Freelance content writer | A handy guide for you to become one!

Importance of freelance content writing

Freelance content writing is essential. As per the famous adage – content is the king. Businesses need content for various purposes; the most important is marketing. As a matter of fact, companies always are on the hunt for a freelance content writer whom they can add to their team of in-house writers.

For writers, it is an adaptable and worthwhile method for making money, regardless of either a part-time job, a full-time vocation, or anything in the middle. As a freelancer, one may need to create articles, websites, scripts, guidance manuals, specialized archives, brief tales, and notices.

Who is a freelance content writer?

A freelance content writer is independently employed and offers writing services to people or organizations. Thus, as a freelance content writer, one usually works with individual clients, organizations, institutions, or distributions.

Assuming one is thinking about making freelance writing a full-time career choice, it is vital to know the A to Z of this independent profession. Read below to understand how one can pursue freelance writing as a career and a way to make money.

Must-have skills for a freelance content writer

Work on vital business abilities

Freelance content writing is a business, and to act as a specialist, one should have excellent management and time usage abilities. You need to have a transparent system for tracking ongoing, completed, and pending projects. In addition, you need to track sent and pending invoices, payments received, sales creation, job listings, and customer responses. Many writers also continue to grow their list of writing ideas, so there is no shortage of topics to write about.

Make sure to have a trading tool

Freelance content writers often need to insert content images, so they need a laptop or desktop computer with a writing program, task manager, and photo editing software. Not only this, but the writer also needs a bank account and an online payment service account to receive payments from customers. It’s essential to set up a website that introduces writing samples, business email accounts, phone, and video conference accounts.

Understand the current writing style

Writing and formatting a blog is different from writing and presenting an academic paper. There are different rules to follow for different sorts of writing. For instance, when writing online, it’s common to include useful links to other articles and to use headlines and short paragraphs to make it easier to contemplate the content. The freelance content writer needs to know how to research different topics and cite the source. It’sIt’s also essential to know how to get the reader’s attention and write in a style that keeps the reader involved till the end.

Brush up on writing skills

Even if one is a good writer, there is always room for improvement. Make it a habit to read aloud the content that you write. By reading other people’s texts, one can learn a lot, including impressive details such as sentence structure, vocabulary, and avoidance of filler words. Read what’s relevant to the professional niche, and inculcate all this.

Common sectors for a promising career

• As a freelance content writer, one can do business writing, speech writing, video scriptwriting, newsletter writing, copywriting, technical writing, journalism, and more.
• One can write blogs and various articles about pets, babies, antiques, cartoons, health products, food, art, architecture, science-the possibilities are endless.
• Once they have established themselves as freelance writers and managed their time well, they can move their content to other areas.

Specializations in freelance writing jobs

If you hope to start a career as a freelance content writer, you should know the significant occupations there –

Web content writer

A web content writer essentially composes on and for the web. The idea of the gig could shift from composing content for sites that are offering a specific item to service offering sites. The writer expects to investigate pertinent watchwords and skillfully weave them in the article. The essential thought process for this situation is to attract traffic towards the site page through the writer’s composition.

Technical writer

As a technical writer, one needs to understand complex technical terms and rewrite them into easy-to-understand information or instruction for the reader. The work here could circle writing manuals, guides, or relevant articles.

Newspapers or magazine writer

A writer for a paper needs to report about specific occasions fairly and unbiasedly. Different magazines or papers could expect you to survey books or motion pictures or draw conclusions about a specific point. Newspapers or magazines can be both offline and digital platforms.

Professional writer

Professional writers compose online content, site pages, eBooks yet not in their name. The credits to these writeups are given to an alternate individual.

Steps to work as a freelance content writer

The most effective way to start as a freelance content writer is to see what options for a freelance content writer exist. There are different internet-based freelancing portals one can investigate, with many open positions posted every day.

When you first start freelance content writing, you should think about three primary tactics for getting new clients:

Direct contact with clients

Working directly with clients has two key advantages –

• Firstly, you get to keep every penny of the transaction. Secondly, you have control over the relationship. When you deal directly with clients, they know who is doing the work, you learn a lot about them and their needs through conversation, and you build a great relationship with them in the end.
• Many freelancers have clients that work with them regularly, for an extended period. These connections are highly beneficial because the client already knows, likes, and trusts you, making the transition from talking about an assignment to paying the fees seem like a breeze.

Subcontracting

When a company gets into a contract with a client, it then goes into a second contract with someone else to complete that first contract.

It usually takes the form of an agency selling a vast project and then hiring one or more freelance content writers to help with the project’s actual work.

Websites that advertise freelance jobs

When you first start freelance content writing, freelancing job websites make obtaining new clients a breeze. In reality, they’re designed to link as many freelancers as possible to the clients.

These websites for freelancing jobs are two-sided marketplaces. On the one hand, they create a supply of freelancing talent that’s you!) and employers that want that talent on the other.

Key takeaways

• Being a freelance content writer, you have the opportunity to determine your working hours and specialization. 
• You don’t have to commute to work because most authors need a room and access to the internet. 
• Additionally, you can decide how many hours you want to work. 
• When applying for online jobs through a company’s website, attach a cover letter. 
• Emphasize the abilities and experiences that are relevant. 
• It is a work that is particularly appealing for self-driven people who need greater adaptability in their everyday lives.

Liked this blog? Also read: 6 Career options you can go for.

FAQs

1. What is the best way to start freelancing as a content writer?

It’s crucial to take on various projects when you’re starting, from lifestyle writing to social media writing and pretty much anything else you can think of. Use this knowledge to determine what works best for you and discover your niche. Play to your strengths as well.

2. How to become a freelance content writer?

You don’t need a formal degree to work as a freelance content writer; however, you can always educate yourself in written English so that you can generate high-quality work. As a matter of fact, you can enroll in online writing courses that are readily available.

3. What additional skills do you need to be an ace freelance content writer?

Knowledge of SEO writing, graphic designing, blogging, WordPress management, and Microsoft Excel are additional skills you’ll need to flourish as a freelance writer.