Your job as a freelance writer is to produce high quality content. But sometimes you have to go well beyond this. Over the years I have found that many clients don’t know the first thing about what type of content they need. For this reason, not only do I have to create the content for them but I also need to decide which type is best.
I take great joy in assisting unknowledgeable clients. This gives me the chance to show my expertise, and to teach somebody who does not know as much. And of course, it helps to earn me more money along the way.
When helping unknowledgeable clients make sure you are clear with what you are saying. Remember, the client doesn’t know the first thing about your line of work or what you can do for them. They won’t know the difference between a keyword article and a feature article. They won’t know what type of content is best for their site. You have to explain all the details, and then let the client decide what is best for them – with your help, of course.
Those who don’t know as much about freelance writing and content creation are always surprised as I begin to lay out the details. If your client does not know what they want or how you can help, make sure you take the time to educate them. This may not be the most exciting part of your job, but in the long run it will help you in many ways. Not only will the client hire you with confidence, but they will be grateful for the time you spent teaching them.
As a freelance writer the last thing you want to do is waste a lot of time. It is important to stay busy, no matter what hours you are working. If you continue to waste time you will find it difficult to pace yourself, while completing all of the necessary work.
Here are three time wasters that all freelance writers need to avoid:
1. Personal conversations. When you work at home this is a big problem. In addition to in person conversations, beware of too many phone calls, text messages, and emails. The more time you spend speaking with friends and family the less work you are going to get done.
2. Too many breaks. I am the first one to admit that taking breaks throughout the day is very important. That being said, you have to be careful that you do not go overboard. At times, you may find yourself slacking off. Do you have what it takes to pull yourself together and get back on track?
3. Checking your email too often. As a freelance writer you need to stay in touch with clients via email and phone. That being said, you don’t want to waste a lot of time everyday checking your email. Believe it or not, many people stalk their account and check for new emails several times per hour. You should realize just how much time you are wasting when you do this.
The three time wasters above are very common. As a freelance writer you should do what you can to avoid them. By doing so you will find that you are much more efficient in terms of how you spend your time.
Starting out as a freelance writer can be frustrating for many reasons. Many find themselves in the difficult spot of needing samples to gain new clients, but not having any because they are just getting started. In this situation, it is easy for you to spin your wheels day in and day out. This leads to one very important question: should I write for free?
There are many arguments for and against this. Rather than attempt to sway you in one direction or the next, I am going to lay out a few facts and let you decide on your own.
Let’s start with the negatives. When you write for free you are not getting paid. Obviously, if you are trying to support yourself as a freelance writer this does not bode well.
Another detail to consider is the time that you will spend writing for free. The more time you spend writing for free the less time you have to work on paid gigs. Along with this, you are also cutting time out of your day that you could be spending on marketing.
On the plus side, writing for free will put more samples in your portfolio. With these, it will be easier to land gigs in the near future.
Additionally, writing for free is a great way to improve your skills. Since you are not getting paid, your main focus should be listening to the client and making sure that you give them what they want. Learn as much as you can about the writer-client relationship as you complete these free jobs.
I could go on and on about why you should or should not write for free. But rather than do that, I will leave you with the information above. If you have a stance on this subject, feel free to leave a comment.
