content writing tips Archives

Yes, you read that right!

In the world of working from home and especially freelance writing, getting to work with good clients is winning just half the battle. If you want to make a steady income, then securing long-term clients is everything. You don’t want to lose them by making silly mistakes or being ignorant of some of the obvious ones.

Some Background

I have been a successful freelance writer for just over a year now. I have had the privilege of working with some of the most wonderful clients from around the world. Clients from Singapore, the United States, Israel, Canada and many others.

I have also hired writers. Owing to my second pregnancy and childbirth, I had to hire writers to help keep my freelance work afloat. So in the span of just two months, I had to gracefully let go and even ruthlessly fire many writers for these mistakes and more.

Sure, getting fired sucks and I am guilty of hurting the self-esteem of a few writers. So, if you are reading this, then good on you, mate! You’ve come to the right place. These are real things some freelance writers do, and you can avoid, to get fired in no time.

Don’t Plagiarize Your Work

One of the writers I hired had given me an exhaustive resume – proving she was a writer. I assigned her a test job, which she did well and I was so impressed!

I should’ve done a plagiarism check though because the five articles that followed were all dangerously plagiarized!

There are clients who cut you some slack; they can let you go with just a warning. But I couldn’t do the same in my post-delivery mental state of affairs. We had to dissociate immediately.

Remember, the golden rule of freelance writing is to avoid plagiarism, by all means. This stands true whether you are a reporter, a student, or a blogger.

Why plagiarism sucks so much? Because it’s worse than stealing. You can’t even be penalized for it, you only stand to risk your good reputation. It’s the clients who face potential lawsuits and what not. Submitting plagiarized work is the worst thing you can do to your clients. And it’s the best way to hurt your own reputation as a freelance writer.

Pro Tip: Always give credit to the source, the author deserves it; plus linking to credible sources increases your credibility too!

Don’t Give Fake Credentials

I wanted to explore the realm of freelance transcription work once. I had worked only one transcription project so far, yet, I boasted to a potential client that I had “enough” experience to take up the job. Turns out, the job didn’t pay well and I was incredibly frustrated spending so much of my time on it. Owning up to my mistake, I had to politely end the contract.

If you listen to this podcast featuring Kim Egan, she shares that there is a remarkable power in being your true self. Egan says, “When you are comfortable in your own skin and are the person you really are, then you actually attract people you meant to work with. If you were being false and were not being true to who you are then you’d be in business with people you don’t like or care for. AND they wouldn’t like you because you’re being false.”

This was perfect for what I had just been through with this transcription client. Not only was I not completely truthful from the beginning, but the client was not a pleasure to work with at all.

Pro Tip: Be open and honest about what you can do, your timelines, and your limitations.

Don’t Flake out

I hired another writer and it just got worse for me. Their assignment came in a day late and it was half-baked as well. There was no notification of the delay and not even proofread. I was in the soup! Since I had other deliverables, not only was I hard-pressed for time to do this job, but the delay would have potentially tarnished my reputation with this client.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the only writer who flaked out on me.

You see, it would be a different ball game if you notified the client about a break from work or vacation time. What sucks is when a writer accepts the assignment, sits on it for a few days and then comes back saying they cannot do the assignment for whatever reason (or not at all). Now that sucks hard.

With repeated flake-outs like this, clients will not hire you again in the future nor give you more work now. It would be so hard to trust you again.

Pro Tip: Inform and apologize for any inconvenience caused to your client, as soon as possible. Make sure you don’t do this often. Emergencies only.

Hope these tips help you. Do you have some tips too? Leave a comment here.

Elizabeth Alex is a freelance content writer for hire. Follow her on her website, Honestliz.com, Facebook and Twitter.

This is a rewritten reposts of an article published in April of 2014.

I’ve been listening to the most interesting music lately — monster music! This game is the latest thing among 5th graders — and it has everything to do with coming up with web content ideas that get attention. Let me show you how easy this is…

My Singing Monsters and easy web content creation

I won’t lie to you. At first I hated the dull, repetitive, guttural sounds. Over and over this one-track little cartoon creature assaulted my ears. As my son Henry happily played with his phone, I couldn’t help thinking the end of our culture was near. “What’s the world coming to?” I thought, in the usual way the older generation dumps on the younger one.

And then something weird and wonderful happened. A second monster joined the first monster and started harmonizing. Hmmm, now this was intriguing.

Soon after, what was once painfully tiresome became interesting, and I started listening. As I listened, over the next few days, I found myself humming the monster song and hearing the melody meander through my brain. Henry had created a fabulous song by adding monster after singing monster to his island. The tune was catchy, even more so because I was aware of all the rich undertones the melody was built on. Check it out for yourself…

What’s that have to do with cranking out web content? I don’t know about you, but sometimes I have a tendency to sound like that lonely monster piping out the same note, measure after excruciating measure. (If you always have a drawerful of blog post ideas, then stop reading right now. But if you struggle with this sometimes, like I do, then please keep reading.)

Why is it so easy to gab about the same old thing in your web content? Because it’s your profession, it’s what you know, it’s your area of expertise. I could write every post about copywriting, how to build a compelling story, copywriting apps and “tricks” to write well, etc… but then I might be in a rut.

Remember the singing monsters if you want people to talk back and pay attention to your web content!

You have a rich life full of glittering, fearless, irrepressible, strange and beautiful parts. You’re different from day to day, you have fascinating edges, curves and facets. If you show some of these dimensions in a unique, even slightly quirky way, you will be remembered. But if you beat the drum of your expertise all day, every day, you become somewhat boring.

Patterns add dimension and bring your content to life.

Ever notice how certain characteristics and mannerisms help you make a connection with people? Maybe people smile when they hear your infectious laugh, or they notice your sense of style because you dress yourself impeccably, or you ask just the right question at the moment everyone is thinking it. Those human personality traits aren’t as easy to show online. In the real world you make an impression in an instant, but online you have to do some extra “work” to be the real “YOU.” Wouldn’t it be cool if it were easier?

Add harmony to your single note.

Think about it. If you are constantly telling your blog followers or Facebook fans just one thing, people will get bored and leave. But if you regularly add some flavor — a hobby, some belief that sets you apart from others, or a dream you’re striving to reach — you will stand out.

People remember patterns. Do they remember you?

Most people respond to, and are capable of holding on to patterns because they keep their attention better than an endless drip of one repetitive message. If you need convincing that it’s okay to stir in your personal interests, a sub theme, or a sideline into your expertise, look no further than this article on patterns in branding, which shows that remarkable brands send a fluid message with several distinct points and counterpoints for people to bounce to and fro. The best brands add this pleasing complexity without being confusing. According to Marc Shillum,

Consistency in human behavior is not derived from repetition alone; it is about the formation and recognition of coherent patterns. Patterns are the way our brains perceive actions, thoughts, memory, and behavior to ultimately inform belief. They allow for differences while creating a whole. Patterns are unique in the fact that they create consistency around difference and variation. Creating a believable and consistent brand begins with the creation of coherent patterns.

The good news is that you can show multiple aspects of your life — your business style, leadership philosophy, hobbies, family, values, etc — and people will remember you because you mixed things up, not in spite of it.

Think of the experience you provide your customers. Do you entertain them, give them something to think about, or shock them sometimes? Do they know exactly what they’re going to get when they see your email in their inbox? If they already know (or think they know), they may start to disengage or unsubscribe from your feed or list.

Don’t let that happen. There’s so much juicy stuff to share.

Now, I’m not advising you to display so many different sides of you that you rattle your clients. (I know I’d scare some folks!) And don’t make things up just to seem exotic or interesting, but, here are some things to think about as you add some mixture to your expertise, whether your brand is personally represented by YOU, or you are representing a larger corporate brand:

Consider hobbies, favorite foods, family, pets, heritage, travel, charities, clubs, locale…how have these influenced or added to your point of view?
Do people know you for something unique: a fashion statement, hairdo, temperament (curious, inspirational, diplomatic)? Identify that and work it into your personal brand. By the way, you are probably already doing this without being aware of it.
Pepper your website and social sites with posts about things you genuinely care about. Your enthusiasm will attract like minds.

So…those themes that tie your life together highlight the rare “monster” you are…Don’t be afraid to show them, re-iterate your special patterns, and stand out from the crowd. As a copywriter and experienced interviewer, I can usually find at least a few patterns in a short 30-minute interview with new clients. If you want to use your “patterns” to create remarkable content, start by contacting me using the form below, and I’ll send you out our Content Quiz to get you started.

The Three Best Ways To Lose Clients As A Freelance Writer