Only a few simple steps are involved in learning how to become a freelance writer. To become a freelance writer, you do not need a degree in journalism or English, contrary to popular belief. There is so much work available online for freelance writers that anyone able to write clearly and succinctly with few grammatical or spelling errors is well-positioned to become one. Here are the five simple steps you must take to learn how to be a freelance writer:
Discover what SEO writing is and how to do it.
Don’t be concerned if you’ve never heard of SEO writing; it’s easy to learn. SEO is an abbreviation for search engine optimization, a technique used to achieve high rankings in search engines. One of the best ways to get good rankings for specific keywords or phrases is to include them in specific places and a certain number of times in the text. This is how SEO writing is done:
-Only target a maximum of three keywords or phrases per page. One should be primary, and two should be secondary.
-The primary keyword should appear in the page title, with secondary keywords appearing in subheadings throughout the text. -The keyword density should be 2.7%. (ish). The keywords should be used twice or three times for every 100 words.
-Keywords and phrases should not be crammed together but distributed evenly across the page.
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Using keywords at the beginning of sentences rather than at the end is more effective – Ensure that the text flows well and that the keywords are not overly noticeable.
Make a pricing scheme.
Pricing is always a complex subject. The key to pricing is to devise a structure that encourages clients to stick with you and give you larger volumes of work. It’s up to you whether you do this by offering a discount on repeat projects or developing a pricing structure that rewards higher volumes of work. You could do both.
You can charge by word or by the article. I recommend doing this because it is often easier for clients to understand an article’s price than a word price.
Your pricing structure could look like this:
1 to 10 x 500-word articles = $/£/0.05 per word or $/£/25 per article
11-20 articles of 500 words each = $/£/ 0.04 per word or $/£/ 20 per article
21-30 x 500-word articles = $0.03 per word or $15.00 per article 31 or more x 500-word articles = $0.02 per word or $15.00 per article
If you quote too low, you will become bogged down in low-paying work, leaving little time to find other, higher-paying clients. Also, don’t quote too high because there is a lot of competition. When developing your pricing structure, consider how much money you need to earn per day or month to live comfortably and how long it takes you to write an article.
Create a portfolio
You must have examples of your work to show clients and to display on freelancing websites. If you haven’t already done so, create some samples for the next few days. Choose popular topics that require a lot of content. Diet, weight loss, fitness, and lifestyle topics are frequently requested, so this is an excellent place to begin. Write one or two SEO articles that adhere to the guidelines outlined above and a couple of blog posts to allow your personality to shine through. You could also use blogger.com to create a free blog and add blog posts. You’re a published writer without ever having had a client! This is undoubtedly one of the most crucial steps in learning to become a freelance writer.
Discover the various types of freelance writing.
Web developers require various types of content requested on freelancing websites. Understanding what they are and any other necessary jargon is critical when learning how to be a freelance writer.
Here’s a quick reference:
Blog posts are typically 400-500 word posts about any given subject. It is critical to look for amusing aspects of an issue on which people can comment. For example, a blog about cats might want posts with titles such as “how to make your cat food” or “homemade toys your cats will love.”
SEO articles are 500-word articles that contain keywords throughout (as discussed above). They are typically used for submitting articles with links to article directories like this one! They have titles like “top 10 ways to…” “how you can…” and so on.
Sales writing is also known as sales letters. These are lengthy text pages designed to entice someone to click a link or buy something. They adhere to a strict format. It may be worthwhile to learn the skill because sales letters that convert are in high demand and thus well paid on freelancing websites.
Press releases are articles businesses use to announce the release of a new product or piece of information. They are typically submitted to online press release sites. They are used to generate buzz about a company and gain backlinks. Freelancing websites frequently have a high volume of requests for press releases.
Ebooks are books that can only be read online. They don’t require SEO and are typically sold on websites or given away as prizes for leaving an email address. They can be very long or much shorter than 10,000 words. It all depends.
Obtain the necessary information from the client.
This is the last step in figuring out how to become a freelance writer. When it comes to providing the necessary information, clients frequently require prompting. They may request articles, but without knowing the articles’ purpose, it can be not easy to know how to write them. Ensure you understand how many pieces are required, what keywords must be included, what the articles’ purpose is, and when the deadline is. You’ll also want to know about any specific style or tone they want you to use.
If you take the steps outlined above, you will be well on your way to learning how to be a freelance writer. The following step is to visit freelancing websites and begin submitting winning proposals.
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