Freelance writers rely on a constant stream of assignments to get their business up and running, so what happens when all the work is done? It takes time to find new gigs and clients. However, with the right tips and tricks, you can easily get paying opportunities. Here are some freelance hacks you can use to always have enough money to pay the bills:
Veteran freelance writers know that it’s important to submit quality projects and build relationships with clients. If clients liked working with you in the past, then they’ll definitely get in touch again. They might need blog posts, guest posts or landing pages for their future marketing efforts. How can you reach out to past clients? Here's a sample email that I've used in the past
This email helps you turn a single gig into a recurring one. Carol Tice has managed to earn more than $100,000+/year because she chooses projects that help her generate more than $200 in revenue on a recurring basis. As her relationship with the client grows and her value increases, she is able to raise her prices to $500 and then $1000 for projects.
Chances are, freelance writers offer a variety of services such as blogging, e-book writing and ghostwriting. Most businesses need a variety of copy and marketing material to keep their business afloat. If you’ve worked with a business writing blog posts for them in the past, you might want to upsell other services like writing landing pages or product descriptions. For example, Nick Darlington has a simple template:
The results? He received this response from a client:
This email might be simple, but it puts you on your client's radar when they plan their future content calendar.
Ask current clients to provide feedback about your performance or services. You can get in touch with them once a year or every six months to understand how you can improve your services. To get started, send a message like:
According to AND CO, feedback establishes a frank conversation about how the freelance arrangement is working for both you and your client, and if there’s anything you could do to improve your services, get more projects and more paid opportunities.
Trust is necessary for any business relationship, so how can you get your clients to trust you? Constant communication is key. Every time you book a new gig, view it as an opportunity to win a recurring client. Make sure you submit a high-quality post. Before you start a project, understand the client’s needs. Ask the tone and feel of the article, the purpose of the post and keep editing until they're satisfied. Alexis Grant - CEO and founder of The Write Life - constantly aims to gain recurring revenue from her current clients. This helps her predict her monthly income and gain stability for her freelance business.
There’s a lot of ways you can get more work from past clients, but it all comes down to keeping the relationship going. Once you finish an assignment, upsell your services and ask for more work to gain a recurring client. As a freelance writer, your role is to keep your clients satisfied, build relationships and achieve results. If you don't have enough clients yet, sign up on Fiverr to find more projects.