Category: marketing

How to Succeed as a LinkedIn Freelance Writer (Pro Examples)

Have you ever wished there was a switch you could throw, and then your ideal freelance-writing clients would simply find you? What if I told you that exists — and it’s free. It’s the Linkedin headline of you profile.

LinkedIn is an amazing social-media platform, and your LinkedIn profile is key to your success.

The LinkedIn headline — those few words that appear right under your name — is one of the simplest things to optimize.

With just a few quick changes, you can help more prospects find you, and impress them that you’re the writer they want.

LinkedIn has gradually taken center stage in my marketing trainings, over the years.

That’s because LinkedIn marketing(LINK TO COURSE) gets the most consistent success with the least effort. (And of course, online marketing rocks during COVID.)

In this post, I want to go deep on this one profile element, because it’s such a powerful spot for grabbing your clients’ attention.

Lots of examples below, mostly from freelance writers, so check out all the ideas for what works (and doesn’t).

Ready to craft your optimal LinkedIn headline? Let’s go!

Email Prospecting: How to Get Freelance Clients in Less Time

While all of our businesses and industries are different as freelance writers, email prospecting remains my greatest source of revenue. My highest-paying and most impressive clients have ALL come from email pitches or they were referrals from clients secured through...

Writers Work: 3 Freelancers Reveal How to Smash Your Income Goals

Have you ever imagined what it would be like to earn twice as much freelance writing income as you’re getting now? Lots of writers work hard for years, and their income seems to stay at the same, low level.

It’d be amazing if you could break that cycle and earn big, right?

No more fear and stress about whether you can get the bills paid each month — or whether you might have to go get a day job (or might be unable to ever quit the one you’re stuck in). Or never get to retire.

When you’re struggling to find better clients, it can be hard to envision that your writing life can ever change. That you can level-up your business and earn a LOT more.

But it’s definitely possible, if you’re ready to focus and work for it.

How do I know? Because I’ve spent the past 4 years teaching hundreds of working freelance writers how to double their income and more, in my Freelance Writers Den 2X Income Accelerator Mastermind.

For 6 months each year, I work with a small group of writers on a focused, step-by-step plan with individual coaching, group peer support, and monthly live trainings.

It changes how they approach their writing business — and that, in turn, radically ramps up their income.

At this point, I’ve seen writers routinely go from $20,000 a year to $40,000 — and from $40,000 to $80,000. Some of my grads are even earning $120K+ as freelance writers.

Want to get inspired and discover how real-life writers skyrocket their income? I recently sat down with three of the most high-achieving students, who all more than doubled their income in 4 months flat.

That’s pretty wild, rapid success, even for Den 2X-ers. So I asked them to unpack exactly what actions they took that got them earning a lot more.

Read on to get their tips for moving up and earning a lot more:

10 Writer Websites That Kick Butt and Get Clients

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means at no extra cost to you, we may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Have you been wondering how to create a standout freelance writer website that would impress clients and...

How I Get Freelance Writing Clients at Conferences — on the Cheap

It never fails. Whenever I speak with friends who aspire to be successfully self-employed, one of the first questions is, “How do you find your clients?” Sometimes the answer is, “accidentally.” But more often, it’s "persistence," "planning," and "organization." One...

How Freelance Writers Can Get More Clients by Cold Calling

In June 2010, I quit my job as a school counselor in Thailand, moved back to the States, and started my own freelance writing business. Looking back, it was probably a stupid thing to do. I had no clips and no pro writing credits. I couldn't really fall back on my...

Laid Off? An Old Writer’s 5 Smart Moves to Get Freelance Work

The Laid-Off Writers Guide To Freelance Work. Makealivingwriting.com

What if you got laid off, lost all your freelance clients, or decided to drop every one of your low-payers? You’d want to get freelance work…fast.

In an economy full of uncertainty thanks to the impact of COVID-19, lots of writers know what it’s like to get the “pink slip” from an employer or long-time client.

Do you roll around on the floor, kicking and screaming?
Maybe you even think about swearing off writing forever.
Or do you give a nod to the experience, be grateful for what you’ve learned, and start chasing freelance work?

If you want to make a living writing, there’s plenty of freelance work out there for everybody.

But you’re not going to find clients, land great freelance projects or make money if you waste a lot of time hosting a pity party.

Life happens. Careers change. Freelance work and clients come and go.

If you’re a writer feeling the pinch of a layoff, end of a great client relationship, or some other situation you didn’t see coming, it’s up to you to rise up and keep going.

That’s exactly what one old writer did when he got laid off.

But instead of giving up, he made these 5 smart moves to turn things around and start landing freelance work.

Check this out…

LinkedIn Marketplaces: 4 Updates on a New Platform for Writers

Have you heard of LinkedIn Marketplaces?

You know…the magical kingdom where you hang up your digital “Open to Work” sign and great clients flood your inbox to hire you for freelance work.

That sounds pretty good, right?

One of the biggest challenges freelance writers struggle with is the hunt for clients.

You pitch an editor and never hear back.

You send out countless LOIs, hoping for a bite.

Or you get sucked into writing for low-paying content mills and bid-site platforms, thinking…”If I can just work around the clock, maybe I’ll earn enough to get by.”

Or maybe you do a big marketing push that doesn’t deliver, and you’re devastated.

Been there, done that?

What if you could tap into LinkedIn’s 740 million users better than you can right now to find freelance work? Would you go for it?

Before you fingers start flying across the keyboard to look up “LinkedIn Marketplaces,” there’s something you need to know.

It’s not available…not yet anyway.

But there’s a lot of buzz in the gig economy about LinkedIn Marketplaces set to launch later this year.

Here’s what you need to know…

Self-Publishing on Amazon: 3 Expert Ways to Sell More Books

Self-Publishing on Amazon: 3 Ways to Sell More Books. Makealivingwriting.com

Ever thought about self-publishing on Amazon?

If you’re a newbie freelance writer or you’ve been writing for years, chances are pretty good you have thought about writing a book.

Everybody has a great idea for a book, right?

Maybe you want to publish a novel.

Maybe you’ve got an idea for a book to help you build your brand and authority in your niche as a freelance writer.

Or maybe you’ve got a sweet five-figure ghost-writing gig to write a book for an expert. Is self-publishing on Amazon the way to go?

Sure, Amazon is one of the most widely used sites in the world for book sales (hard copies and ebooks). This year, an estimated 2.14 billion people are expected to make an Amazon purchase.

So do you take the “self-publishing on Amazon” route, put your book up for sale, and voilà, your book starts selling like crazy.

Ahem…it’s going to take a little more work than that. But the cool thing is that Amazon recently released some online tools to help you sell more books.

Want to learn how to sell a truckload of books?

Check out these tips for self-publishing on Amazon.

Earn Money Writing: 4 Big Lessons from a $126K+ Freelancer

4 BIG Lessons to Earn Money Writing . Makealivingwriting.com

Want to earn money writing?

No, not pocket change or beer-fund cash.

Real money. Enough money to pay your bills, save for a rainy day, take a vacation, and you know…enjoy the freelance life.

In 2020, I had my second six-figure year as a freelance writer, grossing $126,683.73 before business expenses and taxes.

When I started trying to earn money writing in 2012, I quickly realized that I could do this.

But I had no idea that I would eventually earn six figures a year — especially during the early days when I was writing recipes and how-to articles for 3 cents a word.

Been there? Done that?

If you want to earn money writing, content mills and bid sites might seem like a good place to make some quick cash. But it’s a recipe for high-volume work at low rates followed by burnout.

So how did I go from a content-mill worker to a six-figure freelancer?

Here’s 4 lessons I learned about how to earn money writing.

Content Marketing Tips: 54 Magnetic Moves to Attract Readers

54 Content Marketing Tips to Attract Readers. Makealivingwriting.com

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to you. Content marketing matters.

It’s fast become one of the most effective ways to drive traffic, reach more people, build a brand, and sell more stuff.

In fact, in a 2020 report published by the Content Marketing Institute, an estimated 38 percent of B2B companies said they’ve shifted their paid advertising budget to connecting with decision makers this way.

Get this right, and it can help draw in clients and customers like an alien tractor beam or irresistible magnetic force.

If you’re a freelance writer trying to find work or you’re writing for clients, knowing how to this can be a game changer.

Now more than ever, we’re flooded with messaging via email, blogs, social media, and websites. And if you know how to stand out as a freelancer with your own strategy, or help your clients stand out, you can be an in-demand freelance writer.

If your head is spinning about content marketing and all it’s moving parts (lead magnets, landing pages, blog posts, social media posts, email sequences, carefully crafted articles, etc.), you’re not alone.

FYI…you don’t have to know everything about content marketing. You just need to know enough, take action, keep learning, and keep testing (lingo content marketing gurus love).

Looking for ways to reach more people and help your clients? Check out these 54 magnetic moves:

Self-Publishing: One Writer’s 3 Phases to Hit the Best-Seller List

Self-Publishing 3 Steps to Hit the Best Seller List. Makealivingwriting.com

What’s the secret to self-publishing success?

You write a book, get it on Amazon, and voilà…it’s a best seller.

You’re rolling in money. Publishers are banging down your door with a fat contract to buy your book. You’re tapped for radio, TV, and media appearances.

Ahem…it doesn’t really work like that, especially if you’re a writer without an audience, massive following, or fat marketing budget.

So how do you take the self-publishing route, write a book, get tons of traffic, and sell copies?

If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed about self-publishing a book, marketing it, and making sales, you’re not alone.

It’s easy to think there’s just too many moving parts for you to manage. But that’s just fear and uncertainty trying to stop you.

If you have a marketable idea for a book, self-publishing is a great way to go.

Chances are pretty good you’ve got the writing chops to make it happen. But you’ve got a lot of questions about the marketing side of self-publishing. Yes?

That’s exactly where I was. But I decided to give it a shot anyway.

Without a big audience, massive following, or unlimited marketing funds, I turned my book into a best seller based on a three-phase strategy.

Here’s how it’s done:

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