Content Magician, Freelance web content writers

Archive for January, 2009

Whenever someone writes up a content for their web page, they’re thinking, ALWAYS, about how many people are going to be seeing this thing. How many people are going to be READING the article….but how many, do you think, will think along the lines of ‘how many people will actually ACT and positively react to this article?’

It’s startling that even some really experienced internet marketers and freelance writers don’t look at the way people react to their online articles. All care and concerned is focused on keyword, keyword and keyword. And then it’s all about where is it on Google every month, every week and they hawk over the google pagerank…and THEN the site visits every day thinking again and again…how many people are reading this.

What we should be thinking about when we write up a web content is to think about the quality discussion, engagement and conversion (into fans or sale) because of that article. Isn’t THAT the ultimate deal in the first place…that your web content is converting your site visitors into customers? It’s really befuddling.

What some people do to convert their website visitors into customers is to put into a call to action. But this, at the end of the day relies on how credible people think you are based on your web content and how much you’ve written in that article to break past the resistance and skepticism to purchase from your website. A website does not have to have a million website visitors or ten thousand people who read the web content in order to make it big. Let’s face it, a small website can make tons more money than a high traffic website if the web traffic is good. It depends, as said, on the conversion rate, how you’ve established the connection with the website visitor with your web content and also how much effort you’ve put into the web content to convince them that you’re worth your salt.

If you’re using Google’s Analytics, you’ll see something called conversion. Not a lot of people look at that – instead they’ll head straight for the hit count or the number of page views. I would like many other website owners to realize that it means nothing in the dollar sense when no one’s believing a word you say nor are they talked into purchasing something from you….if you have something to offer, that is…which I am assuming you do if you’re reading this article till this particular sentence.

The next time you log into your web stats, take a look, also, at how long these people are staying on your pages. How many pages do they go through and what’s your web content’s conversion rate..

I’ve received many messages from my friends and visitors of both my blog and websites asking me for advice on how to get started as a freelance writer. One of them asked me, point-blank, no-holds-barred, ‘How to get clients ah?’

The internet is a vast space for you to explore your options. In the same way that it is a vast space with an abundance of opportunities, it’s also filled with competitors….with sharp nails…and fangs. They will not hesitate to sink their fangs and nails into your flesh. Especially now that the economy is nose-diving into a pit of possible oblivion, competition is even tougher.

But it’s not impossible to thrive as a freelance writer today and here’s how you’re going to get started.

Write write write and then write some more

No matter how tedious you think this is going to be, I’ll hit you with it. There’s no escaping this. If you want to start building your career as a freelance writer, you’ve got to write, write, write and write some more. Write till it becomes very natural to you. In an ironic way, this is how you’re going to pay for your tuition fees….through experience.

Write for free, write to publicize yourself, write to promote your services, write for peanuts, write and get criticized….this is the first task right there at the top of your to-do list.

Publish articles for free

This is a small part of article marketing. If you’re not familiar, here’s how it works. You write for free, you post it up on an article directory, other website owners go in in search of articles to post in their own website or blog, they find yours, publish it and link it to your own website or profile page.

Essentially, you’re saying, ‘Hey, take this and publish it. It’s free…no, really, it’s free. It’s really….here, try me….please?’ The only condition about publishing your article(s) for free is for them to include your byline (this is where the publicity stunt is, folks) and a link (if you have) back to where you want your potential clients to find you.

Blog about everything, show off what you’ve got

For me, the internet and the blogging platform is the next best thing to an orgasm. You’re running your own tabloid, no editor breathing down your throat and you’re a columnist overnight – use it and use it wisely. Now, although blogs were meant to be online journals IN THE BEGINNING, I believe that they have evolved to an extent that everyone’s got one and if you don’t have one and want to have an online career, you’ll have better chances of making it where the zebras live.

So, start a blog and start displaying your talent.

Bid for projects through freelance websites

In order to reap the rewards of your hard work, experience and skills set, you’ve first got to learn how to grovel. Eat dirt. Getafreelancer (there are many others, so, do your homework) is a haven for grovelers because employers know that most green horns get their starts here and you’re going to have to do the same. In Getafreelancer, an employer posts a project, an army of people bid for the project at less-than-self-respectful prices and then the employer picks one. Most of the time, you’d have to go down really low to get a hold of the project but hey, this is where you start.

The main purpose is for you to get the experience and also build your portfolio.

Somewhere down the road, when you’ve successfully marketed yourself as a freelance writer, people want to see a portfolio. Since you’ve groveled, kissed shoes, begged and worked for peanuts so much, you’ve probably got a tidy bundle of portfolio to show off.

That, my friends, is when your groveling pays off.

Good luck to you!