Episode 7: Everyday Marketing for Freelance Writers (with Lori Widmer)

All Freelance Writing Podcast - Episode 7

Friend and colleague, Lori Widmer, joins me as my guest co-host in this episode of the All Freelance Writing Podcast.

Listen Now

Subscribe in iTunes  |  Subscribe in Your Feed Reader  |  Download

In This Episode

The following topics are discussed in this episode:

  • The importance of regularly and consistently marketing your freelance writing business
  • Lori's e-book, Marketing 365
  • Differences in pay rates between blogging, article writing, and copywriting gigs (and whether or not one is really guaranteed to pay more than the others)

Everyday Marketing for Freelance Writers

  • If you wait until you're in the "famine" period of a feast-famine cycle, it's too late to start marketing to fill that time. You're already in the hole. Always market your services when you're busy. You want fresh leads before your current work dries up.
  • Marketing doesn't have to be time consuming. Spending just 15 minutes per day is a good start, and it can bring in plenty of jobs.
  • Marketing and sales are not the same thing. Don't let a disinterest in "selling yourself" stop you from getting into marketing.
  • If any "expert" tries to tell you there's only one way to market your services (only querying, only cold calling, etc.), turn around, walk away, and never look back.
  • Several marketing tips are shared, including options you can pursue even if you do only have 15 minutes each day.

What Freelance Writing Projects Pay the Most?

This week we have another question from a member of a forum I sometimes participate in (I asked writers there to submit questions for podcast discussions -- you can ask you own by using the form on this page). This question was submitted by a member using the handle, Content Maestro:

"Which writing categories are generally more profitable/lucrative and which are not? E.g. we all know that: 1) Writing articles doesn't fetch any decent money nowadays. Composing blog posts is a bit better. Forum posting is as good as dead. [And] 2) Writing sales copies, business plans etc. is comparatively much higher paying."

Our Response

  • Yes, "forum posting" is pretty much dead as a freelance writing opportunity. It was never a great gig to begin with.
  • No, blog posts don't pay more than "articles." We had to make the assumption that by "articles" he meant SEO web content as opposed to features and news articles.
  • Yes, copywriting gigs can be high paying. But so can blogging jobs and article writing gigs. It's all about the individual client and the hourly rate you earn (rather than a project-by-project comparison).
  • Don't choose your type of projects by what you think they pay. Figure out what you need or want to earn. Choose the project type you want to pursue. And then find clients who can satisfy both criteria.

Be sure to check out Lori's e-book, Marketing 365It's a straightforward collection of 365 marketing tactics you can use to promote your freelance writing services. Use one tactic every day. Or pick and choose to create your own marketing mix.

Get Your Writing Questions Answered

The All Freelance Writing Podcast regularly features community Q&As. So I'd love to hear your questions about freelance writing, blogging, or indie publishing. If you'd like me to consider answering your question in a future podcast episode, you can contact me in three different ways:

  1. Email me at jenn@allfreelancewriting.com.  Include the phrase "Podcast Question" in your subject line to make sure the email is filtered correctly so I don't miss it.
  2. Submit your question through the contact form on this page.
  3. Leave me a voicemail by calling 484-575-1345. You'll be directly connected to voicemail. Please note that if you leave a question via voicemail, I might play that voicemail during a future episode if I'm able to answer your question.

Leave a Comment