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How to Use Instagram Live to Get More Freelance Writing Jobs
Get more freelance writing jobs with Instagram Live. Wait, what?
When I first heard about this marketing strategy for freelance writers, I thought it sounded a lot like one of those spammy get-rich marketing programs spawned from the be-a-social-media-star generation.
You know…videos of a well-dressed millennial taking selfies, riffing on making money online, a lovely beach scene in the background, and choppy look-at-the-birdie camera movements.
Is there any possible way Instagram Live could help you land freelance writing jobs?
That’s the question that was on my mind. Call it Shiny Object Syndrome if you want. I’ve got the curious mind of a journalist and had to find out.
For starters, think about this…Instagram has over 1 billion monthly users. And more than 500 million of them use it every day.
Sure many of those people are just sharing their selfie library. But it’s increasingly being used to drive traffic, make sales, and generate leads for products and services…services like freelance writing.
Translation: You can use Instagram Live to get more freelance writing jobs. Here’s how:
Freelance Writer Envy? Read This for a Sobering Peek Inside Real Life
Do you find yourself sometimes feeling jealous of that successful freelance writer who seems to have everything dialed in?
You know, the freelance writer who has plenty of clients, earns a healthy income, networks like a boss, and seems to have all the answers to marketing, pitching, copywriting, and business.
You spend some of your precious free time thinking your life as a freelance writer would be pretty sweet if you could just trade places.
Sound familiar?
In today’s social-media driven world, it’s easy to get sucked into thinking everything you see is the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. But we all know, it’s just the highlight reel…the best part of that freelance writer’s business, minus reality that isn’t so rosy.
If you’ve ever felt jealous or envious of another freelance writer’s success, it’s time to put things in perspective.
I have a story for you…and some things I need to share with you about my own life.
First, the story:
Online Writing: Productivity Habits to Speed Up the Process
You’ve got an online writing assignment, but you’re feeling stuck.
So you procrastinate. You make excuses. You roll around on the floor. And you keep listening to that voice inside your head that fills you with doubt and fear.
Sound familiar?
That’s exactly what Kristina Adams’ online writing career looked like for years when she first started out. Full-on writer’s block, lots of mistakes, lots of wasted time.
And then one of those life-changing epiphanies happened that changed everything. It made her rethink her approach and take a hard look at her productivity habits. The result: she went from writing next to nothing, to publishing her first book.
If you’re wondering how to get more online writing done, move up and earn more, you’ve got a choice to make.
Spend your days wasting time, doing nothing. Or do everything in your power to achieve your online writing and freelance goals. What’s it going to be?
If you want to speed things up and be a more productive writer, here are some things you can do:
Make Money Writing: 4 Types of Posts That Pay While You Sleep
Anybody with a blog can make money writing. It’s so easy, you can do it in your sleep. Right?
Well, maybe. There’s just one thing you need to do. Make sure you write something that actually sells.
This might seem a little harsh because there are so many bloggers out there who want to make money writing. They publish lots of content, but don’t get a lot of traffic or generate sales.
Sound familiar?
Honestly, I hope the world never runs out of passionate writers. I absolutely love reading insights into specific topics.
But let’s face it-Can you make money writing with passionate, opinionated pieces on your personal blog? Unfortunately, the answer tends to be: “No.”
So, if you’re looking to make money writing with your blog, you need to wake up..change up your game just a bit. I’m not saying sell out and become a spammy marketer…Just look at things from a different angle.
Want to make money writing as a blogger? Here are 4 different types of articles you can (and should) write for your blog-no matter the niche.
Writing Tips: 30 Freelancers Share Their Secrets in 30 Seconds or Less
Need writing tips and advice, but you’re in a hurry?
There’s nothing wrong with poring over your library of books on freelancing for the best writing tips, techniques, and business practices.
But what if you’re perpetually short on time? There’s a good chance you don’t crack those writing books for another day, another week…
And that’s a problem if you want to ramp up your freelance writing business fast, need a shot of motivation, or a writing tip related to a current client project.
When I was fresh out of school, only a novice at my day job, I decided to be a writer. No marketing experience. No niche knowledge. Heck, I hadn’t even written a single word of business writing.
I needed a lot of writing tips and advice…fast. So I asked writers in my network a simple question:
If you had 30 seconds to give a new writer just one piece of advice, what would it be?
And they delivered a pay-dirt pile of advice about freelancing. Looking for writing tips to put you on the fast track to move up and earn more? Here you go:
Writer’s Block? Use This Arsenal of Freelance Weapons to Fight Back
You’re face to face in a showdown with your worst nightmare…Writer’s Block.
Do you turn and run, wave your white flag, and eat ice cream for the rest of the day?
Or do you stand up to Writer’s Block and wage a war to get back on track, meet your deadlines, and make money writing?
If you’re not prepared for a surprise attack from Writer’s Block, you may fall victim to its most deadly weapon for freelance writers…fear.
Writer’s Block wants to intimidate you, distract you, stress you out enough that you never actually do any writing.
And that’s kind of a HUGE problem if you’re a freelance writer.
If you want to make a living writing, you’re bound to cross paths with Writer’s Block. But it doesn’t have to be a roadblock that holds you back for days, weeks, months or years.
Want to know how to beat Writer’s Block?
Use this arsenal of tools for freelance writers to fight back.
Need a Vacation? Escape-Planning Tips for Freelance Writers
Are you one of those freelance writers hustling every day to meet your deadlines, write great copy, and keep your clients happy?
That’s a good thing…unless you never take a break.
If you had a day job, you’d probably get at least two weeks of paid vacation a year. You know, you put in a request for your days off, catch a plane to Hawaii, and leave work behind.
But it’s not quite that simple for freelance writers. You’re the boss. You’re running your own business. You have client deadlines, marketing, administrative stuff to take care of.
If you’re always hustling just trying to keep up, you might think you don’t have time for a vacation. But that’s just ridiculous.
One of the perks freelance writers should enjoy is being in control of your own schedule.
If you don’t take time to relax, chill out, and recharge, it’s going to take a toll on your productivity, creative mojo, and happiness.
Need a vacation? Check out these tips from freelance writers to create your own escape plan.
Writing Jobs From Hell Contest: Share Your Worst Client Horror Stories
Ever had one of those writing jobs that made you want to vomit, smash something with a hammer, or scream profanities into a pillow?
It happens. Just about every freelance writer has at least one horror story to tell about terrible clients, deranged editors, ever-changing demands, slave-labor wages, or maybe even no payment at all.
What’s one of your worst writing jobs?
If your blood pressure is on the rise just thinking about it, hopefully you learned a thing or two from the experience. You know what I mean: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
If you do your part to find great clients, you’re a lot less likely to work with the kind of crazy-making clients that give you nightmares months after you severed ties and swore off working for them ever again.
But before you cut up that worst-writing-job assignment into tiny little pieces, douse it in gasoline, and laugh maniacally as it burns to ashes, we want to hear about it.
Share your worst client horror story for a chance to win. Here’s what you need to know about the “writing jobs from hell” contest:
Checking Online Ads? Here’s How to Get More Writing Jobs
Do you frantically scan the online writer job ads each week — or worse, each day? If you’re applying to lots of these writing jobs, you’ve probably discovered a painful truth.
It’s rare to ever hear back, much less get hired off an online job ad on any popular, public job board.
I don’t care if you’re viewing an Upwork dashboard, scanning Craigslist, the ProBlogger board, or any other online set of job listings that are free to view and can be seen by thousands (upon thousands!) of writers.
I hear complaints about this from writers all the time. Things like:
“I often see ads for something near my expertise, but rarely hear a peep after I apply.”
If this is you, here’s a bulletin: If you spend so much time applying for online job ads that you ‘often see’ certain types of listings, that’s a red flag.
You’re putting too much of your marketing time into the least-productive method for getting well-paid writing jobs.
Now, I’m no job-ad snob — I used to check them three times a week, like clockwork. That is, until an analysis of my marketing results proved to me that writer job ads aren’t the road great-paying clients.
How can you get more writing jobs, for better pay? Here are three big tips for dealing with online writer job ads:
You Hungry? The Double-Your-Income Diet for Freelance Writers
Ever wonder how some freelance writers move up, earn more, and even pass the six-figure income mark?
It’s a lot like watching late-night infomercials wondering what the secret is to those weight-loss transformations. How do they do it?
Here’s a hint. For most people who lose weight and keep it off, there is no secret. It’s hard work, healthy eating, smart habits, and consistently following a proven plan that gets results.
And if you want to be one of those freelance writers, you can.
- Weigh in and take a look at your freelance writing business
- Throw away junk clients
- Replace procrastination, self-doubt, and fear with taking action
- Model the habits of successful freelance writers
- Commit to being successful, no matter how long it takes
Want to know how to claw your way out of the content mills, make more money, write for national magazines, land $1/word assignments, or be a six-figure freelancer?
Take a closer look at these double-your-income diet tips for freelance writers:
Grammar Rules for Freelancers: An English Teacher’s Dirty Little Secret
Do you ever feel conflicted about grammar rules?
I do. When I teach university English and when I write for freelance clients.
I’m torn between the need to follow all the grammar rules taught in school, and the need to break them. It’s like I’m living a double life.
On one hand, it feels like being a concert violinist, sitting stiffly in a black tuxedo on a black metal chair, violin wedged against a black bowtie, playing full concertos in the key of E minor. It’s lovely…
But I’d rather be down at the pub. Fiddling hornpipes, reels, and jigs. Stomping my foot. Jammin’ with mates on guitar. Mandolin. And whistle.
Expressive. Emotional. And free.
But if you’re always stuck on grammar rules that hold you back, you’ll never be that kind of freelance writer.
I may be a university English teacher, but if you want to be a better freelance writer, you need to know this dirty little secret about grammar rules:
Digital Marketing Agencies: 11 Places to Land Well-Paid Freelance Work
Can you make money writing for digital marketing agencies?
Yes. How about easy $100 assignments, $400 blog posts, or $1,000 long-form projects, and plenty of ongoing work?
Find a good digital marketing agency to work with, and it’s totally possible.
In theory, here’s how it works:
- A digital marketing agency does all the heavy lifting to find clients in your niche.
- Then the digital marketing agency hires you to write content for their clients…blog posts, white papers, case studies, website content, marketing materials, etc.
Sounds pretty good, right? All you need to do is find some digital marketing agencies, and you’re set. Lots of work, less marketing, steady pay.
Hold on…Some digital marketing agencies have a track record for paying writers respectable rates. But some are nothing more than low-paying content mills disguised as a digital marketing agency, and we want you to avoid those.
Want to write for a digital marketing agency? Check out these freelance writer recommendations:
Looking for writing courses & community support?
Our online community, Freelance Writers Den, was founded in 2011. Since then, we’ve helped 14,000+ writers connect with peers, improve their skills, and grow their freelance writing income.
Our lively community is stuffed with useful tools and career-building resources. Use our 24/7 forums to get your questions answered by pros. Tap our 300+ hours of self-study trainings to learn new skills.
The Den has live events and multi-week bootcamps where you can tap experts’ knowledge, an exclusive job board, accountability buddies, live chats, and more. Also, if you want feedback on your writer website, LinkedIn profile, or article draft, we’ve got you.
Visit the Freelance Writers Den site to see if we’re open for new members right now. Sign up on the waiting list if we’re not, and you’ll be first to join when we reopen (plus, you’ll get useful free resources in the meanwhile).
