Do you want to earn money by working from home?
Become a freelance content writer and earn upto $1000+ every single month.
Did you just say you don’t have any experience in writing? That’s absolutely okay.
Content writing is the easiest skill you can learn and start earning right from the comfort of your home.
Don’t worry, I will take you through the entire process step by step.
In this free guide, you will learn
- How to become a content writer even if you have no prior writing experience or skills.
- How to get clients and start your freelance writing journey.
- How to scale your freelancing career to fetch upto $1000+ every single month.
This is the only free course you will need to establish yourself as a freelance content writer.
So grab yourself a cup of coffee and follow my step by step process and you will be there in no time!
ATTENTION!! This is an extensive step by step guide, only individuals that are willing to practically execute each step will find success and grow faster.
Remember this before you start
Before you learn the process of becoming a freelance content writer, remember that, it is very easy to become a writer (I will take you through the entire process shortly).
However, acquiring clients and getting continuous flow of work is difficult, but if you follow my exact guidelines and implement all the steps the way they are mentioned in this free course, I promise you will grow very fast.
The Right Mindset
Before I even show you how to become a freelance content writer, let me tell you that freelancing is a business model and just like any business, it requires you to put in a lot of work (at least initially) but once you have set it all up, it will keep generating passive reoccurring income for a lifetime (I will show you how in just a few minutes from now).
There are two ways to become a freelance content writer:
- Free method
- Paid method
I will show you both the above ways but you must know that both of the ways have their own pros and cons.
With free method, you can easily get started but
- the results will take a long time to show up.
- You will have to really work very hard
- be extremely patient.
Do not give up mid way if you choose this option.
On the other hand if you choose the paid option
- growth will be much faster
- you will save a lot of time and effort.
Also, remember, the money that you will be spending will be a short term investment. You will soon recover your spends (I’ll show you how shortly).
Pro Tip: If you stick around till the end of this free course, there is a bonus for you, which will save you a lot of time and effort. With this Bonus Tip, you will be able to make up to $1000 writing only one article in a month. So make sure to be there till the end.
You should become a freelance content writer if
- You are ready to put at least two hours of work daily
- You are patient enough
- You want to start a passive income at a later stage of your career
- You wish to have personal growth
- You want to be your own boss
- You like financial freedom
- You are ready to face challenges
You should not become a freelance content writer if
- You want results overnight
- You are extremely lazy to write articles
- You do not like doing things differently
Quick Tip: Since this is an in-depth course, I recommend you to go through each step carefully and implement the steps simultaneously, this way you will yield results at a much faster rate.
Once you succeed at implementing one step, you can then gradually move to the next one.
Let's See Some of The Most Frequently Asked Questions
What is Content Writing?
What are the qualifications required for becoming a content writer?
Well the good news here is that content writing is a skill based career so you don’t require any formal degree or course to become a content writer. As far as you can communicate in English, you are good to go.
Are content writers in demand?
I am sure this question keeps bothering you knowing the fact that there are so many AI tools available in the market that can generate content quickly and error free.
But the good news here is that inspite of the evolving AI tools, content writers are still required to manage these tools.
Infact, with the growing digitalization, every business big or small is now looking at online presence which means, more content creators will be required to cater these business requirements.
So with these AI tools content writer’s job becomes easier than ever before!
How much can you earn as a freelance content writer?
Annual Salaries as High as $269,500 and as low as $11,000, the majority of freelance Writer salaries currently range between $36,000 (25th percentile) to $75,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $114,500 annually across the United States.
So as you can see there is lucrative opportunity to earn money with this career option that can be done within the comfort of your home!
How To Become a Freelance Content Writer in 6 Easy Steps And Earn $1,000+ Per Month
Step 1: Choose Your Content Writing Niche
Step 2: Build An Online Portfolio that Stands Out
Step 3: Start Writing Engaging Articles
Step 4: Create Social Media Buzz
Step 5: Find Freelance Content Writing Work
Step 6: Scale Your Freelance Business Upto $1000 per month
This brings us to our next question……….
How to Find Your Niche?
You can simply find the answer to this question by asking yourself the following
- What do you enjoy writing about the most?
- In which niche do you have your expertise/ experience in?
You don’t have to be a master in your niche but having some relatability gives you an upper hand.
For example: you may have the knowledge about seo, lifestyle, health remedies or you can simply choose to write about office and job culture if you have been in a job for a long time.
If you are a parent, you can simply pen down your parenting tips and experiences to help others around the globe!
Simple! Isn’t it?
Why is it Important to Choose a Niche?
When you choose a particular niche for writing, it makes you look like an expert in that particular topic. You can then grow your audience easily, once you do that, you can than look at monetizing your audience at a later stage.
Clients generally prefer writers that have expertise in their brand category over writers who produce general content.
Also, it becomes easier for you to find work since you will be hunting for a very specific group of clients.
Here is a complete list of the most profitable niches that you can have a look at.
This is the most crucial step as your portfolio is a place where you can showcase your best talent and attract clients. This step plays a vital role in getting clients and starting your freelance writing journey!
How to Build an Online Portfolio?
There are primarily two ways to build an online portfolio:
Free Method:
As the name suggests, you will not have to pay anything to display your articles in this method, let’s see some of the free ways in which you can build your online portfolio and pitch clients.
Medium.com:
You can create an account on Medium.com and start writing your articles on this website, it is absolutely free of cost. You can write as many or as little you want with no restrictions on topic, word count etc. Make sure to write interesting articles that will attract more views and positive comments which in turn will be an added advantage for you to get clients.
LinkedIn:
Another way to start writing articles is on LinkedIn, this platform will also help you showcase your talent for free and will give you maximum reach. Simply create an account on LinkedIn and use the platform to write your articles.
Guest Posting:
Another way to create writing samples is with guest posting. These are blogs that accept guest writers. Get posted on these blogs means you will have a link to show prospects someone thought your writing was good enough to be published.
You can quickly Google your writing niche + write for us to get blogs that accept contributors.
Here’s the result for Health blogs that accept guest writers.
Paid Method:
This method consist of starting your own blog / website to showcase your talent. You can start your own blog on WordPress easily even if you have no technical skills or knowledge.
To start a blog, you will basically need:
- Domain name
- Hosting Plan
- WordPress Theme
Step By Step Process to Build a Blog in Just One Day
Domain Name
Pro Tips To Remember When Selecting A Domain Name
1. Domain Length
Choose a domain that is as brief as you can. Even if there aren’t any one-word names like Amazon, Facebook, Apple, or Google, if you put enough thought into it, you may come up with two-word domains that are simpler to remember, such BloggersPassion and HostingMonks
2. Always choose.com domains
There are a large number of domain TLDs (Top Level Domain) available, including.com,.net,.org,.info,.app, and more.
Because 99 percent of people use.com TLDs when looking for a domain or website online, my advice to you is to always use one. If you want to obtain the best names with high domain authority, you can also try looking at the expired domains.
3. Do not use hyphens or numbers
Most individuals choose domain names that contain hyphens or digits, which is a common error. Don’t commit that error. If you want your domain name to be memorable, stay away from numbers and hyphens.
4. Simple to type and remember
Try to pick a domain name that’s easy to type and easy to remember. Yes, you need to brainstorm a lot of ideas to come up with such as “easy to remember” domains but it’s worth your efforts.
You can also get inspiration from other blogs in your industry. You can also try merging two different words to form a useful domain such as;
- Fitness Pal
- Hosting Monks
- Copy blogger
- Social Triggers
- Blogging Buddha
You can also see Top 11 ways on How to choose a good domain name that will increase website traffic
Choose A Hosting Plan
I STRONGLY advise you to choose Bluehost. Not only is it a cheap site server, but WordPress also officially recommends it. More than 2 million websites use it globally as well.
You can establish a blog with Bluehost and get a free domain name by following this step by step guide.
Click here to get started with a discounted Bluehost Plan.
Blog Design & Theme
A simple yet professional theme is required when beginning a new blog.
Elegant Themes is a good choice because it costs only $80 and gives you access to excellent themes like Divi and page builders like Divi Builder.
If you’re searching for a less expensive solution, consider GeneratePress Premium, which costs $59 per year (and which I have also used for one of my blogs).
Additional Tips For Successful Blog Design
- Do not overcrowd your blog with advertisements, at least not until you have a significant number of visitors.
Make use of as much white space as possible.
Elegant Themes has 87 distinct themes to select from; pick the one that best suits your needs. - Make an investment in a logo. You can acquire a decent logo for $5 on Fiverr or hire someone to do it for you (if you have the budget).
- To assist your readers spread the news about your posts, including some social sharing buttons. The best thing about WordPress is that it comes with a plethora of plugins (tools) that you may use to complete your tasks. A premium social sharing plugin, such as Social Snap, is an option.
Recommended: If you are still not sure how to start a blog, you can see this in depth step by step guide on how to start a blog.
Why is it important to have your own website?
You can use the free method to build your online portfolio if you are low on budget but the advantages of having your own personal websites are far more fruitful.
With your personal website you can
- Control the feel and look of the platform
- Make a brand for yourself
- Make yourself look extremely professional to your clients
- Upscale your freelancing career by selling courses on your website
- Monetize your website and generate multiple streams of income
Hence I STRONGLY recommend to start your own blog with a minimal cost and you can scale it further once you start earning.
Now that you have your niche and a platform to showcase your talent, you can start writing interesting articles.
But you don’t know how to write an article?
Don’t worry, this is what we are going to learn next!
7 Step Process to Write an Engaging Article
Below is the step by step process on how to write a perfect article that will be engaging and will help your client grow his brand.
1. Headline & Introduction
Spending time on your introductions is one of the best strategies to enhance your writing abilities.
When someone clicks over to your post from Google or another website, they will see your title and introduction as the first thing they see.
Although there are several fantastic headline templates available, you don’t need to be overly sophisticated to have a great headline.
I like to use the following in my headlines:
- Use Juicy Words (simple, easy, fast, brilliant, amazing, quick, etc.) – these are adjectives and superlatives that you can inject in your headline for more click throughs.
- Highlight the benefit – What will people get out of your post? For this one, it’s improving your writing skills.
- Identify a person – for many of my headlines I identify who this post is for – beginners, freelance writers, new bloggers, etc..
Additional things you can add to your headline:
- Numbers
- Year
- Calling it an ultimate guide or comprehensive guide
- Using top, best
Now, your introduction is what will hook a reader to keep on reading and you can do this easily with bucket brigades. A bucket brigade is keeping the flow and upping the curisotity factor.
So this might look like –
“I know what you’re thinking….”
Doesn’t this make your WANT to keep on reading? That is the power of a bucket brigade in your introduction. You can even use it as the first sentence.
2. Research
One of the best and the easiest way to write an article is by doing thorough research.
Look at popular articles in your niche. Observe the flow of the language, look at the headings and sub headings covered. You don’t have to copy everything word by word but getting inspiration is the key here.
Observe the style, pen down important learnings from those articles and then try to incorporate them in your article in your own unique style.
You cannot miss this step at any cost, it’s all out there, all you have to do is recreate the piece of information with your personal touch and style.
3. Create an Outline
Making an outline for everything you write is one of the finest strategies to enhance your writing abilities.
If you manage to acquire a freelance writing gig, this is especially true.
Having an outline can help ensure that you include everything your client wants because clients want a post that is coherent and comprehensive.
I consider the topic I want to write about, develop subtopics, and then come up with further ideas.
4. Choose Simple Words
Simplicity is the best rule you can apply in writing!
You may think you sound smarter if you use complex words – but that’s not true.
There’s no need to write a blog post like your thesis paper for college. In fact, that probably won’t help you gain blog traffic or clients.
What’s better is to avoid those big fancy words and use simple, yet effective words when you write. It’s almost like you’re writing as you would be talking – just without much slang and ums.
5. Stay Away From Filler Words
Filler words like: that, very, just, really, etc.. are just that..filler.
There is no need to add those extra words in your sentences, unless it’s there for intention. I work hard not to have those extra filler words and I often do, but I’m still editing my work and trying to catch all those extra words before I hit publish!
I know I’m not the best writer. I don’t have an English degree. But, that hasn’t stopped me from making a living as a writer! If I can do it, you can too!
There’s a balance of using enough words to convey your message. This will take time to develop and help you improve your skills as a new writer.
6. Use Short Sentences and Paragraphs
Shorter the better! Yes, this holds true for online blog posts and articles. Shorter sentences and paragraphs are easier to read as compared to longer ones.
It makes the article fun to read and does not stress the reader.
If you want to become a freelance writer and write online, then write shorter paragraphs and shorter sentences.
Online users don’t have the best attention spans, so make your writing easy on the eyes!
7. Make Use of Writing Tools
Writing becomes so much easy and fun when you have the right tools to assist you.
So, make good use of them!
There are plenty of content writing tools available in the market but my personal recommendation is using Grammarly.
It’s my go-to editing tool and has helped me fine-tune my writing. As a freelance writer, one of the tools you need is an editing tool. You may think you just need a proofreader like your partner or friend, but I also urge you to have an editing tool first.
Few other tools to consider are:
- Write Sonic
- QuillBot
- Copymatic
If you do not wish to spend hours writing articles and blog posts, here is quick guide on How to write an SEO optimized long form article in less than 30 minutes.
Freelancing is a full time business, unlike doing a job, you have to manage a lot of things from sales, client servicing, multitasking, invoicing, payment follow ups and much more.
In the beginning you will have to manage all by yourself but once you start getting regular projects, you can than look at outsourcing a few things and building up your own team.
Let’s look at the other important skill sets that you will need to pay attention to.
Organizational Skills
You’ll have to keep track of all your projects, billing information, client information, pitches sent and content schedule for your blog and sometimes for your client’s blog.
You’ll also need to develop a writing routine to organize your articles or blog posts. What are the steps to gather research for your pieces? How do you outline your blog post?
Having a system in place for your projects is key to growing your business. You don’t want to make a mistake or forget to do something.
Blogging Skills
I primarily write blog posts or digital marketing material – like a lead magnet. When I first started, I had no clue how to blog.
I read tons of blog posts but never looked at the formatting. It wasn’t until I started this blog that I actually paid attention to subheadings and creating white space.
Writing for an online audience is different than writing a term paper for your college professor.
You need to know how to captivate a reader with your headline and introduction. You also need to back up your claims and facts with reputable sources.
And you need to include subheadings, bullet lists or numbered lists and above all, provide actionable tips.
Content Marketing
If you want to become a paid freelance writer then you need to now content marketing.
This means understanding how a business uses content to market their products or services.
They may use white papers, a lead magnet, case studies and an email list to help them gain leads.
When you become a freelance writer knowing this marketing strategy can help you land writing projects like white paper writing for businesses.
Task Management Program
Since you’re running your business on your own, you need to keep track of everything.
I personally use Google Sheets and the Productivity Planner for Freelance Writers to keep track of my projects and income. I also use Trello to keep track of my to-do list for the week.
You might find Asana is a better fit for you or even Microsoft Excel. Find a program that you like and start creating a system for your projects, finances and if you want, your blog content or pitches you send.
Image Editing Program
Some of your freelance clients may want you to do images for your content. Or, you may want to offer that as part of your services when you learn how to be a freelance writer.
Knowing how to add text to blog images is important to know as a freelance writer. It shows prospective clients you know how to blog.
I personally use Canva for all my images.
What’s great about learning how to design images is that you can offer this to your clients or you might find prospects are asking you to do their images.
How to Create Your Content Writer Profile on Social Media?
Now that you have written a few articles on your own website, its time for you to create some buzz!
In this digital world, let’s not underestimate the power of social media platforms.
Create professional looking accounts on the major social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and stay super active on all of them to attract more attention and grow your audience on all the platforms.
The best way to stay active on all of these platforms is to share your published article links on them and also create graphic posts to promote your articles.
Let the world know that you are available as a content writer and are ready to take on some good projects!
Make Sure All your Social Media Accounts Have:
- A professional looking image of yourself, as this can appeal to a lot of clients
- A crisp bio stating what services do you offer
- Contact information such as your email id where clients can get in touch with you
- Your website link for your clients to see your work
How to Find Freelance Content Writing Work?
Now that you are ready to take on the content writing world, it’s actually time to start getting those projects that will kickstart your freelance journey and help you generate good income.
Let’s look at some of the most effective ways to find freelance content writing work available on the internet.
1. Family & Friends
The easiest way to jump-start your freelance writing journey is to ask your friends and family.
In this digital world, we all have friends and family that have their businesses growing online, so why not take up this opportunity and write for them? Since you are just starting out, you can offer them your services for free or for a minimal fee. This way you can grow your clientele which will give you an added advantage to get higher-paying clients later.
Once you work for your friends and family, you can then ask them to spread the word in their community and workplace to get you more projects.
as well.
2. Freelance Writing Websites
The next best option to get freelancing work is through freelancing websites. There are plenty of options out there. You will have to register yourself on each of these websites and create a powerful gig showcasing your services that you offer.
Some of these websites are absolutely free to register whereas a few of them charge you a minimal fee to get you best writing job opportunities.
Below is the list of websites that offer the best high paying freelance content writing jobs:
- Fiverr.com
- Upwork.com
- Freelancer.com
- Contena.com
- Fexjobs.com
- SimplyHired.com
- Guru.com
- People Per Hour.com
- CrowdContent.com
- FreeUp.com
- Problogger.com
- FreelanceWriting.com
- BloggingPro.com
- WriterAccess.com
- Writerbay.com
- Peppercontent.com
- ConstantContent.com
- TextBroker.com
- ContentWriters.com
Here is a complete list of Top 50 Freelance Writing Job Websites That Can Make you $1000 per month
Things to Remember When Registering on Freelance Websites:
- Make a unique Gig
- Use powerful images to create gigs
- Mention all the services that you offer (emphasize your expertise)
- Showcase your portfolio and projects done by you
- Let the client know how will your service benefit them
3. Cold Email Pitches
No matter how old this technique is, it never gets out of fashion. Cold email pitching is a powerful way to interact with your potential clients on one on one basis.
You can simply, observe any website content in your writing niche and note down the pointers where it needs improvisation.
The next step is to connect with the client via an email and let them know how you can help improvise the current content on their website (don’t be rude here, or else this can backfire). Just let them know a few tips that can help them rank on google. This is sure to get their attention since you are offering help to grow and improve their brand.
Even if you don’t find any shortcomings, that’s fine too, just say that you are willing to assist in content marketing and you share the passion for that niche.
You may need to make a lot of cold pitches initially and chances are you may not even hear back from most of them, but that’s okay. You don’t even need all of them to say yes either. Even if you manage to get one or two clients in a month, this should be enough to keep you busy throughout. Remember you need quality clients and not quantity!
Approach Digital Agencies
You can use this same technique to pitch digital agencies as well. They are always on a look out for quality writers to work for their clients. Simply google the list of digital agencies in your country and then connect with them via an email pitching your services.
Remember to keep your email brief and to the point, nobody likes reading thesis on a hectic work day.
Approach Other Content Writers
Another successful way of getting work is by connecting with established content writers. You can start by complementing writers on their posts and articles regularly, this is a good way to build a professional relationship on a positive note. Then approach them via email and let them know you are willing to start your content writing journey just like them and request them to promote you within their circle.
4. Social Media
This one is an absolute no brainer!
Since you have already created your social media accounts as mentioned in the steps above in the guide, you are already in the limelight.
There are plenty of clients that are on a hunt for good content writers for their respective brands on social media.
Make sure to follow your niche brands on these platforms, interact with them via post comments and messages.
Join all the relevant groups on platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn, there are regular job postings in these groups. Make sure to choose genuine job offers only. Do a thorough background check before starting work on any project.
Once you complete a couple of projects, chances are, brands and clients will approach you upfront for hiring your services. This will not happen immediately but if you continue to stay active, this process of clients approaching you will become a common practice. And this is what you should be aiming for!
Now comes the tough part and that is writing freelance pitch proposals. But it’s not as difficult as it looks. All you need to focus on is that you don’t sound like a robot instead focus on appearing as human as possible, someone who is willing to help the brand grow.
Below are few pointers you should keep in mind when drafting your pitch:
Email Address
Your first impression is the last impression, this holds true when you are pitching brands that you have never interacted with before.
Having a professional email id can help build trust and not make you appear spammy.
Obviously, it’s ideal that you have your own domain name with a matching customized email address (i.e. [email protected]), but not everybody has that when they’re starting out and that’s okay.
Even if you are using Gmail, ensure that you are using words that describe your profession, for example; I started with – [email protected]
Avoid Common Template
One of the biggest mistakes that freelancers do is using one template for all of their potential clients. It just looks spammy and chances are your email won’t even get read!
Instead take sometime to research each client and draft a personalized email, this will surely catch the client’s attention.
If you cannot put efforts in drafting unique pitches chances are you wont put efforts in producing unique content either, it’s that simple!
Focus On Brand
Again I can’t stress enough how important this is. Most of the emails that I receive from freelance writers usually start with “I am so and so and have so and so degree….”
Instead start with addressing the brand and mention how you’d love to be a part of this brand’s growth journey. How your experience and skills can help the brand grow positively (if you don’t have the experience, mention you have the passion and knowledge for this niche that can help).
Keep it Short
In this busy world, nobody has the time to read a 1000 word email that appears like a thesis. Keep it minimal and to the point with short sentences. Avoid fancy words here, use simple and relevant words instead.
Catchy Subject Line
In order for your email to stand out, make sure to come up with a catchy subject line. Something that provokes the reader to open your email (don’t make it look spammy though).
For example; if you are writing to a beauty client/ brand named Max Beauty.
Your Subject line can say something like – ” Know how Max Beauty can grow with an engaging web content!
Email Signature
Want to look professional? Ensure you use a simple yet powerful email signature at the end of your email.
Your signature should include:
- A small headshot of your lovely face.
- Your first and last name.
- What you do for a living (i.e. you’re a Beauty Content writer).
- Links to your writer website, freelance writing portfolio, and LinkedIn
Additionally, you can also Include a short proverb along with one of your social media account links (preferably LinkedIn).
Example:
Pitch Template
Below is an example of a cold pitch email for a beauty brand (Max Beauty) you can take inspiration from and build your unique pitch for your potential clients.
Subject – Know how Max Beauty can grow with an engaging digital content!
Hello Alex,
I’ve been a fan of Max Beauty for years. I was recently perusing your social media page and noticed [the page doesn’t have any customer success stories” or “I noticed how tailored your social media ads are.”]
Do you need any new copywriters to help with that? My name is [your name] and I specialize in writing [type of content you write] about [subject matter you specialize in]. I’ve written for [brands/companies/outlets] such as [names or types of brands/companies/outlets]. You can see some of my work here [website or portfolio link].
I’d love to help you [specific example that shows you know what their goals are. E.g. “I’d love to help you write customer success stories that sell your products” or “I’d love to help you create compelling social media ads that get more clicks/ engagement.”]
If you have questions or would like to set up a time to talk, please feel free to get in touch.
Bonus Method of Earning with Content Writing
Now that you have been following this guide dedicatedly, here is a bonus tip for you.
You don’t have to hunt and pitch clients continuously. Yes, you read that right!
Did you know there are plenty of websites on the internet that will pay you $1000 for an article that you can publish on their blog?
If this is something that interests you, keep on reading!
Here is a complete list of 70+ websites that pay you Up to $1000 per article.
All you have to do is select a website of your niche, read through their submission guidelines and create an article accordingly..
You can aim at writing one or two articles in a month and still make $2000 per month!
Isn’t that cool?
How to Scale Up Your Freelance Content Writing Business Upto $1000 Per Month?
So, now that you have worked on several projects and have established yourself as a content writer, it is now time for you to scale up your freelance business a step further and earn upto $1000+ every month.
You can grow your business as a content writer in the following ways.
- starting your own content marketing agency
- creating and selling your own digital courses
- Affiliate marketing
Now let’s discuss each of these steps in detail.
How to Start a Content Marketing Agency?
I know it sounds complicated to start up your content marketing agency but believe me its not that difficult especially if you already have incoming clients pouring in with all of the earlier steps that you have implemented till now.
All you have to do now is make a team of creative people that will work under you for your clients.
Let’s look at some of the key points that you need to keep in mind to start your own digital content agency.
Business Model & Strategy
Before you take action on this new business venture, come up with a plan for your agency’s identity and value proposition:
- Decide if you want to only offer WordPress-based inbound marketing strategies. These could include: SEO, blogging, remarketing, white paper generation, and infographic design.
- Decide if you want to offer a comprehensive content marketing solution instead, which includes everything outside of WordPress too, such as: social media marketing, newsletters, video scripts, email marketing, etc.
- Decide if you want to continue with your single niche or do you want to expand and take a multi niche approach.
- Select a unique selling proposition for your agency. In other words, figure out what sets you apart from the competition.
Price Your Services
Think about the following and select pricing accordingly:
- Monthly pricing for each marketing service you offer (if you want them to be a la carte).
- Monthly pricing for your main marketing services.
- The creation of content marketing packages for different levels of service. Basic, professional, and enterprise are a good way to start. However, make sure you bundle your services in a way that provides a lot of value for clients based on what they’re willing to spend.
- Also, negotiate and fix rates with the newly hired content writers so that you can pitch your new clients accordingly. For eg: If you have decided to pay your content writer $10 per 1000 words article, you pitch your client for $20 for the same article.
Invest in the Right People
Let’s talk about the process of hiring staff for your content marketing agency:
- Decide which roles need to be filled first. This will likely be a project manager, a graphic designer, a writer, and a social media admin (if you want to offer a comprehensive content marketing solution)
- To start with you can only look at hiring content writers in different niches or several content writers in one niche only (the one that you have been writing for).
- Consider hiring only freelancers to start with. You can use this as an opportunity to test a number of individuals within each role (paid, of course) while getting a solid team in place that works well together.
Advertise
Just like you pitched for freelancing content writing jobs a few months earlier, repeat the process this time for bigger goals.
Project yourself as a content marketing agency this time and strive to get reoccurring projects. Make optimum use of all the social media platforms to get maximum leads.
Summary
You can now look at pitching and acquiring new clients and pass on the content writing work to your newly hired team members. Make sure to proof read all the work before you make the final submission to your client.
How to Create and Sell your own Digital Courses Online?
Now that you have had success as a freelance content writer, why not show the road map to other wanna be writers?
There are plenty of aspirants who are willing to pay for a good content writing course that can make them money.
Another way to build courses is around the niche that you have been writing in. For example, if your niche is parenting, you can make an online course on “How to develop healthy food habits for kids at an early stage” or anything related to their mental development or training etc.
So let’s quickly see how you can create and sell your own digital course.
Brainstorm Course Format & Content Ideas
Teaching is about delivering information in an efficient, effective, and appealing way. You can primarily choose to teach in an e-book format or a video format for your course.
E-books
In this format, the course and content is formatted in a step by step by guide that the readers can consume at any given point of time.
It is usually recommended to create at least 100+ pages of e-book to give maximum value to the readers. The best part is you can even include video links in your e-book making the course a mix of both read format as well as video format.
How to create an E-book?
Creating an e-book is simple. Start writing your course content in a word doc, once you finish writing, you can simply convert the word doc into a pdf. Make sure to use simple language and colorful images in your e-book to make it lively and fun.
You can also include written tests, exercises and tasks within each module for the individuals to examine their knowledge they have gained from your course.
Next you can design a powerful and appealing cover for your e-book. All of this can be done by using Canva.
If you want to save your time writing and designing an e-book, you can simply outsource the entire project to a ghost writer on Fiverr and get the job done with minimal effort.
Pros
- Easy to create and format
- Cost effective and can be created with a low investment.
- Easy to sell as the selling price is low
- Can be outsourced entirely
Cons
- Time consuming if created on your own as it requires a lot of writing.
- Difficult to sell at a very high price, this affects your profitability
- Most people prefer watching a video over reading as it is easier to understand.
Video Courses
This format will require you to make short videos of all the modules included in your course.
One of the most successful ways to establish your presence in a course is through videos and webinars.
While getting on camera, there is a specific checklist you have to decide upon:
Knowing what you want to create will help you choose the right equipment and make the right decisions.
Make sure to create videos with a more personal feel and to be highly expressive. You can record with a green background behind you so you can add anything behind you during the editing process.
Pros
- Highly profitable format
- Highly consumed as compared to any other format
- Can be partially outsourced
- Takes less time to create as compared to writing
Cons
- Requires high investment in terms of equipment and editing charges
- Only feasible if you are comfortable facing the camera
Host your online Course
Once you have your course outline and your course material ready, it’s time to upload your quality content and start selling.
In the e-learning market you have three major options:
Evaluate each option carefully and decide which one is the most suitable for you and you can start selling your course accordingly.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a terrific way to make money while you sleep if you’re seeking for a passive income source.
Essentially, affiliate marketing entails selling other people’s products for a commission, and you’ll be paid anytime a successful affiliate sale is made through your affiliate referral links.
By the end of 2022, affiliate marketing spending in the United States is expected to reach $8.2 billion.
If you want to use affiliate marketing to monetize your website, you need offer educational content for your audience (and you should also target commercial keywords).
Here are a few examples of content that work well with this model:
- Case studies are used to illustrate a point.
- Product reviews for affiliate marketing
- Posts that compare
- Promotional codes and discounts
Since you are an established content writer in a particular niche with an audience on all your social media platforms, you can now look at promoting affiliate products in that niche.
Remember, why I asked you to choose a niche in the start of this guide so that you can monetize it at a later stage.
For example; if you are a content writer in the parenting niche, you can look at promoting products related to kids (toys, learning programs, health products) and so on.
You can include your affiliate links in the e-book courses and sell them to generate multiple streams of income.
Here is the list of top high paying recurring affiliate programs that will keep making you money every single month.
Also read; a free guide on How to Start Affiliate Marketing: A Practical Guide for Beginners.
