I’m no longer working my nine-to-five job as a writer. Instead, I make my money writing press releases. Yes, it’s true! You can quit your day job, too. It all started when I was asked by a friend to write a press release for her online shop and the owner of the company gave me $100 for it the first time that had ever happened!
As soon as I got home, I went right back into action and started looking up more companies that might need help with their PR campaigns. Within days of posting my first gig on Fiverr and Upwork (which are both freelance marketplaces).
I landed another client who offered $250 for each release they needed to be written by someone like me; this time around it wasn’t just one person but an entire team managing different projects at once.
| Key Takeaways |
|---|
| Embrace freelance writing as a viable income source. |
| Develop a strong understanding of press release writing techniques. |
| Consistently produce high-quality press releases to attract attention. |
| Leverage the power of media coverage to enhance brand visibility. |
| Strategic content marketing can lead to substantial financial growth. |
| Dedication and persistence are crucial for achieving financial success. |
| Transforming a side gig into a full-time venture requires calculated steps. |
| Emulate successful strategies while adapting them to your unique journey. |
| Prioritize niche selection and market research for targeted impact. |
| Achieving passive income through writing is attainable with the right approach. |
1. Never Settle For The First Organization You Write For
You need to find the right fit. Don’t just take any organization’s press release and submit it. Make sure you are a good fit for the organization, and that they are a good fit for you.
You should have similar goals, values, etc. If they don’t match up well with yours or have no idea what they want out of their press releases (i.e., “I would like a press release that has some keywords in it”).
Then this may not be worth doing business with them long-term unless they’re willing to pay very high rates or willing to change what they need from their PR efforts as time goes on (which isn’t usually realistic).
Crafting epic press releases is a strategic art. Learn how to create epic press releases that capture attention and secure media coverage, maximizing your message’s impact.
2. Don’t Set A Minimum Price
The second thing you should do is set no minimum price.
i know that sounds counter-intuitive, but hear me out
Setting a minimum price puts the burden on yourself to sell your services for less than what you feel is fair. When you do this, you’re essentially saying “I can’t afford to pay myself anything more than X per hour because I need to make sure my business stays afloat.”
This limits your earning potential because clients see what they want from your business and will always try to get as much out of it as possible.
If someone offers $100 for your service, but the market value is $500 just say yes! If someone offers $500 for your service and the market value is $1,000 just say yes! And if someone offers $1,000 and the market value is $5,000? Well just say yes again!
3. Make Sure You Have An Editor
Having an editor on board for your press release writing business is vital. Here are some reasons why:
You need someone to keep you in check. When you’re writing a press release, it can be easy to get carried away with the excitement of being published, so having someone there who can question you and make sure that everything makes sense will help prevent mistakes from slipping through the cracks.
You need an editor who knows how to organize information and present it. This is especially important if you’re writing about a complicated subject like technology or science the reader needs good organization to understand what they’re reading!
And finally, an editor will help ensure that all spelling errors are caught before sending out your press releases (because let’s face it: most people don’t have time for autocorrect).
Achieving meaningful press coverage can be a game-changer for your brand. Discover effective methods to get press coverage with a press release and boost your visibility within the media landscape.
4. Build Your Brand
You have a brand, whether you realize it or not. Your brand is the way people think about your business and what they associate with it. It’s what makes someone want to work with you or buy from you. If your brand doesn’t exist yet, that’s fine!
Think about what comes to mind when you hear the name of your company or service. What words do they use? What emotions do they feel? How are those different from how others might describe them?
For example, if I asked five random people what comes to mind when they hear “Google Chrome extensions” their answers would probably vary widely depending on their interests and experience levels (and maybe even their age).
But if I ask five random people what comes to mind when they hear “Google Docs online editor,” most of them will probably say something along these lines: easy-to-use tools for collaboration between coworkers.
files that can be accessed anywhere; anyone who needs an easy way to create presentations should check this out since there are no major downsides like having to download software onto your computer first.
Before using it at all times whenever possible instead of just once a day every few hours throughout an entire week without any interruptions whatsoever whatsoever whatsoever whatsoever.
5. Have An Email List
Now that you’ve created a mailing list, it’s time to get your press release into the hands of potential clients. You can do this by sending an email with a link to your press release and asking them to share it on social media or send you referrals.
You may think this is a strange way to solicit business, but it has worked for me and many other freelance writers I know.
Once someone shares one of my press releases on their blog or Facebook page, I immediately reach out and ask them if they want to be added to my mailing list so that I can send them more information on how they can use content marketing for their business (and maybe earn some extra income too).
Gaining insights from experienced writers can significantly improve your press release skills. Dive into valuable lessons from an experienced press release writer to enhance your writing prowess and deliver compelling content.
6. There’s Nothing Wrong With Trying To Get Paid More
Don’t be afraid to ask for more money. It may seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t ask for what they deserve. If you’re working for yourself, there’s no one to blame but yourself if you’re not making enough money.
Always try to get more money when negotiating with clients or new customers. Always try to get paid more than the amount that has been agreed upon and do it politely! No one will give you more money unless you ask them directly (and sometimes even then).
You need to be assertive and pushy to get what’s rightfully yours do not allow anyone else or anything else to prevent this from happening!
If someone doesn’t want to pay you enough (or at all), find someone who will pay what YOU deserve! Don’t let anyone talk down your worth as a writer just because they aren’t willing or able right now to find other clients who are happy paying top dollar instead!
7. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For What You Want
This is probably the most important piece of advice I can give you. You have to be willing to ask for more money, more responsibility, and more freedom.
You have to be willing to say “no” when someone wants you on the team at 2 AM. They need help finishing a project or are going to miss their deadline because they’re overworked and understaffed and they know it will affect your work too if you aren’t there as well.
And I know what some of you may be thinking: “I don’t want them thinking I’m greedy!” Or “I’m not comfortable asking for more money! How do I even start? What if my boss gets mad at me? What will he think of me after that?!” Well, guess what? Your boss won’t get mad at all and here’s why:
8. Ask Before Taking On A Bigger Project
As your business grows and you take on bigger projects, it’s important to ask for advice before starting a new task. Asking for help is much better than just diving in and hoping for the best. You may need more money, more time, or more resources to complete a certain project.
You may also want to ask what your client expects from this project and when they expect it done. The last thing you want is to send over an incomplete job or one that doesn’t match up with what your client wants (or worse yet one that doesn’t meet their needs).
9. Get Your Clients To Recommend You To Other Businesses They Work With
The more businesses you can get your clients to recommend you to, the better. This is a great way to expand your reach and bolster your credibility as a business owner.
To make it easy for them to do so, ask at the end of each project whether they have any contacts who would be interested in what you’re doing.
If they do, send over the press release with an introduction from the client along with information about what exactly you did together (e.g., “I used PressComms’ services for my last three campaigns”).
Don’t hesitate when asking for a recommendation knowing that it is important might even push people into doing what’s necessary to provide one!
Once someone has agreed to give you a recommendation, follow up with them and thank them warmly when they do so.
This will make future interactions easier because there won’t be any tension about whether or not something will happen next time around you’ll already have established trust between each other based on previous positive experiences working together!
Content marketing strategies encompass a diverse range of tools, and press release writing is a crucial component. Understand why press release writing should be in your content marketing arsenal to effectively engage your audience and establish your brand.
10. Keep Potential Customers In Mind As You’re Writing A Regular Press Release
As you’re writing your press release, make sure to keep the potential customer in mind.
- Does it relate to your target audience?
- Is it relevant to the organization that you’re pitching it to?
- Is it relevant to the industry that you’re pitching it to?
- Is it relevant to the topic that you’re pitching for and/or about?
It’s also important for your press release to be relevant to an event or newsworthy item occurring at a certain time (e.g., if there’s a new product launch, or if there’s been some sort of controversy).
11. Make sure your press release is original and not plagiarized
Don’t copy and paste from other sources. When you’re writing your press release, make sure that it’s original and not plagiarized. If you’re using someone else’s work (or rehashing a press release that was issued by someone else), people will be able to tell.
Don’t take credit for someone else’s work. You should also avoid taking credit for another person’s achievement or success story in any way whatsoever, whether it be directly copying their material or claiming that they are a client of yours when they are not (this also applies if they have already worked with other PR firms).
Don’t use copyrighted material without permission.* Copyrighted material includes anything found on sites like Google Images or YouTube.
If you have permission from the copyright holder to use their content in your press release, make sure that they give it to you in writing so there are no questions later about whether or not this is legal or acceptable under fair use laws.*
Also remember: just because something is out there doesn’t mean it isn’t still protected by copyright law just because someone posted about their new album online does not mean anyone has permission to use any images from their website without paying for them first!
12. Be Professional At All Times, Even When The Organization Doesn’t Seem To Take The Writing Seriously
Here are some tips to ensure that you stay professional:
Don’t take it personally. If a client doesn’t respond to your queries, don’t get upset or frustrated it could just be an oversight. Instead, send them a follow-up and they’ll most likely get back to you quickly (and if they don’t, move on).
Remain calm in the face of adversity. Sometimes clients will forget crucial details about their press release or give incorrect information when answering questions about what they’re looking for.
This is completely normal; just remind yourself that this is their first time working with someone who writes press releases professionally and you can help them out by giving feedback on their draft until it’s finished!
13. Don’t Hesitate To Get Outside Help If Necessary
Once you’ve got your press release written, it’s time to get it published. But before you do that, make sure you do the following:
Get a professional editor to help you with your writing. You may be an excellent writer, but there are still things that even the best writers miss when they’re editing their work. A good editor can catch these errors and make sure your writing is as clear and concise as possible.
Hire a professional writer if you aren’t one yourself (or don’t want to be!). If this is something that interests you and seems like something worth doing full-time or part-time, consider getting help from someone who has experience in this field so they can share their knowledge with you so that together both of your businesses can grow exponentially!
Hire a proofreader for any last-minute edits before sending out the final copy! Be careful not to overlook mistakes that could cost potential customers on social media sites such as Twitter or Reddit who may otherwise have clicked “share” because they thought it was funny instead of being funny due to error(s).
Small businesses can leverage press releases to make a big impact. Learn how to write a press release for your small business that captures attention, showcases your offerings, and sets the stage for growth.
14. Take every opportunity that comes your way
More than anything else, you need to be willing to take chances. Don’t be afraid of investing in yourself, whether that means spending money on classes or hiring a coach.
If you’re not sure what your next step should be, find someone who can give honest feedback about your strengths and weaknesses as an individual and as a business owner. And don’t limit yourself by being too proud if there’s anything out there that could help make your life easier or more profitable, don’t hesitate to reach out for it!
The most important thing I learned from quitting my day job was that the only way I’d ever achieve my goals was if I put myself first and took action every day towards those goals.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, you need to do what makes you happy. If this is something that interests you, then go for it! If not, there are many other ways to make money online that don’t require writing press releases. But if this sounds like something worth doing and you think it would work well in your life right now then go ahead and give it a try!
Further Reading
How a 28-Year-Old Turned Her Side Hustle into a Million-Dollar Business: Discover the inspiring journey of a young entrepreneur who transformed her side hustle into a thriving million-dollar venture, achieving passive income success.
Making Over $100K from Writing in Less Than 12 Months: Uncover strategies and insights that helped an author generate substantial income through writing within a short timeframe, offering valuable tips for those seeking writing-related financial success.
How to Quit Your Job in 120 Days or Less: Explore a comprehensive guide on how to strategically transition from traditional employment to entrepreneurship within 120 days, ensuring a smoother and calculated career shift.
FAQs
How did the 28-year-old entrepreneur achieve a million-dollar business from a side hustle?
The entrepreneur’s journey involved careful planning, dedication, and leveraging her side hustle’s growth potential. By identifying market demand and scaling her business effectively, she managed to turn her side hustle into a lucrative venture.
What strategies are shared in the article about making over $100K from writing in less than 12 months?
The article discusses various tactics such as niche selection, content creation consistency, and effective marketing. These strategies, when executed properly, can help writers achieve substantial earnings within a relatively short timeframe.
What are some key steps to quitting a job and transitioning to entrepreneurship within 120 days?
The guide emphasizes creating a solid business plan, building a strong online presence, securing initial clients or customers, and setting up the necessary infrastructure for your new venture—all of which contribute to a successful career switch in a limited timeframe.
How can I replicate the success of the individuals featured in these articles?
To replicate their success, it’s important to analyze their strategies, adapt them to your situation, and maintain a proactive approach. Learning from their experiences can provide valuable insights for your own journey towards financial and professional growth.
What are the common factors contributing to these success stories?
While each story has its unique elements, common factors include strategic planning, perseverance, effective time management, seizing opportunities, and leveraging available resources to achieve exceptional results.
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.