Becoming a professional writer isn’t easy, but I’m here to tell you that it is possible. Now, I know what you’re thinking: ”Yes, it’s possible if you’re famous or really good at something.”
But that’s not the case. When I first started as a freelance writer (back in 2015), my only special talent was clicking “send” on an email.
Truthfully, my most valuable assets were my determination and my willingness to invest countless hours into developing a marketing strategy for myself as a business owner one that would help me find clients and build up enough residual income to support myself as a full-time writer.
Fast forward five years later and I’ve helped dozens of writers build their six-figure writing businesses…all by following this same strategy!
| Key Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Implementing a well-defined marketing strategy can lead to significant career growth. |
| 2. Consistency and persistence are key to the success of a marketing strategy. |
| 3. Leveraging platforms like Quora can be an effective way to promote your services. |
| 4. Direct marketing approaches tailored to creative professionals can yield remarkable results. |
| 5. Integrating budget-friendly marketing techniques can be highly beneficial for career advancement. |
Write Excellent Blog Content
Blog content is a great place to start building your writing portfolio and developing an audience. It’s also a great way for you to hone your skills before starting work on bigger projects.
While you may think that creating blog content is just about writing, there’s more to it than just putting words down on the page. To create really good blog posts, you need to do research beforehand and make sure that the information in them is accurate and up-to-date.
When writing a blog post, think about what topics people are interested in reading about and then write based on those interests.
You should also write based on what you know if possible, and choose topics where you have expertise or experience so that readers know they can trust your opinions!
If all else fails, choose topics that interest YOU; this will help ensure that every piece of work reflects your personality!
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Get The Right Team Members In Place
There are a lot of different roles you can hire for your business. If you want to take it to the next level, get the right team members in place. Here’s what I recommend:
- A professional editor
- A professional designer
- A professional social media manager (or two)
- An SEO expert (or two)
- A copywriter or ghostwriter if your name isn’t associated with the content you produce. You want someone who can produce content that gets more eyeballs on your website and increases sales.
- A photographer, even if it’s just one person who takes photos every month or so when needed (it doesn’t have to be an ongoing expense).
Having good quality images will make all the difference between getting leads and losing them because they don’t trust what they see!
If there are any other tasks involved in running a successful company from managing payroll to creating marketing campaigns on behalf of clients hire those services as well!
This is not something most people think about when starting their own business but it’s extremely important if you want things like taxes filed correctly by year’s end without stress, etcetera…
Learn how to effectively present your copywriting skills on Quora with our article on How to Pitch Your Copywriting Services on Quora. Discover the secrets behind crafting compelling pitches that can attract potential clients and boost your professional writing journey.
Focus On SEO And Keywords
SEO is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine’s “natural” or un-paid (“organic”) search results. You’ll want to optimize your website so it attracts visitors who are actively looking for what you’re offering and then convert them into customers.
Content. Your landing page should have the right balance of text, images, and video. You want to include the keywords your target audience may be searching for without making it seem like you crammed them in there just for the sake of having them.
Offerings. Price transparency
Supplement Your Writing Income With Other Sources Of Income
Write For Others
I’ve written for several different sites, including eHow and Livestrong. As you can imagine, the pay rate is pretty low but it’s a great way to get started and build your resume as a writer.
Create A Course
You can create an online course and sell it on Udemy or Teachable (or both). I have my courses on Udemy that are currently bringing in about $800 per month in revenue after fees and taxes!
Create A Podcast
This is another great way to supplement your writing income via podcast sponsorships, or through affiliate links, if you’re doing an information-based show like mine where I just talk about creative ways to make money!
Create a blog or website that generates income passively through advertising, affiliate links, etc. This whole site was created as an experiment with monetization via ads and affiliate marketing;
So far it’s been generating around $100-$200 per month since its launch back in 2017 (which isn’t too bad considering all of my time spent on this project has come mostly while working full-time at another job!).
As a freelance marketer, understanding The Most Important Skill for a Freelance Marketer is crucial. Explore our insights on this vital skill and learn how it can enhance your freelance marketing career.
Don’t Just Sit Back And Wait For The Clients To Come To You
The only way to get clients is through marketing. Don’t just sit back and wait for the clients to come to you, you need to be proactive. You need to be where your clients are and become visible in those places.
There are many ways that I market myself as a writer: I write articles in my niche, participate on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, and create videos on YouTube about my work (and other topics).
And submit guest posts for blogs that align with my interests/niche, attend events related to writing or marketing…the list goes on!
Focus On Creating A Desirable Brand Image
You need a website. A professional one. The kind of website that makes it easy for people to find out about you and what you can do for them, and then contact you directly using an email form on the site or by phone.
You also need a portfolio with samples of your writing that demonstrate your knowledge and expertise in the field or fields where you wish to work as a professional writer.
In addition, include some information about yourself: why should someone hire YOU (or continue working with YOU), rather than anyone else? What makes YOUR services unique?
How long have YOU been in business? What are YOUR qualifications/experience/credentials? What’s YOUR background? How did YOU get started doing this type of work?
Put Together A Portfolio Of Work
A portfolio of work is crucial to any writer’s career. It’s a collection of samples that you can use to show potential clients what you’re capable of.
And it should include everything from writing samples to digital portfolios, collateral material (like brochures or posters), and even social media posts.
As far as how much detail goes into your portfolio, it depends on the kind of work you do. For example, if you’re an editor for a large publication, then having just a few samples will probably suffice;
But if you freelance as a web content writer for a small business owner who doesn’t know much about SEO or long-form articles.
Then it might be worth including some additional information about how long each piece took from start to finish and what it cost them in terms of time and money!
If you have questions about how many projects should go into your portfolio (or whether they should all be written), feel free to ask me in the comments section below; I’ll try my best to answer based on my own experience as well other freelancers’ stories.
Effective marketing doesn’t have to break the bank. Dive into our guide on How to Market Your Design Business on a Budget to uncover innovative strategies that will help you promote your design business without overspending.
Offer What You’re Good At
To figure out where you should focus your efforts, take a look at your strengths. Are you good at writing? Writing sales copy? Editing?
All of these things are important to know about yourself and your career as a writer. You can’t be good at everything (though some writers have tried), so it’s best to focus on what comes naturally to you and do that well.
Then find ways to offer those services for money in other words: find people who need what you’re good at and start charging them for it!
Utilize Your Linkedin Profile Effectively
LinkedIn is a great way to showcase your skills and experience. Not only will this help you market yourself, but it can also be used as a platform for building relationships with potential clients.
When writing your profile, consider the following:
- What are the main skills you’re offering? How do they match up with what your ideal customer needs?
- Have you included any examples of work on LinkedIn that demonstrates these skills? If so, link directly to them in the body of your profile (and be sure not to use any copyrighted material).
This shows off what you’re capable of doing and gives potential employers something concrete to look at when assessing whether or not they want to hire you for their next project.
Create Engaging, Value-Oriented Content For Social Media And Email Newsletters
Your marketing strategy should include creating engaging and value-oriented content for your social media accounts, email newsletters, and blog posts.
This is what will draw people in, make them want to learn more about the products or services you offer, and ultimately get them to hire you as a freelance writer.
When writing this type of content, try to keep it short, sweet, and informative you don’t need to write an entire book just because you have a few paragraphs worth of information for readers!
Here are some examples:
- Short articles that offer useful tips on how to improve their writing skills (this can be as simple as sharing the top ten mistakes newbie writers make)
- Quotes from famous authors about why they love reading books or what books influenced them most (you could even cite specific titles!)
Be Honest About What You Charge And How Long It Will Take You To Get Something Done. Make Your Deadlines Concrete As Well
As a writer, one of the most important things you can do is be honest about what you can and cannot do. You may be tempted to overpromise on your deliverables or understate how long things might take.
The best way to avoid this is by being completely transparent with your clients. If they ask how long something will take, tell them exactly how long it will take (and if any factors could cause delays).
If a client asks a question that makes no sense—like “Can you write an entire book in one month?” don’t hesitate to say so! It’s better for everyone involved if they know upfront what their expectations should be instead of being disappointed later on down the line.
Build A Website With An Attractive Landing Page, Samples Of Your Work, And A Way To Contact You
Your website should have a clear call to action. That means it should be easy for your visitors to find out more about you, whether that means buying your services or just learning more about what you do.
Your website should also have a way for visitors to contact you directly (usually via email). If the visitor has any questions, they can quickly and easily get in touch with you by sending an email through your site.
Finally, when building a website, it’s important to include samples of your work so that visitors can see how good of a fit they’d be with hiring you as their writer or editor.
Creative professionals seeking direct marketing guidance should explore our comprehensive Guide to Direct Marketing for Creative Professionals. Discover actionable tips and techniques to effectively market your creative endeavors and connect with your target audience.
Conclusion
In the beginning, my marketing strategy was simple. It was to write good content and put it in front of the right people. As I got better at writing, my strategy naturally evolved into a more complicated one involving data, research, interviews, and social media.
The main principle that drives me today is to provide value through words and let them do the work for you! I hope this article provided some insight on how I went from 0 dollars per month as an author to professional writer full-time career status (and how you can too).
Further Reading
Writing a Marketing Strategy Plan: Explore this comprehensive guide to learn how to create a well-structured marketing strategy plan for your business.
Marketing Plan Examples: Gain insights into various marketing plan examples that can serve as inspiration for crafting your own effective marketing strategy.
Creating a Marketing Strategy: Discover the essential steps and considerations involved in creating a successful marketing strategy with this informative resource.
FAQs
What is the importance of a well-written marketing strategy plan?
A well-written marketing strategy plan provides a roadmap for your business’s marketing efforts, helping you outline goals, target audiences, and the tactics needed to achieve success.
How can marketing plan examples benefit my business?
Marketing plan examples offer real-world insights and best practices, helping you visualize how different strategies can be applied to your specific industry and objectives.
What key elements should I include in my marketing strategy plan?
Your marketing strategy plan should typically include sections on market analysis, target audience, competitive analysis, positioning, goals, marketing tactics, and a timeline.
How can I ensure my marketing strategy aligns with my business goals?
To ensure alignment, regularly review and adjust your marketing strategy to reflect changes in your business landscape, audience preferences, and industry trends.
Are there online resources for learning how to create a marketing strategy?
Yes, there are various online platforms that offer courses and guides on creating effective marketing strategies. These resources provide valuable insights and step-by-step guidance to help you get started.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.
