10 Tips for Starting a Successful Freelance Writing Business
You’ve always had a knack for writing, and you’ve wanted to turn it into an income stream, but you don’t know where to start? Whether you plan to write for magazines, businesses, or general audiences, the freelance writing industry offers plenty of opportunities if you know how to find them. If you’re ready to start your own freelance writing business, use these 10 tips to get your career off the ground with flying colors.
1) Take action
If you’re like most people, starting a freelance writing business is easier said than done. You may have some experience as an in-house copywriter, but that doesn’t mean you’re ready to be your own boss. Before diving in, create a business plan and target goals; think about how much money you want to make, how many clients you want to book and how much time you want to spend on your side hustle. Once you know what you want, take action by building your portfolio and creating a brand identity. Once these things are in place, it will be much easier to start booking clients—and making money!
2) Plan ahead
When you start a business from scratch, it’s important to plan ahead as much as possible. First, ask yourself where your business idea is unique. What gives you an edge on your competition? Are there other businesses that offer something similar but in more depth or at a lower price? If so, figure out what your company will do differently to stand out and capture more clients. For example, if you’re starting a pet-sitting service, are you offering services like walking dogs or sitting with them overnight? Or are you going to provide both options and have higher prices than competitors who only offer one of those services? Will your rates be based on time (per hour) or based on size of pet (per dog)? The more planning you do before launching your business, the better prepared you’ll be when things get hectic later.
3) Set your rates
Before even starting to market yourself, it’s important to know what your rates are. And if you’re going to write for multiple markets and platforms, you’ll need to set each rate individually. Are you planning on working on an hourly basis? Per project? Per word? Or per hour of research time? Once you have these numbers in mind, be sure to charge clients accordingly—and don’t forget about taxes! As a freelancer, you’re responsible for paying quarterly estimated taxes. If you don’t do so, you could face penalties or end up owing money at tax time.
4) Learn about your clients needs
It’s important to have an understanding of your client’s needs, wants and desires before you jump in and start writing. Researching what they offer their customers can give you insight into what messages will resonate with readers. You’ll also want to know how they want to be perceived by others, who they view as their competition and how they want customers to see them in relation to other businesses offering similar products or services.
5) Write with emotion and personality
A freelance writer’s reputation is built on his or her ability to be creative, knowledgeable and personable. When you’re writing on behalf of someone else, there’s an important distinction between your voice and theirs—you can use their data and research to create effective content that will improve search engine results (and their company’s profits), but it’s not enough to simply regurgitate what they tell you. Your job as a writer is to provide valuable information in an interesting way, which means you need to add emotion and personality where appropriate. You don’t have to write like Hemingway, but if your work doesn’t show some kind of originality or flair, clients won’t come back again and again.
6) Trust your gut
When I was starting out as a freelance writer, I had no idea how to find clients or manage my time. It all came down to gut instinct. But once you’ve done something enough times, it becomes second nature and your intuition turns into a valuable asset. If you need help honing that instinct, there are plenty of resources online for free—and good old-fashioned trial and error is still an effective way to learn many things in life!
7) Seek referrals before you need them
One of your first orders of business when starting a freelance writing business is to develop a network of established professionals who can recommend you for projects. You can reach out to these connections on your own, but developing relationships with these people takes time. By connecting with them well before you’re ready to seek referrals from them, you’ll have more time to establish trust and build rapport, which are key factors in getting your referral request accepted.
8) Get social, but not over social
Having a good social media presence is key to being able to have a freelance writing business, but you can’t be too over-the-top on Facebook and Twitter. Always make sure that your Facebook page, Twitter feed and website look professional, as if they belong to an established company rather than an individual. This will help establish credibility in your clients’ eyes, and it will also keep you from feeling overwhelmed by always having to update all of these sites. Instead, focus on keeping them updated with high-quality content that shows off your expertise—and then direct people back to your site when they want more information about you or what you do.
9) Create systems to keep clients coming back
One of your first priorities is to make sure that your clients come back time and again. Creating systems and processes will not only save you a lot of time, but also help you prevent making mistakes and keep things efficient when you have multiple projects going on at once. Keep in mind that every client is different, so it’s important to develop systems that can adapt as needed. For example, if one client prefers email communication and another wants all contact done via phone calls, create separate processes for each type of correspondence. Similarly, if some clients want detailed feedback while others prefer just an overview of their project, design different review forms or methods for each group. These are just a few examples; think about what works best for your specific situation and adjust accordingly. Remember: The more you do things right from day one, the easier it will be to grow your business down the road!
10) Keep at it!
The one thing that you have to remember when starting your freelance writing business is not to get discouraged. It takes time and dedication, and it can sometimes be tough to keep at it; however, if you stay persistent, great things will come your way. Be sure to check out our other tips below ! Also, make sure to stop by again soon as we’ll continue updating with more helpful information!