My last post on the topic of freelance writing was titled make money with freelance writing. It garnered some interesting comments from readers. They were mainly to do with setting rates (the never ending topic), as well as how to go about the whole business in general.
I guess, when we talk about freelance writing, rates and getting started, we can keep turning in circles, since we will never agree for sure with regards to what is right and wrong.
In the end you will have to factor in your own experience, your needs and your position in your market to determine your own rates and procedures.
In this post I want to show you what I deem an absolutely necessity - must haves, if you really want to be a player in your market.
What most aspiring freelance writers often forget is, not everybody needs to start out in the Internet marketing, blogging industry. Many write for industry specific markets and earn a quiet fortune along the way.
What really determines your market is your expertise in it. If you are very knowledgeable and passionate about a specific topic, then this could provide the perfect starting position for your writing business.
You could target the health niche, the sports niche, the fitness niche, or even the lawyer/attorney niche. Regardless of the market or industry, writers are needed everywhere.
Once you break into your market, it’s time to make sure you have what it takes to build your business in blocks.
I did exactly the same thing, moving ahead, step by step, until I was able to sack my boss for good. It took me a total of seven months to do this and if I was able to do this, so can you. Also, when you look at the bigger picture, what are seven months in comparison to being stuck for another twenty years in a job that sucks the life out of you?
1.) To be taken serious you need a portfolio site
I’m not kidding. A portfolio site is an absolute must if you want to play your market. It shows prospective clients just how serious you are about your business and instills a sense of professionalism.
I used to be happy with having my blog and a hire me page, thinking it was sufficient enough for my business. I did have a portfolio site too, but it didn’t list rates and only contained my story, as well as a contact me form, very basic. Then once I became involved in the thought process on whether to post or not to post my rates, I had a wake up call while reading a blog post on Copyblogger.
This post was the final straw I needed to move my business to the next level (unfortunately I can’t remember the exact post). I moved my portfolio site from using a free template to a paid one, whilst investing a couple of hundred dollars for the transition. I also paid for a logo and customizations and the result has been nothing but amazing.
Within four days of having the new site up I had a new client. It paid instantly for the make-over. Since then, I have seen a sharp rise in new clients wanting to book my services. As a matter of fact, upgrading my portfolio site was the difference between me trawling various online job sites, looking for work and being fully booked out for 6 months solid, without having to look for work.
In my case, my blog is my voice, while my portfolio site is my profile, telling clients “hey, I’m serious about this, this is my business and I treat it as such”.
2.) Consistency matters
Consistency is key when it comes to your rates. Once you have established your rates to a satisfactory level, keep them consistent. This is why you are posting your rates in the first place.
Potential clients can see whether their needs and your services provides a match or not.
Being too murky here, or swapping them around isn’t good for business. It would be like going to your deli, buying a cup of coffee for $2 today, $3.50 tomorrow and $4 next week. You certainly won’t go back there in a hurry.
If you have established long term clients, keep your rates the same. I’m not saying you can’t ask for a pay rise, but you need to know when and where and be absolute certain you provided value for money to your client before you even attempt this.
I had one specific long term client whom I worked for with beginners rates. Every week I’d write 14 articles for a set amount. I did this for 8 months. Then he asked me whether I’d be interested to do something totally different, I said yes and named my current rate. He obliged.
He could have just as easily gone to outsource this job to India for a third of what he pays me, but because he knows I’m reliable and loves my work, he chose me instead.
Another client paid me the same rates for about 7 months now. I knew I had outgrown them (the rates) some time ago, but didn’t want to lose the client. This month I finally made the plunge and asked for a pay rise. I got it.
These are typical examples that sometimes it does pay to wait. A long term client can be worth a lot, since they often send you referrals too. Having said this, I also get referrals from new clients, which is the ultimate show of trust and appreciation. These people really rock because they show me how much they really value my work, which has nothing to do with money.
3.) Go beyond the call of duty
I pride myself on doing everything I can to make life easier for my clients. This involves sending them the finished work in a easy to use format, depending on what they need it for.
I also provide extra services for which I do not charge a cent. These services are not listed on my portfolio site either, I just provide them as I can. I guess in some ways I see myself as a service warrior. In the age of lost customer service art, I do my best to help rectify this gaping hole.
For example, I gained a new blogging client a few months ago. I got booked to publish a couple of blog posts every week, which I did. But because I was able to self publish I also had full access to the site as an administrator. My client was really busy with other aspects of his business at the time (that’s why he hired me in the first place), so when I saw his massive comment backlog I offered to look after this for him, approving, replying and denying comments - no charge. A simple gesture of service, that’s all. Naturally he was delighted.
These are the little things that really matter a lot!
Whatever it is you can do to make life a little easier for a client, do it. It will come back to you ten fold. I like to call this karma. Being a big believer of karma, I have to say, from where I’m standing, it really works.
What do you need?
If you are a budding freelance writer, stuck or frustrated, not knowing where to turn, let me know in the comments. While I’m far from knowing it all (I learn new things every day), I would be happy to help you as much as I can from what I have learned up until this stage in my business.
To wrap this post up, I have to honestly say; the three keys above have been the three major factors responsible for moving my business to the next level.
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