Hello Beautiful People š
First and foremost thank you for being here, subscribing my newsletter and supporting me on this journey! š„°
Every now and then, i interact with a lot of fellow writers who reach out to me asking- āHow can i start freelancing?ā
And honestly, I feel so happy to share my experience and helping them. But at times, explaining some topics briefly is just not possible on the Linkdein chat. This is why, i started this newsletter so that I can answer those questions in detail here and share with whomsoever need it.
But first is the harsh truth- Freelancing is not that easy as it seems on Linkdein. Those failures, rejections, constant pitching, hunting for gigs and ghosting by your clients is real.
So, if you're landing here make sure you're ready for its pros and cons. Because it is not like your 9-5 and once you succeed, you can't even image how flexible and smoothness business you gonna have plusā¦paisa hi paisa hota hai š°š°š°
Well, there is so much to write about this but let's keep it for some other day, today we will stick to the topic and will cover the above one in the upcoming newsletters.
So, you want to start freelancing as a writer- but youāre not sure where to begin, especially if you have zero experience. Donāt worry! Every successful freelancer once started exactly where you are.
This is your simple step-by-step guide to help you start your freelance writing journey:
1. Pick a Niche (or Two)- That You Enjoy Writing
Start with what you know or love- travel, beauty, tech, health, parenting, or even lifestyle. Picking a niche helps you focus and build authority faster. If you don't know how to pick a niche, simply type your [niche+blogs], go to top 5 websites. Now read them and if you find them interesting, identify what better you would have written if you had to write this. Do this with every niche if you're confused selecting one.
Now when you know your niche. Its time to head for samples.
2. Build Writing Samples (Even Without Clients)
No experience? No problem! Create 2ā3 writing samples to show your clients, your writing style because work speaks louder than words.
Now how to write these samples and where. Well, i'd suggest to go for Medium, because this is the ultimate platform to write and share those writeups anywhere you want to.
Make sure to write SEO-optimized articles (including keywords, short paragraphs, headlines, etc so your client can see that you can write SEO Optimized articles.
Now, what's next? Your PORTFOLIO!
3. Set Up Your Portfolio
Google Drive folder (with view-only links)**
Later, you can move to a personal website or Wix/WordPress/Odoo/Notion to build a professional portfolio. However, i found Odoo the best one- no charges for a professional portfolio and build my website there only. (In case you want to see my portfolio š, here is my creativity build on my ownš)
My Portfolio: https://divyawrites.odoo.com/
4. Create an Optimized LinkedIn Profile
Setting up your profile is very important because that will be your landing page for clients. Your headline like āSEO Content Writer for Health & Lifestyle Brandsā or āFreelance B2B Writerā to stand out and speak what you do.
List your skills, niche, and services
Mention your skills, your preferred niche and what you offer. Take one offer at a time and. be clear about it, you can move the ladder. later.
Start engaging with other people and connect with them to build a relationship (remember it's not an overnight game, so will take time)
Choose Where to Find Your First Client (you can also subscribe to some awesome newsletters, will share next time about those newsletters which i follow personally to find gigs that too premium)
LinkedIn pitching: Connect with founders, marketers, or startup owners and start having a convo with them, remember i didn't say- pitch yourself! Just talk to them, know what they do and what you offer- this is softs selling, don't direct sell yourself in the first go.
Learn Basic SEO & WWriting things:
Knowing how to conduct keywordsresearch, understanding search intent, and proficient. in using SEO tools. This is very basic and. important and ofcourse a bonus point, because writing alone won't make that. much money, you need to upgrade yourself. to compete in this market.
Grammarly
Hemingway Editor
Google Doc
Some tools you should be proficient in to start writing.
7. Start Small, Stay Consistent
Your first client might be low-paying. Thatās okay. The goal is to build credibility and testimonials. Once youāve 2ā3 projects done, you can:
Raise your rates
Pitch premium clients
Get referrals
And work on your own terms.
8. Keep Learning, Keep Growing
Freelancing is a skill. The more you write, pitch, and improve, the more youāll grow. Even if you get rejection, failures or disappointments, don't stop because the journey is not easy but worth it once you build. And even the successfull freelancers still gets disappointments.( so take a chill pill, and move through your pace š )
Final Tip:
Donāt wait to be perfectājust start. Youāll learn everything along the way as we did. Because this journey will teach you alot. So keep doing and learning.
Afterall, sucess doesn't come overnight!
Want help building your first portfolio or optimizing your writing for SEO? Hit reply and Iāll send over a free checklist.
To your writing success šš·
Divya Sharma
SEO Content Specialist & Freelance Coach
See you in the next newsletter with another topic. Lemme know if you want me to cover something specific first, i'd love to answer that.
Till then,
Have a great weekend, and slide in my DM if you've any questions or reply to this newsletter š¤