BE AFREELANCE 

WRITER

With Francesca Nicasio  |  Founder of Be A Freelance Writer |

Y E S S U P P L Y C O .

1. THOUGHTS ONPOSITIONING MORETRADITIONAL WRITINGEXPERIENCE (JOURNALISM, PR)IN THE DIGITAL SPACE(I.E. SEO/COPYWRITING/BLOGGING)?

YOU CAN DEFINITELY APPLY TRADITIONAL WRITINGEXPERIENCE TO YOUR WORK IN THE DIGITAL SPACE.CERTAIN SKILLS THAT COME WITH BEING A JOURNALIST(I.E. RESEARCH, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING) WILL HELP YOUCOME UP WITH MORE COMPELLING AND INSIGHTFULCONTENT. AND A JOURNALISM BACKGROUND MAY EVENMAKE YOU MORE ATTRACTIVE TO CLIENTS.

PR SKILLS ON THE OTHER HAND WILL COME IN HANDYWHEN YOU’RE PROMOTING CONTENT. IN FACT, IF YOU’RE AFREELANCE WRITER, YOU COULD UPSELL PR ANDOUTREACH SERVICES BY HELPING YOUR CLIENTSGENERATE BUZZ THROUGH CONTENT.

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2. TIPS FOR NAVIGATINGTHE PITCHING PROCESS?

SEND A COMPELLING ANDRELEVANT PITCH BY:

A) PERSONALIZING IT – DON’TJUST CREATE A LIST OF EMAIL ADDRESS AND SEND THEMTHE SAME CANNED PITCH. TAKE SOME TIME TO RESEARCHTHE COMPANY YOU’RE REACHING OUT TO AND USE THEINFORMATION YOU GATHER TO TAILOR YOUR MESSAGE.

B) SENDING LINKS TO RELEVANT ARTICLES THAT YOU’VEWRITTEN IN THE PAST – IF YOU DON’T HAVE ANY, CONSIDERDOING PRO BONO WORK OR WRITE GUEST POSTS ONOTHER INDUSTRY WEBSITES.

C) FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON TO REACH OUT TO – AVOIDSENDING YOUR PITCH TO A GENERAL MAILBOX. FINDING ASPECIFIC PERSON TO APPROACH WILL IMPROVE YOURCHANCES OF GETTING A RESPONSE. USUALLY, THE RIGHTPERSON TO PITCH TO WHEN OFFERING FREELANCEWRITING SERVICES WOULD BE SOMEONE IN THEMARKETING DEPARTMENT.

D) NOT GIVING UP – IT’S A NUMBERS GAME. I USED TO SENDOUT 10-20 PITCHES A DAY AND ONLY GET A HANDFUL OFRESPONSES.

HERE’S A SAMPLE PITCH THAT’S WORKED FOR ME IN THEPAST:

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HI [NAME], -→ BE SURE TO PERSONALIZE YOUR EMAIL BYADDRESSING THE BLOG OWNER BY NAME.

MY NAME IS [INSERT YOUR NAME HERE] AND I’M [INSERT YOURPROFESSION, SPECIALTIES, ETC… HERE] I’VE BEEN READING YOURBLOG FOR SEVERAL WEEKS NOW, AND I THINK IT’S [INSERT ASINCERE COMPLIMENT ABOUT THEIR BLOG.] -→ PROVIDE A SHORT,BUT CONCISE DESCRIPTION OF WHO YOU ARE AND HOW YOUFOUND THEM. BONUS POINTS IF YOU CAN THROW IN A SINCEREAND PERSONALIZED COMPLEMENT. (DON’T OFFER CLICHÉDCOMPLIMENTS LIKE “WONDERFUL SITE” – PEOPLE SEE RIGHTTHROUGH THEM.)

ANYWAY, I WAS WONDERING IF YOU’RE ACCEPTING GUEST POSTSAT THIS TIME. I’M CURRENTLY WORKING ON AN ARTICLE ENTITLED[INSERT THE TITLE OF YOUR POST HERE] AND I THINK IT WOULD BEA GREAT FIT FOR YOUR AUDIENCE. -→ PROVIDE YOUR IDEA ORARTICLE TITLE AND MENTION WHY THEY WOULD WANT TOPUBLISH IT.

I'M ALSO SENDING YOU SOME LINKS TO A FEW SAMPLES TO GIVEYOU A GLIMPSE OF HOW I WRITE:

LINK #1LINK #2LINK #3→ DON’T FORGET TO SEND THEM RELEVANT LINKS IF YOU HAVEANY.

PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU THINK THE TOPIC WOULD BE AGOOD FIT FOR YOUR BLOG, AND I'LL GET RIGHT ON IT.

THANKS SO MUCH AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU!→ BEING POLITE AND CHEERY CAN GO A LONG WAY. THANK THEBLOG OWNER AND LET THEM KNOW HOW EAGER YOU ARE TOHEAR BACK.

CHEERS,[INSERT YOUR NAME HERE]

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3. ADVICE ON COLD/WARMPITCHING VS. JOB BOARDSVS. THE DREADEDCONTENT MILL?

I THINK DIRECT CLIENT OUTREACH IS THE MOST EFFECTIVEWAY TO LAND CLIENTS BECAUSE UNLIKE JOB BOARDS ORCONTENT MILLS, YOU’RE NOT COMPETING WITH SEVERALOTHER WRITERS AT THE SAME TIME. WHEN YOU RESPONDTO A JOB AD OR APPLY AT A CONTENT MILL, YOU CAN BETTHAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WRITERS JUST LIKE YOUWHO ARE VYING FOR THE SAME GIG. THIS LOWERS YOURCHANCES OF GETTING THE JOB.

BUT WHEN YOU’RE SENDING PITCHES, YOU STAND ABETTER CHANCE OF GETTING NOTICED BECAUSE NOTTHAT MANY PEOPLE TAKE THE TIME TO PROACTIVELYAPPROACH POTENTIAL CLIENTS WITH THEIR SERVICES.

IN TERMS OF ADVICE YOU CAN CHECK OUT THEFOLLOWING POSTS:

PITCHING- HTTP://THEWRITELIFE.COM/GOING-AFTER-CLIENTS-YOU-REALLY-WANT/

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JOB BOARDS -HTTP://BEAFREELANCEWRITER.COM/BLOG/2013/09/04/ANY-LUCK-FINDING-GIGS-ON-JOB-BOARDS-THESE-TIPS-SHOULD-HELP-YOU-OUT/

5. ANY *TRULY AMAZING*FREELANCE WRITERCOMMUNITIES THATYOU'RE A PART OF?

YEP! I LOVE THE FREELANCE WRITERS DEN AND BE AFREELANCE BLOGGER. AND, NOT TO TUT MY OWN HORNBUT THE BE A FREELANCE WRITER COMMUNITY IS ALSOPRETTY AWESOME. :)

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FREELANCE WRITER'S DEN:

HTTP://FREELANCEWRITERSDEN.COM/DAP/A/?A=166

BE A FREELANCE BLOGGER:

LINK HERE

4. BEST AND LEASTICKY WAY OF MAKINGA QUICK BUCK USINGYOUR SKILLS?

I’M NOT REALLY A FAN OF THE PHRASE “MAKING A QUICKBUCK” BECAUSE IT OFTEN MEANS SOMEONE WANTS TOEARN MONEY WITHOUT PUTTING IN THE WORK. AND YES,THERE ARE PLENTY OF WAYS TO “MAKE A QUICK BUCK” BYWRITING. YOU CAN GO TO FIVERR.COM AND WRITE SO-SOCONTENT FOR LITERALLY A FEW BUCKS. BUT I THINKYOU’LL BE HARD PRESSED TO FIND A GIG THAT PAYS A LOTFOR VERY LITTLE EFFORT — AT LEAST IN THE BEGINNING.

WHEN YOU’RE AN ESTABLISHED WRITER, YOU CAN EARNMORE FOR JUST A FEW HOURS OF WORK. THERE AREWRITERS WHO EARN HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS (ICURRENTLY CHARGE $400 - $500) PER ARTICLE. BUTGETTING THERE TAKES WORK. IN MY CASE, I PUT IN A LOTOF EFFORT TO BUILD MY PORTFOLIO, ESTABLISH MYSELFAS AN EXPERT, AND HONE MY CRAFT.

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6. HOW TO CONVINCEBUSINESSES/BRANDSWHO *AREN'T*BLOGGING/CREATINGCONTENT THAT THEYSHOULD BE?

THERE’S PLENTY OF RESEARCH OUT THERE PROVING THATBLOGGING / CONTENT MARKETING WORKS. YOU COULDCITE RECENT CONTENT MARKETING STUDIES TO TRY ANDCONVINCE BUSINESSES TO CREATE CONTENT.

AND IF YOU HAVE ANY CASE STUDIES OF BUSINESSESTHAT YOU’VE HELPED, YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY MENTIONTHOSE.

BUT HERE’S THE THING: IN MY OPINION, YOU’D BE MUCHBETTER OFF GOING AFTER CLIENTS WHO ARE ALREADYBLOGGING OR DOING SOME SORT OF CONTENTMARKETING. WHY? BECAUSE THESE BUSINESSES ALREADYSEE THE VALUE OF CONTENT, AND THEY’RE OFTEN MOREWILLING TO PAY HIGHER RATES. PLUS, YOU WON’T HAVETO SPEND TIME EDUCATING THEM ABOUT BLOGGING ANDCONTENT CREATION.

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1. WHICH INDUSTRIES DO YOU WORK MORE WITH?

RIGHT NOW, I FOCUS ON TECH COMPANIES THAT PROVIDE SOFTWARE ANDSOLUTIONS FOR RETAILERS. I ALSO WORK WITH ECOMMERCECONSULTANTS.

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2. HOW DO YOU MARKET YOUR WORK BOTH ON AND OFFLINE?

I DON’T REALLY DO OFFLINE MARKETING.

AS FOR ONLINE MARKETING, RIGHT NOW MOST OF MY CLIENTS COMETHROUGH VIA REFERRALS AND LINKEDIN. PRIOR TO THAT THOUGH, I USEDTO DO A LOT OF DIRECT CLIENT OUTREACH. (SEE MY ANSWERS TOPREVIOUS QUESTIONS. )

3. HOW DO YOU FIND NEW CLIENTS AND CLOSE DEALS?

ON CLOSING DEALS: I SEND THEM A HIGHLY RELEVANT AND COMPELLINGPITCH SUCH AS THE ONE HERE:HTTP://BEAFREELANCEWRITER.COM/BLOG/WP-CONTENT/UPLOADS/2016/06/PR.PNG

4. WHAT KIND OF CONTRACT DO YOU USE WITH YOUR CLIENTS?

I DON’T USE A FORMAL CONTRACT, BUT I MAKE SURE TO GET EVERYTHINGIN WRITING BEFORE STARTING THE JOB. I OUTLINE THE SCOPE OF WORK,DEADLINE, AND PAYMENT TERMS (50% UPFRONT AND 50% UPON THEAPPROVAL OF THE CONTENT) IN AN EMAIL, AND WHEN THE CLIENT AGREESAND PAYS THE 50% DEPOSIT I GO AHEAD AND BEGIN THE WORK

ON FINDING CLIENTS:HTTP://BEAFREELANCEWRITER.COM/BLOG/2016/02/23/HOW-TO-FIND-CLIENTS-RESOURCES/

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5. WHAT KIND OF WRITING DO YOU DO? NEWS ARTICLES, COPYWRITING…

RIGHT NOW, I SPECIALIZING IN WRITING THOUGHT LEADERSHIP POSTS.

6. HOW TO USE LINKED IN TO GET NEW CLIENTS AND/OR REFERRALS

I TALK ABOUT THIS IN MORE DETAIL HERE:HTTP://WWW.FREELANCEWRITERSACADEMY.COM/HOW-LINKEDIN-CAN-HELP-YOU-BECOME-A-BETTER-AND-WEALTHIER-WRITER-BY-FRANCESCA-NICASIO/

7. DO YOU THINK FREELANCE WRITERS SHOULD SELL INFOPRODUCTS ANDWHAT KIND OF INFOPRODUCTS WOULD BE MORE PROFITABLE IN TODAY'SMARKETI THINK IT’S A GOOD IDEA. IN TERMS OF WHAT KIND OF INFOPRODUCTS, ITHINK YOU CAN EITHER TEACH OTHER PEOPLE HOW TO BECOMEFREELANCE WRITERS (LIKE WHAT I’M DOING) OR YOU CAN CREATE ANINFOPRODUCT TEACHING BUSINESSES HOW TO DO CONTENT MARKETING.

AND HERE:HTTP://BEAFREELANCEWRITER.COM/BLOG/2014/09/03/CLIENTS-FROM-LINKEDIN/