For Content Writers and especially
those working as freelancers, independence is everything. Each freelancer loves
to work at the time and convenience of their own. No office, no rigid timing,
no attendance, and most important no bossism at all. Definitely, freelancers
are very healthy and happy with their own selves, with their family members and
friends. There is one challenge which all of us as freelance Content Writers
often face. However good you may be at Content Writing, you may find it very
challenging to evolve an approach to source clients, and project works. The
question to be answered is, what are the ways and means to source clients, and
excel at Content Writing work. I like to share my experience of how I source my
clients, and achieve excellence by delivering high value driven content for my
clients.
Approach 1: Partner with
professionals working in similar line of business i.e. those people who require quality content writing. I
partner with web designers, graphic designers, developers, and social media
experts. This approach is time-tested, and I found this highly successful. I
ally with 8 designers to take forward all their content requirements.
Approach 2: Launching your own
website or blog, and promoting your content writing services. This is very effective only if you also focus on promoting
your website/blog for specific key-words. You can attain visibility either organically
or by paid campaigns. I have launched my own website and blogs for my content
writing and English training. There are more than 4000 pages in Google Organic
Search that direct to me, my Institute and my services. In the long run, this
is the best way to source your clients. However, you need to be active online
by posting something at your blog or social media channels, every 5 days.
Approach 3: Work Full-time or Part-time
as a Consultant for businesses.
At all these three levels, you mayn't enjoy the independence as a freelancer,
but surely you can get continuous work, and timely payments too. I have been
quite successful in working as a consultant, working with my clients on
Retainer-ship Basis. Every week, I may be mingling with the clients' in-house
creative and digital marketing teams to offer my suggestions and guidance on
all aspects of content writing, editing and content marketing.
Approach 4: Start with an Emailer
campaign, which includes sending mails to all
people in your network (family, friends, relatives, acquaintances, colleagues,
employers and alumni) to announce your offer of content writing services.
However, this calls for a preparation of professional and quality creatives
with great design and resounding content. Sending Emailers may have instant
rewards, with prospective clients knowing about your writing services, and few
others replying to your Emailer immediately.
Approach 5: Partake as an expert
content writer in the gig economy. There
are now large number of gig websites that bridge freelancers with
employers/businesses that require temporary professionals to complete project
works. Start posting your details (qualification, specialization and portfolio)
and start bidding for freelance content writing works. Sourcing content writing
work from Gig websites is catching up soon with college students, homemakers
and professionals too.
Approach 6: Visiting clients offices
personally to showcase your writing portfolio. This approach may be ridden with challenges of time, patience,
travelling, energy and follow-up. However, the personal touch is always the
best way to sustain your precedence in the offer of content writing services.
It is human nature, that people want to meet people, share ideas and
suggestions, and equally avail your expertise in content writing. If you are
away from any family or personal commitments, with a gutsy persona, and greatly
interested to travel and meet people, this approach suits you for sure. I used
to visit my clients' office in the first few years of my content writing
career, now I don't due to the limitations mentioned above. As a content
writer, be human first, and address the emotions of each business leader for
their ideas, businesses and beliefs. I believe that, for once in the first time
a personal meeting with your client builds lasting relationship and achieves
goodwill forever. Also understand that, each business is built on the cherished
vision of its founder. You can deliver good, quality and value-driven content
only when you can comprehend the business vision, and its direction.
Approach 7: Allying only with
domain/sector specific businesses
such as medical writing, engineering writing, academic writing etc. I know few
freelancers who do only medical, information technology or academic writing.
They do not change the direction of their writing, and ally with all the
businesses in the specific domain. Their objective is to turn into
domain-specific content writers and thought leaders. They have their own
argument, that doing content writing across different businesses mayn't give
them the career continuity, domain community, specialization, satisfaction and
authority. However, only a small percentage of freelance content writers will
do so, as this demands qualification, specialization and network.
Approach 8: Training people and
turning them into your clients.
Any one with business acumen and financial support can start a business.
However, the challenge is with running the business with day to day challenges
to face. A business leader mayn't be as proficient as you are in business
English communication. Here, you have a great opportunity, one to enhance
business leaders' English proficiency skills, and also support them with an
offer of content writing services on a continuous basis. This is not something
new or innovative, it is only that you are trying to fill-in the gaps of
language competency and workplace English requirements. This approach has been
a vibrant success with me, as I made English training as my passion and Content
Writing as my career. So, to adopt this approach you should be competent in
Business English communication and training. Your qualifications, portfolio and
up-to-date skills are always primary. For example, now training is no more a
classroom activity. From digital classroom (Smart TV enabled classrooms) we
have moved to Web enabled and now the Mobile enabled training and mentoring.
The key to success in this approach is that, you have to keep yourself updated
on innovative teaching and training methods.
Based on your background, likes,
dislikes, choices and negations, you are free to choose any of these approaches
to script success as freelance content writers. Anytime, I am ready to share my
ideas and suggestions with my Associates and Aspiring Content Writers. We all
begin small, but as we go in an organized manner, we will have to manage
terribly large and challenging content writing projects. As an individual
freelance writer, you and I cannot handle all the work. Understand that, your
knowledge grows only when it shared, skills relayed, and experiences
documented. The secret of success is to stop playing self-game, and start
making way for teams of equally competent people, content writing or
otherwise.
Thanks & Regards,
SANJAY NANNAPARAJU
Thought Leader (Content Marketing)
RISECO.IN
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