Freelance Writing

SEO copywriting is the latest niche in which freelance writers can make some real money. How? Why?

What is SEO Copywriting?

SEO stands for search engine optimization. SEO copywriting is writing text in such a way that it drives traffic to a website/blog.  It’s very easy to learn how to write SEO copy and firms are scrambling to find writers who know how to do it. Sometimes, getting clients is so easy it’s like shooting fish in a barrel.

3 Reasons SEO Copywriting Is So Hot & Can be a Goldmine for Freelance Writers

i) Many don’t know what SEO writing is. For this reason, freelance writers who know what it is and/or take the time to learn, getting clients is relatively easy compared to other types of writing.

ii) The field is growing. Search engine optimization is here to stay. And, webmasters, web design firms, internet marketing firms, etc. all need this type of copy.

iii) SEO is not static. There are constantly changing rules, techniques and tactics (eg, long-tail keywords, backlinks, duplicate content penalties, etc.). SEO writers who stay abreast of this changing technology will be able to practically name their price – if they know how to market correctly.

In the ebook, How to Make 250+/Day Writing Simple, 500-Word Articles, I explain in detail my marketing strategy – a strategy that brought in 4 paid projects in a just a few days. After a couple of months as an SEO writer, I was so busy that I had to hire help.

I’ve been a freelance writer since 1993 and since I added SEO copywriting to my list of services, I have never been so busy. In fact, it makes up the bulk of my new clients.

Read more about how you too can work from home and start a successful career as a freelance SEO writer. You will find case studies and testimonials of those who have repeated my success – from college students to experienced journalists. If they can do it, you can too!

This is a paid review plug.

As you probably recall, last week I posted details of a “business card contest.” Well, the winners have been chosen and they are as follows:

1. Helen Heard

2. Deborah

3. Celeste

I will be emailing each winner to let them know in case they don’t see their name here. Additionally, each winner will be contacted by UPrinting.com in order to claim their free business cards.

If you did not win this time around there is no need to worry. I have several more contests in the pipeline, and many of the prizes are sure to help you to expand your freelance writing career.

For those who want to purchase their own business cards, consider UPrinting.com. I know that there are many online companies that offer business card printing and related services, but UPrinting.com is truly one of the best. They offer high quality solutions, as well as a great customer service experience.

Thanks again to everybody who entered, and keep an eye out for future contests!

Remember, freelance writers do more than write. One of your main tasks outside of writing is customer service. Within this, you need to make sure that you agree on project details with each client before moving forward. This may not sound important, but it is. If you and your client are not on the same page, you are more than likely causing problems for yourself down the road.

What project details should you agree on with your clients? In my opinion, there are two areas on which you should concentrate:

1. Price and payment. How much are you charging for the job, and when you are getting paid? This is an important detail to every freelance writer no matter the project. Do not be shy when it comes to discussing payment. It is better for both parties to know the exact fee and payment details before getting started. In an ideal scenario you will receive payment upfront when dealing with new clients. But in some cases you may have to negotiate on this.

2. What exactly are you doing for the client? Details can be misconstrued if you do not have the right conversation before starting. You need to collect information on what the client wants from you and then double check it with them before getting started.

For instance, a client may ask for a 500 word sales letter, send you the money, and then tell you to get started. And while this looks good on the surface, you still don’t know what they really want. What topic are you writing on? How many headlines and sub-headers are you supposed to use? Do you need to add images or graphs? These are all details that need discussed upfront so that you do not complete the project just to find that you were totally off base.

Believe it or not, most clients also want to agree on the above details before starting a project. Just as you do not want any delays or misunderstandings, they more than likely feel the same way. If you keep an open line of communications and concentrate on the two details above, you will get off on the right foot with each and every freelance writing project that you accept.

If you are going to become a freelance writer you are sure to run into many myths during the early stages of your career. In fact, you may run into these before you ever decide to take the leap. During this time, you need to make sure that you ignore these common freelance writing myths. If you don’t, there is a good chance that they could scare you away from chasing your dream.

So what are some of the more common freelance writing myths that you will come across?

1. Freelance writers don’t make good money. I am tired of this one, but guess what? It is never going away. Simply put, you should completely ignore this statement. Just like any other industry, there are those who earn a lot and those who do not. That being said, there is nothing standing between you and earning a nice freelance writing income.

2. Becoming a freelance writer is hard work. I agree that becoming a success and earning money can be time consuming, and that it takes a devoted professional. But at the same time, it is a myth that you have to break down many walls in order to get started. Even if you have no experience, you can call yourself a freelance writer and begin to market your services in no time at all. This does not mean that you will become a success, but you can get started quickly and easily. 

3. The competition is so fierce that you will never find quality clients. Again, this is downright ridiculous. There are plenty of clients to go around, and if you offer quality service you are going to find a few that enjoy working with you. Competition can be fierce; there is no denying this. But don’t think that there are so many freelancers that you have no chance of breaking into the business.

These common freelance writing myths have been around for many years. The best thing that you can do is ignore them. Thinking that any of the above myths are true is only going to slow down the progress of your career.

Has a potential buyer asked you for samples? If so, there are a few things that you can do. First off, and the best option, is to give them exactly what they want. If this does not work, there is a good chance that you do not have a sample that is related to what they are looking for. In this case, any sample may do; but this is something that you will have to ask the buyer.

Obviously, you want to give the buyer what he wants. If this means samples, so be it. Even if you cannot meet his exact needs, open up a conversation to see what else you can offer. Believe it or not, many clients will take any samples that you have. Simply put, they want to make sure that you can write quality content no matter the subject matter.

What samples are you going to offer? On my desktop, I have a folder full of a variety of samples. When a buyer asks for one, I know exactly where to look. From there, I find the sample that most closely resembles what I am being asked for. If nothing works, I head to other folders to try to find something better.

When a buyer asks for a sample you should have something to send. In other words, saying that you have nothing to show is not a good idea. Fortunately, most freelance writers, even though who are just starting out, have a few samples on hand. And remember, as you grow your career your collection of samples will grow as well. 

Guess what? You should try being nice to your freelance writing clients from time to time. Okay, most of you probably are nice to clients. But guess what? There are many in the industry who do not know what it means to provide good customer service. Instead, they treat clients poorly. Soon enough, they are losing these clients and their freelance writing business is suffering.

What does it mean to be nice? Well, this depends on who you are and the situation you are in. For me, being nice is respecting clients at all times. I have found out time after time that it does not cost anything to be nice. Take for instance a situation that I ran into a few weeks ago. I emailed an SEO company about the possibility of working with them. After a day or so I received an email that was far from “nice.” They more or less told me that I was wasting their time if my budget was not X dollars. Of course, I simply moved on and left well enough alone. Believe it or not, this has happened to me more times than I care to remember.

When you are nice to clients you are making things better for every party involved. Not only will it make them feel good, but it will do the same for you. Why would you want to be rude to your clients? In the end, this is not going to benefit you in any way, shape, or form. In fact, it is just going to make things worse. Even if somebody is rude to you, killing them with kindness is the best thing to do.

If you have the tendency to treat your freelance writing clients poorly, try to change this right away. You will find that this simple change will keep clients coming back for more as opposed to seeking out a new freelancer.

Freelance writers come from all different types of backgrounds. I majored in journalism in college, but I know many writers who received sales, medical, and finance related degrees. That brings me to the question: do you need a college degree to become a freelance writer? The short answer to this question is no. That being said, you may be better prepared for this type of career if you spend four years in college.

Anybody can become a freelance writer. In fact, I have two friends in the business who did not graduate from college. And not only are they in the business, but both of them earn a decent amount of money. To go along with this, three members of my freelance writing course have no college experience at all. Although they are just starting out, it appears that they are well on their way to future success.

As noted above, college can prepare you to become a better freelance writer. Believe it or not, I had a couple of courses that were based around freelance writing. One was “feature writing” and the other “scriptwriting.” Both of these are areas in which you may want to focus on. The feature writing class in particular was one that definitely helped when I decided to become a freelance writer. In fact, I used a couple samples from this class to send to prospective clients in the early days.

In college, I also learned a bit about marketing, accounting, and other areas that have bettered my career. Although these were not my core classes, I dabbled in them from time to time. Looking back, if I would have known that I was going to become a freelance writer I probably would have taken more classes like this.

Will clients ask if I have a college degree? Some will, but most won’t. I have had a couple of clients ask where I went to school, what I majored in, etc. But most clients don’t care. Instead, they are more concerned with your writing experience and the samples that you can show them. If you did graduate from college, you will definitely want to include this on your freelance writing resume; especially if you majored in a related field such as journalism or public relations.

Regardless of your background, you can become a successful freelance writer. If you did not graduate from college, do not let this hold you back.

There are many reasons to become a freelance writer and the fun and excitement that this career offers is one of the most important. I never liked any of my past jobs. Sure, they paid the bills and were fun to a certain extent, but they were nothing to get overly excited about. But when I became a freelance writer, this all changed. I realized that there was money to be made, and that I would be able to have fun day in and day out.

What makes a career as a freelance writer fun and exciting? The great thing about this question is that it has many answers. The reasons that I find freelancing to be fun may not match what you think, and vice versa.

For me, the real fun of freelance writing is getting to “do it all.” I get to write for a living, but at the same time I take part in sales, marketing, customer service, accounting, and much more. For many, this may sound boring and tedious. But for me, it is a lot of fun.

Over my time as a freelance writer I have had the chance to meet and become friends with many people. Some of them just like me, others famous for one reason or the next. Adding to my network is always fun. And not only is it fun, but it is also profitable in the long run.

If you are not having fun as a freelance writer you should reconsider your career choice. There are other reasons to become a freelancer, but if you are not having fun you are not going to last long. Soon enough you will burn out and realize that moving on would be in your best interest.

You should not have to force things, either. If you truly love your career as a freelance writer the fun will come to you. Does this mean that you are going to have tons of fun every minute of everyday? Of course not. There are some days when I love my job and others when the work piles up and I have too much going on. But even then I realize that this is the best career for me, and that the fun will always be there.

When you start out as a freelance writer you should set goals, both big and small. That being said, make sure they are attainable. There is nothing worse than setting goals that you have no chance of reaching anytime in the near future. This does not mean that you should not reach for the stars. But you should be reasonable so that you can reach your goals from time to time, and in turn increase your confidence and self-esteem.

In my opinion, your first small income goal should be one that you can reach within three months. My first income goal as a freelance writer was to earn $2k by my third month. After the first month in which I earned $52, I was a bit discouraged. Fortunately, I continued to move forward and met this goal on time. Three months is plenty long enough to get your footing, draw up a plan, and reach your first goal. But again, you need to make sure that this goal is a small one that you can reach. If I would have set my goal at $10k instead of $2k, I would have failed.

If you continually reach your small income goals you will realize the big picture soon enough. In my case, once I hit $2k/month I began to strive for $3k. Soon enough, my income goals were increasing along with my workload.

I don’t want to make things seem too easy, though. Just because you set an attainable freelance writing goal does not mean that you will definitely reach it. Even now, I set goals that come and go without me reaching them; it is part of being a freelance writer. You need to realize that goals are important, but that reaching them can be difficult. And unfortunately, sometimes you come up short. When this happens, reassess your goals and work harder to achieve success in the future.

The bottom line: start out with one small income goal. Once you reach this goal, continue to set the bar higher. 

As you are probably well aware, I frequently talk about how to market your freelance writing services as well as why it is important. That being said, I have never discussed the power of business cards. But what better time than now?

The good people at UPrinting.com have generously offered to sponsor a contest for free business cards. And since I know all of you guys and gals want to better your freelance writing career, I accepted the offer.

Here are the details of the contest:

1. I am giving away 250 business cards each to three readers.

2. To enter, you must be subscribed to my RSS feed via email. Make sure that your RSS email matches your comment email.

3. Once subscribed, leave a comment telling us how you would use these business cards to advance your career. Not only will this enter you into the contest but it will also help us all to better understand how to successfully use business cards as a marketing tool.

4. Next Tuesday I will randomly select three winners.

* UPrinting.com can only ship to the United States and Canada.

Once the winners are selected, I will post them here. Make sure that you leave an email address (matching your RSS address) along with your comment. This will allow me to get in touch with the winners.

Here are some details of the prize at stake, straight from UPrinting.com:

They can choose any of our stocks, including the eco-friendly cover stock (13 pt. Cover Uncoated - Recycled) or the 14 pt. family in Matte, AQ, or UV at any custom size we offer such as square cards, odd sizes like 3×3, 2×2, etc.

As you can see, winners are going to get much more than basic business cards. The company is well known for their high quality business card printing. Even if you do not wind up a winner, I would still suggest UPrinting.com for all of your business card and related printing needs.

It is time to get started. I look forward to reading all of your comments, and providing three of you with 250 free business cards!