So you’ve decided to become a freelance content writer and sell your writing skills online. That’s a great choice! Content writing is one of the top freelance careers nowadays and one that allows you to work remotely from anywhere. Turning your writing talents into a sustainable income takes more than just creating great content. You also need to learn how to find clients, pitch effectively, and close the deal. Let’s dive into the key steps to help you start selling your content writing services.
Research Target Markets and Potential Clients
The first step is figuring out who your ideal clients are. Consider your interests and experience and research different industries and niches where you think your writing skills would be valuable. Some common markets for freelance content writers include blogs, websites, marketing agencies, small businesses, non-profits, magazines, and journals.
Within your target markets, identify specific companies and organizations that produce a lot of written content and may regularly hire freelancers. Research their websites, blogs, social profiles to learn about their business, pain points, and content needs. Make lists of potential clients to approach with tailored pitches. Larger companies usually have a dedicated content team so research individuals within that department.
You can also find clients on content marketing forums, job boards like Upwork and Freelancer, or networking at industry events and conferences. Consider joining relevant groups on LinkedIn to connect with potential clients and other freelance writers. Pay close attention to any opportunities that fit your niche interests and experience level.
Create An Outstanding Writer Portfolio
To attract and convince clients, you need to prove your writing skills and experience. Build an attractive writer portfolio on your website displaying 5-10 of your best samples for the targeted markets. Choose published works that best demonstrate your writing style, voice, and subject matter expertise. Customize each portfolio piece with headlines, intros, and relevant details.
Include a variety of long and short form content types like blog posts, product descriptions, case studies, ebooks, reports, social media posts and more. You can also feature testimonials, previous client logos, and metrics if available. Make sure all samples are well-edited, error-free, and nicely formatted for easy reading on desktop and mobile. Additionally, outline your skills, qualifications, and services in a professional bio.
Craft Winning Pitch Letters
With targeted prospects in mind, start crafting customized pitch emails selling your writing services. Introduce yourself, reference how you found them and why you think your skills align well. Highlight one major content need from their site and how you could help address it.
Provide a short writing sample demonstrating your style and abilities. Mention your qualifications, experience, and positive client testimonials to build trust. State your competitive rates and flexible terms clearly upfront to intrigue them. Most importantly, make a compelling call-to-action to “connect and discuss how I can help grow your [business/brand] through impactful content marketing.”
Follow Up Strategically
After sending pitches, don’t wait more than 3-5 days before following up. Chase leads patiently with polite reminder emails that reiterate your value proposition and availability. Be prepared for some clients needing samples beforehand, while others schedule initial phone calls or virtual meetings.
Remain calm, attentive and solutions-focused in these discussions as you learn more needs. Give clients confidence by offering reasonable turnaround times and transparency in your process. Friendly follow ups keep you top-of-mind until they’re ready to hire. While some may still reject you, consistently staying engaged increases your odds of securing new work.
Develop Client Relationships
Landing the first client is a big win, but then focus on providing excellent service to foster ongoing relationships. Complete all assignments to their satisfaction quickly. Check in regularly for new projects and keep communications open to solve any issues immediately. Send personalized thank you emails after each completed job to strengthen your bond.
Request honest feedback too so you can continuously sharpen your skills. Treating clients like valuable partners generates repeat business and referrals and leads to greater success as a freelance writer. Grow your network by connecting their contacts to additional high quality samples. Establishing yourself as a reliable and enjoyable freelancer to work with is key to long term sustainability.
Refine Your Writer Profile and Online Presence
To command higher rates and larger projects, sharpen your online profiles to look extremely professional. Have flawless spelling, syntax and formatting across all brand touchpoints. Customize your website with a memorable design focused on client experience. Optimize profiles on sites like Upwork, PeoplePerHour, and Fiverr for maximum discoverability.
Share high-quality published works on your personal blog or portfolio. Guest post for other industry publications. Engage positively on social platforms relevant to your niches like Twitter, LinkedIn and industry communities. Consistently provide value to build authority as an expert writer. Make sure Google searches for your name and services yield optimized online profiles that impress potential clients.
Price Your Services Strategically
When first starting out, aim for lower mid-range rates to attract more clients and build a solid portfolio. As your experience and success grows, slowly increase prices accordingly. Consider industry standards, location, content type,word count, turnaround times and additional revisions. Customize fee structures to suit different budgets like flat monthly content packages or hourly/per word.
Remember that quality, not low prices alone, lands the best long term clients. Offer a few higher end services at premium rates to target bigger companies. Negotiate discounts for bulk projects confidently too once trusted relationships develop. Keep rates higher on niche and technical subjects leveraging your specialized skills There is no single pricing formula, so test continuously and monitor metrics.
Promote Your Brand Through Case Studies
Case studies powerfully sharing real successes convince prospects that you really deliver value. Prompt satisfied clients for permission after finishing work to feature your contributions. Highlight key challenges, approaches, results like traffic/sales increases or other measurable outcomes. Publish studies prominently on your website and include in pitches with fresh examples.
Write articles for industry publications too. Guest post for relevant blogs and websites featuring case studies and thought leadership content establishing your expertise. Add bylined pieces on Authority sites like Medium and LinkedIn publishing boosting SEO and brand awareness. Share across all social platforms and relevant industry forums and groups. Distribute well-written press releases too. These efforts raise your profile significantly amongst potential clients.
Keep Learning and Perfecting Your Craft
To stay in high demand, continuously sharpen your skills as content production standards evolve. Read top publications and follow industry thought leaders. Attend virtual seminars and conferences. Join quality online courses enhancing technical abilities and exposure to new trends. Consider sought-after certifications too like the Copywriting Certification from the International Copywriter’s Society.
Solicit constructive peer feedback and devote time daily towards self-learning. Refresh your portfolio pieces with refined rewrites. Test new writing styles and specialize further into profitable niches. Network actively online and in-person. Keep systems organized with a content calendar, folders for each client, timesheets and invoices. Adopt productivity tools for collaboration and project management. Flexibility and passion for the craft give you an edge over stagnant competitors.
With patience and persistence applying such proven strategies, your freelance content writing business can surely grow profitably over time. Stay focused on providing the best customer experience and leverage all channels for more opportunities. Building an excellent online reputation and diversifying your skills keeps you in demand in this thriving remote career. I hope these tips help you get started and wish you the very best selling your services successfully!
Andrew Stroud