Here are five tips for becoming a freelance writer!
2021 predictions for freelancers is expected to somewhat rise in detail. This is mostly due to the recessive shift of the economy. When the world shuts down, and with over 60 percent of startup companies closing their doors since the pandemic began, it is important to take a big step back and analyze the market.
1) LOOK AT PRICING OF COMPETITION
Freelancers often jump into their careers without examining the average pricing of competition, and they make an entry into the freelance market without being clear as day as to their goals and self-worth. Example my portfolio, for example (click here!). This is only content, after all, and because I have the social proof to charge a given amount for quality of work, I can charge between $30 and $50 per hour on writing copy alone. Now, as an example, I am new to Adobe Illustrator, thus meaning I have less of a valuable portfolio as of now (it will go up, trust me!), I can only charge around $10 per hour, or roughly $20 per logo.
This may seem reasonable, but you can earn a lot more hourly.
This is alongside the competitive landscape of copywriters. The trick, however, is also the way you price things. Some people will charge $100 for a job that takes them longer than they think, leaving them 10 hours of work instead of 5 hours, i.e. they actually only make $10 an hour when they had already agreed to $20 an hour. Or, the opposite happens: you charge $200 and find you make a surplus profit of $100 extra for something that might have taken 5 hours. Yes, math is confusing, but my best piece of advice for an aspiring freelancer is to charge by-the-hour. Use Hello Bonsai for your contracts, clients, proposals, budgeting, expenses, and invoices!
2) CRAIGSLIST DOES WORK SOMETIMES
Believe it or not, Craigslist can work in your favor! Advertise yourself in Creative and Writing. However, be careful. Craft a Word or Google Docs file and have ten different titles for the same service. Then, write the copy for that ad (about one paragraph is best). Link to your website and contact info, include a first name and at least one image per ad, and your phone number. Craigslist has cracked down massively on spam, so your phone number is only shown to those who meet the algorithm of someone actually interested in buying. Then, post in either the Writing section under “Services,” the Creative section, and if you are able to provide your services to a small business somehow (I do, but I write marketing copy), post in there, two.
It costs $5.00 per ad, so every 3-4 days post new ads.
Remember, save them in a Google Doc somewhere so you can copy and paste! It does generate a general stream of income, but you will find that the time of day determines a lot of your traffic. However, if you can afford $30.00 per week on ads, try it! Also, when you get a client who found you through there, ask which ad they responded to. That will maximize your chances for success because you will be able to determine which ads are working. I personally have 30 templates in my Google Doc, and switch them up regularly.
3) BRANDING YOUR COMPANY
Many, many, many freelancers decide to work without a company’s involvement. They will act as freelancers, but does that not send a weird shiver down your spine? Can you taste the mediocrity? Freelancers need to be businessmen, with or without the license. The first step is setting up a website. You also need social media presence. We ran over that topic in a recent blog post, where you can properly adjust to social media marketing. We will explain below where and how to host your portfolio, but for the love of God, start using Hello Bonsai and call yourself an independent contractor! It is never worse to hear “freelancer.” Consulting is best.
You will need a logo, social media setup, a website, which we offer as a service!
4) SETTING UP YOUR PORTFOLIO
Guru.com is the best way to do this. Often websites are troublesome to set up a portfolio. So, link to it! Often we come across really, really awful-looking portfolios. The lifeblood of a freelancer is providing a great way to present your work. The one thing determining your potential sale is a duality: you need to have perceived value/social proof, and you need to make it very, very easy for your clients to skim over your portfolio. I suggest setting one up on Guru. Majority will create a WordPress site or something similar and easy to build. That is not a bad thing, but those sources are not as organized, and showing off work on Guru is great!
5) USING PAY-PER-CLICK
As a freelancer, you are bound to require some form of advertisement. I personally do not recommend Google AdWords because the CPC (cost-per-click) is much higher than on Facebook. A lot of marketers are turning to them instead due to the lower costs, but a bit less reach. You can target the right demographics that meet your standards wonderfully through Facebook Ads, and it will not break your legs. Should you choose to do Google AdWords, please feel free to contact us! We are always in the market for new projects!
IN CONCLUSION
Freelancing is not easy. That is why we recommend you look into our services. We offer consulting for freelancers and can help you succeed in every which-way possible. Freelancing should always be called “independent contracting,” and never do it without a Hello Bonsai agreement. please feel free to look into them and consider their services as one of our many partners. Best of luck and stay tuned for more updates!