Are you looking for content writing gigs?
There’s the traditional route of pitching prospects and sending LOIs.
It’s still one of the best ways to find well-paying clients. But it’s not the only way to land content writing assignments.
There’s a growing number of agency-style sites that connect writers with well-known brands, Fortune 500 companies, and clients looking for talent writers.
One of the stand-outs in this niche for freelance writers…ClearVoice.
ClearVoice is a content marketing platform designed to help brands and agencies find freelancers for their clients.
In case you’re wondering…the experience is nothing like a content mill.
Pay rates are significantly higher. When you land an assignment, you work with a ClearVoice editor. Writers get paid every two weeks for work completed.
If you deliver great work, you’ll land more assignments. And even open the door to higher-paying assignments and top-tier clients.
So how do you land content writing assignments with ClearVoice?
Check out these insider tips to find out.
Meet Brittany Flanagan: Talent success manager at ClearVoice
Brittany Flanagan has something in common with a lot of writers who pursue freelancing.
She started out as a newspaper reporter, and wrote for a series of Arizona-based publications. Then she moved on to public relations and marketing.
Today, she’s the talent success manager at ClearVoice. And she spends most of her time connecting freelancers with ClearVoice clients like esurance, McKesson, Intuit, HomeAdvisor and many others.
Wondering how to land content writing assignments with ClearVoice?
We caught up with Brittany on a recent Freelance Writers Den podcast to give you the inside scoop.
1. How do companies use ClearVoice to find freelancers for content writing projects?
Brittany: Companies are able to go into our platform and find great talent based on keywords. We’re getting bigger brands
and we’re getting even better writers in the platform all the time.
2. Why would a freelancer partner with ClearVoice for content writing assignments?
Brittany: We work for Fortune 50 to Fortune 500 companies. Of course, that means that these are really high-name clients. But it also means that it’s a great opportunity for writers to get work.
Anytime they’re writing for these clients, they’re getting experience, industry expertise, insight into these brands.
3. What do companies want when they come to ClearVoice looking for a writer?
Brittany: They come to us just looking for that talent network. They want us to supply a writer who knows their subject matter, has expertise in their industry, or has insight.
They’re seeking someone who can really just be the voice of their brand. And get connected with just a swift click.
4. When you apply to write for ClearVoice, how do you stand out?
Brittany:Â Over the past year we have seen a huge influx of writers applying, due to obviously the pandemic. A lot of people are trying to work from home, and really get their freelance career started. If you put in the work upfront when you apply, it will truly pay off.
The things you really need to stand out include:
- Professional photo
- Clear and clean copy on your bio
- Explanations of your work
- Your best byline publications
- CV that highlights your writing and niche-industry experience
Following these tips will really guarantee that not only will you get in, but you’ll make customers and the network much more likely to reach out for you for content writing opportunities.
5. Is ClearVoice a good fit for full-time or part-time freelancers?
Brittany: I think really, depending on where you are in your freelance career, we really strive to cater to both full-time and part-time freelancers.
- So, whether you’re looking for just a few assignments a month, we’ve got you covered.
- If you want 50 assignments in the span of a month, if you put your foot in that door and do a great job off the bat, that’s doable, too.
6. Once you land a ClearVoice content writing job, how do you get more work?
Brittany: We expect our writers to perform well. So of course, that means you’re ranked in terms of timeliness and quality of work.
If you stay in good standing, which is typically pretty easy to do, you’ll always have a place to either pick up extra work each month, or rely on us for more consistent high-volume work throughout the year.
7. What kind of pay rates can freelancers expect with ClearVoice?
Brittany:Â We really strive to stay competitive. But more importantly, we want to show that we value our most valuable resource, which is our freelancers.
Rats can depend on your experience writing.
The majority of our assignments range from 15 cents to 30 cents a word.
I think it’s generous, given some of them that I see on the web are 2 to 5 cents a word.
Within our platform, you reach that 30 cents to 75 cents-plus precipice, that pinnacle, when you’re truly an expert level writer.
- Note: This is usually doctors, engineers, professors; those are the ones who are going to get that higher cap just based off their experience.
8. What type of content writing projects do your clients need writers for?
Brittany: Blog posts, articles, white papers, case studies, infographic copy…we do the gamut.
We even do social copy, ad copy, email writing, newsletter writing. We really offer every written service available to what our customer needs.
9. What makes ClearVoice different than a content mill?
Brittany: When customers come to ClearVoice, they’re really looking for simplicity. They want a platform that’s easy to use.
But most importantly, they’re looking for the style of work we do, which we’ve coined as “teamlancing.”
- What’s teamlancing? We have success teams that all work together for our clients and the people who are our talent in just the most harmonious, hassle-free way.
I think that’s really the bread and butter of our platform. It’s really just working together, being transparent and just reaching deadlines together.
We can produce content within a pretty quick timeframe, not necessarily breakneck speed for the writers. But something that’s manageable for both our customers and our freelancers.
10. What makes freelancers stand out when they land an assignment?
Brittany: It’s pretty simple. Make sure you’re meeting those deadlines. Make sure you’re communicating any changes that might need to happen within the platform or within your assignments.
Really putting your best foot forward on any account that you’re on. Because once you start on one project, it’s likely that you’re going to be reached out for similar projects.
So, it’s always best to just keep your options open. Keep your industries and relevant fields growing. As you continue to write more pieces, you’re specializing on more topics. And you’ll get approached more.
11. What do the guidelines for a typical ClearVoice assignment look like?
Brittany: Most assignments include briefs created by our editorial team and our managing editors.
So a lot of the times you’re going to get a fully fleshed out brief that has things like:
- CTAs
- Keywords
- Headers
- And anything else a client wants included
Everything you need to complete the assignment is going to be pretty clear and concise.
If it’s not, and you’re given more free rein, then the price of the assignment’s typically going to reflect that.
12. What’s the demand for qualified freelance writers look like right now?
Brittany: As of recently, a lot of people are sourcing outside entities to fulfill their content needs. We have seen exponential growth in the past year. We’re adding about 20 new clients a month.
That means there’s going to be 20 projects looking for 10 to 20 writers each. So that can kind of speak to the volume of work we have and demand we’re experiencing.
Land more content writing assignments
ClearVoice isn’t the only agency-style platform out there that need writers and pay respectable rates. There’s others like NewsCred, nDash, and Contently.
If you want to land more freelance work, it’s out there. Ramp up your efforts to send query letters or LOIs (letter of introduction). Or reach out to one of these agency-style sites to move up and earn more.
Have you done content writing work for ClearVoice? Let’s discuss in the comments.
Evan Jensen is a freelance copywriter for health and fitness businesses. He’s also the blog editor for Make a Living Writing.