Image via WikipediaAre you a web writer that makes most of their money grappling for jobs from up-front paying sites like Textbroker? How would you like to have people seeking you out, at prices that you name, rather than lunging at jobs while they're available at prices that some no-face editor designated as your "skill level"?The best way to do this is with your own personal website with a blog to go with it. But what do you want to place on that site?
Here are a bunch of ways to make sure that your professional web writing site is optimized for earning money and gaining the attention of possible paying clients!
- Contact information. Use it all! Email, social media contact/profiles, address, phone number and Skype ID. If you want people to get a hold of you then you need to give them ways to do it. For information on starting a blog and where the best places and ways to get going visit me at Blogging For Dads!
- About Page. Why should people hire you? What makes you better then the freelance web writer next door in the other blog? Better yet, why should a person or business use you as their writer instead of one of those content sites that you're trying to get rid of dependence on?
- Testimonials. Ask your client for feedback and post it on a testimonial page or somewhere on your site. If you don't have private clients yet then use feedback from those content sites that you've been web writing for. Also, you can use designations and rewards. I used to use stuff like "Hot 500 Contributor For May 2011" from the Yahoo! Contributor Network. I also used an article that got 20k page views in one day as proof that I could write for interest.
- Prices and Services. You want people to hire you so you need to let them know how much you work for. Don't go too high or you won't get hired, especially if you lack a moderate amount of experience or have only a few work samples.
- When it comes to services then you need to let people know what you do. Content? Blog posts? Press releases? Product descriptions? People are looking for all sorts of web content so the more that you make yourself available to do, the better.
WARNING: Don't claim that you can do something if you can't.
- Writing Samples: You can always place a blurb somewhere on your site that lets prospective customers know that they can request writing samples. Never write a sample for FREE for a customer. They either want something or they don't. You can't get a Big Mac for free just to see if you like it and neither can your customers. They shouldn't expect it and if they're asking for it then they are taking advantage and the know it.
- Blog: You can use your blog as a living writing sample. If permitted you can post links to your articles that are online. Try to find articles and then write a small tidbit about what makes it a good or bad article. You can blog just about anything as long as it's pertinent to your web writing ability.
- Resume: I'm not real big on a resume that lists EVERY article that you've ever written or EVERY content web writing site that you've ever worked for. Your resume should include your contact information, education, certificates, pertinent job history (if you've spent 15 years as a mechanic at Roto-Rooter then I'm not that needs to be there unless you're a web content writer that specializes in mechanic content. Your resume is on you to figure out what are best practices.
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