From time to time I like to ask my readers for suggestions. This time around I have a few important questions. Most importantly, do you monetize your blog? This is something I have been thinking about for quite some time, and for good reason. More and more people are asking if they can advertise on my blog in a number of different ways.
At this time I am strongly leaning towards monetizing this blog, as well as many others in my network. It seems that this is a great way to earn some extra money while also offsetting the costs of hosting, etc. That being said, I don’t want to go overboard by cramming in so many ads that it takes away from the content.
So do you monetize your blog? Do you shy away from sites that have advertising and paid reviews? In my opinion advertising is okay as long as the site is not loaded with ads and continues to offer valuable information.
Any feedback on this subject would be great. You can either leave a comment for everybody to see or send me a quick email. Again, I have been semi-monetizing my blog for a few months but it seems that I can now begin to earn a decent income by doing so even more. But before I get started I want to get some feedback from you!
Winning over clients is a good thing no matter how you look at it. The better your relationship with a client the more chance there is that you will work together long term. Unfortunately, winning over clients is not always as easy as it seems. This is particularly true if you are in the early stages of your relationship. That being said, there are ways that freelance writers can win over clients without going overboard.
1. Be prompt. No matter what you want to be prompt. You never want to miss a deadline, or leave a client hanging on for too long. If you receive an email from a client it is important answer it as soon as possible. It is not difficult to be prompt at all times. In fact, once you get into the groove it will become second nature. For me, missing a deadline is not an option.
2. Competitive pricing. This is an area that can be difficult to deal with because every client has different expectations when it comes to pricing. For instance, I have some clients who do not think twice about paying $.25/word for web content. But on the other hand I receive regular emails from potential buyers asking me to work for $.05/word or less. To go along with this they don’t have any problem adding that this is a “great rate†for what they need. By offering competitive pricing you will be able to win clients over and keep them happy month in and month out. But remember, your rates are your rates. You need to stick to your guns at some point and realize the difference between satisfying your clients and harming your chance at earning a solid income.
3. Do you respect your clients? If not, you are going to find it hard to strike up a long term relationship. No matter what comes up and what position you are in you need to show the proper amount of respect. Remember, when you respect your clients they will do the same in return.
As a freelance writer you want to form long term relationships with clients. By implementing the three tips above you should be able to win over clients and make them realize that you are an important piece of their success.
As a freelance writer you need to protect yourself as much as possible. It is unfortunate, but there are many people “out there†who will try to scam freelance writers as well as many other online professionals. One of the best ways to protect yourself it to request upfront payment. There are times when this is a good idea, times when it may not work, and times when you don’t have to even think about it. Do you know what you are doing in this area?
The best time to request upfront payment is when you are working with a client for the first time. This does not mean that your new client is trying to rip you off, but by requesting payment upfront you can put your mind to ease. Remember, the client may be as apprehensive as you so they may put up a fight if you request 100 percent of the money. To solve this problem you can meet in the middle by asking for 50 percent upfront and the other 50 percent upon completion.
Although it is a good idea to receive upfront payment there are some situations when this is not going to be possible. For instance, most magazines are not going to pay you upfront for your work. In fact, it may take a few months to receive any payment at all. And while this may be a hassle it is not as bad as it seems because most magazines want to uphold their reputation. For this reason they are not going to scam you. It could happen, but it is not common. And since you don’t have a good chance of receiving payment upfront anyway it is a risk you will have to take.
Once a client proves they are reliable you don’t have to continue being paid in advance. Instead, you can get on a schedule in which the client pays when you complete the work. But of course, if they want to continue to pay upfront you shouldn’t argue.
Payment upfront is a good idea when working with a new client. Once you establish a relationship you can forget about this and know that you will get paid for the work you complete. There is nothing better than having clients that you can trust to pay on time.Â
