Online Writing Blog

Many freelance writers begin their online careers by joining one of the many Internet marketing forums that allow postings or ads for writing services. While this may be a great way to begin you really do need to have a website set up in order to be more professional. You can then promote your site through classified ads, social networking, and other means.

There are certain pages that your website should include. This site should have an ‘introduction’ page or a sort of welcome to the site sort of thing. Here you could add an interesting article that will entice readers to want to hire you. The article could focus on the advantages of hiring a professional freelance writer over that of ‘chancing it’ with a low cost beginner. Remember, your goal is to establish yourself as a professional – that helps others to understand that your services are high quality and worth premium rates.

Just a brief side note: you may very well start out with extremely low rates as an introductory offer in order to gain a client base; but you should stress the fact that those low rates will be for a limited time only. Make it very clear that your work is high quality and even when the rates the rates go up your clients will still be getting a great value for their money.

Okay, now back to the website!

Your freelance writing website should also include samples of your work. You can post some actual articles or excerpts and add links to any of your own websites where your content is displayed. Be sure to add a page of testimonials and a page that describes the services you offer and your rates. And here’s a hint, do not post a rate that you are not happy with. You can always offer specials from time to time or post ads in forums offering lower rates but the rates listed at your site should be your premium rates. If a client contacts you about an offer you can always ‘give a special introductory deal’, or not.

Also be sure to include an ‘About You’ page that will allow potential clients to get to know a little about you personally. This is a good place to explain why your particular experience makes you a great writer and brag in a subtle way about your talents.

Remember, even if your profession is writing you still need to market yourself. So in effect, when you work online, regardless of the niche, you need to also learn about Internet marketing. This will help you with your writing career plus you can do a better job in assisting your clients get the results they want. Additionally, you can branch out into other things.

Just like any business – your online writing career is a real business that requires planning. This includes a business plan. You don’t have to have a formal plan necessarily, but you should have a plan that helps guide you. A business plan will list your assets, which will consist of things you’re your writing skills, your money, your computer, any software programs you use, etc. And it will also list your weaknesses.

The business plan will include goals. You should have both short term goals and long term goals. Start with where you want to be in five years. Then consider how you will get there. Obviously there are steps you will have to take in order to achieve that 5 year goal.

So next set a 3 year goal. This one should be a stepping stone to the 5 year goal. And then you will set a 1 year goal followed by a 6 month goal, and a 3 month goal. You can then break your tasks down into what you need to do on a monthly, weekly and even a daily basis.

Although I mentioned that your business plan will list your assets as your computer, your writing skills, etc., there is also another side to this. You will need to keep in mind that online writing careers work hand in hand with Internet marketing. With that in mind you have other assets that you need to consider.

Your assets are things like your domains, your sales letters, your squeeze pages, landing pages, products/services, and your lists. Notice anything about all of these? Each one of them has the potential to make you money. But – in the end, it is the people, your customers that will provide the money that eventually ends up in your bank account. Right? Your customers and potential customers are your biggest asset. That’s why there is a trend called ‘Relationship Marketing’. This is a focus on building a real relationship with your little (or big) group of people that you truly have a connection with.

How do you do that? First of all, you need to zero in on a specific group of people. For example, this blog is designed for people interested in learning and sharing about writing. This is a place to connect.

Now – under Relationship marketing there is a sub-category. This is content marketing. Content marketing is really what we as writers do every day, if we are good writers. This means that we write in a way that connects with our readers. In other words – a college professor may not be thrilled with some of our writing, but, our audience is satisfied because we have used terms they understand while spelling words correctly and using proper grammar – at least most of the time.

In simple terms, content marketing is marketing through the use of content.

The titles of your articles or other documents should grab the attention of the reader and make them want to read more. They should always include the primary keyword. When you are writing articles for clients they will depend on you to create compelling titles for their documents. After all, you are the writer! The good news is, writing creative titles that work is not really difficult. Also, just as a side note, if you are a writer of PLR content the title will always be rewritten by the buyers so you can give the documents generic titles.

One way to grab attention in a title is to ask a question. That can make readers wonder and so they might be interested enough to read the article. For instance, if you are writing about dog leashes, you might write: “Dog Leashes; Are They Really Safe For Your Dog?”

Obviously a lot of people would want to read that story because tons of people use dog leashes every day. That would also provide you with a great angle for your article. You could present the pros and cons of leashes.

By starting out with the key word you are putting it right in front of the search engine’s eyes. You should also use the key word in the lead in sentence, which will re-enforce to the search engines the importance of the keyword. In other words, it’s good for SEO.

When you write titles you need to focus not only on the words you use, but also on the length of the title. Your title should be at least four words long  but not more than 12 – 14 maximum. Ideally, it should be 4 – 10 words.

Most clients as well as most directories do not mind if you capitalize all words in the title or if you choose to omit words like ‘the’, ‘a’, ‘an’, etc. But whatever you decide to do you need to be consistent. As long as your title is written in a consistent format it will look nice and most everyone will be happy.

Other easy titles are ‘How To’s”, “Lists”, and “Tips”. Each of these give you the writer a sound direction in your research, which makes it easy to gather information and write your content, plus they give the reader a solid idea of what to expect from the article/report, etc. Some types of sites are better suited to certain article types than others. And the more articles you write the more you will learn about small details that can make a difference.

There are some words that are considered to be ‘power words’ when it comes to writing. These are words that just seem to grab people’s attention. This includes words like ‘free’, ‘yes’,  ‘guaranteed’, ‘the truth about’, ‘exclusive’, ‘you’, ‘instant’, ‘quick;, ‘shocking’ and ‘special’.  There are countless others but I’m sure you get the idea. You will often see these words used on sales pages.

Have you ever thought about how difficult it is to write a short entry? It really is harder to do that than it is to write a longer one. When you have the time and space to elaborate you can go into detail and really get your point across. But if you are limited to only a few lines it can be difficult to concisely and accurately put your thoughts into words. After all, as writers, we tend to ramble a lot.

But when it comes to online content, keeping things simple is usually your best bet. An example is the word ‘melancholy’. Instead of using that word, in most cases the word ‘sad’ might be better. It’s also wise to just let the words flow from your head – don’t try to edit and manipulate them as you write. Just go with it. You can always go back in and make changes later.

Using big impressive words is not impressive at all. Work at making a habit of using words that have few syllables but that still get the meaning across. Concise is better. So instead of saying, “He drove the big automobile through the neighborhood” you could say, “He drove the big car through the area”. That gets the same point across with fewer syllables so it is easier to read.

Use an active voice whenever possible. This helps to make your content more interesting to read. Break up long sentences. Instead of using commas, semi-colons and colons, end sentences whenever possible. Keep in mind that your reader is in a hurry. Every is busy these days and if your content looks like it is going to be difficult to read or time consuming, they are likely to pass on it before they even get started.

Try to avoid using words that only add fluff to your content. These can include ‘really’, ‘extremely’, ‘however’, and a number of other words depending on how you are using them. Just read your content and decide if the words are necessary to make your point or if they are just filling space.

Be confident about what you say. When you are writing you ARE the expert. Don’t be wishy-washy about what you say, state things with authority, after all, you are stating facts based on research and or experience.

Use proper punctuation. This means you should avoid using two or three exclamation points to show extreme excitement. It also means that dollar signs should not be used in the place of proper punctuation or instead of an “s” in the words ‘save’, ‘dollars’, etc.

And finally, practice. Write everyday.

If you are truly interested in an online writing career you will read one resource after the other on the topic. You will work at honing your writing skills – all in an effort to become better at providing excellent content. Why? That’s simple. Because we’ve all heard it countless times, ‘Content is King’, and as a freelance writer you agree. But what does that phrase really mean to you and what impact does it have on how you write?

Obviously, as a writer you know better than most people that quality content is what matters. But because writers have to sell their writing they have to think beyond that. We have to prove that our content is good and worth paying for. The more we know about the ‘why’ related to our online writing skills, the easier it is to convey the importance of our work to our clients. And the more we know and share, the more respect our work gets, and our pay schedules can reflect that.

So what does all of this mean? Basically it goes back to the basics of online writing. Professional freelance writers need to know as much as possible about how to provide excellent web content. But in order to do that we have to understand the ‘why’ behind the things we do.

Clients have questions. Some clients will have questions about SEO. They expect writers to know and understand the importance of search engine optimization because we do have to use the keywords appropriately in our articles. And some clients will have questions about such things as web design and others may even want the writer to post the written content to a blog.

The truth is, the more you know, the more helpful you can be to your clients. And the more helpful you are the better your clients will like you and rely on you. They will prefer your services over someone else’s.

As a freelance writer you need to build a reputation you can be proud of. You want to be respected for your writing skills and your knowledge about online writing should come through in the way you write.

That results in loyal clients that are happy to pay premium rates for your quality services. You know about keywords and you know how to use them in your content without stuffing them in and you know that your goal is to write for the readers as well as for the search engines. Show potential clients how much you know. Now you may be saying to yourself that you can’t tell your potential clients how much you know and that you only get to ‘show’ them after they have decided to work with you.

Use your writing website to demonstrate your knowledge to potential clients. This site is a place to display some of your work and to describe what you can do for clients. This is your place to ‘sell’ yourself and your freelance writing services. Take advantage of it. Let visitors to the site know about your expertise. Create a page to display your specific services and rates and be sure to include a contact form.

If you are contacted by a potential client ensure that you use proper grammar and spelling in your emails. Never agree to take on a freelance writing project that you are unsure you can deliver. Your goal is to always over deliver. This means meeting and exceeding your clients’ expectations.

The more you learn about the ‘why’ and ‘when’ behind the ‘how’ to provide quality content, the easier it will be to ‘sell’ your services and to gain loyal clients. Go beyond writing a good article for a client, challenge yourself to learn why the article is good.

Okay, first of all, you need to realize that writers are artists. And as artists they are creators. Only instead of creating drawings or paintings, writers create books and articles and other documents. We are creative. At least we can be when we are not working according to the guidelines of a client.

So, what do you need to help you feel creative? Have you ever thought about this? What conditions do you need to get your creative juices flowing? Is it a quiet room or a spot at the kitchen table? In order to be the best writer you can be you to explore and find it.

What time of day are you most creative and ready to write? Many writers find that first thing in the morning works best for them. Some writers like to write while they are in bed. Whether they are using a laptop or pen and notepad, most writers brainstorm during the middle of the night and they have to get those ideas down while they’re fresh.

But when it comes down to it, that’s really not a healthy way of doing things. After all, the position is not exactly comfortable and the lighting is not suitable. So what’s best for us? First of all, we should listen to our body, mind and spirit. If we are feeling creative, regardless of the time or place, then it is time to write – which may mean simply jotting down a few notes and ideas, but nonetheless, we need to go with our creativity when it’s there. It is a good idea to create our own little space that feels inspirational to us. No one can tell you what to put in your space anymore than you can someone else how to create a space that will be inspirational to them. But some typical things found in offices and studios include some of the following ideas.

You might want to include some motivational quotes or perhaps a favorite photo or two. Depending on you and your personality, you might want a TV or stereo available. Having a window is nice and good lighting is a must. You should definitely have a comfortable chair and probably a foot rest. A storage unit for some of your books and supplies will be handy and you will probably enjoy having something to drink while you work. Perhaps you would also enjoy candles and incense.

Next, you might want to develop a routine that you do before you start writing when you’re not feeling particularly creative. This can sort of  ‘train’ or prep your body for getting creative. Think of it like warming up before you exercise. It could be something very simple, like relaxing with a cup of coffee or tea while you check emails, web stats, and other routine tasks before you start writing. And give yourself breaks. Never write more than 3 articles without taking a break. Even if you just stand up and stretch for a few moments or take a walk through your house – whatever you can do to get away from your work space for a moment will help refresh your body, mind and spirit and you will be ready to face it again when you return.

Have you ever considered the fact that you should have a system in place for your online writing business? Or perhaps you already do. Or maybe you really don’t understand the meaning of having a system in place.

This is not referring to being organized and having a structure or a schedule. What this refers to is a system or cycle that you can use rinse and repeat over and over that will result in profits each time you do it. This could be anything at all but since you are a writer let’s go with a collection of eBooks. Maybe every 3 months you create a collection of 3 or 4 eBooks to put up on Clickbank. And each time you launch these products you see a huge increase in profits. And as you become better known you are able to charge more and more for your eBook collections. As time goes on you soon have several packages on Clickbank making you even more money.

That is a system. It’s something that you can count on. You can do some math up front before your product is even completed and you will have an idea of what kind of money you will make in the end. Of course, as a freelance writer, you can write for hours and hours and turn a nice salary. Or maybe you can land a great paying gig and write a few hours and make some good money. But the problem with either of those scenarios is that once you have made the money that’s it.

That effort you put into writing is not going to bring you anymore income in the future. But the nice thing about this sort of writing is that it can bring in funds for the short term – like bill money or holiday funds. However, writers should work toward moving away from depending on this sort of writing for their primary income and instead focus on other types. And everyone should develop multiple streams of income.

Writing PLR is one way to have some money coming in for the long term. Another way is to write books and publish them. Another way is to have your own products – whether that is memberships or ebooks. The point is, you need to take action and invest time in developing a system that will work for you. Try different things until you find something that works for you. You may need to come out of your comfort if you want to make the big bucks. And when you find something that works you need to capitalize on it.

When you begin writing online you may think that the only way you can make any money is to write articles for other people. But that’s not true. In fact, you can make more money writing eBooks – whether you write them for yourself or for someone else. But many people new to online writing are hesitant to get started with this type of writing.

The thought of creating an eBook is frightening. But think about it – you could have your own product to sell. And if you create one eBook you can create two, then three, and eventually you could have a complete series.

Have you ever wondered how to get started writing ebooks? Here’s one strategy you can try.  Let’s say you want to write an ebook about dog fitness. Okay, I know, that topic is not too original, but go along with me for a minute.

Start a blog about dog fitness. Set up an opt in and give away a free report on the topic. See what kind of interest you get. This blog shouldn’t require a lot of work really. Just add a few articles and maybe 10 to 15 posts. Be sure to optimize the content so you can get noticed by Google. To do that I suggest that you use a WP blog and use the All in One SEO plug in. Then check your site with Traffic Travis – the free version will work fine.

Okay – once the site is up and running you can pretty much forget about it other than just monitoring the traffic flow and signups for the report. Give it about a month, maybe two, and if there seems to be an interest, go ahead and write the ebook. This is great because you already have an interested list and a blog that you can promote from.

You can now purchase a domain name and set up your sales letter. Then you can begin promoting your ebook. If that goes well you may want to develop other products around the ebook.

Another way to get started is to simply choose a topic to write about and decide how long you want your eBook to be. Ten to twenty pages will be great. Then give yourself a deadline. If this was a client that was in a hurry, how long would it take you? That’s how long you should give yourself to complete this ebook.

Next, get your major topics that you will be covering. An easy way to do this is to check out the Table of Contents of a few books on the subject at Amazon. After you have looked at 3 or 4 you will have a good idea of what you want to include in your book. Another method is using Google’s Wonder Wheel.

Once you have those topics you should list them out on paper in the order you will cover them. Then under each one jot words or phrases to indicate what you will cover under those sub-categories. What you have essentially done is created a rough draft of your Table of Contents.

Now to finish your ebook all you need to do is fill in the blanks. It’s like connecting the dots. And in reality, this is not any harder than writing articles that flow together. When the content is completed you will need to edit and add the details like the header, footer, disclaimer, introduction, etc. You can go to ecover maker to create nice ecovers free. Then, like magic, you have a product to sell. You can then either package it up with other reports and ebooks, give it away, or sell it. The point is, this is a product that can be working for you long term.

It takes a lot of self confidence to put yourself out there as an online writer. But when you do the rewards can be wonderful. But in a lot of ways many writers need to come out of their comfort zones if they are going to be as successful as possible.

One of the first steps to becoming a better writer is of course, honing your writing skills. Online writing is different from offline writing. Your college professor would not be happy with most of what is written online. But the reality is, you already have writing skills or you wouldn’t be pursuing a writing career. And the more you write the better and faster you will get at it.

But, you will need to learn about preferred online formats as well as things like SEO and LSI. Don’t panic though, you can learn these things. There are lots of ebooks and courses available. You will also need confidence when it comes to getting clients. While it’s true that you can take the easy route and just post an ad or two, if you really want to be successful you will need to be a little more assertive. Contacting potential clients directly yourself is one way to get some project orders. Here’s an approach you can use. Just visit the websites of client hopefuls and then send them an email that tells them how you could help their business. Of course, you should already have a website of your own set up that describes your services, rates, has some samples of your work and testimonials.

You will also need confidence in order to expand your business into other areas. Having multiple streams of income will be a way to get you through difficult times. When one stream is dry you can depend on another. PLR content can provide a nice stream of income for writers. The best thing about writing PLR is that you can write it when you are ready and at your own pace. You decide the topic and call the shots. You can sell a single PLR article as many times as you want. Another way to create a stream of income is to create eBooks.

With so much to do you really have to manage your time well and be organized. You have to set priorities. Your priorities are based on steps that will help you achieve your goals. Your goals help to keep you focused on what you need to do.

You have to see to it that you over deliver when it comes to pleasing your customers. Then you have to ensure that your own goals are met. That’s where your business plan comes into play. You should also have a list of things to do each week or even each day. That will help you stay on schedule.

This article is meant to whet your appetite for building your own profitable VRE empire. As a freelance writer you are in a perfect position to build a huge and successful VRE empire. What is a VRE empire – that is a virtual real estate empire. This means you create many websites that can be pulling in profits for you. Although this article cannot possibly give you all the details it can provide enough information for you get the point and even to get started.

If you are not careful, an online writing career can become much like a regular J-O-B, and that’s exactly what you don’t want. What that means is this: you work to get project orders from clients and then you have to work to fill those requests according to the clients’ wants and deadlines. Soon you feel as though you have a J-O-B.

The way to prevent this is to keep your writing rates at a fee that you are comfortable with and spread out into other things besides offering to write for others – instead, find ways to write for yourself.

An excellent way to use your talents for your own benefit is to build your own little army of profit pulling websites. The cool thing about this is – as a freelance writer you know how to write to please visitors and you also have an understanding of what content works best for the purposes you are striving for. In other words, you have a built-in edge over many Internet marketers.

Start by purchasing a few domain names that are somewhat generic in nature, but that are terms that typical people would use when searching for information. For this example let’s use childrensstorybooks, which may or may not be available.

You should begin with your keyword research on the term. You are hoping to find that there are a lot of searches for the term but that there is little competition. If the term meets those criteria then you should purchase the domain and begin working on your site.

The next step is easy for any writer, just write a few articles (no more than 3 or 4) about children’s story books. Use the things you have learned about the psychology of selling. You might begin by saying something about how children’s story books are an ideal tool for caring parents to use to relax their children at bedtime, to create a quiet time for bonding, to encourage an active imagination, etc.

But you could follow that with something like, ” if you don’t have time for one-on-one bonding with your child then collecting a library of children’s story books may not be right for you”. That line helps to stir the emotions of the readers. After all, every parent wants to be perceived as caring and loving and most would agree that spending one-on-one time with their kids is a good idea. The result is that because people want to be included in this idealistic category they may be more inclined to purchase storybooks, even if they don’t have the time to read them to their kids.

Other articles on the site could discuss the different types of children’s storybooks, etc. Then you can add reviews of some of the most popular kids books and of course – you will be selling them with affiliate links. I’m sure you could find plenty of kids’ storybooks at Amazon.

This tactic works pretty well. The trick is finding the right domain name because that will help ensure that you won’t need to do a lot of ‘marketing’ to get traffic. Just build your site and maybe write one or two articles to submit and work at building a few quality backlinks. Then build another site.

The principle of this is to keep building sites. If you keep building the sites and you average building only one a week, and let’s say each one averages making only a dollar a day, that’s still about $50 a day you will have coming in without you working for it. And the truth is, many of your sites will average much more than a dollar a day. Just choose your domain name wisely because that is the keyword you will optimize for.