There is nothing more exciting to a freelance writer than getting paid. This shows that you are making progress, and that there are clients out there that are willing to work with you in an honest manner. Do you know what payment options exist? In my early days as a freelance writer I never really thought about this. Soon enough I realized that there were many options, and some that I had never taken into consideration.
I have found that PayPal is the easiest way to receive funds from clients. If both you and the client have an account this is an easy process. Once you receive payment you can then transfer the funds to your checking account, and then use the money as you see fit. The majority of my payments are made via PayPal, and despite the fees, I do not have any problem with this.
Many of my clients prefer to pay by check. You may not get paid right away with a check, but as soon as it arrives in your mailbox it is ready to be cashed. On top of this, you do not have to pay any additional fees when you are paid via check. While I usually opt for PayPal over a check payment, this is not something I will fight. This works out fine for me in the long run.
Finally, wire transfers are quite popular as well. I have a couple of clients that wire money from their account to mine every month. This is quick and efficient for the most part. The only thing that I don’t like about it is that my bank charges $10 for each transfer. This is not a lot of money, but it is something I always notice.
If your clients give you an option on how to get paid make sure you think long and hard before making a decision.Â
Is your marketing plan letting you down? Are you finding it difficult to land new clients? If you answered yes to either of these questions you need to make some immediate changes. The question is: what changes should you focus on?
Here are three things you can do to better your marketing plan today:
1. Keep track of what is and is not working. This is the biggest mistake that many freelance writers make when it comes to their marketing plan. They do not know what is working because they are not keeping track. A simple spreadsheet will make it easy for you to chart your successes and failures.
2. Get rid of anything that is not working. Are you spending a lot of time on cold calls but not seeing any results? If so, cut this out for the time being and replace it with something that has been more effective. There is no point in charting what is working if you are not going to use this information to your advantage.
3. Give everything a try. Some writers have a marketing plan, but it only includes one or two methods of generating clients. You need to give everything a try. This includes cold calls, cold emails, your own website, query letters, etc.
If you are looking for ways to better your marketing plan you should consider the three simple changes outlined above. All of them will lead to a better plan which will eventually result in more clients and increased profits.
As a freelance writer you definitely need a website and/or blog to showcase your abilities to potential clients. If you are not attempting to generate new clients via the internet you are holding yourself back. In my opinion, it is very important for every freelance writer to have and use a website.
I have several websites that bring in new clients. Additionally, I manage this blog which also attracts clients and those interested in partnering with me. Believe it or not, it is very easy to create a website and blog that can be used to show off your talent and offerings. If you are not up to it, you can always hire a professional to design and code your site. For a few hundred dollars you should be able to get exactly what you want and need.
Will my site bring in a lot of new clients? Right away, the answer is usually no. It will take a while before your site gains traction. For instance, the first six months of this blog were slow. I had a few readers, but not too many people were asking about my services. Sometime around the one year mark I gained traction, my search engine rankings increased, and more and more people were asking about my services. You need to be patient if you want your website/blog to payoff in the long run.
If you are serious about your career as a freelance writer you need a website to showcase your talent. Soon enough your website(s) will be attracting new clients and making it easy for you to expand your business.
