is a premise for any result-oriented marketing strategy and the one for freelance writing is no different. While it might sound a bit technical to create a plan for your freelance career, but in reality, it’s not.

All you need to do is answer the following simple questions so as to keep you on the right track:

• What’s the niche(s) you would focus on?
• What are your objectives in the short and long-run?
• What will be your approach towards achieving those objectives?
• What marketing strategies will you be eyeing on?
• What would be the alternatives to those strategies, in case they don’t work?
• What tools will you use for tracking your progress?

Without causing any further delay, let’s check out these few marketing strategies that any freelance writer can use to land new clients and ultimately, earn better.

Build Your Portfolio

The freelance writing industry has become quite saturated, and in order to have a competitive edge over other writers, it is crucial to create a portfolio that showcases your skills and best works done so far.

You can be good at creating short blog posts, detailed reviews, white papers, resumes, or something else! This is your first chance to share your best pieces with prospective clients and tell them about your versatility and strengths. So, make the most out of it!

Having a portfolio of 4–5 articles on your website can pave ways for getting new clients. In case, you don’t have your own website or blog, then posting it on professional networking platforms such as LinkedIn would be equally beneficial. Once posted, ensure to keep it updated and flaunt your latest work.

Write Guest Posts

Writing guest blog posts is a great way of building an online presence and making your target audience aware of your services.

You can do your research and create content for a specific niche. Here, your main aim should be to identify your readers’ problems and offer them relevant solutions.

For guest posting, your best bet would be to pitch to blogs having at least a decent amount of traffic and influence on social media.

Besides getting quality backlinks, you might get lucky to have your post appreciated by a well-paying client or an industry influencer.

And if he or she wants to collaborate with you for their upcoming projects, then consider it to be an icing on the cake.

Share With Your Friends and Family

Tell your friends and family that you are up ‘for hire’. Share with them that you are seeking new freelance opportunities. The more you share, the more prospects or leads you will get.

Probably, some of your friends and family members might roll their eyes while listening to you, but then, there will be a few who would recommend your writing to their network no matter what. The ones you can count on!

Maybe your friend knows someone who is looking for a freelance writer for their website/blog. Maybe your friend needs a dissertation prepared. You never know how you can come across exciting opportunities until you start spreading the word.

Ask For Referrals

Getting clients might not be that tough, but getting the ones who ‘pay you well’ definitely is.

One of the easiest ways to land new freelance projects is to ask your existing or past clients for recommendations. Not to mention, this will only happen if you had met your clients’ expectations in the past.

In my freelancing career, I have been amazed to see the magic of referrals. You understand your clients’ expectations, offer your own insights (if required) to make the project run successfully, create content that meets their set standards, and communicate effectively. And there won’t be any reason that he or she would not further recommend your writing services.

Use Social Media

Can anyone deny the power of social media when it comes to promoting their writing services, or any other business model?

Marketing your content on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Quora, etc. not only gives it more visibility but also helps you land several freelancing projects. The two platforms that gave my writing career exposure are:

• Facebook: Nowadays, Facebook is not just limited to flaunting your lifestyle and sharing happy moments with your network. You can use it as a platform to connect with like-minded people and grow your freelance network. Many Facebook groups offer writers a platform to reach out to prospective clients, and vice-versa. Plus, if the group allows, you can share your articles/profile as a post to reach wider masses. If not, then sharing it in comments will always be an option.
• LinkedIn: LinkedIn often goes unnoticed when it’s about applying for freelance projects. Since freelancing doesn’t require you to work from a specific location or at a specific time, you will have more chances of pitching clients irrespective of the location. Update your profile, highlight your services, ask your peers to endorse your skills, and like, share and comment on others’ posts to get your skills noticed.

If you choose to write for a living, then you already know how important it is to get recognized for your work. The more recognition you get, the more chances you will have to get more work.

These 5 hacks will make it easier for you to get freelance opportunities that are worth your time and effort.

You may either stick to one of these hacks or try following a mix-n-match approach as per your preferences. So, which of these strategies will you be trying first?