There are a lot of “pros” to being a freelance writer. You get to set your own schedule, choose your own projects, and in many cases focus on work that really excites and motivates you. There are some challenges as well, however, and chief among them is marketing.
A piece at Entrepreneur estimates that writers will spend about 80% of their time marketing and 20% creating content in the early going. And yet, many freelance writers aren’t quite sure of how to direct those marketing efforts –– ultimately relying on paid third-party platforms (like Upwork or Fiverr) to simplify client acquisition instead.
While there’s nothing wrong with tapping into a third-party platform now and then, it can often be frustrating, and it saps too much income to be entirely sustainable. Freelance writers would do better to market themselves and find ways of attracting clients. If this is something you’re interested in, we have some tips for how to go about it.
1.) Set Up A Website
First, you’ll need a platform that showcases your writing skills –– and a website is still the best option. This will serve a touchpoint for clients, and should operate as both an advertisement and endorsement of your business.
If this is your first website or online portfolio, Forbes has numerous tips that can help get you started. Among these are suggestions to highlight your best work; create a strong CTA (call to action) to get people to contact you for their writing needs; and piece together a compelling “About” section. Regarding the latter, the Forbes piece encourages avoiding “stream-of-consciousness lists of skills.” Instead, focus on conveying what you offer; tell clients what they can expect from your services.
2.) Use Email Marketing
Once your website is set up to welcome visitors, you’ll need to find ways of generating leads. Email marketing is one of the go-to options for writers, and according to a blog post at Make A Living Writing has an ROI of approximately 4,000%. The bottom line: It’s cheap to set up and use email lists, and even a few responses per email can amount to a substantial amount of work.
The tricky part for those who are new to email marketing is building up a list of contacts. The aforementioned blog post recommends that after you figure out your target audience and choose an email service provider (such as Mailchimp or GetResponse), you create an “incentive” or “lead magnet” to use on your website and via social media. This can be anything from a premium article offering writing tips to a free download of an eBook –– the idea being that if people want it, they can get it by supplying their email addresses.
3.) Try Paid Advertising
A lot of talk about marketing for freelancers revolves around efforts that cost little to nothing. However, some freelancers also try paid advertising on social media. This can work in your favor, but it’s important to go over all your options before you get started. Paid advertising can work in numerous ways: For instance, “cost-per-click” advertising means that you owe a small amount of money each time your ad is clicked on. This is just under $1 on Facebook, and under $0.40 on Twitter. Meanwhile, “cost-per-conversion” means that you pay for every client you acquire.
There is not a standard rate or budget across options, but if you intend to be a high-volume freelancer you may want to try this avenue, and calculate your cost per client acquired to determine if it’s a useful or sustainable strategy.
4.) Embrace Digital Business Cards
This is usually not the sort of thing you think about when you're working independently, but not having a company to provide things like a business card or official title puts you at a disadvantage. You won’t automatically have a means by which to provide information about your business should you meet a potential client in real life, as opposed to online.
The good news in this regard is that the advent of digital, contactless cards of late has made it far easier for individuals to set up business cards for their own marketing needs. An overview at Doorway explains that you need only create an account, set up your preferred card design, and save said design to your mobile wallet across your devices. The process is free, and instantly gives you a means by which to identify yourself, share your website (and any other relevant details), and –– perhaps most importantly –– give off an air of professionalism. You can do all of this from one mobile device to another, without even requiring an app or internet connection.
5.) Get Into Guest Blogging
Another great way to get your name out there as a freelancer is to offer to do guest blogs on other people's platforms. Often, you’ll either pay a small fee or work out an exchange (such that the site owner can also put a post on your site). This simple effort –– coupled with a good byline –– can significantly increase your visibility and direct people who like your post right to your website and/or social media channels.
As Social Media Today notes, there are numerous benefits to this style of marketing. Beyond general exposure and networking, you’ll also be able to target specific audiences (through your choice of where to post), and in doing so ensure that the quality of inbound traffic you generate is high. You’ll know that you’re reaching out to the right audience.
Marketing doesn’t always come naturally when you’re just getting started as a freelance writer. It requires careful strategizing and a fair amount of effort, particularly in the early going. But if you follow steps like those outlined above, you’ll put yourself in a much better position to generate leads and line up steady work.
For more information about copywriting and related topics, check out the blog.