The world we live in is developing rapidly and everybody is trying to find a major source of income for themselves. Some people resort to being a part of a business and some start freelance writing because there is an abundance of options available for you to make money on the internet.
Freelancing varies from different domains which could be graphic designing or video editing to even content writing.
And out of all the domains of freelancing, content writing is the most preferred because it absolutely doesn’t need any kind of experience at all.
Most of the beginners who want to start content writing fret because of the lack of experience as they think if they don’t have the experience, they are not going to last long in this field. However, this isn’t absolutely true. There are a lot of freelancing writing jobs with no experience needed and if you want to know about the same, let’s just say that this post is dedicated entirely to you.
There are a lot of people who have been in the field of freelancing for years now and as they continue to grow, they get experienced as well. We would be mentioning the different steps which you will need to become a freelance writer with no experience at all.
But before we engage you in our blog post, let us walk you through some of the essentials which would be needed for freelance writing jobs for beginners.
What do I need to become a freelance writer?
As you are just starting, there isn’t a lot which you would be needed to become a freelance writer. But if you are really serious about what you are doing, here are a few things which you SHOULD HAVE for sure:
A laptop - Obviously, you need a medium to write and for that, your smartphones don’t count. The problem with smartphones is that they aren’t the best medium to write long paragraphs or lengthy content on. The features which you get in a laptop or computer, you won’t be getting them in a smartphone. The editors of both these devices vary and are going to cause a tremendous amount of significance on your writing skills.
A PayPal Account - While you might start your writing for free, you would eventually want to monetize it as you get better. As you get clients, you are going to be paid and for that, PayPal is the best medium as it works globally and any client of yours, even from overseas, could send you money easily.
An Email address - Emails are a great way to connect with your clients and in case you don’t have one yet, go ahead and make one right away.
A must-have Personality Trait
Mere setting up your workspace isn’t everything you would need for becoming a freelance writer. You also need to adapt a qualitative personality trait, like -
Resilience - As a freelance writer, you are going to witness a lot of struggles through your journey. Right from getting reliable clients to a regular income is really hard sometimes. In this journey, you are the only person who has to keep yourself going through any of the hardships. Making money from your writing is a craft and if you want to start freelance writing, the grind of working hard and smart has to go on forever.
Skills needed to land your first freelance writing job
As a beginner in freelance writing jobs in 2019, you want to have a profitable and recurring freelance writing job. So, what exactly are some of the top paying niches for freelance writers.
a. Video script Writing
Video marketing is such an industry which is growing exponentially every year. As more and more apps are being built to prioritize this niche, you can try your hands in here as well.
The first step which you could take as a freelance writer is that you can market video script writing for new apps which are likely to launch in the market soon.
If your skills revolve around a lot more than just freelance writing, you definitely are going to be preferred by a lot of clients from different niches. But how exactly can you pull it off?
Try to start as a video scriptwriter and while you are comfortable in it, try your hands in different apps available, one of the most popular being Facebook Live.
- Speechwriting
Speechwriting is of two types - one being the typical, trying to convince an audience about a project or an idea and the other one being more general, revolving around different topics and niches, usually what we hear in seminars.
While speechwriting isn’t that popular among writers, you certainly could make yourself recognized in this field. The competition in speechwriting is less, but if you come up with the best of the speeches for people, they are likely going to recommend you to other people.
The key to an amazing speech writing is to engage with your audience and if you are able to pull it off, voila!
- Ghostwriting for startups or small businesses
Startups are easy to find and you could actually bend them for your benefits.
With a decent amount of money involved, you can approach small businesses or startups and lend a hand for content writing projects. Your help could range from writing content for websites and blogs to working on eBooks which they are planning to sell to their audience. Try to market yourself as the ghostwriter for these eBooks because at this stage, some experience and some money is all you need.
You can also ghostwrite different courses or approach educational websites and provide your assistance with small projects.
- Email Marketing writing
Email marketing has evolved a lot over the past decade and is predicted to be on the rise in the future as well. It is a big deal for small to large businesses.
But what does email marketing have which could possibly interest a freelance writer? That’s right! CONTENT!
From business sales to the launching of new services, there is no shortage of this type of content for emails. And if you perform well and actually help with engaging with the audience, you might be able to work full-time with companies and provide assistance with different content writing domains as well.
So, as you are set with yourself, let us tell you how you could become a freelance writer.
Becoming a freelance writer with no experience (Step by step guide)
Step 1 - Start a BLOG
Before you even think about starting a blog, ask yourself what interests you the most to write about. Do you like fashion? Do you like to travel, tech or health writing? Any of these niches are going to build a foundation for you in your career ahead and in case you pick a particular niche, make a blog about the same.
Making a blog bestows a lot of benefits upon you, the first one being a place for you to voice your writing and your point of views. You can write as you please and write about the things you love, and because it is your blog, you have the freedom of writing about anything you want.
Your blog is also a portfolio for you as when you reach the stage of approaching clients for work, they might want to see what you write about and how good are you with engaging with your audience. All clients need is a cohesive way of writing and if your blog interests them, they are likely to hand you over some of the projects which you can easily work on.
Blogging also crafts your writing skills to a higher level and deadlines enhance your time management. Think of it as a school assignment which is likely going to give you an A+ if you give your best. And in case you want to monetize your blog, you can actually turn it into a full-time job which is a possibility for sure, but usually takes a lot of time.
Step 2 - Look for possible freelance writing jobs on content mills
Content mills are just the middlemen between writers and clients. Even though it doesn’t pay you that much, but it certainly is one of the best ways to get your hands on some of the projects as a beginner.
Content mills work on a basic principle - companies list the writing jobs on these platforms which you can take up and get paid. Some of them pay good but don’t get your hopes high too soon because you are just starting in this field which probably means you might not be getting that much as a beginner.
However, the bigger picture here is that you grow confidence as a writer and you learn to work under the basic principles of content writing which could be a lot helpful in your career ahead.
Bigger than that, you grow your confidence as a writer and learn how to work under a deadline and with
Step 3 - Work on your Facebook and other social media profiles
While it might sound a rush, it definitely is one of the best ideas for you to look forward to. The sole purpose of social media is that it helps you connect with other people and in case clients like your work, they are going to approach you through your social media profiles as well.
Social media also gives you a reach to a large audience. Think of it this way, the more followers and readers you have, the better it is, right? However, you need to make sure you are really valuable content along with personal content on your social media to keep your followers engaged.
You can share some of the following content as well -
- Your latest blog posts.
- Your latest client piece.
- Your guest posts.
- An update that you have started working with a particular client/organization etc.
People like their timelines filled with interesting content, and if you think you can make it interesting for them with your updates, why not do it then?
Another important thing which you could do is to link your blogs to your social media profiles. That way, if any of the clients like your work, they are directly going to approach any of your social media profiles and ask you specifics about your work.
Keep your audience engaged. That is the essential part of being a content writer.
Step 4- Create a network with other writers
As a legit freelance writer, it becomes mandatory that you create networks with other writers. The most significant thing about networks is that it helps you understand this domain better. You are able to understand the struggles which everybody faces in their writing career and in case you feel it relative, you could also sort out your concerns with them.
Creating a network with other writers also paves your way towards a lot of opportunities as it could give you a chance to write guest posts for their blogs or introduce you to some professionals who could hand you over some of the projects to work on, giving you a good bid eventually.
Try to connect with writers through emails, their social profiles or following them on their blogs/websites which they work on. It is one of the best ways to develop your social recognition.
Step 5 - Use the freelance marketplaces
There are a LOT of freelancing websites on the internet who are going to help you gain some projects without much hassle.
Sites like Fiverr, Upwork and Freelancer are the best online platforms which connect individuals to individuals or individuals to businesses for content writing work.
Freelance marketplaces are kind of similar to content mills, but the difference is that they have more of a personal feel because you in charge of your profile and your ratings and reputation builds more as you finish more projects.
Along with that, you would also be getting some of the best gigs who usually pay more and are definitely the best ways to make money off your writing skills.
Step 6 - Try your hands at GUEST POSTING
Working on content for other people is one of the most ideal ways to grow your freelance writing business particularly in case you aim to become a full-time blogger. And if you don’t aspire for that, you still work with different bloggers whom you can grow your online business with.
Guest posting is usually a big break for most of the bloggers as it helps them generate an audience to their profiles and in case people like your writing, they are likely to come back to your profile and check if you have posted anything else they might be interested in.
Guest posting is one of the best ways to interact with an audience along with other bloggers and once you develop a good relationship with them, you can get recognition among people as a writer and definitely increase your visibility as well.
Step 7 - Market Yourself
While you are totally set with your online profiles and your blog, it is high time that you work hard to market yourself in front of the whole world.
Getting clients is not easy. Social media has made the search for potential writers so much that even the professionals find it hard to find projects to work on.
If you find yourself in the same category, unable to find projects to work on, try reaching out to people. Tweet to people, post on facebook or do anything to capture the attention of different clients who are willing to let you work on their projects.
When your work speaks for itself, you will notice that the referrals from happy clients is enough to keep you busy with a lot of work for a long time.
In case you even find a potential client to work with, try to find a backup as well. You are a freelancer, which means you can work with any number of clients you want to work with. If you want to make extra bucks, you can easily turn to multiple projects, work under deadlines and make extra money easily.
BOTTOM LINE
When it comes to freelance writing, there is no such thing as content writing without experience because everybody is partially experienced. Remember the time when you were told to write an essay on your own in your school or college and you came up with the best you had? Those things build your experience as a writer and as you progress, you get experienced and grow better.
Being a writer is absolutely fantastic as you are free to write about anything you love. You can tell stories, guide people with anything you want and connect with an audience which knows you from the core.
The fact that people leave comments on your blogs or websites makes you understand how many people you impact with your craft and the fact that you can monetize your writing skills is a blessing in itself.
And while you grow with it, you can slowly convert it into a full-time job. What’s more good in the world than to have a job you actually love and put your heart and soul into?
