Freelance blogging can be an incredibly lucrative way to make money online as a writer. With the right strategies and approach, it‘s possible to land clients that pay premium rates of $300, $500, or even $1000+ per post.
However, the freelance blogging landscape has evolved significantly in recent years. While some conventional methods like job boards can still be effective, it‘s important to diversify your client acquisition strategies to stay competitive in 2024 and beyond.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll break down the most up-to-date and impactful tactics you can implement to find your ideal freelance blogging clients and make a comfortable living as a writer. Whether you‘re just getting started or looking to level up your freelancing game, these proven techniques can help you achieve your income goals.
Optimize Your Online Presence
Before diving into prospecting and outreach, you need to make sure your online presence is optimized to impress potential clients and position you as an expert in your niche. Here are the key components to focus on:
Writer Website
Your writer website serves as your central hub and digital business card. Aim to include the following key elements:
- A professional photo and concise bio that captures your unique personality and writing style
- Detailed information about your background, relevant education/certifications, areas of expertise, and types of content you specialize in
- Compelling portfolio pieces that demonstrate your writing chops (more on this in the next section)
- Testimonials and logos of past clients you‘ve worked with to build credibility
- Clear information on your rates, services, and how to get in touch to work with you
Consider creating a "Hire Me" page that lays out your full service offerings and packages. You can also add an FAQ section to preemptively answer common questions prospects may have.
Writing Samples
The writing samples you choose to showcase in your portfolio can make or break your chances of landing high-caliber clients. Be sure to curate your best work that‘s highly relevant to your target clientele.
If you‘re just starting out, you likely won‘t have many paid pieces to show off. In this case, don‘t be afraid to create your own sample pieces, either for your blog or as guest posts for other publications (more on this later).
The key is to pick topics that match the types of clients and projects you want to attract. If a particular piece performed especially well in terms of traffic or engagement, make note of that in your portfolio.
Social Media
While your writer website should be the centerpiece of your online presence, social media can be a powerful tool for networking and attracting inbound leads.
Rather than trying to master every platform, focus your efforts on 1-2 channels where your target clients are most active. For most freelance bloggers, Twitter and LinkedIn tend to be the most fruitful networks.
Some quick tips for optimizing your social profiles:
- Use a professional headshot that matches the photo on your website for consistency
- Craft a compelling bio that mentions your writing expertise and includes a link to your website
- Share relevant content (both your own and from others in your niche) to demonstrate your subject matter knowledge
- Engage with other writers, bloggers, and potential clients by liking, commenting, and starting conversations
- Occasionally share updates about your availability and services (pinned tweets can work great for this)
Traditional Job Boards
Now that your online presence is polished and ready to impress, let‘s explore some of the best ways to proactively find freelance blogging opportunities.
Job boards are often the first place new freelance bloggers turn to find work. While they can be competitive, they‘re still a viable way to land entry-level gigs and build your portfolio.
Some of the top job boards to check out include:
To increase your chances of success with job boards, keep these tips in mind:
- Check for new listings daily and apply as quickly as possible
- Tailor your application to the specific job requirements and show you‘ve done your research on the company
- Lead with your most relevant experience and standalone portfolio pieces
- If you‘re new, focus on showcasing your enthusiasm, work ethic, and quick learning abilities
Keep in mind that your odds of winning jobs on traditional boards will be much higher if you target newer, less-established companies. Well-known brands and blogs tend to get hundreds of pitches for each listing.
LinkedIn Prospecting
LinkedIn has emerged as one of the most powerful platforms for freelance bloggers to find clients. With over 700 million users, including 63 million decision makers, it‘s a gold mine of high-quality prospects.
Here‘s a simple process you can use to land blogging clients through LinkedIn:
1. Optimize your profile.
Make sure your headline, summary, and experience sections are geared toward your blogging services. Use relevant keywords and highlight your biggest wins.
2. Identify your ideal clients.
Think about the types of companies and bloggers that would benefit most from your writing skills. Consider factors like industry, content needs, budget, and working style.
3. Use LinkedIn‘s search features to find prospects.
Start by searching for relevant job titles, like "content manager", "blog editor", "head of content", etc. You can also try searching for companies in your target niches.
4. Send personalized connection requests.
When you find a good prospect, send them a connection request with a personalized message. Keep it short and sweet, highlighting your shared interests and how you could potentially help their business.
5. Build the relationship.
Once you‘re connected, look for opportunities to provide value and demonstrate your expertise. Comment on their posts, share their content, and send periodic messages to stay top-of-mind.
6. Make your pitch.
After building rapport, reach out with a polite offer of your services. Keep it focused on their needs and how your skills can drive meaningful results for their blog and business. Close with a clear call-to-action to hop on a quick call or reply via email to discuss further.
If you stay consistent with this process and send 5-10+ outreach messages per day, you‘ll start to generate a steady stream of warm freelance blogging leads.
Cold Emails
Cold emailing can be a divisive topic in the freelance community, but there‘s no question it can work incredibly well for landing high-ticket blogging clients.
The key is to keep your emails short, personalized, and focused on the client‘s needs. Aim to answer these questions in your messages:
- Who are you and what do you do?
- Why are you reaching out to this specific person/company?
- What problem do you solve and how can you help them achieve their goals?
- What‘s the next step?
Here‘s a simple cold email template you can use as a starting point:
–-
Subject: Quick question about [Company]‘s content strategy
Hi [First Name],
I‘m reaching out because I noticed [Company] has been publishing a lot of great content about [topic] lately. As a freelance writer who specializes in [niche], I‘m curious if you have any plans to ramp up your blogging efforts this quarter.
I‘ve helped similar companies in your industry, like [Client 1] and [Client 2], drive major growth through SEO-optimized blog content. For example, I recently wrote a post for [Client 1] that generated [impressive result].
If you‘re interested, I‘d be happy to share some initial topic ideas I think could perform well for [Company]. Would you be open to a quick call to discuss this week? Let me know a few times that work on your end.
Thanks,
[Your Name] –-To supercharge your cold emailing efforts, consider investing in tools like Hunter.io, VoilaNorbert, or RocketReach to help you find decision-makers‘ email addresses at scale. You can use these in tandem with your LinkedIn prospecting to create a consistent pipeline of freelance blogging opportunities.
Guest Posting
Guest posting is a tried-and-true way to build your credibility as a freelance blogger, get in front of new audiences, and open doors to paid opportunities.
Start by making a list of blogs and publications in your niche that accept guest posts. Pay attention to their submission guidelines and study the types of posts that perform well.
Craft a compelling guest post pitch that showcases your unique angle and how it will resonate with the publication‘s audience. Editors get tons of guest post requests, so focus on quality over quantity.
If your pitch is accepted, pour your heart into crafting an amazing piece of content. Overdeliver on your initial promise and submit the draft ahead of schedule if possible. The goal is to wow the editor and develop an ongoing relationship.
Once your post goes live, promote it like crazy to drive as much traffic and engagement as possible. Share it on social media, email it to your list, and even consider running paid ads to your target audience.
The more eyeballs you can get on your guest post, the more likely it is to lead to paid freelance blogging opportunities down the road. Clients will see you as an authoritative figure in your niche and someone who can bring major exposure to their brand.
Over time, aim to build a portfolio of 3-5 guest posts for top-tier publications in your industry. You can then leverage these as powerful social proof when prospecting for new clients.
Referrals & Partnerships
Once you‘ve been freelance blogging for a while, referrals and partnerships can become one of your most consistent sources of new business.
The best way to generate referrals is to consistently overdeliver for your existing clients. Go the extra mile to help them achieve their content goals and become an indispensable member of their team.
When a client is thrilled with your work, they‘ll naturally want to recommend you to their network. You can even incentivize referrals by offering a discount or finder‘s fee for any new business they send your way.
Partnerships with other writers, bloggers, and service providers can also be a great way to land new freelance blogging gigs. For example, you could team up with a web designer who builds sites for small businesses. They could refer their clients to you for ongoing blog content, and you could do the same for any clients who need web design help.
The key is to partner with people who serve a similar clientele but offer different services. This way, you can pass business back and forth without worrying about competition.
Productized Services
Finally, consider productizing your freelance blogging services to make your offerings more concrete and easier to sell. This involves packaging your services into standardized, repeatable systems that clients can purchase in just a few clicks.
For example, instead of custom quoting each project, you could create 3-5 distinct blogging packages with set deliverables and price points. Bronze could include 4 posts per month, Silver could include 4 posts + keyword research and optimization, Gold could include 4 posts + promotion and distribution, etc.
Productizing your services eliminates back-and-forth negotiations and makes the buying process much more seamless for clients. You can even set up a simple order form on your website to fully automate your sales process.
Many freelance bloggers have had great success with the productized approach. Jasper of GigLoft.co tripled his income by transitioning to set-scope blogging packages.
By removing friction from your sales process, you can dramatically increase your close rate and spend more time doing what you love—writing!
Key Takeaways
There you have it—the ultimate guide to finding high-paying freelance blogging clients in 2024. Let‘s quickly recap the key strategies:
- Optimize your online presence with a polished writer website, relevant writing samples, and active social media profiles.
- Search traditional job boards for entry-level opportunities to build your portfolio.
- Use LinkedIn to identify and connect with decision-makers at your ideal clients.
- Send short, personalized cold emails to open doors with target companies.
- Boost your authority with guest posts for top publications in your niche.
- Leverage referrals and partnerships to generate warm leads.
- Productize your services to streamline your client acquisition.
Remember, landing high-paying freelance blogging clients is a marathon, not a sprint. Stay consistent with these techniques and continually hone your craft, and you‘ll be well on your way to a six-figure writing business.
Now get out there and start landing your dream clients!
