5 Steps To Launching A Freelance Writing Business

Are you interested in the possibility of working from home or the independence that comes with being your own boss? Freelance writing is one service that easily lends itself to being offered or delivered online.

Freelance writing can be lucrative, fulfilling, and can provide a means of earning a side income. In this guide, we explore what you need to know about starting a freelance writing business.

1. Identify what type of writing service to offer

There are different types of freelance writing. While the term “copywriting” technically refers to writing almost any kind of text, a freelance copywriter is different from a freelance journalist, for example. The difference is mainly in the kind of clients each writes for and advertises to. Advertising yourself as a freelance copywriter is more likely to attract businesses looking to sell products or services, so knowledge of marketing can help you here. Freelance journalism isn’t entirely different (many freelance writers dabble in both journalism and copywriting), but the process of looking for work is usually focused more on pitching article ideas to different publications via email.

2. Understand what’s required

Apart from the administrative intricacies of setting up your business, such as company registration, you’ll need to be able to prove to clients that you have the right skills for the job. Let’s not beat about the bush here - to start freelance writing, formal qualifications are not a prerequisite. While some agencies will require a submitted resume, most of the time, clients will not be interested in or even ask about your formal qualifications.

When applying for certain jobs, however, experience may be preferable or required. You may be wondering how to gain experience if you’re new to freelance writing. Ever written a personal blog or written text for another company you have worked for? There you go, you have experience. If you don’t have the experience required, simply look for the next job posting. There are countless job postings for freelance writers available online that do not mandate having experience.

3. Find your niche

A “niche” is what copywriters call their area of expertise. Niches range from industries like finance and technology to health and pop culture. When choosing your niche, think about what topics you are already knowledgeable about or topics you have experience in writing about. For example, someone working in sales for a software company could transition to a freelance writer focusing on technology or software.

4. Build a website

Having your own website is extremely useful for advertising your services. There are many web hosting sites you can subscribe to, such as Wix and WordPress. You can also check out best website builder reviews for a comparison of options. Your website should ideally be eye-catching and appealing to your target demographic. Although it should display your writing ability, don’t cram too much text into the website. Walls of text look unappealing to most website users. A good way to display your experience is to have a portfolio page, with links to samples of your writing. If you are just starting out and don’t have any links, adding blog posts can be a good solution. Just make sure that any written content on your site or blog is relevant to your niche and customer base.

There is no use having a fantastically constructed website, however, if nobody reads it. To increase the traffic to your website, learning SEO techniques is indispensable. SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the optimization of online content for websites to rank higher on search engine results pages. This is done by using analytics to determine what specific phrases and keywords search engine users most frequently search for. For example, if your niche is technology and you live in Iowa, you may find that many users are searching for the phrase “technology copywriter Iowa” much more than they are searching for “where can I find a technology copywriter in Iowa?” Including the specific phrase, or “SEO keyword” your potential customers are searching for on your website, will likely result in higher SEO ranking and increased website traffic. To read more about analytics, click here.

SEO is a complicated science but there are many online videos, articles, and courses you can explore. While some freelance writers are SEO specialists (and can usually charge higher rates due to delivering this added expertise and benefit to their clients), you don’t need to be an expert to become a freelance writer. Gaining an understanding of SEO is advisable, however, even if it is just to promote your website.

Of course, take time to ensure the writing is of top quality on the website itself. No one wants to hire a writer that showcases subpar writing on their own site.

5. Find work

There are many different job sites for freelance writers, from one-off jobs to recurring projects. Sites like Freelancer.com and Upwork.com are very popular, with many jobs posted on those sites. There is a downside to these sites, however. Their popularity implies there is a vast amount of competition, and somebody, somewhere, is almost always willing to undercut you and do the job for peanuts. You may end up spending more time applying to jobs and monitoring these sites than you spend writing anything.

There are many places you can find work outside of these sites, however. A good place to start is Facebook. A quick search for “copywriting jobs” and “freelance writers” will take you to a number of different groups where jobs are posted, or where you can post your availability to take on work.

You can also contact (through email or telephone) businesses you think could benefit from your services directly. If you have seen a website, blog or advertisement you think could be done better, or a business that is lacking in written marketing materials, you may be able to make them an offer. Even if they don’t need you at the time, they may think of you in the future.