If you are a typical freelance writer, you probably write a lot of things, from white papers and case studies to articles and blogs. It’s simply a matter of writing whatever someone will pay you to. But one of the things that is often neglected the most is a freelancer’s blog and website. Just like the mechanic’s car often needs repairs, and the plumber’s plumbing is a mess, so it is with writers and their own websites.
However, it is hard to argue against the value of a well-written and up to date blog. You probably advocate for it for your clients all the time. It is a big part of inbound marketing and one of the best ways for you to get your name out there. If you don’t have a website already, you need to find and purchase a domain name, set up hosting, and design or have a website designed for you. Fortunately, there are a number of templates for writers that make this easier than it has ever been.
Then it is time to get to work on your own brand instead of everyone else’s. Here are some facts about the importance of blogging for freelancers that might just get you back in the blogging saddle again.
You Show Off Up Your Skills
What better place to show off your blog writing skills than on your own website? If you can’t write about what you do, how in the world are you going to write about what anyone else is doing? Your own blog is how you prove that you can write, and that your writing adds value to your site and the internet.
You also can show off your knowledge here. What do you know about SEO, Content Marketing, and even Content Strategy? Whether that is a little or a lot, you can share your knowledge on your site. This helps your customer understand what else you bring to the table besides just good writing. The more you bring to a project, the more valuable your work is, and the more pay you can ask for.
Use your blog to showcase what you can do and what you know, and your site will serve as a place where your next customer can find you.
You Establish Your Brand
Like it or not, you are a business now, and you need to brand yourself. People should recognize you or the company you operate as (you do have an LLC, right?) as soon as they see your blog and your website. This should be consistent with all of the other marketing you do, from business cards to flyers and digital ads.
Showcasing your brand through colors, logos, and fonts does the same thing for you that it does for your customers. It establishes your name with the things that you do and reminds your customer or future client of who you are.
Your blog helps you build your brand. It is your platform where you showcase the work that you do, what you offer clients, and the knowledge your brand has that sets you apart from the competition. Blogging is vital to this effort, and just like you tell your clients, it can make a huge difference in your revenue.
You Improve Your SEO
One thing that is vital to freelance writers is your digital footprint. Almost as soon as you bid for a job or connect with a potential client, they will search for you online. What they find often determines if you even get offered a contract or not. In some cases, it helps determine the pay they offer you and how much trust they put in your work.
Your blog is a big part of your digital footprint. It should be one of the first things that comes up when someone searches your name. The first might be your LinkedIn or Facebook if you have a large presence there, or your Amazon page if you have also authored books. But your blog should be in the top ten, and it should immediately tell the searcher something about you.
Your blog should also be active and up to date. Be sure your bio is correct, your contact information is current, and that you have posted at least twice in the last 30 days, preferably more. The customer does not want to find a ghost town on your website if you want to write for theirs.
You Get Better at Writing
Know how your writing improves the most? By writing more. That means the more you write on your blog, the better you get at writing, especially in blog and article format. The better you get at keywords, headings, titles, and more on your own blog, the better writing that hits the SEO mark you can offer your clients.
The thing is, writing practice is not limited to certain kinds of writing. The bigger variety of writing topics you can handle, the more diverse your blog portfolio with long and short form pieces and other forms of content, the more your customer sees that you can offer them.
Do case studies with your own clients. Post white papers. Have content that appeals to a variety of web user types, and help your clients define them as well. The better writer you are, the more work (and higher paying work too) you will get.
You Impress Your Customer
Here is where the rubber hits the road. What your blog is really about is impressing your current clients and new ones. It is to convert those who are asking you for one blog post a week to someone who is looking for regular articles and posts, and contacts you when they need something. Your blog is about converting non-clients to clients, non-readers to subscribers, etc.
Just like any other business, freelance writing needs marketing, advertising, and new clients all the time if you want to grow and develop in your career. Your blog is a great place to showcase your talent and improve it, along with improving your SEO and increasing your digital footprint. If you are a freelancer, blogging is vital.
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