How To Generate 50+ Leads Per Month As A Freelance Writer

As a freelance writer, you know that your monthly income is directly tied to the number of clients you have. So how do you get more leads?

Well, as it turns out, there are plenty of ways for writers to find new clients. You just need to know where to look and how to get their attention. Below are several strategies for generating freelance writing leads and landing more assignments each month.

Now let’s take a look at the top ten tactics for finding and securing freelance writing clients…

Takeaways
1. Implement targeted content marketing strategies to attract your ideal clients.
2. Utilize social media platforms effectively to reach a wider audience and generate leads.
3. Offer valuable lead magnets, such as free e-books or guides, to capture potential clients’ contact information.
4. Build a professional website that showcases your writing portfolio and provides clear calls-to-action for lead generation.
5. Network with industry professionals and leverage their connections to expand your reach and find potential clients.
6. Use search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to improve your online visibility and attract organic leads.
7. Continuously track and analyze your lead generation efforts to identify what strategies are most effective for your freelance writing business.
8. Provide exceptional customer service to your existing clients, as they can become valuable referral sources for new leads.
9. Develop a consistent and engaging personal brand that resonates with your target audience and helps you stand out in a competitive market.
10. Stay proactive and persistent in your lead generation efforts, adapting your strategies as needed to maximize results.

Join A Community

Now that you know the four steps for creating a lead generation system, it’s time to start using them. But first, I want to talk about motivation and what you can do to ensure you stay on track.

One of the easiest ways to maintain your motivation is by joining a community with other freelancers. There are several online communities where you can connect with writers from around the world and chat about whatever topics come up. Some of these communities even offer special programs or weekly challenges that help keep you accountable as well as motivated. Here are some examples:

There’s nothing wrong with working alone, but it can be very isolating at times. Being part of a larger community will help you feel less alone and more supported in your work. Plus, having people available to give feedback on your work is always useful!

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Share The Blog Posts You Read

You can share blog posts in a variety of ways. Here are some suggestions:

Share it on social media, while giving a short explanation of why you like it and tagging the author.

Comment on the post itself, giving your thoughts and mentioning that you’d be happy to share the article with your audience on social media, email lists, etc.

Share it with your email subscribers by including it in your weekly newsletter or sending a dedicated message about it.

Share it in a Facebook group (or another community platform) by posing a question related to the topic and linking to it as reference material.

Share it in an online forum or discussion board by posting an introduction to yourself with a link to the article if anyone wants to check out more about you or your work.

Send an email directly to the author letting them know how much you like their article and asking if they would be okay with you sharing it with your audience through one or more of these methods. Write a blog post that adds to what was said in the original post, references its points, and links back to it for additional context.

Build A Spreadsheet Of All The Websites You’d Like To Write For

Step 1: Create a spreadsheet of all the websites you’d like to write for.

Include columns for the website’s name, URL, contact information, your pitch and its response (more on that later), and the date you last pitched them.

The more websites you can find on this sheet, the better. For example, if you’re a food writer interested in cooking articles that focus on seasonal foods and sustainable agriculture, make a list of every website that fits that description.

Now let’s dig into how to find these websites:

Start reaching out to those websites

To get the most out of these tips, you’ll need a few essential pieces of information. First, you need to find the email address of a website editor. You can check this by looking at their About page on the site itself. This page should have an area in which the editor or authors list their contact details. Second, you’ll want to write your email in such a way that it compels them to respond and look at your portfolio and samples.

That is where I come in, with some simple tricks that will help you become more responsive and productive with those pesky editors from websites far and wide!

Are you a freelance writer seeking ways to increase your income? Learn how to leverage your writing skills in the customer service industry by exploring our guide on how to get a freelance customer service job to pay the bills. Discover new avenues where your writing expertise can contribute to your financial success.

Find Facebook Groups To Join

If you’re willing to put the time into it, you can make a good living as a freelance writer. However, it takes work and effort both of which are more likely to get in the way of your work than inspire you to do better. In order for you to succeed, there’s everything that goes into making it happen:

Finding relevant groups: As I mentioned earlier in this article, Facebook groups are a fantastic resource when seeking out online communities. Not only do they allow members access to each other’s content and feedback, but they also provide numerous opportunities for promoting yourself by posting content based on what your group is about. Combine the use of relevant groups with the right keywords and an understanding of how people search on Facebook, and you should have ample material to showcase yourself as a talented writer.

Joining a group: Once you’ve found a group that is appealing to you, jump right in by joining their discussion pages. You’ll want to go through the rules of engagement (such as not spamming or being annoying) and make sure there is nothing against those rules before posting anything at all. If there is something against those rules, don’t post anything; just let someone from the group know so they can look into that problem.

Making the most of your posts: As I mentioned earlier in this article under “How To Generate 50+ Leads Per Month As A Freelance Writer”, Facebook allows users access to features like comments and likes by posting content on their own personal pages or pages belonging to specific categories (like Marketers). 

These features will help boost your profile while allowing others easier access to information about who you are which will hopefully encourage them to take action on what they’ve read through your writing or click through on links within yours. Just like with any other social outlet though, keep an eye out for malicious comments or posts harassing others or trying too hard; avoid these types of people by either commenting yourself at first or flagging

As a freelance writer, maximizing your earnings from customer service work is essential. Dive into our article on how to make more money from your freelance customer service work to uncover strategies for increasing your income, attracting higher-paying clients, and optimizing your freelance career.

Join At Least One Forum And Start A Discussion Each Week (Or Reply To Old Ones)

Forums are great for client acquisition because, as their name implies, they’re a centralized place for people who share a common interest.

A good resource for finding relevant forums is Boardreader. Here you can search by topic and see the most popular forums on Google that support that topic.

When you join a forum, your first goal should be to start contributing to already-existing threads. Just like with blogs and guest posts, only start your own thread once you’ve demonstrated value to others on the platform through comments and replies.

As you’re updating your profile in the forum (which should include your real name), make sure to also include a link back to your portfolio website if possible. This will help put a face to the name when other forum members see it pop up in their inboxes later on!

Join Freelancing Platforms

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about how to generate leads as a freelance writer is probably joining freelancing platforms like Upwork or Guru. These sites allow clients to post jobs for writers who are willing to bid on them, so they’re an obvious place for writers looking for new clients.

However, these platforms are also becoming increasingly crowded with entries every day because more people are learning about them and seeing their potential as an easy way to make money from home (particularly in countries where there aren’t many other options). This means that competition is fierce you’ll need an excellent profile page and cover letter if you want your application noticed by potential clients!

And others that are more industry-specific, like SolidGigs, Crowded, and Working Not Working for writers and designers respectively. If you’re a graphic designer, writer, or photographer, then DesignCrowd is another resource worth considering.

Pricing your services appropriately is crucial for freelance writers. If you’re a marketing consultant transitioning into freelance work, our article on what to charge as a freelance marketing consultant provides valuable insights and strategies to help you determine your worth and attract clients who appreciate your expertise.

Update Your Linkedin Profile And Include Your Writing Samples And Portfolio Links

Believe it or not, LinkedIn is the #1 social media platform for generating leads for freelance writers. But it only works if you do it right! I knew a guy who used his LinkedIn profile to draw in prospective clients, but then he neglected to update his profile and samples regularly, so his efforts were ultimately fruitless.

If you do want to use LinkedIn as a lead generator, though, I recommend updating your profile before making any connections. You should include at least three samples and two links to portfolios or writing-related websites you’ve worked on. 

Don’t be afraid to be creative with your presentation a few happy clients have told me they found my profile by searching for “Star Wars” because of my creative summary that likened prospecting for clients to being a Jedi Knight. (Pro tip: don’t just say that you’re a Jedi Knight if you don’t actually have the Force.)

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Final Thought

Finally, don’t forget about including your contact information on your page! You’d be surprised how often people forget this part when they’re creating their profiles. Many freelancers worry about adding too much contact information, but I think it’s important for potential clients to get in touch if they are interested in working with me specifically rather than going through an agency or other middleman first.

Try this method, which will take you about 15 minutes per day, and you’ll be able to generate 50+ leads per month.

After a few days, you’ll probably get responses from just a couple of people. That’s okay! You’re still building up a base of leads, and you should be able to snag at least one or two clients within the first month.

If you get a lot of responses, don’t panic! The sheer volume might make it difficult to respond in a timely manner, but remember that your goal is to attract new clients, not maintain 100% response rates.

If you get mostly negative responses from potential clients (e.g., they say they can’t afford your services), this is likely due to the fact that there are freelancers offering their services at lower rates than yours. Don’t let this discourage you; many writers make compromises on their prices early on in their freelance careers only to regret it later when raising their costs becomes more difficult for them down the road.

Further Reading

Here are some additional resources to explore for further reading on freelance writing and generating leads:

How to Start Making $5K per Month as a Freelance Writer: Discover strategies and tips to increase your income as a freelance writer, with insights on pricing, marketing, and finding high-paying clients.

Freelancers: How to Generate Qualified Leads: Learn effective techniques to generate qualified leads as a freelancer, including lead generation tactics, building your online presence, and leveraging social media platforms.

How to Make $100K to $400K as a Freelance Content Writer: Dive into this resource to discover strategies, best practices, and real-life examples that can help you elevate your freelance writing career and achieve significant earning potential.

Frequently Asked Questions

What If I Don’t Have My Own Website?

That’s okay! You can still generate leads and work with clients. If you want to get started now, the best thing to do is to create a website using WordPress. Then, use one of our lead generation strategies below to start attracting more clients.

Websites are great for generating leads, but they’re not the only way. Here are some other ways you can generate leads as a freelance writer:

Social media: Create profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more. Use these platforms to attract new clients and share your portfolio with them.

Direct Outreach: Reach out directly to businesses in your area that might be interested in hiring you as an independent contractor or freelancer.

Do I Need To Write A Blog?

Yes, if you want to be successful at freelancing, it’s helpful to have a blog where you can post content regularly. This way, you’ll be seen as an expert in your field and people will know they can find quality writing on your site. It also gives them an easy way to reach out with new projects, which is what every freelancer wants!

No, if you don’t have time or interest in maintaining a blog. You can still succeed as a freelance writer without one you just need to focus on different strategies for generating leads through cold emailing campaigns, social media ads (like Facebook), and other methods that don’t require maintaining a website or updating content regularly.

What If I’m Not Good At Writing?

Improve your writing by guest posting on high-traffic blogs in your niche and improving those posts over time (i.e., with the edits your editor will suggest). Then use the same approach on your landing page and client emails write, edit, and improve. This is an iterative process that takes time, but it works for everyone who does it consistently and you can’t succeed as a freelance writer without being consistent.

How Do I Get Clients?

That’s a question we hear a lot from our clients. We’re here to help you out, and we’ve got some great tips for you.

First, start with your network. Are you connected with others who might need your services? If so, reach out to them. Let them know what you offer and why they should use your services. Show them some samples of your work and ask if they’d be willing to consider using it in the future if they ever need something similar done. You never know who might be looking for a freelance writer!

If that doesn’t work out, consider reaching out through social media or emailing companies directly (if they have an email address). 

In your message, outline why YOU are the perfect person for this job. This is YOUR chance to shine! Make sure that all of your info is correct you don’t want them thinking about anything other than how amazing YOU are once they read this message.

How Do I Get More Clients When I’m Starting Out As A Freelancer?

You should focus on building up your portfolio before looking for clients because it’s important for potential employers to see what kind of work experience you have under your belt before hiring.

 What Is The Best Way To Generate Leads?

The best way to generate leads as a freelance writer is to find your niche and write for people who love what you love. Once you’ve found your niche, create a website and start writing articles about topics related to your niche. The more content you have on this site, the more likely people are going to find it when they Google something related to your niche.

What Should My Website Look Like?

Your website should be full of articles related to your niche. It should also include a contact form that allows interested parties to reach out directly with questions or proposals for work. If you don’t have those things on your site, then you’re probably not getting the leads you could be getting!

How Do I Get People To Visit My Website?

The best way to get people to visit your website is by using SEO (search engine optimization) techniques on all of your pages so that they show up in search engines when someone searches for information related to what you write about most often (or any other topic that might interest someone looking for freelance writers).