In Today’s Digital World, a Writer Is Not Just A ‘Writer’

Using these techniques for good client relationships can take you a long way.

If you’re freelancing, I can’t emphasise enough how important client relationships are. Even more important than the money you’re paid, and you’ll soon know why.

You see, in the freelancing world, you’re your own boss. And the most difficult choice you’ll have to make is whether you want to be a $25/article freelancer or $250/article. These are arbitrary numbers, but you get the point, yes?

There’s a different way in which they both operate.

One will take on 5–10 clients at a time and have a transactional relationship. They will work extremely hard and deliver enormous volumes of work. And the other will take on a few clients, get the creative space to think and execute.

I’m the latter.

Why is this a tough choice? Because when people reach out to you, they often want their articles done in $ or $$ instead of $$$. And the ones who pay $$$ are people who are not found easily. Plus, they’re not looking for bulk content but high quality and well-researched content that speaks their brand language to their target audience.

You choose to be the freelancer you want. And if you choose to be a highly paid one, client relationships are everything.

Overdeliver (But Not Overwork)

I work 4–5 hours a day, out of which less than 2 hours is client work. I try to do more than I’m told because I believe as a writer in today’s digital world, you’re more than somebody who just writes.

Think of it, if you’re writing somebody’s blog posts, you’re marketing their business. It’s more than just writing because it’s about writing the right way according to the right platform.

Consider doing this before you start:

• Understand the purpose of this content
• What issues have they been facing so far?
• Who is their target audience?

This will tell you why they’re doing what they’re doing, and a concrete problem for you to solve instead of just ‘writing’.

Leverage Their Expertise

For some reason, a lot of my clientele has included silicon valley executives who are running their own business or working to establish an executive presence.

They are experts in their field, and that’s helpful for me. How? I don’t need to keep failing to learn because I can learn from them. No need to reinvent the wheel.

Whether it's somebody with 20 years of experience in a big tech company who’s running their own business now or a corporate executive or a youngling with 6 months of running a kickass startup, there’s so much you can learn from them.

Try to understand what they’ve done, what didn’t work, and what worked. You can execute a lot of their strategies in your own plans. Plus, you’d be surprised how many people want to learn from us writers about the workings of the digital world.

Another thing that took me by surprise is how the busiest of people are more than happy to mentor young people.

Don’t just write, establish a professional relationship where you learn from each other.

Let Go of Haggling

Honestly, I’d much rather prefer working with a kind of person where we aren’t fighting over a dollar. It’s super cringy and the kind of energy you wouldn’t want to deal with.

Listen to your gut feeling. Also, this is when you have to make the hard choice again — what kind of a freelancer do you want to be?

I’ve seen that those who pay $0.03/word put up a huge fight as compared to those who pay $0.30/word.

That being said, at times you may do something extra. Perhaps edit your client’s LinkedIn bio or correct other things. Don’t fight for the extra few words.

Prioritising relationships above everything else has really helped me get great work and talk to wonderful people.

You’ll Lose Some Money, and That’s Okay

In a few days, I’m consulting an existing client on their ideas, something I’d charge $150 to give away an hour of a consulting session. I’m doing it for free, because why not?

I want to keep working with him, learn from his niche because it’s very different from my other clients.

Give away some of your expertise for free. Whether it's by helping people, putting up your writing secrets in your articles, or helping your client. Not only will karma give you a pat on your back but your client will respect you more and is more likely to reach out to you again.

Before You Go, Know This

I had a client drop off midway into us working together because his finances were tight. He got back to me last month and hired me again – but not for writing.

He saw me grow on various platforms and trusts my advice. He recently launched a book that is making its way home to a lot of the C-suite leadership and is suddenly getting a lot of buzz on LinkedIn. So wants to capitalise on it.

Now, I’m his ‘Digital Content Strategist’. I get paid for giving away advice for 2 hours a month.

I told you, being a writer in today’s world is much more than being a writer. You do a lot more than writing, because you create an image, credibility, and put out a message. It’s more than just writing.

Good client relationships will

• help you grow your own business
• help you get more clients via references
• make friends
• get mentored by experts
• help you get more business from the same client

And at that time, all the freebies and going that extra mile will be worth it. It’s a shift to moving from transactional to fulfilling work.

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