Need more freelance writing jobs?
You might be using traditional methods likes queries and letters of introduction.
But are you tapping into social media channels to connect with more people?
Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter get a lot of love for helping freelancers connect with prospects and land freelance writing jobs.
But they’re not the only social channels out there you can leverage to get more work.
Ever heard of Reddit?
It’s cleverly branded as “The front page of the Internet.” This social media site has an estimated 12 million users, and they’re not all looking for funny cat videos.
In fact, with just a little bit of effort, you can use Reddit to connect with people in your niche to generate leads and land freelance writing jobs.
If you’re good at storytelling and like to write, you can do this. It’s not that hard. Here’s how I got over 30 leads on Reddit with a single post:
The niche universe of Reddit for freelancers
What’s your freelance writing niche? Tech, financial, health, non-profits, real estate?
Some niches for freelance writers are more lucrative than others, but there’s no shortage of niche industries, business and publications that pay pro rates.
So where do you find your ideal clients and more freelance writing jobs? Some examples include:
- Letters of introduction
- Query letters
- In-person networking
- Lead magnets
- Organic SEO
- Guest posting
- Job boards
- Content mills
- Referrals
- Social channels like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter
And then there’s Reddit. This often-overlooked social channel can be a lead-generation outlet for freelance writers.
Here’s why: subReddits. subReddits are the collection of passionate mini-communities inside of Reddit for almost any niche you can think of.
There’s even a subReddit for Underwater Basket Weaving, although it only has 5 community members and two total posts. So it’s probably not a niche to find good freelance writing jobs. But some of your ideal clients may be on Reddit.
Good Karma attracts freelance writing prospects
When you write an effective LOI or follow-up with a prospect, it’s a good practice to add value, provide insight, or share something useful. And Reddit works the same way using Karma.
Karma is a point value displayed on the upper right hand corner of your profile and visible to all Redditors. Having high Karma gives you credibility that will help you stand out as the freelance writer in your niche.
FYI…Redditors in general are very wary of marketers, business owners or anyone who appears to be using the site to direct sell.
How to get good Reddit Karma
To create some good Karma for yourself, be helpful, add value, and share information that will benefit others. Follow these three steps:
1. Find your niche on Reddit. Personally, I’ve found the best results by going to Google first. (Search: Niche + subReddit), instead of using Reddit’s internal search function.
2. Choose a few subReddits in your niche to follow. Or use the subReddit search to find industries, topics, and trends, your ideal clients care about.
3. Comment on Reddit posts by adding value, insight, resources, advice, etc. (People will upvote your posts, your Karma score will grow, and you’ll build credibility. Aim for a Karma score of 500, and you’ll be ready to use the Reddit storytelling strategy.)
The Reddit storytelling strategy to generate leads
It can take anywhere from a few days to a few months to reach a Karma score of 500 or better. You’ll need to spend a little time contributing to a few subReddits in your niche, but it’s worth the effort.
Reddit content marketing for freelance writers
It’s no secret that content marketing is huge for building a fan base, a following, creating brand awareness, and generating sales.
And it’s a great strategy freelance writers can use on Reddit to connect with prospects.
My content marketing niche is fin-tech. I niched down to a subReddit on entrepreneurship and website investments where potential prospects, bloggers, online business owners, marketers, and developers hang out.
After getting know this subReddit community a bit, I shared a highly-personal story about what I learned from losing $10K investing in a website.
Use your copywriting skills
You probably already do this on your writer website, your blog, or when you guest post on another site in your niche as a form of marketing. And it works in a similar way on Reddit.
When you write about something your ideal clients care about, teach them something, or help solve a problem, it’s a good way to build credibility and attract leads. Here’s how to do this on Reddit:
- Plan it. Think about a story you could share that would add value in your niche (without selling).
- How-to
- A mini-case study
- Useful tips, tools and resources
- Insight on a niche trend
- A client success story
- A relevant personal experience
- Think about your target audience. Use your copywriting skills to address a pain point, tap into emotion, and be engaging. Spending a little time in a niche subReddit will help you get to know your audience.
- Be yourself. Write genuinely from the heart. Be honest, conversational, helpful.
Results and follow up
After sharing a brutally-honest story in this Reddit niche, I received over 672 upvotes. I also received dozens of direct messages and over 30 emails from prospects that may be worth $3,000 to $50,000 in contract work.
When you start getting DMs and emails from people on Reddit, follow up. Respond to every single message, email and comment. That’s where I’m at now after using this storytelling strategy.
Use Reddit to connect with prospects
It’s a place to start a conversation, learn more about a prospect’s business, target audience, content needs, make connections, and ultimately land more freelance writing jobs.
Have you used Reddit to land freelance writing jobs? Let’s discuss on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Stacy Caprio is a freelance blogger and content marketing consultant. When she’s not writing or helping clients, she runs, reads, and plays with dogs.
