I’ve been writing for free since I was a kid. In high school, I would write for the local newspaper, and then in college, I wrote for my university’s paper. It wasn’t until a few years later that I decided to start charging for my work. Now it’s something that has become part of who I am as an author and entrepreneur.
To this day, it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made because it helped me build a loyal following and eventually led me to become an author of multiple books with thousands of copies sold worldwide!
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Brand Exposure: Writing for free can expose your business to a wider audience, establishing your brand’s presence. |
| 2. Showcasing Expertise: Providing valuable content showcases your expertise, building credibility and trust among potential customers. |
| 3. Building Relationships: Free content fosters connections with your audience, encouraging engagement and fostering customer loyalty. |
| 4. Demonstrating Value: Offering free content demonstrates the value you bring, increasing the likelihood of customers seeking paid services. |
| 5. Long-Term Benefits: Investing in free writing can lead to long-term benefits such as increased visibility, improved reputation, and sustained growth. |
Advertising Is Expensive
Here’s the thing: advertising isn’t a great way to build your business. It’s just not. At least, not in the long term.
You see, as a blogger, you’ll be spending a lot of time writing and creating content for your blog. But when it comes to growing your business by attracting new readers or customers, there’s one thing that will always work better than ads-free content (like this article).
If you want to build a profitable business based on providing value and helping people solve problems through the power of storytelling and great copywriting…it doesn’t matter how much money you spend on advertising because chances are they won’t convert!
In a sea of content, making your writing stand out is crucial. Learn techniques to capture attention and leave an impact with our guide on writing something that really stands out.
Create A Blog And Learn The Basics
To start, you need to create a blog on wordpress.com or blogger.com. You can also use blogger.com if you want to write your theme, but I recommend starting with WordPress because it is more versatile and customizable than most other free blogging platforms out there.
After creating your blog, pick an email address that will be used exclusively for this business.
Use words like “travel” or “travel writer” in the name of your email account so that it fits well with what you do as a travel writer it’s especially important if you plan on growing into other areas of content writing such as copywriting or SEO copywriting (which we’ll talk about later in this guide).
Now that you’ve got your website up and running and the basics down pat (like how to format text), it’s time to take things to the next level by learning some basic grammar rules and working them into everything from writing articles for clients all the way down through social media posts about upcoming events!
To help make sure everything looks good I recommend using Grammarly: It has a browser extension that works as a spellchecker for Microsoft Word documents too and best yet it’s free!
Build an email list
Email marketing is the most effective marketing tool for small businesses. It’s also the most cost-effective, targeted, personal and measurable.
People are more likely to open an email in their inbox than any other piece of direct mail they receive. It’s a great way to build relationships with customers and prospects alike. And with email marketing software like MailChimp or Constant Contact at your disposal, you don’t need a large budget to get started and it’s free!
Build A Community And Get Social Proof
One of the best things about building up a community is that it gives you social proof. As defined on Quick Sprout, social proof is “a psychological phenomenon where people assume the actions of others in an attempt to reflect correct behavior for a given situation.”
In other words, if you have readers who are interested in what you have to say, they’ll be more likely to trust your advice and buy from you.
Copywriting might seem daunting, especially if you’re not a natural writer. Discover how to excel in copywriting without a writing background with insights from the ultimate guide for copywriting for non-writers.
If This Sounds Like Something That Would Help Your Business Grow, Here’s What You Can Do
Write about topics that relate directly to your business. For example, if I were writing about content marketing strategies for small businesses (like me!), I could write articles like “A Beginner’s Guide To Content Marketing” or “How To Create An Editorial Calendar That Works.”
Get people who read your content engaged with it by sharing it on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter or via email newsletters (more on this later). The more exposure your posts get through these channels and yes, even if they’re not always positive comments the more exposure it will get potential customers’ eyes!
Have Guest Authors Write For You
Guest authors can help you build your business, credibility, and audience in several ways.
They allow you to showcase the work of other people on your blog or website. This helps build credibility for both you and the guest author by showing others that others recognize their value enough to write for them.
They can help you reach new audiences outside of your existing readership by introducing them to content that interests them but which may not have been available before. This increases traffic, opens up new advertising opportunities (if appropriate), and creates more opportunities for engagement with this audience as they continue visiting your site in the future.
Guest authors also provide an opportunity to grow an email list with targeted subscribers who have already shown an interest in what you offer based on previous interactions with one another online (for example through social media).
Crafting attention-grabbing titles is an art that drives engagement. Unlock the secrets of writing titles that resonate and attract leads in our article on 12 tips for writing compelling titles that generate leads.
Track Your Traffic By Using Google Analytics
What’s the point of writing if you can’t track your traffic?
You will want to be able to see how many people are visiting your page and where they’re coming from. This is important because it tells you who is reading and whether or not they are interested in what you have to say. If not, maybe there’s something on your site that needs fixing!
There are two ways (that I know of) to track website traffic: Google Analytics and CrazyEgg. Although these two tools do the same thing, I prefer Google Analytics because it’s free (CrazyEgg charges about $20/month for its service). The reason why I like Google Analytics so much is that it does everything that CrazyEgg does at no cost and more!
Give Away A Free Ebook Or Paperback Book Every Month To Eligible Readers
Giving away a free ebook or paperback book every month will build your audience, help you build your email list, and help you build a community. Giving away information for free is an excellent way to get social proof and increase trust with potential customers who may be skeptical about buying from you. It also helps establish yourself as an authority in your niche.
Start Charging For Your Product On Your Website Only After You Have Massive Traffic On It
The most important part of charging for your product on your website is making sure you have the right product. You need to make sure that the problem you’re solving is one that people want to be solved and are willing to pay for.
The next most important element of charging for your product on your website is having a good price. Don’t undervalue yourself or underprice your product. Find out what other similar products cost and charge at least as much. If you can find out what has worked well in other industries, use it as inspiration when deciding on pricing for yours.
The third most important aspect of charging for your product on your website is having great marketing around it so people know about it and want to buy it! If they don’t know what they’re missing out on by not buying from you, they may not even bother looking into what else might be available out there (which could mean less profit).
Fourthly, once someone has purchased something from me online before I send them an email saying thanks! With links back over here where we can talk about how happy I am that now I’ve got all this traffic coming through my site 🙂
Writing persuasive copy is the cornerstone of successful marketing. Explore techniques to create copy that drives conversions and sales in our guide on writing copy that sells anything and everything.
Create Social Proof With Company Endorsements And Testimonials
Social proof is a powerful thing. And one way to build your business is by getting social proof from others. You can do this in several ways, including:
Endorsements: Get people who have used your products or services to say nice things about them on social media.
Testimonials: Ask customers for reviews and testimonials, then publish them on your site or use them on your sales pages.
Get more exposure for the people who endorse you and/or give you testimonials by promoting their work in other channels so they reach even more potential clients or customers than before!
Respond To Customer Emails And Tweets
Respond to customer emails and tweets. Responding to questions, complaints, concerns, and compliments is a great way to build relationships with your customers (and potential customers).
If you’re busy it may be tempting to send someone an automated response that says “We will get back to you soon.” While that works for many people, others will appreciate a more personal response from the owner or manager of the company.
There are also times when responding quickly can help you win over someone who was about to leave negative feedback for your business but changed their mind after hearing from you.
Ask For Feedback From Readers
If you’re going to put in the time and effort to write a blog post, why wouldn’t you want to get feedback on it before publishing it? It’s easy to ask for feedback from readers. You should do this as soon as possible after writing your article (or podcast or video) because that way they can provide suggestions while they are still fresh in your mind.
Here are some ways you can get feedback:
Ask people what they think of the content, format, and style of writing
Ask people how long it took them to read or listen through from start to finish
Ask them if anything was unclear or confusing about the idea being presented
Ask how well organized everything seemed like after reading/listening – What were their first impressions when starting? Did things make sense immediately? Or did it feel like things were scattered around without many purposes? This will help with future projects because now we know where some of our weak points may lie!
Rediscover your passion for writing with creative insights and tips. Unleash your inner writer and reignite your love for the craft by exploring our article on creative writing tips to help you fall in love with writing again.
Writing For Free Can Turn Into A Full-Time Job If Done Right
Writing for free is a great way to build your business, and it can also be a full-time job. If you’re just starting in the writing world, you might not be able to charge for all of your work. But if you write something truly helpful or interesting, it could lead to more opportunities for more people to hire you (and pay) later on.
Writing for free can turn into a full-time job if done right. For example: If someone likes one of your articles about why they should start their own business and decides to hire us as consultants for their new company’s launch strategy, then we would have to charge them something because our time is valuable!
Conclusion
Writing for free is a great way to build your business. You might be asking yourself, “How will this benefit me?” or “What do I need to consider before starting?” Writing for free helps you build an audience, which is one of the most important aspects of any business.
Further Reading
Four Reasons Why Every Small Business Owner Should Start Freelance Writing Short Description: Explore how freelance writing can benefit small business owners and contribute to their success.
Business Side of Freelance Writing Short Description: Learn about the business aspects of freelance writing, from finding clients to managing your writing career.
Benefits of Content Writing Short Description: Discover the advantages of content writing, including its impact on brand building and audience engagement.
FAQs
How can freelance writing benefit small business owners?
Freelance writing allows small business owners to showcase their expertise, reach a wider audience, establish thought leadership, and generate additional income.
What are the business considerations in freelance writing?
Freelance writers need to manage client relationships, set pricing strategies, handle contracts, and maintain a professional online presence to succeed in the business side of writing.
How does content writing contribute to brand building?
Content writing helps in creating valuable and relevant content that resonates with the target audience, strengthening brand authority, and fostering customer trust.
What skills are essential for a successful freelance writer?
A successful freelance writer should possess strong writing skills, research abilities, time management, communication skills, and adaptability to various topics and styles.
How can content writing enhance website SEO?
Quality content with relevant keywords can improve a website’s search engine rankings, increase organic traffic, and provide valuable information to users, improving the overall user experience.
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.