The Freelance Content Writer’s Bible

Table of Contents

• How is Freelance Content Writing Different from Other Types of Writing?
• Benefits of Freelancing
• How to Start Freelancing: Content Writing Guide for Beginners
• How to be a Good Writer: Freelance Writing Tips for Beginners
• 3 Content Marketing Tips to Make More Money as a Freelancer
• Key Takeaways
• Conclusion
• FAQs

Freelance content writing is a form of independent, contractual business. When you are a skillful wordsmith and know that you can deliver excellent content on various topics, it is best not to be tied down with one company. You can instead explore multiple horizons as an individual, self-employed business owner. As an expert, you can also offer content writing tips or masterclasses to budding solopreneurs.

Simply put, freelance content writing is the commercial art of utilizing your writing skills to the fullest, working with various websites and clients while still being your boss. There is a lot of hype around freelancing, but rarely does anyone talk about it openly. But, what is freelance content writing? Let us discuss the benefits of freelance content writing and how to be a freelance content writer. 

How is Freelance Content Writing Different from Other Types of Writing?

As a freelance content writer, you get to choose your clients and projects based on mutual understanding and a varying pay grade – you can also select topics that excite you.

Unlike other forms of writing, which usually conform to your genre or writing style, freelance content writing offers an opportunity to explore and learn. You can also use your skills to develop a content marketing strategy and enhance your business beyond a single niche or company. 

Did you know that freelancers, including content writers, form 35% (according to a DDLY report)? 

As an independent business owner, you can work on several freelance content writing projects and prioritize them without a boss breathing down your neck. It provides you with the prospect of increasing your earning potential while providing you with a sense of self-reliance and self-growth.

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Benefits of Freelancing

Fiverr, one of the largest marketplaces for all types of freelancers, currently has more than 7 million users, including content writers, graphic designers, and web developers as part of their workforce. So obviously, it means that freelance content writers must have a lot of advantages. Before discussing content writing tips, let’s look at these benefits:

Liberty to choose your work hours

Freelance content writing work does not warrant specific work hours. This doesn’t mean that you won’t have deadlines because you will; the client will specify the time and date for submission. However, as a freelancer, you can choose how long you want to research or write. You can take breaks as you please and work at your own pace at irregular hours that suit your fancy. In short, you need not adhere to a specific 9-to-5 workday or clock in several hours or days for review by your boss. You are the boss, and as long as you can deliver your work on time, you don’t have to stress.

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Work from unconventional locales

During this coronavirus pandemic, several people have realized how important it is to have the capacity to conduct their business from unconventional locations. Lucky for you, freelance content writing offers the freedom to work from any place, whether it is your home, the park, or the subway. You can even be sitting in the pool and writing, and no one will ever find out!

As long as you have a laptop and a good internet connection, you are good to go.

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Multiple opportunities

Freelance content writing ensures opportunities to work with various companies all at once. You can choose overseas clients, multiple competing clients, and a wide array of niches to work with. You are not pigeon-holed; therefore, you can explore your horizons far and beyond the conventional prospects.

You can use diverse content marketing strategies to draw in clients who offer topics that excite you. If you choose, you can also work on several offbeat subjects that excite you and publish them anonymously through client websites. That way, you get to explore your skills.

Excellent earning potential

With freelance content writing, you can work with multiple clients at once. If you can juggle the workload efficiently, you can tremendously improve your earning potential. You don’t have to be confined to a paycheck to decide just how luxurious a life you can lead. Globally, it is estimated that freelance writers can make an average of $24 an hour, while the 90th percentile can make up to $63 an hour, according to DDLY.

Taxation benefits

As a freelancer, you get certain tax benefits. Since you work on a contractual basis, you are subsequently excused from massive tax incursions. If your overall pay grade is within the specified exempted tax bracket, then you need not pay taxes at all. This is in no way an endorsement to save taxes, of course, as it is our civic duty. But freelancer content writers do get huge tax benefits due to the uncertain earning potential.

No hectic collaborations with coworkers

Being your boss and working independently implies avoiding stressful interactions with coworkers. You don’t have to keep pace with their progress to start your work; therefore, there are no unnecessary delays.

Additionally, a freelance content writer doesn’t have to compete for projects or your boss’s approval. This certainly makes for a great reason to leap towards freelance content writing. Whatever content marketing strategy you deploy only benefits you, with no piggybackers. Just abide by some basic content writing rules.

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Flexible workload

Since a freelance content writer can choose the amount of work you wish to undertake and refuse clients who do not appeal to you, your workload is pretty much under your control. This, in turn, facilitates a good work-life balance, thus making for a fulfilling lifestyle.

You can choose to take a vacation with your family or simply take some time off to recoup, without having to justify to your employers. There is no added stress, only freedom to earn and provide for yourself and your family.

Gain experience and grow your business

The more clients you work with within diverse niches, the more experience you gain. Therefore, you can develop a content marketing strategy to highlight your adaptable skills and years of experience to attract exciting and varied projects.

Eventually, you will observe that clients start to seek you out based on your immense experience and understanding. This translates to a high pay grade with the increase in work and by enhancing your charges. Good clients will always want to work with the best freelance content writers because they understand the value of quality work.

How to Start Freelancing: Content Writing Guide for Beginners

It is easy to start a career in freelance content writing by following these simple content writing tips:

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Select your category

It is always good to start with a specific niche. In fact, the first step to being a freelance content writer is to pick a field. It should ideally be a combination of your interest and expertise. You may have good knowledge of several genres, but when you select a category, you can focus on finding specific clients. This helps build a portfolio as well as qualifies you as an expert. You can then choose to expand your horizons.

Showcase your work via blog/site

It helps tremendously if you have your own blog or website where you share posts about topics that interest you or stimulate your audience. Not only is it a proven way to develop a fan base in today’s socially evolved era, but these posts also attract paying customers. Apart from clients, who are looking to advertise on your website, you will draw several customers who require freelance content writers and your posts serve as samples. They can determine your effectiveness as well as check compatibility and diversity, and approach you for business collaborations.

Write excellent samples

Specific client sites sometimes have specific requirements. Therefore, you will be obligated to write a sample that they will process as per their explicit request. Make sure that you put in your best efforts to impress clients. Your writing sample is like an exam evaluation sheet. If you want the job, you need to do your research and write the best possible, non-plagiarized content. No matter how popular the topic is, you must make it your own while still accommodating the client’s precise directives.

Go pitching

Pitching is an integral part of content marketing strategy. Regardless of how good you are at doing, a freelance content writer must pitch their brand to the client effectively. It is good to research the company, learn about its core values, and then align your interests. It helps if you have an explicit vision for your independent business and can subsequently communicate it to the client to match their ethics and image.

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Collect testimonials from clients

When you have several satisfied clients, request them share some testimonials about your deliverables. This is best served if you maintain a healthy relationship with clients and use your powers of persuasion to ensure that they have nice things to say about you. Freelance content writers need testimonials to attract future business opportunities from prominent brands. 81% of companies or buyers conduct research before bringing in a vendor like a freelance writer, according to a Wyzowl report. 

How to Be a Good Writer: Freelance Writing Tips for Beginners

Research everything

To be truly great at freelance content writing, you must practice this like a mantra. Research is the key to everything. You may think that you are an expert on the subject, but what do you know? Research is the first and most crucial step in freelance content writing. Remember, many readers will look forward to your article to gain wisdom. Therefore, it is your primary duty to deliver accurate and relevant information.

Learn about skills and tools

Just because freelance content writing involves research and jotting down your ideas pragmatically, it doesn’t mean that you don’t need additional skills. Content writing in itself is a vast commercial science that deploys psychology, understanding current trends, skillful art of using appropriate grammar and vocabulary, learning to utilize search engine optimization to your advantage, and capitalizing on content marketing strategy.

Get your organization game on

Aside from developing your skills, you must also focus on helping your brand evolve. Ask yourself:

1. What do you want to convey through your content?
2. Whom do you want to inspire?
3. What kind of changes do you want to inspire through your writing?
4. What are the core values of your individual business brand?

Once you can answer these questions, you can establish a vision for your brand. It will not only help you align your objectives with your clients, but it will also help you progress. Your personal brand is an extension of yourself, so use this opportunity to improve your company’s standing.

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Promote yourself and hustle

Content marketing strategy is a crucial part of your overall game. When starting a business with freelance content writing, you must learn how to promote yourself.

To make a name for yourself and earn a substantial living, you must build your personalized content marketing strategy and promote yourself as much as possible. Given today’s culturally evolved world of internet connectivity, you have to stand out on a global scale. You can approach clients from anywhere in the world and offer your services for freelance content writing. But to do that, you need to take the initiative, promote, propose, and pleasantly surprise clients with your work. There is no alternative to hustling for your dreams. If you are tired of generating promotional content, try using Peppertype.ai. It is an artificial intelligence-powered, instant content generator by Pepper Content. 

Keep honing your skills

There is always a need to keep learning in freelance content writing. Improving yourself daily knows no bounds. Update your skills and learn how to utilize the changing trends for maximum and efficient output.

Make an outstanding portfolio and write a proposal

A portfolio introduces the client to your body of work; therefore, you must display your best results on the forum. You can create a website or a concise list of your published content pieces and share it with the client.

A proposal, on the other hand, must be personalized. You have to communicate why you are the best fit for the job and how the client will benefit from hiring you. Your proposal is like a cover letter, so make sure that it expresses your innate alignment with the client’s vision.

Pitch for jobs and network to grow your business

When you approach a client for a specific project, it demonstrates your interest. However, a freelance content writer can rely on want-ads and websites to acquire desirable or even well-paid projects. It is always good to network with like-minded people. Not only will you find excellent business opportunities in your close-knit circle or a small gathering, but you may also find references.

Sometimes your friends, families, or even acquaintances may have the correct contact that will help your business to boom overnight. So never stop networking.

Maintain great client relationships

Maintaining good client relations serves two essential purposes. Firstly, if a client is happy with your work and has excellent business relations with you, they will always turn to you whenever they require freelance content writing. Secondly, this also helps you grow your business further through referrals. Clients always have their circle of friends looking for talented content writers. Make sure that your relationship with clients is significantly cordial so that they always refer to your services even when you are not around. This is one of the golden content writing tips.

Price your work accurately and get paid on time

Pricing can be tricky. You may be excessively talented, but still, you may not be earning enough because most clients believe that your charges are too high. Don’t worry about those clients.

You see, a good client knows that quality work comes at a price. Therefore, if you are good at freelance content writing, don’t sell yourself short to get more work. It won’t help you in the long run.

However, you must keep in mind that your prices need to be fair. Even significantly talented writers need to understand the current market situations and adjust their prices accordingly. Small businesses may require you to reduce your price a little, and that’s alright. But in the long run, make sure that your clients understand your value and pay accordingly and on time, otherwise walk away with no regrets.

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3 Content Marketing Tips to Make More Money as a Freelance Writer

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1. Avoid content mills

As we’ve said, do not sell yourself short. If you are good at freelance content writing, ask for a fair price. Analyze the market and determine the value of your work as per the quality. Creating low-ball offers just to get work will not pay your bills. Keep the market rising. Don’t be the cause of the downfall of content delivery prices. Remember, good writers never work for cheap.

2. Develop new business as you go

Always keep expanding your freelance content writing business. Never depend on one or two clients to provide you with work. Develop powerful content marketing strategies and deploy them efficiently to attract new clients at all times. The more clients you have, the more business you get. Therefore, your revenue increases exponentially.

3. Grow a global client base

You don’t have to stick to local clients. In today’s technologically evolved era, you can work with clients distributed globally. Freelance content writing is a form of remote work for the most part. Therefore, you can expand your clientele globally and get paid through online forums such as PayPal, Seremo, etc.

Key Takeaways

• A freelance content writer can choose their working hours. They have flexible schedules. 
• Since most freelance content writers only need their laptops and a good network connection, they can work anywhere. They do not have to report to work in any specific geographical location. 
• If you can scale your freelance content writing to a global level, you can work with many well-paying clients. It has excellent earning potential.
• The first step to being a freelance content writer is to choose an area, meaning a field of expertise.
• To be a freelance content writer, you must have a portfolio with your writing samples. Most employers would want you to have a suitable sample in their niche. 
• Another tip to keep in mind if you want to be a freelance content writer is the importance of research. Research about the writing industry, your competitors, employers’ websites, their competitors, your article, and so on.
• Make sure to promote yourself on different platforms. LinkedIn is the most popular platform for freelance content writers. 
• A freelancer wears many hats. If you want to succeed as a freelance content writer, you must have excellent writing skills. But, you also must be an outstanding researcher, have good time management organization skills.
• Do not lose your cool. As a freelance content writer, you may not have co-worker interactions, but you would regularly talk to many clients. Maintain good relationships and grow your network. It is the best way of landing new gigs. 
• Another tip to be a successful freelance content writer is to price your work accurately. Try offering packaged services to appeal to more clients. 
• Peppertype.ai is an artificial intelligence-powered, instant content generator that helps to ideate content for content marketing. 

Conclusion

There you have it. The ultimate guide, with compelling content, writing tips, to starting your own freelance content writing business. Now that you know what you need to do and how to execute it get started right away and build your personalized content marketing strategy to succeed in this cut-throat business. Good luck, and thank us later!

FAQs