10 Hacks to Make your Freelance Writing Business Simpler

10 Hacks to Make your Freelance Writing Business Simpler

Content writing is one of the most popular areas where one can freelance and earn lavishly. There are so many opportunities that one cannot help but get attracted to it. Content writing is broad in nature and comprises a number of specific branches such as SEO, advertising, and business writing. We, for the purpose of this article, will pick up one such branch—business writing.

Business writing, as the name suggests, refers to content writing for businesses. It is one of the most developed freelancing careers currently and participants are known to have grown a lucrative career out of it.

However, in order to excel as a freelance business writer, you need more than just knowledge of business and style of writing. You need to focus on a number of other determinative aspects of success.

In this article, we will talk about ten hacks that every freelance business writer should keep in mind. With the implementation of each hack, the freelancer will be able to smoothly undertake all his commitments and accomplish greater results.

With this, and without further ado, here are those ten hacks that help a great deal to freelance business writers:

1. Make business writing your passion

You need to develop a passionate temperament towards business writing. If you are working as a freelance business solely for money, without any passion for self-improvement, you will not tread far.

The freelance industry is highly competitive, and while your start may be good, it might simply be beginner’s luck if your attitude is inconsiderate of the business writing field.

It is not that monetary priorities necessarily outs you on the road of regression, but these priorities should be conditioned with a strong desire to improve your writing skills.

If for example, you do not study business concepts and relevant matters, you will not show any significant signs of improvement and subsequently, your demand in the industry will diminish.

2. It is important to say ‘NO’ at times

Business writing is not a piece of cake; if you think of taking up multiple projects and not exhausting oneself is a good idea, well, good luck with that because we think it is not wise.

The problem with many freelance business writers today is that they tend to take up a number of assignments at a time which not only increases the workload but also greatly the quality of work.

Business writing is not generic and requires accuracy of facts and application of mind—which, in exhaustion and pre-occupancy with many projects, does not really happen.

Learn to say NO to offers. It will benefit you and show better results on your other assignments.

3. Identification of distractions and handling them smartly

We understand business writing could be really exhausting and boring at times—because of this we tend to get distracted and well, we then become reckless towards our work.

No matter how disciplined you are, the Internet will test you on a number of counts, but you must persevere.

You need to identify your distractions—if you have the habit of opening up multiple tabs related to different activities such as Facebook tab, Gaming Tab, Wikipedia tab and what not, you will naturally get distracted.

When you are working, dedicate your entire focus on the assignment. It will difficult at first, but eventually, you will learn. Switch off the notifications on your cell phone because, hey, the laptop is not the only thing where the Internet works.

Once you have battled out your distractions, you will notice better changes.

4. Do not dither in demanding what you deserve

Business writers are in huge demand. Since there are so many candidates, you can get good competitive pay rates, but if you think you deserve more than the prevailing market rate, you tell them.

Getting a pay rise against justifiable reasons helps in the simplification of the writing business. However, you must be cautious of what you demand because if you do not live up to their expectations, you will only invite trouble and shame along with it—which is totally not good!

5. Flow charts are life-savers

Organization is a success mantra, and you achieve it in a number of ways. One way of doing this is through flowcharts.

Flow Charts simplify the entire work process. This way you will be able to segregate your assignments and work more efficiently.

There are many applications that you can download that help in the creation of flowcharts without many efforts—or you can do it the mechanical way.

6. Templates that simplify routine paperwork

Smart writers are so called because they do not repeat what they undertake every day. If you are engaged in routine paperwork such as invoicing clients, pitching query letters or submitting proposals, you can use them as templates.

For instance, a proposal you mailed to an editor may be sent as a template to other editors of similar websites.

Creating templates of tasks which are common and repeated routinely help in faster communication since you are not required to begin from scratch.

7. When in doubt, outsource

One of the most workable hacks that do wonders for business writers in the freelance industry is outsourcing.

If you are somebody who prefers doing the job all by yourself, then it will be a little difficult for you to hand over your assignments to others. Well, try it; it greatly helps in increasing output and reducing workload.

If you undertake an assignment which requires content on a highly technical matter about which you are not well-versed, then you will not be able to do justice to the assignment. Instead, you can outsource work to those with expertise. Pay them a share of your income and that is all!

Many freelance business writers engage in outsourcing because it has become a lucrative way of increasing profits. You will be able to take up multiple projects at a time!

8. Keep yourself aware of the industry and market

As noted earlier, freelance business writing is highly in demand. Since it is hugely popular and required, the market is growing every day—the rates fall or rise according to the availability of work and freelancers and what not. It, therefore, becomes important on the part of the freelancers to be updated with every change in the market and the industry.

If you are well-informed of such changes, you will be able to determine a number of things such as the kind of projects most in demand, the prevalent pay rate, fraudulent activities affecting the industry and what not.

9. Market yourself on appropriate platforms

Marketing your skills is fundamental for making money in the freelance industry. Since business writing is a massive industry, you will end up competing with numerous other candidates. You must stand out in order to secure good assignments—and that is where marketing comes.

There are a number of platforms you can market yourself such as blogs, YouTube, Facebook and other social networking websites, freelance websites such as guru.com and worknhire, and many others. What it takes is a good profile with references to your work samples.

In case you work in the real space, you can attend forums and meet-ups which freelancers usually organize. Go there, talk to people, build up and/or expand your network and market yourself. As people start knowing you personally, you will develop rapport and credibility and this might land you to a high-paying job.

10. Never stop writing

Business writing is technical and highly particular, and therefore, you must keep on studying the industry and work on your writing skills. Clients in the freelance industry might ask you to work on a number of styles of business writing, and you should not say that “you can’t”.

It is strongly recommended you obtain minimum understanding of various styles of business writing, especially the ones which are in demand contemporarily.