One of the best ways to gain more traffic and exposure for an online brand is through the use of content marketing. Blogs and informational sites engage potential customers and help to build loyalty that could turn into repeat business, but not every brand has staff that are capable of writing captivating articles.
This is where you come in, as an aspiring content writer. You can get paid to write articles and blog posts for these companies, but work like this has both a learning curb and some degree of difficulty in getting started. Because this kind of freelancing has a relatively low barrier of entry, competition for clients is high and there are many other writers like you vying for the same work.
Contacting websites directly and offering your services or pitching ideas for articles you could write for them is crucial to gaining clients. You can also use content mills and marketplaces to network and discover new clients who might like to hire you for their projects. If you’re motivated enough you’ll find clients, wherever they are, and this is one of the key qualities you need to have to successfully freelance and earn money from your efforts.
So how much does content writing pay? This can vary a lot based on several factors, including how experienced you are, the type of writing, and the individual project. There are also different ways to calculate your fee, such as basing it on the word count, hours worked, or a set quote per project.
Some experienced content writers are regularly paid $1 per word or more, but as a beginner you can expect to earn $0.05-0.10 per word, or an hourly rate that is equivalent to this. The exact amount you will earn depends on your skill and what the client is willing to pay. Many beginners choose to accept less lucrative content writing jobs to gain exposure or to network with clients, and this is a viable strategy if you’re okay with the idea of being paid minimal amounts at first.
The other alternative is to attempt to sell content on a marketplace like Constant Content instead. Platforms like this connect freelance writers and content buyers with each other by hosting a catalog of pre-written articles that customers may choose to buy if it matches what they’re looking for. This strategy means that a customer has to be seeking the content you are selling, though.
Sales aren’t guaranteed and content could sit for months, or even forever. To increase the percentage of your content that is purchased, write for a variety of different niches that you’re knowledgeable in and take note of any recent sales to get an idea of what sells regularly. If you are limited to a narrow field, you should attempt to expand on this over time with practice, and prioritize acquiring clients in your niche rather than selling your work through a marketplace.
Like any other freelancing job, the hardest parts of being a content writer are getting started, building a portfolio, and acquiring clients. Once these three things are checked off, it’s smooth sailing afterward and you will gradually be able to charge more for your services as you increase your experience and build your personal brand.
