Freelancing as a content writer is not as hard as people showcase it to be, however, discipline and some key habits can make you a successful writer and develop your business.
Although not everyone is suited to being a freelance writer, your chances of success increase if you possess the following nine abilities.
Strong work habits and effective communication are key components of the skill set needed to run your own freelance writing gig. Find out if you possess the following abilities before diving in feet first.
Powerful writing abilities
The most fundamental skill you need to thrive in this sector is excellent writing skills, but you don’t have to be an expert in everything. To be successful in selling your freelancing work, you need other abilities, but you must possess unwavering confidence in all areas of writing, including:
- Grammar/Punctuation
- Tone and style
- Research
Sadly, not everyone possesses the general writing skills or grammar proficiency necessary to succeed as a freelance writer. Clients may get dissatisfied and may terminate you if they have to spend a lot of time correcting your work.
Meeting deadlines
In order to fulfill your client’s deadlines, you need to have a strong grasp of how much work you can actually do in a given length of time. Missing deadlines frequently may cause you to lose clients rapidly while meeting deadlines and producing high-quality work will help you get and keep clients.
Most deadlines will be up to you to determine, so make an informed decision. If you need at least two days to gather information and create a 1,000-word blog piece, don’t try to impress a potential customer by suggesting you can do it tomorrow. Giving the customer a realistic estimate of when they may anticipate the job is preferable to missing a deadline that you set for yourself.
Capacity to fly alone
For many people, exercising self-control is challenging. The shift to becoming a freelance writer might feel lonely if you’re used to working in an office where you interact with your coworkers all day long and you truly thrive on that human connection. However, if you are aware of the fact that you function best on your own, you may succeed as a freelance writer because you will spend 90% of your time working alone.
Use feedback
You undoubtedly feel an artistic pride for the work you’ve created as a writer. However, allowing your pride to be wounded because a customer wants certain adjustments amounts to overreacting. If the criticism is fair, strive to keep your responses neutral. You should be willing to make modifications as necessary because most clients anticipate them.
Promote your craft
If you’re not usually outgoing, sending proposals, picking up the phone, and conducting discussions with individuals might be challenging. But it’s a necessary step in the self-marketing process. Freelance writing might not be for you if you don’t think you can overcome your fear of making small talk with people you don’t know.
You’ll gain greater confidence in marketing with some experience, but the onus ultimately rests on you to put in the effort, even if you’re feeling uneasy. It might be difficult to put oneself out there and receive no reaction or even a rejection. However, the best independent contractors, those that expand their firms, don’t hesitate to promote themselves.
Optimize your time
You need to be a self-starter if you want to get clients and do your task efficiently whether you work or a cafe, efficiency is important. You have complete control over your work as a freelance writer. This has certain advantages, like the freedom to choose your clients and establish your own fees and working hours. It does, however, have some drawbacks, since your business and revenue may suffer greatly if you are unable to remain accountable to yourself.
Independent folks make up the majority of successful freelance writers I know. They like to work alone, be self-sufficient, and bear full responsibility for meeting deadlines and completing tasks. Freelancing is a fantastic fit if you are aware of your propensity for working independently and have confidence in your ability to handle the necessary client work and marketing.
Accept rejection
Since rejection is inevitable as a freelance writer, you must cast a broad net if you want to succeed. Even if you contact hundreds of potential clients, not all of them will respond, much less go through the sign-up process to work with you. You won’t be able to make enough money if you don’t have enough time in your schedule to advertise to at least 10 prospects every week. Furthermore, you won’t be contacting enough consumers to convert some of them, which will lower your batting average.
Keep up with trends
Are you the kind of person that enjoys discovering new things and overcoming obstacles? Technology and marketing strategies are always evolving. Think about social media promotion: New social media networks launch every year, expand, or even go away. Online marketers, especially content writers, must keep current on trends and research and should be open to build your knowledge portfolio constantly. You won’t be competitive, and your firm will suffer if you’re not prepared to invest the time to improve your talents.
Learn to juggle well
As a freelancer, be ready to manage several tasks at once. You are more than just a writer if you work as a freelancer. You are also the CEO, CFO, and VP of marketing when you begin. Every day, you will be:
- Marketing
- Serving clients’ needs
- Answering inquiries
- Doing research
- Carrying out administrative tasks
- Sending invoices
Jumping from one assignment to another or ending a phone conversation with a customer and immediately getting into writing mode might occasionally feel hectic. You’ll learn tips for managing your company more successful as you go along but rest assured that if you’re expanding in the proper direction, you’ll always be in demand. If you found this article interesting, here’s another interesting read.
