It was my great friend and online guru Bharat Bhise who first invited me to write some content for him online and he was also kind enough to really talk me through and prep me on what I should be doing in terms of being a freelance writer. I have to say that for me this is one of the best side-hustles there is going and if you want to make a little bit of extra money each month then online writing is a great way of doing just that. There is a lot to bear in mind when you first start however, which is why I wanted to talk a little about that today.
Getting Clients
The most difficult thing is nailing down some clients and you are going to have to be patient in order to get a good client list. The good news is that there is a huge amount of people out there who are looking for content writers and the key will be trying to stand out from the crowd. There are some great freelance websites which you should sign up to and once you start applying for gigs consider getting creative to give yourself a better chance. Offering low cost content could be an idea, or perhaps a buy one get one free strategy may work. Whatever you do, when you do get that client make sure that the work is of the highest order.
Grammar
This may sound incredibly simple but speaking as someone who has hired writers in the past, making sure that your grammar is correct is absolutely essential. If you have any ideals of making money as a writer and you fail to check your work enough to correct any grammar or spelling issues then to be quite honest you don’t deserve to get called back for any work. This is absolutely critical.
Deadlines and Briefs
Different clients are going to want different types of content and they will often write a very detailed brief about how they want it worded, what kind of style they want as well as the chosen format which they are looking for. It is vital that you have read all of the brief and that you fully understand what is being asked of you. In terms of the deadline that has been set, it is going to be tremendously important that you stick to this and wherever possible try to deliver the piece ahead of time, in order to stay in the client’s good graces.
Beyond ensuring that the piece is accurate, you must also bear in mind the number of people who are also looking to do the same job that you are doing. With this in mind it is a great idea to try your best to be as creative as possible and to deliver work which really stands out. Follow these simple guidelines and you are going to be making money on the side through content writing in no time at all.