Last week I wrote about freelance writing resources that will help you generate article ideas fast. I enjoyed putting that piece together so much, I thought I’d bring you more of the same right now. So let’s get down to it, with some more news you can use.
Today I’m looking at four key areas you need to be aware of as a freelance writer, along with some effective research material for each sector. So, strap in and I’ll take you through another set of methods you can use to supercharge your content and career.
1. Learn how to write about statistics
Facts and figures probably aren’t the first (maybe not even the second or third) thing you think of when you imagine a career as a freelance writer. Writing is creative and abstract, defined by rhythm and flow, not analytical numbers and data percentages, right?
Well, actually, it’s both.
Niches like tech or healthcare writing will sometimes include complex jobs that focus on industry trends and analysis. Fortunately, you can boost your effectiveness in winning (and writing) those kinds of projects by practicing how to present information and statistics in an engaging way.
Similarly, the B2B writing market (businesses whose client base are other businesses instead of consumers like you and me) is full of lucrative opportunities.
If you can get a good grasp of the best ways to sift through dense factual information and turn it into something your client can understand easily and act on with confidence, you’ll be well on your way to landing a high-paying sales letter or white paper assignment.
So how do you do it? This summary from Purdue Online Writing Lab is a great start. If you want more, download this handy guide from the UK statistics authority. Both are great freelance writing resources for giving you a solid head start in this always useful skill set.
2. Get really good at video scripting
Video is becoming the go-to medium for communication on the Internet. It might not yet be the primary method, but things are certainly sliding in that direction. With the rise of explainer videos, video sales letters, video podcasting and an increase in easy-to-use video and animation software, it’s clear that video has evolved beyond the simple landing page introduction.
The good news is that pretty much all this video is going to need scripting, which is where you – the highly skilled freelance writer – come in. Get your video scripting skills up to speed with this excellent primer from breadnbeyond. It’s got some great advice that’s so simple you may not have even thought of it…like making sure you use words in your script that are easy to illustrate in a video!
3. Make sure your entire web presence is mobile friendly.
In conjunction with the dominance of video, there’s also a change in the way people are accessing the web. A gradual shift is taking place away from laptops and desktops, and toward phones, tablets and other mobile technology. This means clients and prospects want content at an ever-faster more responsive rate on whatever device they’re using to view you, your portfolio and your services.
Yakoema has a great beginner’s guide on becoming mobile friendly, and it’s worth evaluating your writer’s website against the information here to make sure your own corner of the Internet is up-to-date in this area. You don’t want to miss out on business and leads because your site has glitches or a slow loading time for those viewing you on the go!
4. Use time CRM software to stay on track with clients, on top of projects and ahead in business.
Of all the freelance writing resources I’ve shared here, this one is probably the most useful on a practical level. Writing for a living is mostly organised chaos, and it can quickly turn into something overwhelming if you don’t have systems in place to arrange your time, clients, earnings and projects (I talk more about this in my post on bad habits you need to kill off before they put the kibosh on your career).
One of the most effective ways to combat this and push through to a place where you’re earning well and have a full calendar of clients is to use some CRM software.
Insightly is a great platform for anybody running their own business (and as a professional freelance writer, that’s definitely what you’re doing) who needs to organise and prioritise to keep ahead of the curve. You can use it to manage contacts and leads, track your progress and integrate with mobile and email.
There are subscriber options ranging from free to enterprise, and the experience is tailored to your skill level. The homepage has a nice selection of free PDFs on CRM and marketing too, and making these bonus materials available to anyone is a really nice touch. They’re also useful to study if you’re working on your own lead magnet for your writer’s website.
I hope learning about these additional freelance writing resources has been helpful to you. Do you have any favourites from this list, or some of your own you use on a regular basis? Let us know in the comments!
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