
(We’ll get to the $100 prize in a few minutes — it’s all explained in this post, if you read through to the end.)
So your client wants you to use their blogging software to submit your posts.
And now you’re sweating with the fear that you won’t know how to use it and you’re gonna look incompetent.
Or maybe, like a lot of people in the blogosphere, you woke one morning not long ago, logged into your own WordPress website, and saw that — what in holy heck? — after the latest update, WordPress 5.0 has given you a very different looking new editing system… *eek*
Or perhaps you’ve never tried publishing on Medium or LinkedIn before, and you’re not sure how it all works.
Or you’ve been talking with a prospective client who sounds awesome, but they use Squarespace and you’ve only ever used WordPress?
Whatever the scenario, it’s all good. Relax and read these 5 simple ways to get your bearings inside a new blogging platform.
1: Check out what hasn’t changed
Look for all the things you know — stuff that has stayed the same (or at least hasn’t changed enough to be unrecognisable).
For example, there wasn’t much difference between writing in the old-school classic WordPress editor view and writing in a Word document: both of them have a big empty area that you write in, plus toolbars with controls you recognise, like style menus, bold buttons, and hyperlink icons.

With the new WordPress 5.0 “Gutenberg” block layout, things don’t look so similar to a Word document anymore. They still have enough in common, though, to make even the new-style WordPress usable by any intelligent person with a bit of word processing experience.

But if you’d never tried, you wouldn’t know that.
Over the years, many otherwise smart and sane freelance writers have told me they were scared to try using new software. So scared, they wouldn’t accept blogging gigs that required them to upload and format their own posts!
That’s just… Well, you know I love you guys, but that’s really fucking silly.
Open an account on whatever platform it is, or ask your client to give you advance access to the software they want you to use. Then, as soon as you log in for the first time, identify all the things you already recognise before you do anything else.
Once you’ve done that (and settled your nerves by proving to yourself that, hey, this isn’t alien technology — it’s only blogging)…
2: Locate the things you know *should* be available
It’s like when a supermarket rearranges the layout of all the products in the store — eggs might now be on aisle 5 instead of aisle 15, but they’re still eggs and they’re still inside the supermarket.
So if you’re pretty sure there ought to be an option somewhere that lets you start new drafts or add numbering to lists or whatever, look around for it.
It took me a while to figure out where in WordPress 5.0 I could find a block that replicates the old “More” tag — the thing that makes blog posts on the home page get cut off after a few paragraphs, with a little link to keep reading the full post. But I got there in the end.
(Side note: I’m still wondering how to insert special characters like Greek letters, fancy punctuation marks, etc, though, so if you know how to do that in the block editor please leave a comment and tell me!)
After you find whatever you needed, make a note of where it is so you don’t have to search again next time. Pretty soon you’ll remember most of these things without the notes, and then you’ll start to feel at home.
3: Compare the inside to the outside
What you do on the inside of the software affects what people see in your published post from the outside.
So, again, start by getting an account to use the software. Go into the “back end” or whatever else we can agree to call the part where you log in and blogging happens.
Now open up an already published post if you have access to one.
If you don’t have access to the writing/editing view of any published posts, create a new draft and stick some text in there. (Any text. Doesn’t matter what it says.)
Next, if you’re looking at a published post, go and open up the post on the site so you can see what the readers see. Compare the inside view to the public view and start figuring out what some of the stuff you don’t recognise on the inside actually does on the outside.

If you’re in an unpublished draft, look for a button that says Preview or something similar. Open the preview to see what the readers would see if you published the draft. Then add stuff like images and videos, bullet points and block quotes, headings and hyperlinks, always checking the preview to see how it looks from the outside.
(This comparing the inside to the outside, by the way, is pretty much how I got started learning WordPress, HTML and CSS. It’s a useful way to approach all kinds of codes and systems.)
4: Poke stuff and see what happens
(This is the other half of how I learned to use WordPress, HTML and CSS.)
In general, you can’t do much harm from inside an unpublished blog post draft. But if you want to get a better sense of how everything in there works, rather than only how to draft a post, then you’ll need to poke around a bit more.
And that means there’s a small possibility you could break something. So here’s how to cover your ass.
If you’re working inside your client’s blogging software or account, ask them if they can give you a safe space where you can mess with the software as much as you like without accidentally fucking up anything beyond the borders of your little play area.
If you’re working inside your own self-hosted website, be aware that (A) backups are your friend and (B) you might wanna set up a second site just for testing stuff out, just in case any of your experiments actually manage to go nuclear. Which is very unlikely, but if you’re risk averse then having a test site will take a lot of the stress out of this process for you.
And if you want to publish on a big open network like Medium or LinkedIn, then it’s their job to make their stuff unbreakable. 😀
So just log in, write something, publish it, and poke at everything until you’ve learned what you want to learn.
And listen, you don’t have to do all of this on your own…
5: Learn from the experts
You know how a lot of software has a built-in help system?
Use it.
If for some daft reason there’s no built-in tooltips or Help button, go directly to the software creators or vendors and see if they offer any tutorial videos, quick start guides, user manuals, training webinars or other stuff to help noobs get to grips with their app.
And if they don’t, they suck no problem — hop over to YouTube and search for helpful videos there, or Google something like “how to {do X} in {name of blogging platform}”.
Hell, my eight-year-old could probably draft and format a blog post using the new WordPress block editor in about ten minutes, if I let her loose in here, because she’d just hit up YouTube every time she wasn’t sure what to do.
It’s extremely unlikely that you’re trying to do something nobody else has ever done before, so there’s always a good chance you’ll find instructions somewhere from someone who already figured it out.
Now, it’s your turn to be that someone…
I Want to Hear YOUR Ideas
In case you’re not familiar, Pitchfest is a blog post pitching contest I run here on Be a Freelance Blogger every three months. You tell me your blog post idea and I choose my favorites, with prizes of up to $100 for the winners.
The contest starts today.
Your Theme for This Pitchfest
This time I’m looking for pitches on the theme of new challenges and solutions for freelance bloggers.
You can interpret that theme any way you like! It could become a post about moving into a new niche, onboarding new clients, providing a new service, or the fresh challenges that come up as your business grows, for example…
All I want you to do is plan a post for this blog’s audience of freelance bloggers, in which you’ll explain some new challenge they might face (or already be facing) in their careers, and offer ways to get through it.
I’m looking forward to seeing what YOU come up with.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Your pitch must be focused on freelance bloggers. Whatever idea you present HAS to be useful to freelance bloggers in some way, and I’ll need to see that benefit explained in your pitch.
And I’m defining “useful” as anything that meets at least 1 of these 4 targets:
- Help freelance bloggers run their businesses.
- Help freelance bloggers grow their businesses.
- Help freelance bloggers serve their clients better.
- Help freelance bloggers write better posts for their clients’ audiences.
The Rules
- Anybody can enter the contest by typing (or pasting) their pitch into the comments box at the bottom of this page.
- Only ONE PITCH per person, please.
- Follow the pitch format I’ll tell you in a moment.
- After you submit your pitch, I will offer feedback to help you optimize your idea for this blog’s audience and improve your pitching skills. You may also get feedback from other entrants, BAFB team members, and innocent bystanders — pay attention, because they represent your readers here.
- After you get my feedback, you can revise your pitch if you like and re-submit it by pasting it into a follow-up comment. And yes, that means you can offer a completely different idea if I’ve told you your first idea definitely won’t work for this blog.
- If you win, I’ll ask you to send me a draft of at least 1000 words, so bear that minimum word count in mind when you pitch.
The prizes
- First prize: $100 for your guest post, paid via PayPal on publication.
- Second prize: $50 for your guest post, paid via PayPal on publication.
- Third prize: A “flash mentoring” session — 20 minutes with me via IM to talk about anything related to freelance blogging.
The deadline
- Submit your pitch before the end of Saturday, December 15th, 2018.
- I’ll announce the winners on December 22nd, 2018.
- If I choose your pitch, I’ll expect you to deliver your first draft by January 31st, 2019. (But if you need a little longer, let me know and we’ll work around it.)
How to pitch
- Read the general guest blogging guidelines first, then come back here to submit your pitch.
- Suggest at least one headline designed to make freelance bloggers want to read your post.
- Follow the headline with the opening lines you’d use in the post. No less than 30 words, no more than 60. You DON’T need to write a whole post (or even a whole introduction) before you pitch — I’d like to give you feedback on your idea before you write a draft.
- After the opening lines, give me no more than 6 points you’ll make in your post, and provide a one or two sentence summary of each point. If you plan to make more than 6 points in your post, only tell me the most important 6 in your pitch.
- Then explain in no more than 3 sentences why this is a great post for Be a Freelance Blogger and why you’re the right person to write it.
- Put your pitch in the comment box at the bottom of this page.
- Check the little box that says “Notify me of follow-up comments” so you’ll know when I’ve given you feedback.
- Submit your comment and if you followed all the steps above, you’re entered into the contest.
Extra tips
- It’s a good idea to explain how your pitch reflects the theme I’ve set for this Pitchfest — unless it’s blindingly obvious, in which case you can probably assume I’ll see the connection without extra signposting.
- Remember to tell me why you think your idea will interest the people who read Be a Freelance Blogger.
- To get a better sense of what I’m looking for in your pitch, study the pitches and responses in previous Pitchfests.
- Save a copy of your pitch somewhere before you post it here — if your comment gets lost in the internet, you don’t wanna have to re-write it from scratch.
- Your comment may get held in a moderation queue, especially if it contains hyperlinks. Don’t worry if that happens; I’ll get to it and reply!
OK, it’s time.
Let the Pitchfest begin!
This contest is closed.
Great article, thanks so much for sharing! Looking forward to submitting my pitch!
Alrighty, let’s do this:
5 Strategies for Continuing Education as a Blogger
Education is key to growth, no matter your career path. As a blogger, you have the dual responsibility of running your business and actually doing the work. While you may have the work part down pat, self-employment is filled with challenges, especially in these changing times.
1. Read, read, read — Books are timeless opportunities for growth. A wealth of knowledge is out there if you just know where to look for it — here’s how to find the best books for personal and professional development.
2. Networking — New perspectives can shed light on challenges and obstacles in ways you’d never seen. Connecting with industry peers and colleagues can be a mutually beneficial relationship that combines education with camaraderie.
3. Podcasts — Listening to podcasts is a great passive resource that you can tap into when doing the dishes, driving to the store, or switching over the laundry. There are podcasts about every topic under the sun, so here’s how to be strategic in finding the best podcast for your needs.
4. Free webinars & online workshops — There are a lot of free and low-cost resources on the Internet that have been created by other freelance writers and bloggers. Here are a list of my favorites, as well as some tips for finding new webinars and workshops.
5. Mentorship — A mentor is an invaluable resource when growing your freelance business. Finding the right fit isn’t so easy though — so how do you find a mentor that has your best interests in your mind?
6. Conferences — This, of course, has the largest financial investment, but can also be one of the more advantageous experiences. Conferences provide the opportunity to grow your network, listen to advice from experts, and fully immerse yourself in your industry for a weekend.
You recently wrote an article about times of feasting (i.e. what to do when you have too much work), which I loved reading. On the flip side, famine periods can be tough and it can be hard to find the motivation to stay productive and keep up the momentum. Continuing education is a great way to fill in the gaps of quieter periods and allows you to develop a stronger foundation to hit the ground running when the work comes rolling in again.
Nice idea – try to make your first couple of lines in the introduction more compelling / emotional so that people keep reading. I’d also like to see more information about YOU as well as why the post has value. 😉
Thank you for the feedback! Here is my revised pitch. 🙂
5 Strategies for Continuing Education as a Blogger
New intro:
As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to feel stuck even when the work is still coming in. Investing in yourself and your business is the key to overcoming the inevitable ruts of self-employment and gaining a fresh perspective. These opportunities for continued education promote both personal and professional growth, guiding you to reach your full potential as a blogger.
1. Read, read, read — Books are timeless opportunities for growth. A wealth of knowledge is out there if you just know where to look for it — here’s how to find the best books for personal and professional development.
2. Network — New perspectives can shed light on challenges and obstacles in ways you’d never seen. Connecting with industry peers and colleagues can be a mutually beneficial relationship that combines education with comradery.
3. Podcasts — Listening to podcasts is a great passive resource that you can tap into when doing the dishes, driving to the store, or switching over the laundry. There are podcasts about every topic under the sun, so here’s how to be strategic in finding the best podcast for your needs.
4. Free webinars & online workshops — There are a lot of free and low-cost resources on the Internet that have been created by other freelance writers and bloggers. Here are a list of my favorites, as well as some tips for finding new webinars and workshops.
5. Mentorship — A mentor is an invaluable resource when growing your freelance business. Finding the right fit isn’t so easy though — so how do you find a mentor that has your best interests in your mind?
6. Conferences — This, of course, has the largest financial investment, but can also be one of the more advantageous experiences. Conferences provide the opportunity to grow your network, listen to advice from experts, and fully immerse yourself in your industry for a weekend.
Value:
This subject has a lot of value because self-motivated education is often left behind with our college degrees. It’s easy to assume that continuing education requires a monetary investment in classes or workshops, but there are so many ways to do it for free – you just need to invest a bit of time in bettering yourself. On a personal level, my autodidactic personality means I’m always on the hunt for something new to learn. I have found value in each of these educational avenues throughout my career and am excited to share more.
Thanks! 🙂
Hi there this is what most freelance Bloggers are slacking and what they need to bring back, that inner fire they had. They need to give thier readers a sight for sore eyes
TOP 5 things “NOT TO DO” So you know what to do.
1. “OVER DOING IT”, what I mean exactly by over doing it is draining the life blood out of interesting and exciting topics, keep your topics fresh and alive not dried up and drained out, as a writer you don’t need to focus to much on extreme vocabulary that most reader’s will have to start googleing the words and then forget the story/topic by the time they finish the topic they’d have a brain freeze from all that boredom they had to face. Real writers focus on point and engagement, the audience needs to feel the subject understand the inner workings of the topics that way your work won’t go unnoticed it will be the “Have you heard” storys.
2. DONT FORGET ABOUT YOUR READERS! This rule I felt is extremely and most important to all Bloggers, YouTubers, Facebookers, ‘you get the point’ you must appreciate your audience they are the very breath of it! Think about it how would you feel if you had a party and sent a thousand invitations, and nobody showed up? It be sad right.. you’d be like nobody likes me, I’m all alone? So why don’t give some time and effort into engageing with you’re audience a simple hi thanks can do a great deal you don’t have to dance and scream on YouTube for them to feel appreciated, but that would be great to^_^.
3. DONT THROW STONES AT GLASS HOUSE’S, in other words don’t pick on others,Cyber bulling is real and can take people to deep levels of depression, once when i was writing a poem in one site I’m a poet by the way:-D and I came across a certain subject where somebody was forced to face shame about a personal subject and was made fun of about it, please, watch your subjects you write about don’t make fun of other peoples misfortunes? That shows the lack of knowledge and care in a person therefore its pushing reader’s away to a point that they feel uncomfortable and unhappy, please do make your reader’s feel at home, always have a heart,show a smile even if somethings eating you inside;-).
4. Brighten UP the mood, being dull and Gray is not the way to start a subject wake the senses up write about uplifting unbelievable True events and it’s extremely important is to educate the audience with important issues so they can face the world we in and the right important topics you know you’d love to read yourself. Just don’t be afraid to expand your inventory.
5. Save the best for Last, “Be funny,Be jokey” humour is important nowadays you don’t need to find a dancing baboon or singing cat just a few funny moments here and there it’s helpful especially when you feel like giving up, we need to Laugh a little don’t you know laugher is the best medicine? Yep it’s been proven and absolutely True! I don’t mean you have to squeeze out a fart for your reader’s to see whats funny? start off with stuff that you found funny? That will draw them in, the use of colourful and beautiful backgrounds in your work will attract the word junkies and hope and inspiring topics to the lowly at heart, nobodys in preschool but we in a world which is full of colours USE it don’t Abuse it be sure to open up deep so you give viewer’s that boost to want to read more.
Thanks so much
By Gene
I feel like this is the *start* of an idea that could become a good blog post… But right now, the idea isn’t defined enough to pitch successfully.
Nice job! I feel like any one of these points could be expanded into a full article. 🙂
Like Support
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5 Ways to Make Blog Editors Love You as a Freelancer
It’s one thing to pitch blog posts, and it’s quite another to develop a good working relationship with a blog editor. Any freelancer knows that consistent work is the best kind of work, and the best way to do that is to make blog editors love you.
1. Remember the changes they make aren’t personal.
Sure, it sucks to see any changes in the writing you’ve done. But the blog editor isn’t tweaking your posts or pitches because they don’t like you. In fact, they may actually like what you’ve submitted. But in order to fit style guides and to rank for keywords you may not know about, they’re going to change what you’ve written. Getting worked up about these changes pegs you as unprofessional, and the editor won’t want to work with you again.
2. Know what you’re doing.
You wouldn’t apply for a job as a car mechanic with no knowledge of engines. But that doesn’t stop a lot of people from pitching the wrong blogs. You have to know the ins and outs of the blog you’re looking to work with, and you have to know what you’re doing. If you’ve never written for an online audience, be ready to educate yourself before you pitch.
3. Be direct in all your communications.
Blog editors are busy people, and they don’t have time to wait around for you to make changes. If a blog editor emails you for clarification, don’t wait around to answer. And if you have to email them a question, don’t waste their time with unnecessary information. Get to the meat of it in two sentences or less. No one wants to wade through endless rambling.
4. Make your voice work for their blog.
We all have our own styles, and that’s what makes our own blogs stand out. But when it comes to writing for someone else’s blog, it’s important to do what has been proven to work for that particular audience. I’m not saying you have to completely change your style, but you do have to present your posts in a way that the audience will like.
5. Make it easy on them.
It’s 2018, and everyone is busy. So is the average blog editor. You could probably light their inbox on fire, and they wouldn’t really notice a difference in the level of stress it causes them. For that reason, you need to be on your best behavior when it comes to getting them what they need. Whether it’s fact checking, links to info you’ve mentioned, or an I-9, supply them with everything they need the first time around. Don’t make them come after you for the stuff you keep forgetting.
Well pitched, but you forgot to tell me about yourself. 🙂
Also, how will your pitch be different to the ones we’ve published before on this topic?
https://beafreelanceblogger.com/editors-code-guest-post/
http://beafreelanceblogger.com/how-to-pitch-blog-editors/
Nice! I’m really feeling point 2. I love how you compare blogging to mechanics.
HEADLINE: Branding Your New Blog on a Budget
OPENING LINES:
You’re an aspiring writer, not a website designer. But your marketing budget is, um, not a thing, you can’t afford a single stock photo, and you just learned how to insert clip art into Word. Don’t despair. You can design a website that sells, even on a budget, using these 5 tips and tools.
1) Your logo is not your brand. Clearly define your brand before you design your blog so that you can make smart choices about how to you market your work.
2) Audience is everything. It is essential to know who you expect to use the blog – and what you want them to do once they get there.
3) Choose your website template wisely. Here are 5 considerations when choosing a template for your blog or website.
4) Leverage free online resources. Here are 3 free tools you can use to improve the visual representation of your site.
5) Learn from those in the know. There are some great free and low-cost resources you can use to enhance your design skills over time.
RATIONALE: The #1 hurdle I faced after I decided to pursue freelance writing was the struggle to set up a blog that came across as a professional resource when my initial budget was minuscule. I think this is a challenge many new and prospective writers face, and it is not only nice to find tips, but also to remember that you’re not the first person to face this kind of barrier.
Yep, I like this idea. Can you tell me more about points 1 and 3?
Sure thing. This might be more than you need, but…
For #1:
When most people hear “brand,” they think of a color scheme, a logo, maybe a business card. And they use “it looks good” as a metric.
But your “look” is really an outcome of your brand, not the brand itself. Because your brand is the essence of your business: your values, your style, your ethos. It is all the elements that make you distinctive in the market.
Yes, the Target logo is recognizable, but that’s not what they’re known for. They are known for selling products that are affordable – but more upscale than Walmart. Everything in their marketing is built around that concept: the layout of the stores, the cosmopolitan, upper-middle-class feel of their ads, even the packaging on their organic options in the food aisles.
You have to be clear about who you are and what sets you apart before you commit to a marketing strategy. How does this matter for your website? Well, first of all, your brand should guide you when you select a site name. I’ve always loved titles like The Agitator (a nonprofit blog) and The Annoyed Librarian (a now retired blog written by… an annoyed librarian) – but they worked only because the voices behind them were exactly what you would expect: brusque, skeptical and sometimes crotchety. Maybe you’ve thought of something really clever (The Pen Strikes Back!) and that’s great… but if it doesn’t match your brand, it’s probably not the way to go.
The same is true when it comes to visual content…etc. etc.
For #3:
1) Premium vs. free features (for example, you may see an element on the demo that you love… but you may need to upgrade to get it).
2) Useful features for bloggers: some themes come ready-made with call-to-action buttons, testimonials, color theme options, and more. Some do not.
3) Load time. Yes, a beautiful layout is enticing. But no client wants to wait around for a slow webpage to load.
Etc. Etc.
Cool, thanks!
Hello Sophie!
As a freelance blogger and copywriter, the biggest challenge I face is creative writing inspiration. I’m constantly tackling how to stay fresh to bring much-needed zest to the realm of freelance blogging. I want to share with The Be A Freelance Blogger community my 6 favorite tips for overcoming “writers’ block” so they can write better content for themselves and their clients.
Zap Your Writers Block With These 6 Inspiring Practices
Have you ever opened your laptop, sat down with your steaming cup of coffee, placed your fingers on the keys, ready to weave literary magic, and then blank? Nothing.
What you’re experiencing is a mild case of writers’ block. At one point in every blogging career you catch the annoying bug, but let me assure you I have the cure…
1. Meditation – The best place to look for inspiration is yourself.
2. Yoga Practice – Breathe, move, and let the creative juices flow.
3. Write Poetry – Practice artistic expression to give voice to your individual experience.
4. Read More – Get inspired by your favorite author’s writing style.
5. Take a Break – Don’t force your words. Step away. Come back rejuvenated.
6. Travel – Awaken writing genius by going to new places and meeting new people.
My name is Demeris, I’m a full-time freelance writer, travel blogger, web designer, and photographer – a jack of all digital trades really! I’ve experienced and crushed my own writer’s block with the 6 tips above so I can write from authentic experiences to engage your readers with real-life actionable strategies to improve their creative flow and freelance business.
Sophie, I believe our collaboration can curate a gem for your community not only to excite the Be A Freelance Blogger community to cultivate practices for enhanced creative writing but to also help them find more joy and happiness in freelance blogging work.
Thanks for reading and providing insightful feedback!
Warmly,
Demeris Morse
This is well pitched, but I would want you to refine your claims – let’s take yoga as the example.
So, how exactly does yoga improve the freelance blogger’s life? Can it be measured? Does it work for everyone? Are there ways to get the same results without the yoga, or is yoga the key?
Those are the kinds of things I’d expect you to include, because your audience won’t *act* on your advice unless you can show them why they should.
Thanks for the feedback. I’ll adjust and resubmit!
Hi Sophie! Find my new and improved pitch below 🙂
As a freelance blogger and copywriter, the biggest challenge I face is creative writing inspiration. I’m constantly tackling how to stay fresh so I can bring much-needed zest to the realm of freelance blogging. I want to share with the Be A Freelance Blogger community my 6 favorite lifestyle tips (backed by research) for overcoming “writers’ block” so they can write better content for themselves and their clients.
Zap Your Writer’s Block With These 6 Inspiring & Scientifically Proven Practices
Have you ever opened your laptop, sat down with your steaming cup of coffee, placed your fingers on the keys, ready to weave literary magic, and then blank? Nothing.
What you’re experiencing is a mild case of writer’s block. At one point in every blogging career, you catch the annoying bug. Let me assure you I have 6 scientifically proven cures to beat the stress, enhance brain function, and improve your creative writing for good.
1. Meditation – The best place to look for inspiration is yourself.
Research shows that stressed-out non-meditators are more, “inflexible problem solvers and typically create complicated solutions to simple problems.” Meditators did not have the same results. Why? Meditation stimulates creative juices otherwise untapped by our working brains. Sitting and breathing calms the overstimulated stress responses from a freelance blogger lifestyle which allows novel solutions to enter our consciousness.
2. Yoga Practice – Breathe, move, and let the creative juices flow.
A stressed out, overloaded, and multitasking mind runs at high-frequency beta waves. Yoga is proven to slow down brain wave frequencies to alpha waves – the same patterns observed when people have “light bulb” moments, when musicians play music, or artists create art. Yoga comes in all shapes and forms, and is accessible even if you’re not flexible. A meditation practice can also release stress and stimulate similar brain wave patterns that enhance creativity.
3. Write Poetry – Practice artistic expression to give voice to your individual experience.
Step away from writing for work and write poetry for your own pleasure. Poetry hones critical skills in imagery, analogy, attention, and observation. All these skills are critical to inject your freelance blogging with woven words and powerful perspectives that capture your audience’s attention’s and imaginations.
4. Read More – Get inspired by your favorite author’s writing style.
Not only does reading open your doors to different word structures, worldviews, and tones, reading strengthens your brain. Your brain is a muscle, and just like any other muscle, it benefits from a good workout. Reading is the most challenging neurobiological process and is sure to keep your brain sharp and your words sharper.
5. Take a Break – Don’t force your words.
When forced to create epic writing, it’s best to take small breaks in between writing marathons. Studies show the brain is not built for long-term sustained attention. In fact, it loses the ability to register details, maintain focus, and move past mental blocks after working long hours. Give your brain well deserved rest – go on a walk, make yourself lunch, do some yoga. It’s no coincidence that you may have your creative writing breakthrough in the shower!
6. Travel – Awaken writing genius by going to new places and meeting new people.
Foreign experiences create mental flexibility, enhance cognitive ability, and reduce stress – all cures to pesky mental blocks. Some of the most renowned writers like Hemingway and Mark Twain wrote their classics in different worlds. But no need to travel far, a small weekend trip in your hometown is enough to spark your brain’s creative writing synapses.
My name is Demeris, I’m a full-time freelance writer, travel blogger, web designer, and photographer – a jack of all digital trades really! I’ve experienced and crushed my own writer’s block with the 6 tips above so I can write authenticly to engage your readers with scientifically-proven actionable strategies to improve their creative flow and freelance business. All of the points will be backed by research articles that point to how holistic practices like meditation and yoga improve brain functions and creativity.
Sophie, I believe our collaboration can curate a gem to excite the Be A Freelance Blogger community to cultivate practices for enhanced creative writing and help them find more joy and happiness in freelance blogging work.
Thanks for reading and I look forward to potentially working together in the near future.
Warmly,
Demeris Morse
Hi Sophie! My pitch…
Every good freelancer makes mistakes
Making mistakes is acceptable. It happens all the time and it’s called life! The very term “mistake” is too harsh even. It carries too much retribution and fear in it for my liking.
1. Everyone makes mistakes
If it’s an inevitable roll of business that employees are less than cost-efficient at times, then it has to be acceptable to make mistakes as a freelancer too. “Uh, duuhh…” many are thinking I’m sure, but I’ll bet my next ICO whitepaper token allocation that many more are nodding silently, perhaps even wondering how this could be possible.
2. Are you on the team?
You’re not a resident member of a team. But you’re not stripped of that, the right to be human! And you are a team member. Remote counts nowadays. The working human interface is diminishing, yes, but acceptance of remote or digitised comms is growing rapidly to offset that. So you don’t get cake on Susan’s birthday, but even that will change I’m sure.
3. Ever submitted a mistake?
Your toes will curl when you read a client’s message pointing to your mistakes. And, yes, sometimes there are more than one in a single document! Horror! I’ve even felt a sudden flush of sweat emerging on my brow as I climbed back upstairs to the office, to sit again at my laptop after a bleat from a client on WhatsApp, pointing to copy errors. I loathe them. I wish I could have all future errors, typos and just plumb dumb moments forwarded right now to a fascist dictatorship to be shot at dawn.
4. Mistakes really are opportunities
Inside every freelancer is a diligence, a determination, a construct that connects their sense of self far closer to the client’s objectives than any employee. Making a mistake is an opportunity, an opportunity to far outperform any office employee’s obligations while also impressing the heck out of people.
5. People do business with people they trust
When you sit down and stare a mistake in the face – one someone pointed out to you – make sure and skip over whatever negative scripting you’ve been given and the internal demons – your harshest critics – and get straight to setting things right. Pronto. Like a pro. There’s greater potential there for earning in the future and forever more than in any new prospect.
6. Making “good” mistakes
The overwhelming majority of successful SME owners will point to past events – very often involving a big, fat mess – that built solid relationships with particular clients that, with hindsight, have formed the bedrock of their success over the years. Ask them. From a giant, embarrassing mess, they saw something beyond their own shame, realised that shame was a limiting and relatively irrelevant thing to be feeling when things needing fixing, and they made good and made a client very happy.
The prospect of typos or other less-than-perfect work chews at freelancers extra persistently, and this post would point out the inevitability of mistakes – from the cleaner to the CEO – and how a media professional best addresses them, turning mistakes into opportunities to shine! I own timeshare in Hades, and have been in business for over 30 years, hence my bona fides! Quite apart from loving sharing stuff that builds competent, happy humans with fellow freelancers…
I like the idea, but the pitch itself is not well-defined enough yet. With a bit more thinking time and a more concise, instructive outline of your points, it could become a contender.
Though it needs to be defined some more, I really like this idea. And I think a whole article on making “good” mistakes would be awesome. 😉
Yes, You Have the Skills to Take on That Project! (Or…Maybe You Don’t)
We writers can do a lot more than we know and a lot more than we currently offer clients. Or can we? Figuring out what your add-on skills may be is an art. Knowing what they are NOT is a superpower.
1. Think about what you’ve done on the outskirts.
Yes, you’ve written blog posts on “X” subject, but what have you done that your clients don’t know about? SEO research, content calendars, uncovering only the best sources…how can those side skills translate into actual services?
2. Get super honest with yourself about what you’re not great at.
Wanting to be good at something because it’ll earn you money is a whole lot different from actually being good at something. You have to taken an honest look at yourself – is this truly a skill you can do / want to do / should ask people to give you money for?
3. Ask yourself if your current clients actually care about this.
When you start to add new services to your list of specialties, you may have to shift your client base. If you’re currently blogging for a marketing manager who already has all of the extras in place, these services aren’t going to be needed.
4. Decide what it’ll take to flesh out your best skills.
So you know you’re pretty good at SEO – you have a sixth sense for figuring out what people are Google-ing to get to your content. What can you do to further enhance that skill (and what are the sources you’ll need, how long will it take, etc.)?
5. Ask yourself how committed to this you really are.
There are a lot of clients out there who need blogging combined with social media, but if you hate social media and even writing Facebook posts sucks the life right out of you, is this truly a good add-on service to offer? (Hint: Probably not.)
***
This post will help freelance bloggers break out of a rut – they’ll find ways to offer services that a lot of clients need and in a way that moves them forward instead of getting them stuck again. They’ll improve their own career while serving their clients, current or future ones, better than before. As a freelancer for a decade, I’ve done this over and over and over in order to specialize in areas, assess where I am in my career and then, if needed, tweak again.
Love this! Great idea, well pitched. <3
Thank you!
I love this idea. The last point really resonates with me. While I love Instagram and Twitter, Facebook is a nightmare and definitely not an add-on skill.
Tips for the Blogger that Wants to Please a New Client
Besides fighting writer’s block, a freelance blogger struggles to land new clients. Hence, a blogger’s efforts should get focused on retaining any new client. In order to achieve that goal, the same blogger must deliver top-quality blog posts.
6 steps to creation of a top-quality blog post for a new client
1) Get to know the owner of the website that has asked for submission of blogposts. What product or service does it offer? Can you learn anything about the site’s owner by going to LinkedIn? Can you arrange to speak with the owner?
2) Study any blogs that have already been posted on that particular website. Can you find that each lacks some feature? Maybe each of them would grab the readers’ attention if it had some picture accompanying it. Maybe there is very little text, with a preponderance of pictures. Would you say that any one of them is engaging?
3) Examine each of the site’s posted comments and testimonials. Search for an indication of the readers’ interests? Do some of the readers seem to be searching for a solution to a problem? How can the offered service or product benefit the readers?
4) Seek out some unique information, facts that relate to the product or service that is offered to site-visitors. Strive to discover a source that can help with creation of bespoke material. Such material should appeal to the readers, while also satisfying the site’s owner.
5) Decide where you want to post your blogpost. If you will be paid to post it on the client’s website, submit what you have written. If you are trying to please a potential client, you might want to create a guest blogpost. Maybe you will learn about a website that has invited writers to submit a blogpost of their choosing.
6) Compose your blogpost. Make sure that the text matches with the title. Use connecting words, so that the sentences and paragraphs flow together. Pepper the sentences with active verbs. Add a picture, if the client has requested pictures, or seems to like pictures.
This list was put together by Sue Chehrenegar, after she worked with the owner of a new website to add to the amount of online material on the site’s product. Sue tried the product being sold, and shared her comments with the site-owner; then she concentrated on getting written material on a couple guest blogs. Later, she was pleased to hear that the site-owner had appreciated her contributions
This is a helpful list, but to me it seems more like the things to do *before* signing up to work with someone rather than after you’ve been hired…
This is meant for the freelancer with a new client. Not every client makes it crystal clear what he or she needs. I had one client that said, “Write about anything,” and then asked for major revisions (actually an entirely new topic), after seeing my first two blogposts. Eventually, I learned what would please the men that read my posts.
I had an all-male group of readers, because the publication that posted my blogposts went out to members of the marine catering industry. Eventually, I discovered that my access to information about foods that prevent prostate cancer was of interest to my readers. I started with that, and then expanded into other areas.
Hello, Sophie and hello everyone!
My name is Nenad Pejak, but people are calling me Nesh.
I’m a freelance blogger for hire and natural health enthusiast specialised in
safe herbal supplements, good food and general health.
In the spare time, I’m writing, rewriting and banging my head against the
wall on my blog. 😉
Making a portfolio isn’t such an easy task anymore. Is it?
(possible headlines)
How to do guest posting without paying for it?
Guest post problem that could stop your writing career
What do you need to know when starting to build a writing portfolio?
(opening lines)
What do you think is a number one quality of a freelance blogger to be? A vision? Great know-how with words? Persistence? Maybe starting capital? All those are important but they are not the most important. Number one quality of a successful freelance blogger is an ability to endure pain for a long period of time. . .
(6 points)
How to pitch properly in the first place?
Familiarise them with this new trend
What to say when they meet webmaster like this?
Is my writing such a crap, so I can see my work published only if I pay?
Can you override this problem and in what cases?
How to cope with the fear of sending a pitch now?
(Why should I tell the story?)
Because it’s the first-hand experience and no one is telling the story.
When creating a portfolio I encountered many people who asked me for the money, in return for publishing my guest post on their website.
Their guideline wasn’t said anything about it. The usual “Feel free to write for us and share your knowledge around the world…blah, blah” was displayed.
But when I contacted them I was in shock. Pitched 28, and almost a 1/2 asked me for the money (20-75$). This is how I managed this. . .
Aaaaand. . . I have prepared some “Corpus delicti ” to prove my strange experience and help others. E-mail screenshots.
Personal information is erased.
(why should you care?)
Freedom to publish your guest post is diminishing little by little. Don’t believe me? Try contacting sites that are offering guest posting and see what will happen and how many days you will wait for their response!? Any niche? Making and having a quality portfolio is a must if you don’t want to end up stranded on content mills. After numerous penguin updates, webmasters that are accepting guest post are thinking differently than they used to. In many occasions, they think that you are a link builder and not a genuine blogger who is facing numerous problems. Now you have one problem less to think about. But what do you think?
Each point needs 1 or 2 sentences that give BAFB’s readers a hint about what they’ll be reading.
Yep, what Cherese said.
Your post is really unique! Great idea, well pitched.
Thank you, Floria!
6 points of an evergreen strategy that keeps your freelance blogging top-notch forever
Ever wondered what sets Fortune 500 companies apart from others in their respective market segments? It is a winning strategy that lifts them beyond the red ocean of benchmarking and competition.
Similarly, freelance bloggers being one-man business owners, can create their sustainably safe and profitable blue oceans despite the challenges in the freelance blogosphere by adopting these points.
1. Maximize your engagement: Enhance your productivity by focussing on top quality product/service that surpasses your client’s value expectation, through consistently applying the BPS principle of: “Beginning is coming together; Progressing is keeping together; Succeeding is working together”- Henry Ford. When you write better blog posts, you serve your clients better and your business grows even as your better earnings will prove you are running your business well.
2. Make your clients pre-eminent: “The quality of your product/service isn’t what you put into it; it’s what the client gets out of it”- Peter Drucker. You can get credible and actionable feedback from your clients, that will enable you churn out quality products, by treating and relating with them as the king they are.
3. Innovate: Put on your design thinking cap and come up with new ways your writing can enhance the value your clients offer their end users and propose this even when there is no calls for submissions. You might be lifting the lid on a new box of opportunities your client’s business as well as yours.
4. Be original: Yes, originality sets you apart from the crowd and is certainly not rocket science. The rule of thumb here is to write as the thoughts flow, then edit, edit, edit… as the thoughts reflow as much as you have time because your thought flow is unique and is the symbol of your originality.
5. Develop your mind continuously: As the freelance blogging opportunity pie is increasing, so is the number of hungry eaters eagerly waiting to pounce and devour increasing. Like the saying goes, readers are leaders; so the reliable way to lead the pack is developing your mind through consistent, versatile and lifelong learning.
6. Pick yourself first: The challenges may be enormous but there is hardly any free cheese anywhere and for others to pick you to become your clients, you must honestly pick yourself first by building a firm positive self esteem and can-do attitude. The going can get tough at any time like in any other business and this will help you remain in charge to navigate your way through such storms.
This will be a great post for Be a Freelance Blogger (BAFB) because:
It will be applicable to everyone interested in freelance blogging irrespective of experience, especially in exposing the sometimes subtle business angle while underscoring BAFB as a go-to flagship site for insightful advice on blogging as a freelancer. With over 20 years experience helping individuals and businesses grow, I am passionate about sharing unique approaches that help everyone achieve fulfilled living through my writings in pursuit of “The Fulfilment Manifesto” which has resulted in 6 published non-fiction ebooks.
This is in good shape, but for some of your points I couldn’t see any note of *how* you would tell the readers to achieve what you suggest…
Hi Sophie,
The *how* is embedded in the 2-sentence summaries of each point as instructed in the entry guidelines. If commissioned to send in a full submission, they will be explicitly discussed in a few more sentences.
To clarify my earlier comment, here are the instructions I can see in your point 1: “Maximize your engagement… focussing on top quality product/service… consistently applying the BPS principle… write better blog posts.” Each of these tells people what to do, but not how.
An editor needs to know the key lessons you will share, in order to decide if the advice will be suitable for the readers. So I need to know if this will be “write better blog posts by adding more images” or “write better blog posts by giving them an extra round of editing” or “write better blog posts by using the customer’s own language” or even “write better blog posts by balancing a banana on your head”… 😉
You are spot on.
“When you write better blog posts that provide new insight and add value to the customer’s business by using concise language…” was what I had in mind.
Thumbs up for the great job you’re doing.
How to Leverage Pinterest to Grow Your Blogging Biz and Reach Your Target Clients
Whether you’re a professional blogger or freelance writer, if you’re not using Pinterest, you’re missing out on a client-rich goldmine.
Pinterest is one of the largest social media platforms in the world with 250 million monthly viewers (125 of which come from the United States) and accounts for 30% of all social media users worldwide. However, unlike Facebook, Instagram and the other platforms, Pinterest is essentially a visual search engine.
My point?
You can leverage Pinterest (for little to no cost) to get more brand exposure, increase your email subscribers, reach target clients and grow your business faster.
Here are 6 ways you can get started today:
Create Niche Relevant Boards and Pins — Your boards, pins, and profile should all be aligned with your overall niche and brand. When selecting which boards and pins you’d like to focus on, ask yourself, “Is this pin/board something my ideal client would be interested in and search for?” If the answer is no, don’t use it.
Treat Pinterest As A Search Engine — Pinterest is one of the highest traffic sources on the web, second only to Google! So when you’re creating your pins, you want to make sure they’re full of keyword-rich descriptions and titles that people are searching for. There’s no point to add in hashtags or anything irrelevant to what you’re trying to promote on your pins or boards. In fact, Pinterest will penalize you by giving your pins fewer impressions if you don’t follow its algorithm.
Make Your Pins Share-Worthy — Low-resolution images won’t cut it on Pinterest. Not only are they unattractive, but they’re also pointless to promote because people won’t be inclined to share them and they’re a poor representation of your brand. Create professional looking pins by using free design services such as Canva, and create high-resolution, long-tail pins that people will love!
Leverage Group Boards to Extend Your Reach — Almost every niche on Pinterest (if not every one) has a community of group boards. These group boards are comprised of like-minded people, brands, and companies looking to further their reach by cross-promoting relevant content from the group to their audience, and vice versa. This is a win-win scenario as it allows for your boards to be full of valuable content for your audience, in addition to your content, and it will further your reach by introducing your content to a wide range of new people across your target niche.
Find Brands Aligned with Your Niche, and Pitch Them — Once you have a chance to grow your Pinterest, and interact with different communities, you can start to target businesses and/or potential clients you’d like to work with and pitch them. Depending on your business goals, I’ve created two different templates that have worked well for me that I’ll share with you — one is for pitching brands, the other for attracting clients.
Offer a Freebie in Exchange for an Opt-In — One of the best ways to get people to engage with your pins and grow your blog is to offer a freebie in exchange for an opt-in. A valuable freebie (such as a checklist, guide etc.) will motivate your audience to visit your website and subscribe.
******
The purpose of this post is to help both freelance writers and/or professional bloggers increase their brand reach, grow their subscriber base, connect with target clients and grow their business faster by using Pinterest as a business tool.
There is a lot of detail needed to ensure this is a valuable piece that readers can action immediately and extract results from, so I assume the word count will be around 1,800 – 2,300 words.
****.
Prior to using Pinterest, I struggled to get my blog recognized, and once I implemented the strategies outlined above, my blog traffic doubled, my articles started going viral and my subscriber base increased substantially. What’s more, I’ve had brands reach out to ME asking to work with me and be featured on my site! I highly recommend Pinterest to anyone who has a website and wants to promote their goods and services!
Would love to read this. I’ve got a Pinterest account, I have pins, and have some ideas, but I’ve been ignoring the rest for so long…:)
Seconded. I’d love to read this too. I heard that Pinterest is where you can find some of the highest paying clients.
This sounds good, provided you focus it only on freelance bloggers.
Some of our readers have a blog but many don’t, so you’d also need to make sure most of your tips are usable for people who don’t have a blog of their own.
Understood, I’d make sure to cater it solely to the freelance writer assuming not everyone will have a website 🙂
Headline suggestions:
6 ways to write faster (and better) today!
OR
6 ways to write 1k+ words in less than an hour
OR
6 ways to speed up your writing (and not lose quality)
Opening lines:
“Time is money” is definitely a sentence a freelancer can relate to: after all, the faster you write, the more money you earn by the hour.
Subtitle (alternative headline) and topics:
6 methods I used to write faster and double my productivity
1. Picking the right spot to write: I’ll point out how picking the wrong spot can be distracting and provide tips to finding the best place to work (that can be either a coffee shop, a co-working office or one’s own bed!)
2. Set up a playlist: this is something I’ve done multiple times to help focus. I’ll say why and how instrumental music does the trick – and maybe even share a sweet playlist at the end of the topic!
3. Set the subtitles and alternative titles before starting: I’ll explain how this helps organize the blog post and keep important subjects in mind as you go.
4. Leave a tab open at thesaurus.com: this the best way to look up for synonyms and avoid repetition. Also helps enrichen your blog post with different words!
5. Download Grammarly: I’ll explain how this amazing tool works and how it helped me with my writing.
6. Don’t edit as you go: I’ll explain why writing while simultaneously editing a blog post can slow down work.
Why is this a great post for Be a Freelance Blogger? Well, it’s something that every content marketer will look up, eventually. In order to increase income as a freelance writer, you will have to write faster (and better). And I’m the right person to write about this subject because these are all methods the I’ve tested myself!
I love this idea, but I feel like some of your points – make a playlist, keep a thesaurus on standby – aren’t “meaty” enough and/or may not actually work for more than 50% of the audience.
The points I like the most are 3 and 6, because they’re directly related to writing speed and I’d expect them to be effective for most people.
If you’d like to resubmit with a different selection of points, please do it by Thursday as I’ll be finalizing the winners on Friday!
Hey, Sophie! Thanks for the feedback. Here’s my resubmission. In the end, it kind of looks like a step-by-step guide to faster writing 🙂
Headline suggestions:
6 ways to write faster (and better) today!
OR
6 ways to write 1k+ words in less than an hour
OR
6 ways to speed up your writing (and not lose quality)
Opening lines:
“Time is money” is definitely a sentence a freelancer can relate to: after all, the faster you write, the more money you earn by the hour.
Subtitle (alternative headline) and topics:
6 steps to writing faster that helped me boost my productivity
1. Collect solid references before starting: collecting and reading references before actually begging your writing helps optimize time since you won’t need to stop to do research while in the middle of work. In this topic, I’ll also add in some tips to finding solid references!
2. Ask yourself the questions your readers might have: while you might not want to add the questions themselves on the article, this is a great method to keeping in mind what you should add to your blog post. Adding the answers to these questions help fill in your paragraphs faster and in a clearer way. I’ll add a particle example on how to do so.
3. Set the subtitles and alternative titles before starting: I’ll explain how this helps organize the blog post and keep important subjects in mind as you go.
4. Write from your head: sometimes, writers tend to stick to their technical references to build the blog post, which makes them go back-and-forth form writing to reading. Using your own words, however, is the fastest way to get the job done. I’ll explain how to write with confidence from your own head and still nail the technical bits of the article in a shorter time.
5. Stop overthinking: I’ll explain how overthinking busts creativity, which we all know is a great fuel for writing speed.
6. Don’t edit as you go: I’ll explain why writing while simultaneously editing a blog post can slow down work.
I really like the new editor that comes with the new version of WordPress. I know I am going to be slain for saying that but it is rather nifty and useful. Just like dealing with Microsoft Word.
5 strategies to get more audience and engagement for your blog:
So you are one of the thousands that have a blog eh? Would you want to stand out? Maybe you have been bringing in a few eyes on your website but you would really like to scale now. How about some proven practical tips for all the awesome budding bloggers out there to increase their site traffics. Here are a few practical ways you can use to increase your blog traffic.
1.Using Medium and Quora as engagement platforms:
Attention is everything these days. Whoever has the attention of the reader, wins the prize. Right now, most attention of many readers is paid on sites like medium and Quora. These are huge, FREE platforms where writers and readers build in actual communities and brands. See where I’m going with this?
Use your blog posts (high quality and extremely useful) on site like Medium and try to have meaningful answer posts on Quora. Leave links to your blog on these platforms, engage, build an audience. These sites have maximum attention these days and thus are extremely valuable.
2.Emails:
Imagine you’re standing at a stage and shouting at the audience that you have a blog and that people should go check it out. The audience here is cumulative; they all heard about your blog, formed a cumulative opinion on it i.e the majority of them somewhat had the same opinion about your announcement.
Now imagine a different scenario, where you walk up-to each member in the audience and whisper in their ears that they should check out your blog. Now it’s a bit different. Now the audience can’t form a cumulative (sometimes influenced by others) opinion, now it’s a bit personal. Email marketing works in the sense that it is personal, not something you’d find on your twitter feed or a Medium post. Here you’re interacting with our audience one on one and if your email content is creative, personable and good enough, it can be used very effectively to bring in more audience.
Example: I got to know about this contest through Sophie’s email marketing 🙂
3.Storytelling:
People remember stories. The best blogs out there have amazing stories where the writer has overcome personal fears, hate comments and numerous challenges to get where they are now. Using great content is key but think of it as a five star restaurant dish that still needs good serving. Storytelling is how you could effectively serve your audience that five star content. Embrace good writers and storytelling in your blogs if you cannot do it on your own. Give preference to writers that have a knack for subtle persuasion through inspiration and generating curiosity. The readers should be left “feeling” inspired and that they have “learned something useful” from your blog.
4.Visualizations:
I was listening to a BBC podcast the other day where the researchers where emphasizing on just how important visual senses are in aiding memory enhancement. To get to the point quickly, you have to make your blog visually appealing. Add professional photos and videos; add that extra piece of information about what your blog is all about to help readers fill in the gaps. No one is going to read the entire post if it’s are not insanely interesting. Attention spans are low. Adding professional videos and photos that captures attention, builds a sense of curiosity (don’t be a click bait hippy though) could help keep your readers interested.
Example: take interviews of experts in your field and add it to your post. The videos should be entertaining and very informative, don’t waste your reader’s time, give them what they want and more.
5.Reply to comments, emails, likes, shares:
People have a dopamine rush when someone likes what they have written, posted, voiced etc (imagine all creators nodding the heads right now). It works the same way with your audience. ‘Like’ the comment your audience shared, show them you actually give a damn about their opinion and what they have to say. Be professional but also be encouraging. Reply to your audience’s comments, to at least the first 10-15 comments if not all. Like the ones you actually appreciate, engage, have a conversation.
Leave your audience wanting your attention now instead of the other way around, make them think “oh maybe she’ll like my comment if I post it early, as soon as her new post comes in” Engagement with your audience is very helpful in building a real, strong community for your blog.
Final words: Love what you do and enjoy the process. None of these strategies will work if you are not genuinely interested in creating great blogs or adding that creative photo, building engagements with your existing audience. Blogging has to be fun and the hard work should feel like it’s worth it. You have to thus enjoy the process, be consistent, under promise and over deliver. Be extremely resourceful, creative and always spread a positive/inspiring internet presence.
This is a nice idea for an audience of bloggers (and you should totally pitch it to a blogging blog).
But here your audience is *freelance* bloggers – many of them don’t have their own blog, so this post wouldn’t be useful to them.
Hi Sophie,
A great article for a newbie blogger like me. Thanks so much!
Here’s my pitch.
HEADLINE: 5 key things to know before starting a niche blog for newbies.
OPENNING LINES: So you want to be a blogger. You love educating your audience through your writing. You found your niche and you’re excited to start your own blog. But you don’t have an idea of what are the things you need to learn before getting your corner of the web up and running!
Point 1: know your technology: you know it’s obvious that you need to master or, at least you should familiarize with the latest technology relating to blogging. But, have you ever felt it’s over-whelming to find out what to learn and what to ignore? Read the following list to know about it!
Point 2: master the art of audience building: email subscribers, social media followers, and your students. you name it! These people are your audience and building a community around your writing is hard. Then, how do you do this successfully?
Point 3: understanding email marketing: every blogger must know the value of email marketing, and the benefits it brings with it. Understanding the ins and outs of it will potentially broaden your blogging horizon all over the globe! That’s pretty nice. Isn’t it? But where do you get started?
Point 4: selecting the right social media platform for your blog: now that you built your audience and you want to attract more new people to your blog. You want them to be engaging with your blog efficiently. Selecting the right social media platform is the ultimate step towards achieving this. Here are some sure-fire ways to get started!
Point 5: go for quality than quantity: almost always you’ve heard about creating quality, thoughtful, and interesting content for your blog.
Sometimes during the beginning stages of your blogging career, you are tempted to create non-engaging/casual content in order to experiment a little bit with your writing. Please, don’t do that! Here’s a checklist to follow whenever you create content for your blog. this will work for newbies and experienced bloggers alike.
[Required]: I feel that this is a great post for be a freelance blogger audience because it contains practical and relevant information for a newcomer to the field of freelance blogging who wants to start a blog. This article could educate the next greatest freelance blogger and inspire them to take steps in knowing these essential things before starting their own blog– and that is a great feat!
I am sure that I am the best person to write this article because I have spent a great deal of time in researching and studying about the key skills a blogger must know before starting their own blog.
By acquiring these skills, I am able to start my own blog and I’d like to educate another newbie blogger like me to know these skills before starting their niche blog.
This is a nice idea for an audience of bloggers (and you should totally pitch it to a blogging blog).
But here your audience is *freelance* bloggers – many of them don’t have their own blog, so this post wouldn’t be useful to them.
sophie, thanks for your wonderful comment! sure, i’ll pitch to a blogging blog! thank you so much again!
Being A Resourceful Freelance Blogger
A resourceful person is someone who is able to handle difficult situations. As freelance bloggers, those situations will come around more often than not, an though they may seem like challenges that you have heard of before, they still happen, which means you will still face them and will have to deal with them.
1 – Finding YOUR Niche
Don’t let desperation push you into a part of the blogosphere that you don’t like or want. Find out what you’re passionate about, what you love, and work with that: that niche too is marketable.
2 – Personal Low Vote of Confidence
Look, self-doubt kills your freelance business just as fast as constantly missing deadlines. Believe in yourself!
3 – Personal Development
What are you dong about improving your knowledge and skills? Read, read, practice, and read!
4 – Time Management
This cannot be overstated: you need to properly manage your time, it’s finite and it’s going as fast as it can! Invest in planners and organizers, set time limits for each task, and cut down on social media (especially when it’s not work-related).
5- Managing that Money
You know that money is why you’re a freelance blogger in the first place. If it looks like it’s doing it’s possible best to finish before the month is up, you need to became a finance management expert.
6 – The Clients
Yes, the clients are a challenge that you will have to face too for various reasons, including additional unpaid work, haggling over price, unreasonable demands, and so on. First, make sure you have an iron-clad contract with your clients, then you can proceed to tackle the rest.
This is The Perfect Post!
…because, while these may be points freelance bloggers have seen time and again, they still exist, and freelance bloggers still face them. This post will show them that they aren’t the only ones facing these problems, and that they can tackle them with the utmost resourcefulness.
I Am the Perfect Person to Write This!
…because I am the only who can take something that has been said more often than not and say it with more vivacity and creativity.
Good advice in general, but I feel it’s missing an indication of *how* you’ll tell the readers to achieve what you suggest. “Believe in yourself” is too simple – we need to know exactly what to do and how to do it! 🙂
Thanks for the feedback Sophie! Yes, it does seem vague and not really attacking the point. Will rewrite and repost!
Being A Resourceful Freelance Blogger
A resourceful person is someone who is able to handle difficult situations. As freelance bloggers, those situations will come around more often than not, and though they may seem like challenges that you have heard of before, they still happen, which means you will still face them and will have to deal with them.
1 – Finding YOUR Niche
Don’t
let desperation push you into a part of the blogosphere that you don’t like or want. Find out what you’re passionate about, what you love, and work with that: that niche too is marketable.
2 – Personal Low Vote of Confidence
Look, self-doubt kills your freelance business just as fast as constantly missing deadlines. When in doubt, focus on your successes and think of that which you know how to do best and take pride in it.
3 – Personal Development
What are you doing about improving your knowledge and skills? Read, read, practice, and read!
4 – Time Management
This cannot be overstated: you need to properly manage your time, it’s finite and it’s going as fast as it can! Invest in planners and organizers, set time limits for each task, and cut down on social media (especially when it’s not work-related).
5 – Managing that Money
You know that money is why you’re a freelance blogger in the first place. If it looks like it’s doing it’s possible best to finish before the month is up, you need to became a finance management expert: always budget, save before you spend, and practice delayed gratification.
6- The Clients
Yes, the clients are a challenge that you will have to face too for various reasons, including additional unpaid work, haggling over price, unreasonable demands, and so on. First, make sure you have an iron-clad contract with your clients, then you can proceed to tackle the rest.
This is The Perfect Post!
…because, while these may be points freelance bloggers have seen time and again, they still exist, and freelance bloggers still face them. This post will show them that they aren’t the only ones facing these problems, and that they can tackle them with the utmost resourcefulness.
I Am the Perfect Person to Write This!
…because I am the only who can take something that has been said more often than not and say it with more vivacity and creativity.
Through the lens: 4 reasons to take your creativity to the next level
Self sufficiency is the key to profitability. This has been proved time and time again since the industrial revolution exploded into world culture and businesses have begun to amass wealth like never before. As a freelance blogger you must learn to take your creativity to new levels and your abilities must focus on sustainability; here’s how:
1. Subscription is the new licensure— Ever since Bill Gates and Paul Allen moved to license the use of software, intellectual property rights have become hugely profitable. With this profitability comes great liability for allegations of plagiarism and piracy.
2. Research should be inclusive for full disclosure — The more time you spend in understanding your focus, the better the information you will obtain to convey your passion for it. It is therefore imperative that you provide and understand both visual and intellectual aspects of your subject matter in order to be competitive in the information market and to offer material that is both pertinent and relevant. By creating your own photography instead of purchasing it, you will become that much more absorbed in, and knowledgable of, your topic.
3. Tech has never been more readily available — High quality, low cost technology has made professional level photography more prolific than ever before in history. DSLR cameras with huge sensors are available with video capabilities at fractions of the historical costs of such devices. They are priced to compete in a market that sees most people having a complete production facility in their pocket on theeir smartphone. In this age, there is no excuse to not create your own quality photography, artwork, and video.
4. Open source software is prevalent — Linux, the brainchild of Linus Torvalds, is free to use and expand upon. Because of this, the Linux Kernel has been the basis for everything from the Android operating system to Dreamworks movies. The Linux Kernel also provides top notch, open source software that is free to use and modify for all.
5. Training is free — Youtube has nearly made higher education irrelevant. As a self sufficient tech blogger, I have always been able find a quick tutorial on Youtube that fulfills my needed nescient ability in a much more efficient manner than any course I ever took at the local community college.
6. Competition is fierce— You only have to look for gigs in venues such as freelancer.com to see that this is now a global market and there is lots of quality competition out there. You need, therefore, to bring as much to the table as possible to be able to sell your client a viable product and give them their money’s worth.
Hmm, your first point left me thinking “OK but what do I do about it?”
Your second point talks about research and full disclosure, then ends with telling people to create photos. I’m unclear whether these two things are related or not.
You have a good idea in general, but I think your individual points need refining before this is ready to pitch.
Hi Sophie and everyone! 🙂
Headline: How to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone As Your Freelance Blogging Career Grows
Congrats! You’ve come far as a freelance blogger. You’ve been featured on reputable publications. Bloggers come to you for advice. You have engaged subscribers. Clients find you. The problem? You’ve grown comfortable. So how do you raise your rates, expand your reach, get more awesome bylines, and update your website? Worry not, we’re here for every step of the way.
1. Pitch to publications that seem out of research
If it seems scary, think about your first few bylines. Imagine the feeling you got when editors returned to you with an enthusiastic yes. Then take advantage of the adrenaline, pour some coffee, and start composing those new pitches. You already know your market by heart; go for it!
2. Try new mediums to reach a bigger audience
If you’ve been only writing so far, it is time to experiment with podcasts, videos, webinars or audiobooks. You shouldn’t try everything at once. Do your research, and pick the medium where your audience hangs out the most at. Find out their favorite ways to consume information. Think about your own resources, and go with whatever makes the most sense to both you and your readers.
3. Try premium accounts on established career sites
This can be purchasing a paid membership on Linkedin or paying for premium content from your favorite bloggers. I currently have a Mediabistro unlimited membership, which means I access all of their courses for free. A lot of these courses teach skills that either directly help you find clients or build on what you can offer to them. If you don’t want to risk spending money on something you think you might not like, go with sites that offer free trial memberships.
4. Find a mentor and/or a coach
You’ve taken courses. You’ve read books and attended webinars. You’ve applied everything you have learned. Now it is time to work with a professional business mentor or coach to help you get to the next level of your career. You know it is time to hire someone when you’ve done everything you can and are stuck at your current level.
5. Pay for Design, or learn to be a better web designer
When you started out, any decent-looking portfolio website was fine. Free themes did the trick. But you feel your website lacks a certain awe-inducing factor. It can look better. Web designers can be expensive, but they are worthwhile investments. But if you aren’t ready to let someone else spruce things up, you can always develop your own skills. There are plenty of free and paid courses to help you level up.
6. Advance your social media skills
It is great that you are active on your preferred sites and have a loyal following. You’ve managed to find and attract clients through them. But when your growth stalls, and it will, it is time to take an analytical look. Can your profiles be optimized further? Can you draw more engaged eyeballs? Could you reach more clients? Social media constantly evolves. What worked in 2017 may not hold water now. Be critical, and develop elaborate your game plan. You’ve got this.
*
I’ve been published on Be a Freelance Blogger, WOW! Women on Writing, Make a Living Writing, Horkey Handbook, CNN, and The Washington Post. I’m constantly working on taking my freelance blogger career to the next level by pushing out of my comfort zone, and I’d love to help BAFB readers do the same.
Awesome pitch, Pinar – thank you! 🙂
Thanks, Sophie! So glad you liked it. 🙂
Hi Sophie!
Here is my submission.
HEADLINE:
6 Office Challenges That Can Mess Up Your Freelance Blogging Business & How You Can Cope With Them
OPENING LINES:
You probably use a home office if my guess is good. Even if you render your service in a corporate environment, you’re using an office. As a freelance blogger, your daily challenges now are quite different from what they used to be ten or so years back. However, don’t fret, as there are options out there to fix nagging problems.
POINTS:
1. Document Management
Keeping your office document in order is key to an effective time management. Whether you are using Google Drive in the cloud or you are using the traditional paper option, you need to extend your muscle to put things right on a daily basis.
2. Technical Issues
Now that using an android or tablet as a modem is becoming more or less the norm, you have to come to terms with a new set of challenges. You may need to reset your device or surfing via your ISP may become an issue.
3. Tiredness with Deadline Ahead
In a career where you are geared to swim or sink, every client, directly or indirectly comes in with a set deadline. As you are arising from a stress, you are looking ahead to complete another project.
4. Online Reading versus Offline Reading
You have made many assumptions at the beginning of your career I think. And if I’m right, online reading via your devices is one of such. It probably makes you look like the modern man. But offline reading is never dead. You can use it wisely to reduce the stress from gazing at the monitors for a long time.
5. Cash Crunch
Your working capital is a must if you would survive as a freelance blogger. Watch it, more often than not, that mouth-watering contract comes only when you least expect it. So if you are in the habit of keeping a zero account, you are not going to do really well in your career.
6. Saving Energy
You probably think energy is not important until a deadline stings you like a bee and you are left with checking your laptop battery time and time available from other power sources.
WHY IS IT A GREAT POST:
Many of your subscribers and freelance bloggers generally will love to read this post in order to evaluate their journey so far in relation to the insight brought forward here.
WHY I’M WRITING IT:
Having socialized with freelance blogging over the last one decade, I have come to realize that office challenge is a recurring issue in my career and sharing my insight with fellow bloggers is a great way to boost their morale at work.
This is a helpful idea, but a bit broad for our specific audience. I suggest pitching it to a general freelance/work-from-home blog instead. 🙂
Thanks Sophie. I.m grateful.
Hi Sophie,
here’s my pitch:
The Broke Beginner’s Guide to Getting Started
So, you know you have the talent, drive, and potential to be a successful blogger, but a very low budget keeping you from turning that dream into a reality? Fear not! You do not have to sit back and wait for the right moment. It is possible to build a successful portfolio on next to nothing. If you have access to a computer and internet then you can use the following guideline to help you get started.
1. Use LinkedIn for Networking
Unable to pay for website start up fees? It is still possible to get your name out there and look for potential clients. It is completely free to start up an account on LinkedIn, and is a great way to connect with others in the same field. You get to set up your account to make it appeal to others and peak their interest in you, as well as search up specific job listings and contacts to pitch ideas to.
2. Social Media
Just about everyone is using Facebook and Twitter these days, so why not use it to advertise your brand. It is free and an easy way to get your friends and family to share what you are offering.
3. Seek Out Other Bloggers
There are some awesome bloggers out there who’s sole purpose in their business is to help other writers break free and become just as successful. Many have courses that you can sign up for, but again if you are broke, they usually have an email subscription that you can sign up to first. This way, you get some free advice straight to your inbox and you get to decide if you feel like they are worth giving your money ton for their courses until you can actually afford to do so.
4. Guest Posting
I know that some of you reading this think it is no longer possible to land gigs by guest posting, but this tactic is not quite dead yet. Many websites have guidelines for how to submit a guest post. Just make sure to read carefully and give them something they are looking for if you want any chance of landing a spot on their site.
5. Write! Write! Write!
This one should be a no brainer, but anyone who is serious about a writing career can never do too much of it. Even if you have no website, no current jobs, nothing; you can still write for practice. Make up sample articles for when you eventually get a website up and running, and who knows, maybe one day you can actually make monkey off of your practice pieces.
6. Keep Researching
If you feel stuck and not sure what to do at this point in your career, you can always do more research. The amount of information available to us is practically infinite, and it costs nothing to do a google search. Use it wisely, weeding through what seems legit and what isn’t.
It can be very difficult for anyone starting up, but financial challenges can make it feel impossible. I believe anyone who has the passion and drive to write for a living should not let this one thing stand in their way. This article would be great for anyone who is just at the beginning stages of blogging on a budget and unsure how to go about it.
Get pitch Kayla! Very informative
Get pitch Kayla! Very informative. Here’s to a great “Blogging” future for you 😊
This is a really great idea! As a former (and still) relatively broke freelancer, I’d caution people about doing to much research because it can be a form of procrastination. 😉 Under point 5, I’d add the need to pitch because a lot of blog editors want to help craft the pieces that’ll appear on their sites, meaning they usually don’t want to run already written pieces.
*too
Thanks for the feedback! Some great points there I will keep in mind 🙂
Yep, my main thought on reading this pitch was “less reading and research and writing just for practice… More marketing!”
A post on starting from zero is always welcome here, but I’m afraid too many of your tips are non-earners – I’d love to see more tips that are directly related to winning and growing a client base!
Thanks for the feedback!
Here’s my pitch for the Pitchfest!
Headline: Switching Niches? Here’s How To Transition Smoothly
Opening: There are plenty reasons why we might want to start writing in a new niche or industry. Sometimes we don’t always get much luck in a certain niche we picked or it just gets boring. A confusing topic for lots of freelance writers and bloggers is how on earth do they transition from one niche to another without looking like an amateur?
I’ve got five practical tips a freelance blogger can use to effectively switch to a new niche smoothly.
1. Touch on personal experience(s) with the subject
Some writers feel that if they don’t have much experience “writing” about a certain subject, then clients won’t take them seriously. This is definitely NOT true! Sometimes personal experience with a topic is enough to score a new gig.
2. Knock out 2-3 relevant samples
It’s important to have a few relevant samples on hand for your new niche. These samples can be self published on your own site, or a platform like LinkedIn or medium. If you can score a quick piece for a client in your new niche’s industry, whether paid or pro bono, that will be great as well.
3. Get a feature on a reputable pub in the niche
To really impress a new client, grabbing a spot on a top publication in your new niche is a great way to establish authority and expertise, score a byline and get in front of potential clients.
4. Update your website
Having a website specifically for your writing business is monumental in your marketing long term strategy, so hopefully you’ve got one. Make sure to highlight your new niche there immediately, and include your new samples in your portfolio. Bonus points If you can get a testimonial from a client in that niche!
5. Spread the Word
The best and fastest way to break into a new niche without hassle is by getting the word out. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and network with your ideal clients, and other freelancers who may have connections with people in your new niche.
In the past few years as a freelance blogger, I struggled a bit with finding the right niche for me. I wrote in a variety of niches, but once I decided on the two (yes, two) niches I knew I could commit to, I had to prove to prospects that I was a specialist, not a generalist. I used these tips to establish my credibility in my niches, and they all work like a charm. I believe this advice is great for writers who want to switch their current writing niche to a new one, and even those who have not yet established their exact niche.
Nice pitch, Haneef! Will there be full how-to details on point 3?
Hey Sophie, sure thing! I can include step by step details on how to go about that.
9 Free (and Easy) Ways to Find Anyone’s Email Adress
Cold emailing is a powerful tool for making connections with blog editors, other writers, and interviewees. But firing off emails to black-hole addresses is kind of like throwing spaghetti noodles at a dartboard—they don’t stick. Want to land a high-paying gig or an exclusive interview? Here are nine easy ways to find anyone’s contact information for free.
1. Google It
While this may seem obvious, it’s one of the best places to start. Many companies provide contact information for certain staff members on their Contact, About, or News Pages. You can also type in position + name + email.
2. Make Your Best Guess (And Test It)
Almost every company uses a standard format for their emails (like [first name].[last name]@[company].[com]). Figuring out every possible combination can be time-consuming, so Email Permutator+ from Metric Sparrow do it for you.
3. Check Your LinkedIn Connections
Did you know that a user’s email address is always visible on LinkedIn for your direct connections? I’ll show you how to grab it and use LinkedIn’s InMail, which can be free if your contact has an Open Profile Message.
4. Use Email Discovery Tools
Using email discovery tools like Clearbit Connect, Hunter, or Email Matcher: they’re one of simplest method of finding an email address, and they’re usually free. (*A list of 10-20 will be provided.)
5. Use Advanced Twitter Search
Here’s a neat Twitter Trick: editors often share their email addresses in their tweets but hide them from bots. I’ll teach you how to find them step by step, as well as, use Snap Bird that can search any Twitter user’s history.
6. Subscribe to Your Target’s Email List
Whether the person or business you’re targeting has a personal or public blog, you can subscribe to their email lists via an opt‐in form on the blog. Most newsletter emails will come from their personal email address.
Why me and why BAFB?
My name is Cherese Cobb, and I’m a freelance writer and photographer from Maryville, Tennessee. I’ve interviewed human and animal celebs like Julie Steines, Lynn Julian, Lil Bub, and Pompous Albert. It wasn’t always this way, though. I used to send pitches and interview requests to black hole accounts where I never heard anything at all. Then I found out how to dig up contact information, which has allowed me to land more gigs. BAFB readers will learn that while hitting send can be scary, emailing the right people can build connections, confidence, and their blogging businesses.
Apparently, my brain has gone on holiday early, so I’m using Sophie’s Typo-forgiveness pass. Point 2 should say “use Email Permutator+” and point 4 should start with “use” instead of “using”. 😉
Typo-forgiveness granted! 😉
Some of these tips are the same as in the “How to Pitch a Blog Post” book, but I think there’s enough new here to make it worthwhile. 🙂
(Side note: It doesn’t bother me that some of the tips are the same as in my book because I know Cherese, and trust her to write an original post. Googling it is pretty much universal advice for *any* situation, but I know that Cherese can bring out the things that matter most to freelance bloggers. And THAT’s why it always pays to build relationships with people in your industry – if they already trust you, they’ll give you more freedom and more opportunities when you’re pitching!)
Thank you for granting typo forgiveness—my mom has been in the hospital with Calciphylaxis, a rare disease where calcium tries to break through your veins and skin, so my mind is a little fried. I had no idea that you had a book called, “How to Pitch a Blog Post.” 😉 I’m checking it out right now.
Also, thank you for trusting in my ideas and me. That’s literally one of the nicest things that has ever been said about me. <3
(Sidenote: Googling is pretty standard advice, but there are all kinds of tricks and tips like using the asterisk wildcard and hyphens to exclude words that help make this easier. The last is really good when you have someone with a very common name or job title.) 🙂
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.
That means no new entries will be accepted – but if you’re responding to feedback from me on an existing entry, you can still post a follow-up comment. 🙂
I’ll go through all of the entries in detail now, and will announce the winners next weekend.
Thanks, everyone, for joining in this Pitchfest!
Really great article, Glad to read the article. It is very informative for us. Thanks for sharing the post. – dentist in hartford ct
Aaargh! OK, this isn’t the first time I’ve forgotten that even my own comments will get held in the moderation queue if they contain hyperlinks… I’m adding a note to my calendar about it for next Pitchfest!
Sorry for the delay, people. 🙂
THE WINNERS ARE…
1st prize: Pinar Tarhan, on getting out of your comfort zone to grow your business
[read her pitch at http://beafreelanceblogger.com/blogging-new-platform/#comment-235005%5D
2nd prize: Haneef Davenport, on moving into a new niche
[http://beafreelanceblogger.com/blogging-new-platform/#comment-235026]
3rd prize: Lindsay Pietroluongo, on adding new skills/services to your range
[http://beafreelanceblogger.com/blogging-new-platform/#comment-234801]
If you didn’t win a prize this time, don’t go away yet!
If your name’s on the list below, then I liked your pitch and I think it’s ready to draft. So if you’d like to have it published as a traditional unpaid guest post here at BAFB, write up your first full draft and email it to teambafb@gmail.com. (Or feel free to pitch it to somebody else if you prefer!)
Cherese Cobb
Antasha Durbin
Katherine Jumbe
Paula Martins
Yay! Excited about my mentoring session!
Sweeeeet! So excited to get started on my article! Congratulations to all the winners and honorable mentions 👏🏾
Thank you for the invitation. And congrats to the winners! 🙂
Congrats to all of the winners and honorable mentions. 🙂
Very disappointed in this. I won a mentoring session as the third prize and never heard from Sophie and didn’t receive a reply to my email.
Sorry, Lindsay! I’ll go hunt for your email right now and reply. 🙂
Yay! This makes me so happy. 🙂 Thanks, Sophie! Off I go to write my draft. 🙂
Congrats to all winners! Can’t wait to read your blog posts.
And I guess I’ll be writing a guest post 😀
New challenges and solutions for freelance bloggers
Leaving a place that was once considered a comfort zone can certainly be scary especially if it has never been done before. Different emotions like fear, sense of being lost, stressed out, on top of severe anxiety can cause you to dread going into a new place that could potentially be better than the place that you left, but fear and feelings of being afraid can stop you. Do you want to know how you can overcome the many challenges that will hinder you?
Let’s go on the journey together and discover ways that we can overcome new challenges…
1) Late nights, and early mornings in addition to the day that’s ahead of you and the many things on your list that has to be done can be draining by itself. It is imperative that you get REST. Rest refreshes the mind and allow you to be alert and focus on the assignment that the mind is tasked with.
2) Knowledge is power and without knowledge, there is no power, there is nothing to talk about, no experience to reminisce back on to help guide someone with a concern or problem they are seeking the answer to.
3) Lack of Ideas – In order to reach the targeted audience, you have to know who it is that you are reaching out to you, you must have ideas that appeal to the targeted audience that you have targeted. You have to be new and creative.
4) Lack of Confidence – If you are not confidence in the skills that you have and in yourself, it will be easy for you to get lost in the wave, and be intimidated by the competition.
To succeed as a freelance blogger, you have to understand the basics of the software that you will be using in order to follow the guidelines set forth. You have to get rest, enhance your knowledge to continue to produce ideas that will be attractive to your audience. You have to be confident in yourself and abilities to realize that each individual is different and their strengths are not your strengths but you can succeed if you put in the work and effort.
I’m impressed, I must say. Rarely do I encounter a blog that’s both educative and engaging, and let me tell you, you’ve hit the nail on the head. As a writer always want to know about the resources where i can get improve my writing skills & you have exactly write the same for me. Thumbs up for that !