Author: Christopher Jan Benitez

  • Naming Your Freelance Business the Right Way

    Naming Your Freelance Business the Right Way

    Naming your business is an important part of launching your brand as a freelancer.

    It is very frequently the first thing that your leads will find out about your business.

    It needs to be compelling and engaging so that it will draw clients in while also summarizing your brand and identity.

    Although naming a new freelance business can feel difficult and challenging at first, it should not have to feel like you are stepping off the edge of a cliff while wearing a blindfold.

    With these steps described in the article below, you can improve the organization of your ideas and get the most out of your freelance business name.

    Naming your freelance business: Everything you need to know

    Before we begin, I would like to introduce the writer of this post: Grant Polachek of Squadhelp. Here’s his bio:

    Grant Polachek is the Director of Marketing at Inc 500 company Squadhelp.com, the worlds #1 naming platform, with nearly 20,000 customers from the smallest startups across the globe to the largest corporations including Nestle, Philips, Hilton, Pepsi, and AutoNation. Get inspired by exploring these good names for your business.

    So if you have concerns with coming up with a name for your freelance business, don’t hesitate to reach out to Grant and Squadhelp!

    Also, I’ve edited the article to make it better. Nothing but the best for my dear readers 🙂

    So, let’s begin!

    Build your brand

    When choosing a name for your freelance business, it is useful to gather all of your branding ideas in one central place.

    If you make a handy document, then you can check back to it throughout the entire naming process.

    On your document, write down some of the things that you want to be central aspects of your freelance brand.

    For example, you can answer questions like:

    • What do you do?
    • What are the values of your brand?
    • Why are the freelance services you are providing important?

    If others don’t feel that you are passionate and invested in your own brand, then they will likely begin to question why they should care about your freelance business either.

    naming your freelance business - taking down notes

    Writing down a number of existing freelance business names that you think are effective can help you brainstorm names for your own new business.

    Make it a point to take down notes on each of these names and write down what do you like about them and if you want to try to achieve a similar feel or vibe.

    Keep writing down existing freelance brand names that you like until you end up with a list of eight to ten of your ideal names.

    After you have gathered the top names then you can start to dissect them.

    Go through this catchy business name list to give yourself a head start.

    Write some notes in the form of bullet points that describes what exactly you like about each of your favorite names and why they work so well for their company.

    Analyzing and dissecting your top existing freelance business names in your field can be a great exercise to give you some direction for the naming process.

    Think about your audience

    Another thing that you should consider when launching your freelance brand is the audience you want to appeal to.

    For example, a clothing line targeted at older, accomplished, and professional women will have a very different voice and tone than a fashion line for women in college. And there’s a good reason for that!

    Your brand name needs to focus on who you are appealing to and more than just you.

    Most of the popular brand names have a target audience in mind and connect to them through shared values and emotions that resonate with them.

    Take, for example, the investing app Robinhood.

    This app helps people make the investment process free and simple for the typical person, not just the ultra-rich.

    Their brand name for their business not only encapsulates their values to a tee by utilizing the story of the heroic bandit Robin Hood.

    Robin Hood is a great choice for a narrative because it appeals to the millennial audience.

    The name is both fresh and fun and also aligns with the values of convenience and fairness that millennials hold in such regard.

    Look into the future

    Where do you want your freelance brand to be in five years? What about ten years down the line?

    If you are planning on starting a freelance business that might grow into different areas in the future, be wary of selecting a name that pigeonholes your brand.

    At the beginning of launching your business, you may be creating a sock brand. You may feel that the name SuperSocks could be a great fit for your business.

    But if you want to expand into other territories later on such as hats or gloves, SuperSocks would no longer a suitable name.

    This means that you would have to change your established name which could confuse customers and ultimately lose business. Planning ahead can help you avoid a costly rebranding process down the line.

    Try to capture your mission and values in just a couple of short project statements like these:

    • We need a name that captures our young, unique approach to selling high heels.
    • We need a name that establishes us as a traditional and trustworthy brand.
    • We need a name that hints at our animal-friendly business practices.

    You can begin by writing a couple of project statements for your own freelance business.

    Make Tough Choices

    Now that you have put all of your ideas in one central place and have figured out what the type of name that you want, you can begin the process of coming up with name ideas.

    One of the most important decisions that freelancers need to make early on when coming up with a name for their business is whether or not use their real name or a brandable name.

    While there are merits to both of these options, it is typically preferable for freelancers to incorporate their own name into the business. This helps solidify the connection between the business and yourself.

    Especially if you are the only freelancer working for your business, incorporating your own name into the brand name will make it clear to clients just who they’re working with.

    On the other hand, if there is any possibility of expansion down the road, separating your name from your company name is a must.

    Collect some names

    brainstorming for freelance business names

    Now, it’s time to put your thinking caps on.

    Jot down every name you can muster that might work with the brand you are creating.

    Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box, and don’t judge any of the names that you come up with at first.

    Even if you don’t like it now, you may find that one of your brainstormed names could really resonate with your target audience.

    Continue writing down as many names as you can think of because the more you have to cross off the list, the better idea you will have of the type of name that you are looking for.

    When coming up with names, you must start broad.

    Some names can be descriptive, intellectual, poignant, or classic. You can merge words to form a name or use two separate words to summarize your business’s appeal.

    One helpful way to come up with brand names is by writing down an example for every type of name you can think of.

    Getting out of your comfort zone when coming up with names will help you in the future and give you a variety of names to choose from.

    Cut down your options

    Finally, it is time to start making some decisions by cutting down the number of name options that you have brainstormed.

    Start removing freelance business names that you know won’t work for you until you have only five or six favorite names remaining on your list.

    Now that you have some great options to move forward with, this is a great chance to start getting second opinions from your friends and family. Another group to get feedback from would also be your target audience!

    When asking questions about your name choices, don’t just ask, “Which of these names do you like the best?” Make sure you frame your questions more neutrally by asking something closer to, “Which of these brands would you be interested in learning more about?”

    Lock down your domain name and assess your risk

    A solid domain complements a great brand name. This is because your website is where your prospective clients will find out more about what services you offer.

    So, it is best to have as close of a match to your name as possible.

    [mks_pullquote align=”left” width=”720″ size=”24″ bg_color=”#333333″ txt_color=”#ffffff”]Editor’s note: Now hold up, playa!

    Signing up for a domain name is another problem altogether. In fact, it deserves a post of its own.

    However, instead of making it difficult for you, here’s what I suggest:

    When signing up for a domain name, go with Siteground*.

    It’s a web hosting platform that offers domain registration.

    So why Siteground?

    Simple: It makes your site load faster and respond better for your visitors.

    After signing up for a domain and a hosting plan, you can build a WordPress site within minutes and enjoy its blazing-fast servers and excellent customer support!

    Again, click here* to sign up now and set up your freelance business website so clients will come knocking on your door.

    [/mks_pullquote]

    Trademark validation for your freelance business name is another great way to secure your name.

    Run a trademark risk test so that you can rest assured that your brand name isn’t already in use by a similar freelance business.

    Being proactive in preventing trademark risk will help you avoid any complicated legal issues.

    Naming your freelance business is no walk in the park!

    Video summary created using InVideo.

    Coming up with an effective name can feel like a daunting task. So much of your success rests upon a name.

    It is the crux of your freelance brand’s identity, and it is the first connection between you and your clients.

    You might think that all of the best names are already in use, or that you lack good ideas, but don’t worry.  The perfect name for your business is out there and if you follow the steps then you’ll find it in no time!

  • 11 Habits of Highly Effective SEO Article Writers

    11 Habits of Highly Effective SEO Article Writers

    Being in the SEO game for a long time, you know the value that great SEO article writers bring to the table.

    They help rank websites for their target keywords by observing the best on-page SEO practices on the articles they write.

    Ultimately, they convert fairweather site visitors into customers with their compelling writing style.

    So, if you’re:

    • an aspiring writer who wants to turn his/her passion for writing into a profession
    • website owner or agency looking to hire talented writers to help their business

    Then you’ve come to the right place!

    This post discusses the skills and discipline that the talented and most sought-after SEO article writers have. If you want the full process from keyword research to publishing, my complete SEO content writing guide covers it step by step.

    By knowing these skills, you can build your writing business on these foundations or find a writer who meets these qualifications.

    What separates good SEO article writers from the bad ones?

    Before we start, this post is written by Rana Tarakji. Here’s a short bio about her:

    Rana Tarakji

    Originally from the U.S., Rana Tarakji is an SEO analyst, the founder of One SEO – a multinational link building company -, and author of Off-Site SEO Guide: A Hands-On SEO Tutorial For Beginners & Dummies, who now lives in Beirut, Lebanon. Rana’s work has appeared in a wide range of publications in print and online, including Life Hacker, Upwork, Christian Today, Newswire, and many other outlets.

    Also, I’ve edited the post and added my thoughts to make it more useful to you dear readers.

    Get it? Got it? Good.

    Let’s begin!

    Researches for keywords strategically

    One of the main factors that bring visitors to a website is when the content matches the keywords they searched on Google.

    For professional SEO article writers, they never write content without a target keyword in mind.

    This means they conduct adequate research prior to using keywords in their articles.

    They dig deep and find out which words to best use if you want to rank for a niche.  Professional article writers in the SEO scene also learn about SEO trends and use them to their article’s advantage.

    longtailpro - tool for long tail keyword research
    A tool to help you find low-hanging fruit keywords is Long Tail Pro. It helps writers brainstorm for keyword ideas to optimize their articles.

    For example, people expect voice search to dominate SEO in 2019. Therefore, writers optimize their content for long tail keywords to rank for spoken (versus typed) keywords when the time comes.

    Editor’s note

    As an SEO writer, I use tools to help make keyword research efficient. With a few clicks, these tools can extract hundreds of keywords complete with their search volume and keyword difficulty. This information helps me decide which keywords I should choose to optimize my content.

    Among the countless keyword research tools out there, I highly recommend Long Tail Pro. It’s one of the first and best tools to help you unearth keywords to optimize your articles.

    To learn more about Long Tail Pro, click here to read my review about it. You can also sign up for a FREE 7-day TRIAL” and take it for a spin!

    LongTailPro EXCLUSIVE OFFER

    30% OFF ON ALL PLANS!


    Addresses user intent

    The best professional SEO article writers know that behind every keyword possess an intent.

    For instance, if you want to rank high for a keyword, you need to understand why users are searching for that keyword in the first place.

    You can classify user intent may be classified as:

    • Navigational – Do they want to learn more about the brands specific to that keyword?
    • Informational – Are they looking for information about that topic?
    • Transactional – Do they want to buy something that relates to the search phrase?

    As you can see, for each type of intent, users have a corresponding agenda!

    Professional SEO writers take the lead here by producing content that is most fit and helpful to the user intent behind your customer’s search query.

    By imagining a preset persona of your target customer, they can generate articles that can offer a solution to each search query.

    In turn, users get more enticed with every targeted solution your site has to offer them.

    And the more users your writers attract with this intent-based strategy, the better your site’s organic traffic can become!

    To learn more about intent-based keyword research, read this post at Search Engine Land.

    Establishes content credibility

    Creating content that matches your customer’s needs is one thing. But SEO article writers also ensure that each write-up they produce mirrors niche authority and credibility.

    A mark of content credibility is its uniqueness and how insightful it is to readers. Regarding the latter, SEO writers research for information that can help back up their claims in the content.

    Aside from fact-checking and source-citing, professional SEO article writers also take time to thoroughly proofread their work.

    This is because they know that SEO-wise, well-written and error-free articles always attract natural links and stand a greater chance at ranking on top as opposed to those that are poorly written.

    Editor’s note

    Sorry to butt in again, but we need to talk more about proofreading your work.

    In case it’s not yet obvious to you, but writing error-free content is of utmost importance!

    A couple of Facebook members in a group made fun at a post I promoted with incorrect spelling. I covered that embarrassing ordeal in this post.

    And you know what, they have every right to do it!

    That’s why you must be vigilant with your content before sharing it to an audience.

    And that’s why I’ve been using Grammarly Premium ever since!

    If I have to choose one tool that I have to use, I’ll go with this tool any day of the week.

    Read my review about Grammarly Premium to understand why. (Hint: Grammarly got the highest score among all the tools I’ve reviewed!)

    SEO article writers produce content that is readable and engaging

    Professional SEO writers aim for the readability of their articles.

    They are aware that engaging articles are the ones that are clear, organized, and, simple.

    They lessen “fluff” and go straight to the point.

    Every word and sentence on their articles are deliberate and purposeful.

    That means simplifying industry jargons to help their target users understand the article.

    The more logical and smooth-flowing the article, the better!

    Aiming for the top (via featured snippets)

    Another secret that professional SEO article writers keep is their constant goal of getting to the top of SERPs.

    Your typical SEO strategy already addresses this with the usual on-page and off-page SEO campaigns. But professional SEO article writers may take a different route.

    Remember the trend of voice search and the rise of search assistants (think “hey, Google”)? SEO writers aim their articles to respond to them through their articles.

    So, when a user asks Google via voice search, their articles can turn up at the topmost part, also known as a featured snippet.

    featured snippet - seo article writers
    Here’s an example of a featured snippet for one of my posts. Search “missinglettr review” and you will most likely see this.

    All they have to do is to make your site’s articles structured to a voice search-friendly format.

    They do this by answering queries in a direct to the point manner. They can also make use of bullets and numbered lists so that the assistant can read the information one by one.

    Finally, they fill their articles with statistics and facts to back up their content.

    Maximizing content length

    SEO article writers take time generating high-quality content. That also means (but is not exclusive to) lengthier content.

    This hits your SEO goals in two ways.

    One, it appeals to web crawlers and search engines more since longer content means a better chance to spread and utilize your target keywords.

    Two, it enhances user experience. Assuming the content is comprehensive all throughout its 1,000-2000-word length, then you give more value to your site’s visitor as you offer him with more information.

    Adding the right images

    Professional SEO article writers know that articles are not just all about the text. They know that adding visual content like images and videos can help keep their focus.

    This is because they understand that your site’s readers respond well to SEO best practices of including images within text posts.

    Apart from providing a break from paragraphs, images can also help clarify the information that your articles convey.

    For example, infographics and diagrams can help customers understand a complex concept that can otherwise be too wordy to elaborate.

    But they do not just dump images and add an alt text tag to make it more SEO-friendly. Professional SEO writers attach images that are appropriate to the content.

    When it comes to infographics, they either create one or choose a pre-made version. In any case, they include the ones that will increase your site’s organic traffic and not drive them away.

    Creating catchy titles and headlines

    Aside from ensuring that the title, headers, and tags of your articles contain your target keywords, professional SEO article writers make it a point to make the article titles catchy.

    Titles are also a factor when you click on a search result. An article with an ambiguous and keyword-stuffed phrasing is less appealing than the one with wit and flair.

    Leveraging social media

    Professional writers who create content for SEO purposes use social media for SEO advantage.

    Because social media feeds like that of Facebook are full of attention-grabbing content, they write posts with click-worthy headlines to gain traction to their social media followers.

    They leverage the power of likes and shares to build better brand recall and recognition for your business.

    They never fail to include a link of your site’s website URL on every post, so their followers can visit their site for more information about them.

    Advantageous use of analytics

    Aside from their content, professional SEO article writers also take their time to review the results of their content.

    The information you can gather from platforms like Google Analytics contains useful SEO insights that SEO article writers can leverage.

    Take for example data from bounce rate analytics.

    A professional SEO article writer can infer which posts entice more users and which ones need improvement such that users stay longer in the page.

    They then tweak the content of their articles to lower the bounce rate of each page and aim for more conversions.

    Knowing what to avoid

    Finally, what separates professional SEO article writers from others is how they keep track of which methods lead to penalties.

    They don’t stuff your articles with keywords for the sake of optimizing them!

    They know better than to use exact match keywords repeatedly and go for latent semantic indexing (LSI) to boost your overall SEO strategy.

    They also avoid stale and old content and produce articles on a regular basis to keep their audience in the loop.

    Lastly, these SEO writers know which tactics are useful and which common SEO mistakes to avoid.

    Wrapping it up

    These are just some of the things a capable SEO article writer can do.

    Now, if you want to become one, then you need to take these tips to heart as well as their content writing advice.

    Let’s face it – creating great articles are not enough in this day and age.

    You need to get your articles that extra “oomph” that clients are looking for.

    In this case, you need to hone your SEO skills to help your clients rank higher on SERPs.

    Moreover, integrating SEO into your writing will help you land more clients in the future!

    As for businesses, all you need to do is refer to these habits when looking for a writer for your blog or website.

    Granted, there aren’t a lot of talented SEO article writers out there. But don’t give up and keep looking, they’re probably just around the corner!

    Or maybe you’re reading one of their posts!

    At this point, all you need to do is just ask! 🙂

  • Get Paid to Write Articles: 180+ Websites that Pay You to Write

    Get Paid to Write Articles: 180+ Websites that Pay You to Write

    Hundreds of websites pay writers between $50 and $2,000 per article, across niches including technology, marketing, travel, health, and creative writing. You do not need an existing portfolio to get started. You need to know which sites to pitch and how to approach them.

    I’ve been a freelance writer since 2013 and have been published on Search Engine Journal, Niche Pursuits, Blogging Wizard, and dozens of other industry publications. I know which sites actually pay on time, which have editors who respond, and which are worth your effort.

    Every site in this list has been personally verified as of 2026. Sites that shut down, stopped paying, or changed to unpaid submissions have been removed.

    Let’s get into it.

    The 10 Highest-Paying Sites on This List

    If you want to start with the best opportunities, these ten sites offer the highest confirmed rates across all categories. Each one is included in the full list below with submission links.

    SiteNichePay RateNotes
    FusionAuthTech / Security$500 to $1,000+One of the highest-paying dev writing programs active today
    CopyhackersMarketing / Copywriting$300 to $1,000Ideal for writers with marketing or conversion expertise
    TwilioTech / APIs$500Pays flat rate for tutorials and developer guides
    VonageTech / Communications$500Developer-focused content, fast payment turnaround
    HoneybadgerTech / DevOps$500+Ruby, Elixir, and server-side content
    Draft.devTech / Content$300 to $500Connects technical writers with software companies
    Auth0Tech / SecurityUp to $450Authentication and identity content via their Apollo Program
    DigitalOceanCloud / Linux$300 to $400Long-running community writing program, reliable payment
    CSS-TricksWeb Dev / CSS$250 to $400Tutorials and deep dives on frontend development
    Smashing MagazineWeb Dev / Design$200 to $350One of the most respected publications on this list

    How to use this table: These rates are confirmed as of early 2026 but can change. Always check the current submission guidelines before pitching. Payment timelines vary — some pay on acceptance, others on publication.

    Technology and Web Development

    These sites pay for tutorials, how-to guides, and technical articles. Perfect if you have coding or tech skills.

    Site NamePay RateTopicsGuidelines
    Smashing Magazine$200-$350Web dev, UX, designWrite for Us
    A List Apart$200Web design, developmentContribute
    SitePoint$150-$300JavaScript, Python, ReactWrite for Us
    DigitalOcean$300-$400Cloud, DevOps, LinuxCommunity
    LogRocketUp to $350React, Vue, FrontendGuest Author
    CSS-Tricks$250-$400CSS, JavaScript, HTMLGuest Posting
    Auth0Up to $450Security, AuthenticationApollo Program
    CircleCI$300CI/CD, DevOpsGuest Author
    Linode (Akamai)$300Linux, Cloud HostingWrite for Linode
    TutorialsPoint$250-$500Programming, ITWrite for Us
    FusionAuth$500-$1000+Authentication, DevWrite for Us
    Hasura$300GraphQLWriter Program
    Vonage$500APIs, CommunicationsDeveloper Blog
    Twilio$500APIs, MessagingVoices Program
    Honeybadger$500+Ruby, Elixir, DevOpsWrite for Us
    Real Python$300PythonWrite for Us
    VultrUp to $300Cloud, Server AdminDocs Program
    Geekflare$60-$250Cloud, SecurityWrite for Us
    Plesk$50-$200DevOps, Web HostingWrite for Plesk
    CodeCov$500Testing, CI/CDWrite for Us
    Draft.dev$300-$500Developer ToolsApply
    ContentLab$300-$500Technical WritingApply
    SQL Server Central$150+SQL, DatabasesGuidelines
    Semaphore CI$100-$300CI/CD, DevOpsWrite for Us
    Couchbase$200NoSQL, DatabasesWrite for Us
    Atlantic.net$75-$300Cloud HostingWrite for Us
    Paperspace$200-$300Machine LearningWrite for Us
    Appsmith$200-$400Low-Code, DevWrite for Us
    Strapi$200Headless CMSWrite for Us
    Envato Tuts+$100-$250Web Dev, DesignWrite for Us
    Stack Abuse$150-$200ProgrammingWrite for Us

    Business, Marketing, and Finance

    This is the niche I know best. I’ve been writing about SEO, content marketing, and digital strategy for over a decade, and most of the highest-paying opportunities I’ve landed came from publications in this category. If you have real marketing experience or can write with genuine authority about business, you’ll find some of the best pay rates on this entire list here.

    Site NamePay RateTopicsGuidelines
    Ahrefs Blog$500–$1,500SEO, Content MarketingWrite for Us
    CXL$800+CRO, Analytics, GrowthContribute
    Copyhackers$300–$1,000Copywriting, ConversionWrite for Us
    HubSpot Blog$500+Marketing, Sales, CRMWrite for Us
    Shopify Partners Blog$500+E-commerce, DevWrite for Us
    Forbes$500+Business, FinanceContributor Network
    Entrepreneur$1.50/wordBusiness, StartupsContributor Network
    Fast Company$1/wordInnovation, LeadershipContact
    Search Engine JournalVariesSEO, PPC, Content MarketingWrite for Us
    Moz Blog$250+SEO, Link BuildingContribute
    Content Marketing Institute$150–$300Content StrategyContribute
    MarketingProfs$200–$400B2B MarketingWrite for Us
    Niche PursuitsVariesNiche Sites, SEO ToolsContribute
    Blogging WizardVariesBlogging, Content ToolsWrite for Us
    Income Diary$200–$500Online Business, SEOWrite for Us
    Business InsiderVariesBusiness, TechnologyContributor
    Inc. MagazineVariesBusiness LeadershipSubmit
    The Penny Hoarder$75–$800Money, Side HustlesWrite for Us
    ElitePersonalFinance$300Personal FinanceWrite for Us
    Wise Bread$100–$200Personal FinanceWrite for Us
    Money Pantry$30–$150Earning, SavingWrite for Us
    Dollar Stretcher$0.10/wordFrugal LivingSubmissions

    Sites I’ve personally written for

    Search Engine Journal is one of the best places to build SEO writing credentials. I’ve been published there multiple times over the years, and it’s a publication I’d recommend to any writer who covers search, content, or digital marketing seriously.

    The editorial process is rigorous. Expect multiple revision rounds before anything goes live. That’s not a bad thing. It means the final piece is solid and the byline carries real weight with SEO professionals. Don’t pitch broad topic overviews. SEJ editors want a specific angle, a clear takeaway, and ideally data or a case study to back it up. A pitch like “5 tips for better SEO” won’t get you far. Something like “How I recovered 40% of lost organic traffic by fixing keyword cannibalization” will.

    Pay varies by piece type and contributor status. Response times have ranged from a week to a few weeks in my experience. If you don’t hear back, one follow-up after two weeks is appropriate.


    Niche Pursuits is Spencer Haws’s publication, and it’s one of the most engaged audiences in the niche site and SEO space. I’ve contributed to Niche Pursuits and found the process straightforward. Spencer and the team are responsive, and they know their readers well.

    What works here: original experiments, real data, tool comparisons with honest takes, and case studies from your own sites. The audience is full of people who’ve read everything. They know when something is generic. If you can share something you’ve actually tested, a keyword strategy that worked, an income report breakdown, a specific tool review with genuine pros and cons, that’s what gets picked up. Aim for practical, first-person, and specific.


    Blogging Wizard is Adam Connell’s site and covers blogging tools, content marketing, and monetization strategies. It’s a well-organized publication with clear audience targeting. I’ve written for Blogging Wizard and found the editorial guidelines easy to follow.

    The readers are bloggers at various experience levels, many of them building their first site or trying to grow beyond a few hundred visitors a month. Write with that person in mind. Tool reviews and tutorials perform well here. If you’re writing a comparison post, be direct about your recommendation. The audience appreciates a verdict, not just a list of features.


    A note on the high-ticket opportunities in this section: Ahrefs ($500–$1,500) and CXL ($800+) are among the highest-paying publications on this entire list. Both require genuine expertise. Ahrefs wants SEO content from people who actually use SEO tools and can back claims with real data. CXL wants conversion and analytics content from practitioners. Neither will accept surface-level writing.

    If you’re new to writing, start with sites like Money Pantry or Dollar Stretcher to build clips. Once you have published work in the business or marketing space, move up to CMI, MarketingProfs, and Moz. After you’ve built a track record there, Ahrefs and CXL become realistic targets.

    Food and Cooking

    Food writers can pitch recipes, restaurant stories, and culinary essays to these publications.

    Site NamePay RateTopicsGuidelines
    Food52$200-$500Recipes, How-TosPitch Guidelines
    Bon Appétit$250-$0.50/wordFood Culture, EssaysPitching Info
    Eater$0.31-$0.67/wordRestaurants, Food CulturePitch Guidelines
    Serious Eats$0.20/wordRecipes, TechniquesPitch editors directly via site
    Edible Communities$0.25/wordLocal Food, FarmsFind Your Local Edition
    Taste of Home$100+Home Cooking, RecipesContributor Guidelines
    EatingWell$350+Healthy EatingPitch Guidelines
    Saveur$0.33/wordGlobal CuisinePitch Guidelines
    Food & WineVariesFood, Wine, TravelAbout Us
    Life & Thyme$200-$500Food JournalismContribute
    Smart Mouth$400Food CulturePitch Guidelines
    Modern Farmer$350+Sustainable FarmingPitch Guidelines
    KitchnVariesHome CookingSubmissions
    Wine Enthusiast$1/wordWine, TravelSubmission Guidelines
    Punch$0.50/wordDrinks, CocktailsPitch Guidelines

    Travel and Adventure

    Share your travel stories and destination guides with readers around the world.

    Site NamePay RateTopicsGuidelines
    Travel + Leisure$1/wordTravel, DestinationsPitch Editors
    International Living$75-$400Expat Life, RetirementWrite for Us
    BBC Travel$0.50/wordCulture, DestinationsContributor Brief
    AFAR$1/wordExperiential TravelContribute
    Condé Nast Traveler$1/word+Luxury TravelPitch Editors
    Atlas Obscura$0.25/wordUnusual PlacesContribute
    Transitions Abroad$75-$150Work Abroad, StudyWrite for Us
    Lonely PlanetVariesDestinations, TipsContribute
    Matador Network$60-$150Adventure TravelWrite for Us
    World Nomads$150Adventure, SafetyContribute
    Go World Travel$30-$200DestinationsWrite for Us
    Great Escape Publishing$50-$200Travel WritingSubmit
    Roads & KingdomsVariesFood, Politics, TravelPitch
    Adventure.com$0.25/wordAdventure TravelWrite for Us
    Hidden Compass$550+Narrative TravelSubmit
    Perceptive Travel$100Narrative TravelGuidelines
    Alaska Airlines Magazine$150-$700DestinationsGuidelines
    Texas Highways$0.50/wordTexas TravelPitch
    Escapees Magazine$100-$200RV LifestyleSubmit
    Wanderlust£220/1000 wordsAdventure TravelGuidelines
    Hawaii MagazineVariesHawaii TravelGuidelines

    Creative Writing and Literary

    Fiction writers, poets, and essayists can find paying markets here.

    Site NamePay RateTopicsGuidelines
    Clarkesworld Magazine$0.12/wordScience Fiction, FantasySubmissions
    The Sun Magazine$200-$2,000Essays, Fiction, PoetrySubmit
    Narrative Magazine$150-$1,000Fiction, EssaysSubmission Guidelines
    Asimov’s Science Fiction$0.10-$0.12/wordScience FictionGuidelines
    Analog Science Fiction$0.10-$0.12/wordScience FictionGuidelines
    The Threepenny Review$400Essays, Fiction, PoetrySubmit
    One Story$500Short FictionSubmit
    Tor.com$0.25/wordFantasy, Sci-FiSubmissions
    Strange Horizons$0.10/wordSpeculative FictionSubmit
    Apex Magazine$0.08/wordDark Fantasy, HorrorSubmit
    Fantasy & Science Fiction$0.12-$0.15/wordFantasy, Sci-FiGuidelines
    Lightspeed Magazine$0.10/wordFantasy, Sci-FiSubmit
    The Paris Review$1,000+Fiction, PoetrySubmit
    VQR$200+ fiction, $200 poetryLiterarySubmit
    Ploughshares$45/pageLiterary FictionSubmit
    Zoetrope: All-Story$1,000Short StoriesSubmit
    The Missouri Review$40/pageFiction, Essays, PoetrySubmit
    GrantaPro ratesLiterary Fiction, EssaysSubmit
    The Iowa Review$0.08/wordFiction, Poetry, EssaysSubmit
    The Kenyon ReviewVariesFiction, Essays, PoetrySubmit
    The Gettysburg Review$30/pageLiterary Fiction, EssaysSubmit
    CRAFT Literary$100-$200Fiction, Creative NonfictionSubmit
    Chestnut Review$120Fiction, Poetry, EssaysSubmit
    Boulevard MagazineUp to $300Fiction, Poetry, EssaysSubmit
    Orion Magazine$0.25-$1/wordNature, EnvironmentPitch
    AGNI$30/page (max $300)Fiction, Essays, PoetrySubmit
    Colorado Review$200Fiction, Poetry, EssaysSubmit

    Essays and Personal Stories

    Publications that pay for personal essays, memoirs, and opinion pieces.

    Site NamePay RateTopicsGuidelines
    Narratively$750+True Stories, MemoirPitch Us
    Longreads$500-$1,500Essays, FeaturesSubmissions
    The New York Times Modern Love$300+RelationshipsSubmit
    Dame Magazine$200Women’s IssuesWrite for Us
    Catapult$100+Personal EssaysSubmit
    Electric Literature$100-$500Literary EssaysSubmit
    Guernica$100-$500Personal Essays, FictionSubmit
    The Rumpus$75-$500Essays, ReviewsSubmit
    Creative Nonfiction$50-$1,000True StoriesSubmit
    Brevity$45Flash NonfictionSubmit
    Fourth Genre$100+Literary NonfictionSubmit
    River Teeth$100+Literary NonfictionSubmit
    The Gay & Lesbian Review$100-$250LGBTQ+ Essays, ReviewsGuidelines
    The Audacity (Roxane Gay)$1,000Literary EssaysSubmit
    Salon$100-$200Essays, FeaturesPitch
    HowlRound$200-$400Theatre EssaysSubmit
    LiisBeth$100-$2,000Feminist EntrepreneurshipPitch
    Bright Magazine$500Social Impact EssaysPitch

    Health, Fitness, and Wellness

    Write about physical health, mental wellness, and lifestyle for these publications.

    Site NamePay RateTopicsGuidelines
    SELF$450+Health, FitnessPitch Guidelines
    HealthlineVariesMedical, WellnessWrite for Us
    GreatistVariesFitness, NutritionPitch Guidelines
    Experience Life$1/wordHealth, WellnessWriter’s Guidelines
    Well+GoodVariesWellness, FitnessContribute
    Men’s Health$1/wordFitness, NutritionContribute
    Women’s Health$1/wordFitness, WellnessContribute
    PreventionUp to $2/wordHealth, WellnessPitch Editors
    Shape$0.50-$1/wordFitness, NutritionPitch section editors via masthead
    Runner’s World$1/wordRunning, FitnessContribute
    Bicycling$1/wordCyclingContribute
    Outside Magazine$1-$2/wordOutdoor FitnessPitch
    Yoga Journal$0.50-$1/wordYoga, MindfulnessPitch section editors via masthead
    Brain & Life$0.75/wordNeurological HealthSubmission Guidelines
    Psych CentralVariesMental HealthWrite for Us
    VerywellVariesHealth TopicsContribute
    Vibrant Life$100-$300Health, WellnessGuidelines
    MindBodyGreenVariesWellness, SpiritualityContribute
    The Mighty$75-$150Disability, HealthPitch

    Parenting and Family

    Sites that pay for parenting advice, family stories, and child development content.

    Site NamePay RateTopicsGuidelines
    Parents Magazine$1/wordParenting, FamilyWrite for Us
    Scary Mommy$100Parenting EssaysSubmit
    Your Teen Magazine$100-$300Teen ParentingWrite for Us
    ADDitude$150-$300ADHD, LearningWrite for Us
    Motherly$50-$500MotherhoodContribute
    FatherlyVariesFatherhoodContribute
    RomperVariesParentingWrite for Us
    A Fine Parent$75Positive ParentingWrite for Us
    Her View From HomeUp to $100Family, MotherhoodSubmit
    Metro Parent$40-$200Regional ParentingGuidelines
    Chicago ParentVariesRegional ParentingWrite for Us
    Freelance Mom$75-$100Working MomsWrite for Us
    PTO Today$125-$500School VolunteeringWriter Guidelines

    Environment and Outdoors

    Publications focused on nature, conservation, and outdoor recreation.

    Site NamePay RateTopicsGuidelines
    Sierra Magazine$1-$1.50/wordEnvironmentContribute
    Audubon Magazine$0.50-$1.50/wordBirds, ConservationPitch
    National Geographic$1+/wordNature, ScienceContribute
    bioGraphic$1.05/wordBiodiversityPitch
    High Country News$0.50-$1/wordWestern EnvironmentPitch
    Hakai Magazine$0.50-$1/wordCoastal SciencePitch
    Backpacker$0.50-$1/wordHiking, CampingContribute
    Outdoor Life$0.50-$1/wordHunting, FishingPitch via masthead editors
    Gray’s Sporting Journal$600-$1,250Hunting, FishingWriter’s Guidelines
    Field & Stream$0.50-$1/wordHunting, FishingPitch via masthead editors
    Adventure Cycling$150-$250Bicycle TravelWrite for Us
    Paddling Magazine$0.20-$0.35/wordKayaking, CanoeingWriter’s Guidelines
    Climbing Magazine$0.25-$0.50/wordRock ClimbingSubmit
    Trail Runner$0.25-$0.50/wordTrail RunningSubmissions

    General Interest and Lifestyle

    Broader publications that accept various topics.

    Site NamePay RateTopicsGuidelines
    Listverse$100Lists, FactsWrite for Us
    Cracked$100-$250Humor, CultureWrite for Us
    Mental Floss$150+Interesting FactsPitch Guidelines
    Atlas Obscura$0.25/wordUnusual StoriesContribute
    Smithsonian$0.50-$1/wordHistory, ScienceContribute
    Popular Science$1/wordScience, TechPitch
    Discover Magazine$300-$1/wordSciencePitch Guide
    Wired$500+Technology, CulturePitch Guide
    The Atlantic$1/word+Culture, PoliticsPitch
    SlateVariesNews, CulturePitch
    Vox$400+Explainers, AnalysisPitch firstperson@vox.com
    The WeekVariesNews SummaryContact
    JSTOR Daily$200-$300Research-BasedPitch Us
    Reader’s Digest$0.50-$1/wordHuman InterestSubmit
    Real Simple$1/wordLifestylePitch via Hearst masthead editors
    Good Housekeeping$0.67/wordHome, LifestylePitch via Hearst masthead editors
    Cosmopolitan$0.25-$2/wordLifestyle, RelationshipsPitch via Hearst masthead editors
    Bustle$0.25/wordCulture, LifestylePitch Guidelines
    Refinery29VariesCulture, StylePitch
    ViceVariesCulture, NewsContribute
    Upworthy$150+Positive StoriesPitch
    The Progressive$50-$1,000Politics, Social JusticePitch
    Dissent MagazineVariesPolitics, CultureSubmit
    Informed Comment$100Politics, Foreign PolicyGuidelines
    Christian Science Monitor$200-$225News, FeaturesGuidelines

    You’ve Found the Sites. Now What?

    Read their guidelines carefully. I can’t stress this enough.

    Every site has specific requirements. Some want SEO-focused content. Others want personal stories. Missing these details is the fastest way to get rejected.

    At the same time, you need the skills to write content that meets their standards.

    If you need a refresher on how to write high-quality content, these articles will help:

    Best of luck!

    Quick Tips Before You Pitch

    Here are some things I’ve learned from years of freelance writing:

    Read their content first. Spend 15 minutes reading what they publish. Understand their tone, topics, and audience.

    Follow their guidelines exactly. If they say 1,500 words max, don’t send 3,000. If they want a Google Doc, don’t send a PDF.

    Pitch ideas, not finished articles. Most sites want to approve your topic before you write. Don’t waste time writing full drafts before pitching.

    Start with realistic expectations. Higher-paying sites are more competitive. Build clips at smaller publications first, then work your way up.

    Be patient. Some sites take weeks to respond. Follow up once after two weeks, then move on if you don’t hear back.

    Important Notes About This List

    Some sites pause submissions when they have a backlog of content. This doesn’t mean they’re not legit. It just means you need to check back later.

    Pay rates can also change. The amounts listed are accurate as of my last verification, but always confirm with the site’s current guidelines.

    If you notice a site that’s no longer paying or has changed its rates, let me know so I can keep this list updated.

    Do You Want Us to Include Your Site in the Table?

    If you’re paying contributors to write content for your website, we would love to feature your site above so you can attract talented writers who share your passion.

    Fill out the form below and we’ll include your website in this list ASAP:

    Recaptcha v2

    This form is currently undergoing maintenance. Please try again later.
  • How To Start with Email Marketing If You’re A Freelancer

    How To Start with Email Marketing If You’re A Freelancer

    So you just kicked off your career in freelancing.

    You now that gathering contacts and getting the word out about the services you offer can be a challenge. You may have skills that people would pay for. However, finding leads who would pay for your skills is a different story.

    This is because, as a freelancer who is just starting out, your network is still very small.

    But don’t fret. Getting out from this predicament is not as hard as you think. You just need to use the right tool.

    This is where email marketing comes in.

    Why do you need email marketing?

    It’s simple, really. Email marketing is not just affordable and easy to use. It is also an ideal investment and solution if you’re in for the long haul.

    With email marketing, you can do the following:

    Grow your list slowly but surely

    It’s important to integrate email marketing into your contact-gathering strategy. But you need to remember that it is not an overnight solution. You don’t send out emails today and expect thousands of subscribers tomorrow. Email marketing doesn’t work like that.

    Email marketing is a long-term investment. It will help grow your subscriber list and customer base. But it’s going to be a gradual, steady process.

    Once you do get more subscribers and prospects, it’s much easier to make them stay.

    Foster better and deeper relationships

    Email isn’t the same as face-to-face interactions with your prospective clients. Still, it’s a whole lot more personal than paid ads, which a majority of users consider annoying.

    People email one another using laptops and smartphones. Despite its cold nature, you can still personalize your emails as if you are talking to the reader directly. Some basic techniques include using the subscriber’s first name in certain areas of the email, such as the subject line and greeting.

    Turn subscribers into clients

    Email marketing is the perfect medium for showcasing your skills in order to get more clients.

    Prove that you are an expert in your field and entice subscribers to hire you. Do this by promoting your best content pieces that provide your audience with valuable insight via email.

    Let’s say you’re a freelance writer who specializes in writing informative content centered around tech. Your goal is to reach out to the managers of tech companies who might be interested in your services.

    First, you must create a lead magnet about technology

    Create something that will interest decision-makers in the tech industry. You may need to do extensive research about tech topics and provide unique insights into the niche. Generic topics about tech that have been done to death won’t work.

    Once you’ve produced the lead magnet, it’s time to set up an email form. Ask readers to fill out their name and email so they can receive the exclusive content. In exchange, their information will go straight to your email list.

    From here, you can craft a drip email campaign to email subscribers for your writing services. This will only work if the quality of the lead magnet is great. If so, then your chances of converting them into clients are high.

    These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what you can achieve with email marketing. You can accomplish a lot of goals with too—as long as you properly plan and execute your email campaigns.

    How to start with email marketing

    If you are ready to go on your email marketing journey and want to have a successful career in freelance, then you have to start email marketing the right way. Here’s how:

    Find the best email service provider for you

    With countless email service providers (ESPs) available, narrowing down the most suitable one for you can be a daunting task. After all, choosing an ESP does involve making certain considerations.

    This doesn’t have to be the case, though. You just need to do the proper research in order to make an informed decision.

    First, think about your budget.

    Email marketing does not have to be expensive. Pricey ESPs work best for companies and enterprise. There are affordable platforms for freelancers on a budget.

    Also, don’t subscribe to an ESP just because people are raving about it. It’s best to try out the tool first and form your opinion from there. You’re the one using the tool, so what people say shouldn’t matter.

    Some people leave sour reviews about free or cheap ESPs. However, if they work like a charm for you, then use them! There’s no accounting for taste, really.

    Next, outline all the features you’ll need in an ESP.

    Not a design expert but want to create emails that grab attention? Then you need an ESP that comes with a range of beautiful templates that you can tweak in an instant.

    Do you want the ability to analyze and measure email performance on a regular basis? Then you need an ESP that offers useful analytics.

    Good customer support is also crucial for freelancers. Your ESP’s customer support team should be able to quickly assist if you simply need help with the service. This is so you can focus on working for your clients.

    Looking for an ESP that has all these features and more? Then look no further than Campaign Monitor, an ESP that gives you the power to design beautiful, professional-looking emails, create highly personalized customer journeys, and analyze and monitor email data.

    Make it easy for people to subscribe

    Your ultimate goal is to gather contacts who you’ll hopefully convert into paying clients. Therefore, make signing up to your email list as convenient as possible for.

    Provide visitors with several ways to sign up for your email list. Place CTAs on various pages of your website like your homepage, your blog posts, a dedicated landing page like this one Elna Cain’s website.

    (Source)

    Make the process simple for your prospective clients. It will incline them to subscribe to your newsletter and learn what you can offer.

    Get to know your subscribers

    Ask people for information from your subscription forms that will help with your personalization and segmentation efforts. Aside from their name and email addresses, your form should also contain the following:

    • The industry that the potential subscriber is in
    • Their position in the company? (Junior Marketer, CEO, Business Owner, etc.)
    • The type of newsletter content they’d like to receive

    You can ask more questions depending on what service you offer. Ultimately, this information will enable you to:

    • Personalize your email templates according to the receiver (different templates for different industries)
    • Segment your lists and deliver unique content to each list (content for CEOs is different from content for marketers)
    • Deliver relevant content that your subscribers want to know.

    Automate your emails

    Being a freelancer means juggling the work for multiple clients all at once. This will likely leave you with very little time to do anything else. However, your ESP can do the work for you.

    Automating your emails saves you time from manually sending emails to each and every one of your subscribers. Set up your email automation once as well as the triggers and rules that determine when to send the email.

    If done right, then all you need to do is sit back, relax, and watch the engagement rate skyrocket!

    One of the easiest (and most effective) emails to automate is your welcome series. Set up the trigger on your ESP and it will send your welcome email to every new subscriber automatically.

    The timing of the email matters too. Research has revealed that it is best to send the email within the same day that a subscriber signs up.

    Here’s a simple yet attention-grabbing welcome email you can use for inspiration.

    (Source)

    Other emails you can automate include:

    • Client inquiry emails – Send an automated email to subscribers who inquire about your services or asks for a quote. In the message of your email, tell them you’ve received their inquiry and that you will be getting back to them within a specific timeframe. This will make them feel more valued as clients.
    • Thank you emails – Send an automated thank you email whenever you receive payment from a client for services rendered. It shows that you appreciate their business, which builds loyalty and develops your relationship with them.
    • Birthday emails – If the subscriber indicated their birth date, you can offer them a freebie or a discount for your services.

    So do you know now how to start with email marketing?

    This post is by no means an extensive email marketing guide. The purpose of these tips is to simply to help you get the best start you can with email marketing. If you follow the advice above, then you won’t waste your time, effort, and hard-earned money.

    Getting a good grasp of the fundamentals will also make improving your future campaigns and strategies much easier for you.

    That being said, you have to keep in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all email marketing strategy that applies to every freelancer. Your strategy will depend on numerous variables such as your budget, the type of service you offer, the industries you cater to, and so on and so forth. This means that your strategies will differ from other freelancers.

    There is one thing that will be the same for you and every other freelancer out there. You all need to master these email marketing basics.

    Want to receive content like this from your inbox? Fill out the form below to join my mailing list!

  • How to Build a Freelance Portfolio to Drum Up Your Business

    How to Build a Freelance Portfolio to Drum Up Your Business

    A career as a freelance writer can be very rewarding. Getting paid to write is a writer’s dream. But it’s one that requires hard work and dedication.

    If you’ve got a passion for writing and you want to turn it into a full-blown career, you first need to learn how to build a freelance portfolio that will generate business. Here’s how.

    Build your website

    Before you start writing, you’ll first need to a website to display your work. WordPress is the most popular choice for creating an online portfolio, as it’s free and easy to use. But if you’re more tech-savvy, you might find creating a website from scratch preferable instead.

    As a general rule of thumb, your freelance portfolio should include:

    • About page: be clear and concise with who you are and what services you provide.
    • Contact page: this could be a simple form, or you might offer your email address or social profiles.
    • Blog: as well as being good for SEO, blogs also display your value and expertise to potential clients.
    • Portfolio: a collection of your most recent work, with samples and links to live posts.

    It’s important to be discerning when you’re choosing which pieces to display on your portfolio. It can be tempting to post every bit of work you’ve ever done, but as is often the case, quality is better than quantity.

    Takeaway tip

    Select 5-10 pieces of your very best work and display them prominently. While you can certainly link off to other work you’ve done, ensure your best work is placed front and center.

    takeaway tip about work

    Find your writer’s niche

    Most freelance writers, while certainly talented enough to do so, don’t write for any and every industry out there. Instead of casting a wide net, you can catch more fish by being super-specific with the kind of work you do.

    Finding your niche is important because it helps potential clients determine whether or not you’re a good fit for them. Zeroing in on a specific industry show that you’re authoritative in your subject, rather than possessing only a shallow knowledge.

    Potential clients will often want to see an example of your previous work before signing you up. For example, providing a healthcare brand with a sample piece on digital marketing (no matter how well written) won’t cut the mustard.

    Takeaway tip

    Once you’ve identified your niche, do some keyword research around it and optimize your site accordingly. This will help your portfolio appear in search queries from clients looking for writers in your niche.

    Editor’s note:

    Deliver authority and value

    Potential clients will view dozens of writing portfolios as they search for a freelancer. To make your freelance portfolio stand out from your competitors, you need to go the extra mile.

    As well as displaying a collection of your best, most recent work, consider offering something extra that prospective clients won’t find anywhere else.

    Every portfolio should include a blog. It’s a chance for you to pass on knowledge and convey your authority on a subject. But go beyond the blog and offer something no-one else does.

    For example, you could set up a basic e-commerce store and sell an online course or product related to your niche through it. Alternatively, buying an existing business and revamping the stock is a simple trick to save you time. Or you could host webinars on your chosen niche and charge a nominal fee for attending.

    Integrating these with your portfolio doesn’t just provide you with an extra source of income. It’s also a chance for you to display industriousness and authority in your given industry too.

    Takeaway tip

    Go beyond simply displaying your work on your portfolio. Dazzle prospective clients by offering value and authority to make your portfolio stand out from the crowd.

    takeaway tip about portfolio

    Related: 5 Things Your Freelance Portfolio Website Should Include

    Implement a guest post strategy

    Perhaps the easiest and most popular way to build up your portfolio of written work is through guest posting.

    In a nutshell, this involves emailing websites, blogs, and digital publications and asking if you can write for them. You might already have some sites you want to write for in mind already. But if not, a quick Google search can help you find potential opportunities.

    Simply enter your industry keyword and “+ write for us”, and you’ll find dozens of possible options:

    google search

    Before pitching your ideas, read their guidelines and existing content thoroughly to get a feel for the kind of thing they want to publish.

    Regularly writing for sites in your niche doesn’t just build up your portfolio either. Getting your name in industry publications helps build visibility for your work and your services too.

    Takeaway tip

    With guest post outreach, it’s important to be open about what you want. Politely request a backlink to your portfolio to help potential clients find you. And for outreach at scale, use email automation to coordinate your efforts with ease.

    Editor’s note: For guest blogging outreach, I suggest you use Ninja Outreach*. You can find relevant contacts of bloggers, create a drip email campaign to submit to  them, and automate the sending process so you can just wait for their replies.

    Did you learn how to build a freelance portfolio?

    Going freelance as a professional writer is a big step, and requires enormous effort and commitment — but it’s doable. Create and build up a strong online portfolio, and put a regular guest post strategy in place. In doing so, you will get visibility for your work and your services. You’ll soon build up a strong client base that will form the basis of a successful career as a freelance writer.

    victoria greene

    Victoria Greene

    Brand Marketing Consultant

    I love working with brands and businesses, as well as running my own ecommerce stores. Big advocate of social media storytelling, and I’m also a huge animal lover.

  • How to Get More Clients for Your Freelance Business

    How to Get More Clients for Your Freelance Business

    When you first start out as a freelancer, it can seem intimidating.

    You’ll often look at some of the more experienced freelancers in your field or that you know of online and you’ll wonder why you’re not in the same position.

    Feeling small yet?

    But don’t fret – it’s only natural to compare yourself.

    However, instead of doing that, you should think about what you can do to get there.

    You need to remember that you are a beginner, and you will get there eventually. But it takes time.

    Comparing your start to their success isn’t a good idea. But what you can do, is try to work out what they’ve done or what they’re doing and then apply it to your work and your growth. Sometimes, the only reason you feel so overwhelmed is that you have no idea how to get there.

    So that’s what we’re going to go over in this post.

    We’re going to think about all of the things that you can do to get there.- from looking like you’re much bigger than you are to feel more in control and confidence in your abilities.

    Doing all these should help you find the answer on how to get more clients!

    Sound good? Perfect – so you’re along for the ride. Now that you’re in, let’s take a look at the steps that could work out perfectly for you.

    Create a brand for yourself

    First of all, you’re going to want to start off by creating a brand.

    One thing that new freelancers don’t always realize is that they are their own brand!

    Since you are operating a business, you are the service – so it’s you that needs to be branded!

    However, you’ll be glad to know that creating your personal brand, as www.thebalancesmb.com talks about, is relatively simple.

    As long as you set up your branding in place and implement it consistently, your freelance business will grow.

    Build a website

    Once you have your branding in place, you need to set up a website to promote your freelance business.

    Setting up the website can be quite simple. However, it involves different factors that might confuse beginners.

    To help you create the best website possible for your business, below is an infographic that covers everything you need to know about it:

    Now, the infographic is dated back in 2017. But the information it carries remains relevant to this very day.

    When building a site, expect to spend money for tools and services. On the bright side, it won’t be much and it’s an investment worth taking.

    I built my own site in 2014 and it is one of my primary sources for leads!

    I implement the best on-page optimization practices to help rank my website on transactional keywords.

    Thanks to this technique, I don’t have to always reach out to clients to offer my services.

    In fact, the opposite happens:

    People come to my website for my services!

    This is just one of the many advantages of having a website to showcase your portfolio. And if you do it right, you can attract even more leads than I did!

    But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. You still need to build your actual site.

    Using the infographic above as a guide, below are tools that I highly recommend you use:

    • Namecheap* – Buy your domain name here. As the name suggests, the domains here are very affordable.
    • Siteground* – My web host of choice. Easy-to-use hosting, excellent customer support, and awesome free tools to help you make a better site (SSL, Cloudflare, etc.)
    • WordPress (self-hosted)There are lots of reasons why over 76 million websites run on WordPress. Highly flexible, easy to customize, and a host of available plugins are just some of ’em.
    • Keyword Revealer* – Unlock the best keywords in your niche using this freemium tool. Sign up for a free account to get limited searches a day or subscribe to one of their paid plans to unlock the tool’s power of finding low-hanging fruit keywords.

    Get professional design

    The design matters.

    Your website is like the online representation of your service.

    A bad-looking website doesn’t bode well for your business as you could lose leads nad clients.

    Therefore, you need to make sure that it’s professional, eye-catching, well-designed, and easy to use.

    Remember I mentioned that need you need to spend on building a website?

    Well, you will have to do it again for your design.

    Personally, I suggest that you get Beaver Builder*.

    It’s the best drag-and-drop page builder for WordPress.

    It’s what I’m using now for my website.

    And I LOVE it.

    The drag-and-drop feature is the most crucial feature of this tool.

    It turns your page editor into a WYSIWYG editor. You can then choose from premium elements to drop on the page and edit it as you see fit.

    It’s really easy.

    Don’t believe me? Then check out this tutorial video below by Adam from WPCrafter on how he used Beaver Builder to create his awesome site:

    CLICK HERE to visit Beaver Builder.

    Register your business

    At this stage, you may also want to think about registering your business.

    Or, if you’re not setting up as a company (you’re going self-employed instead), then you could look to use www.yourvirtualofficelondon.co.uk to make it look like you are.

    (Of course, you need to look for the best virtual office near you. It wouldn’t make a lot of sense to set up shop in London when you’re somewhere else, now would it?)

    If you have your home details as contact information, it may make you look amateur.

    Plus, do you want to receive business-related snail mail in your own home?

    Hell no!

    It’s better to separate your work from personal life.

    Keeping them distant from each other as much as possible helps you organize your life.

    Lastly, your virtual office lets you meet up with potential clients there instead of your home or some grubby stall at the darkest corners of the street.

    Keeping it professional means giving the best first impression to your clients and leads.

    So, having a professional business address can make you seem more established than you are.

    Reach out

    You’ll also want to make sure that you’re doing some research too.

    If you want to make sure that you can be the best freelancer you can be, you need to know what you’re doing.

    And it all has to do with your industry…

    …starting with who your target clients are.

    You can’t just target all businesses out there. You need to refine your search by establishing your buyer persona.

    Once you have a customer avatar for your freelance business, it’s time to look for them.

    For this, I use Ninja Outreach*.

    It’s a tool that helps me compile a list of potential clients via blogger outreach.

    And it’s really easy to use.

    Once you signed up for an account, click on the “Create a List” box.

    Then a window appears on the same page. Fill out the form then click “Find leads. Click “Create a new list” when done.

    The created list appears on the dashboard. Click on the “Go Find Leads” button.

    I entered “SEO leads” as the name of the list.

    You will be brought to a new page where you can search for leads from the tool.

    So the question now is:

    Who are my leads?

    It depends on the kind of freelancer you are.

    For example, if you’re a freelance writer like me, you have to know which niche you specialize in.

    Through the years, I have garnered experience writing about SEO.

    I feel confident writing about the subject. And I have posts written about the topic and published on different blogs and sites.

    Putting one and one together:

    My clients are SEO agencies!

    There are agencies who might be looking to add another writer into their talent pool. Or there are those who are looking for a blogger to publish content for them.

    Either way, there’s an opportunity for me waiting in the corner. And I can get hold of that opportunity using Ninja Outreach.

    On the search bar, type “SEO” and check the “Company” box.

    If you do it correctly, here’s what you will see:

    And with just a few clicks of a button, you have generated over 30,000+ leads for your freelance business.

    Amazing.

    From here, you can click on the “Save all” button to store them to your list.

    A lightbox opens so you can save the leads in your list.

    The most leads you can save in a list is 5,000. Click on the “First 5k Leads” tab and hit “Save.”

    It takes a couple of seconds before Ninja Outreach saves all of them in your list.

    You will then see the SEO leads list grow in number on your screen.

    Here’s the final count:

    Building your list of leads is just half of the battle.

    You then need to create an email template that you will use to reach out to them.

    Cold email is a very tricky method to get clients for your freelance method.

    If you set up this one incorrectly, then you won’t convert leads into clients from Ninja Outreach.

    However, with the right cold email, expect them to come running and asking you to become their client.

    To do this using the tool, hover on Outreach and click “Templates.”

    Type caption (optional)

    Then click on the “Create template” button.

    A lightbox appears where you can enter your cold email template.

    As mentioned, your cold email is the most important factor of your blogger outreach.

    When I write cold emails, I keep these points as my rules of thumb:

    • Make your subject line irresistible
    • Keep it short (ideally less than five sentences)
    • Mention their name to personalize it
    • End the email with a question or call to action
    • Add signature to introduce yourself to the recipients. It must include your name, title, website URL, and links to articles I’ve written
    • Provide value to increase their chances of replying to you

    Here’s the template I made using the points above as reference:

    It may not be the best email there and I’m sure that you can make a better one you can send to your leads.

    But here are some great points you can get from this template:

    On the subject, “better content” is something all SEO agencies want and need. Therefore, it should pique that interests and encourage them to open my email.

    I have five sentences in total in this email (not including the signature and sample works). The second sentence cuts to the chase and expresses my intention to work with them.

    The next two sentences address two of the biggest issues in content writing for SEO. By telling them that you can write well-researched and keyword-rich content to their blog and clients, you also raise the bar of expectation for your services.

    The last sentence puts the ball on their court. I’m sure they want better content, but will they reply?

    To help them with their decision, I’ve included a link to my website that they can visit and my best sample works related to SEO to date that they can read.

    If they’re impressed with what they see, there’s a good chance they might reply!

    But before we dispatch this email to your leads, you need to fill out your contact form details.

    Here’s the thing:

    Ninja Outreach will send the emails to their email address.

    However, if the email isn’t available, the tool will send it using the lead’s contact form found on their site.

    Therefore, you need to cover all your bases and make sure that your email will go through the contact form as well.

    To do that, click on the “Contact form” tab on the email editor.

    On the next page, you need to fill out the information that will be entered on the site’s contact form.

    Once done, click “Save.”

    The tool will redirect you back to the Templates page. Scroll the page to find your template.

    Next, I suggest you create a follow-up email to your first email.

    There are times when your leads receive and open your email but forget to reply back.

    By following up with another email, you get them a gentle nudge about your previous email and increase your chances of getting a reply.

    To do this, simply repeat the process of creating a template email.

    Click on the “Create Template” button and compose your follow-up email.

    Here’s what I wrote on mine:

    Simple and straightforward.

    Once you’ve saved all of them, go to Outreach > Autosending from the menu.

    Next, click “Schedule A Campaign.”

    You will then see this page:

    On the Select a List drop-down menu, click on the list you created.

    On the Select Email drop-down menu, click on the email address where you want to send the email.

    (To add more emails in the list, click on your Profile icon on the upper right part of the screen, click Settings, then click “Connect to Gmail” or “Connect an email account (IMAP)” under Connected emails.

    On the Select Template drop-down menu, click on the email template we just created for this campaign.

    Under “How many emails do you want to send per day,” it’s up to you regarding the number of emails you want to send in a day. Just make sure that you don’t exceed sending over 1,000 emails in total using your email account.

    Under “Setting up your schedule,” it’s best to choose later. Not only will you be able to schedule the start of the campaign but you’ll also determine the days of the week when the tool will send the emails.

    For best results, uncheck the weekends from the schedule. Some businesses close shop during the weekends and they emails will just bounce back to you.

    Next, you need to add the email follow-up. Choose the template and the number of days when the recipients will receive the email after the first email is sent.

    After you’re done, here’s what the page will look like:

    Once you’ve confirmed the details, you need to validate the contact details of the people in your list.

    Scroll down the page to filter your list of leads.

    To make this quick, click on the lightning icon to verify all the emails of your leads.

    It will show these choices:

    From here, you can toggle whether or not to send emails to leads you’ve emailed in the past using Ninja Outreach and those with missing fields.

    In this case, you need to not include leads with missing fields.

    It will decrease the emails in your list. But that’s the only way we can push forward with the campaign.

    Once done, click “Launch Campaign.”

    The tool will process the leads who will receive the emails.

    And that’s it! The tool will take care of sending the emails on your behalf so you can focus on doing other things for your freelance business.

    UPDATE: 13 hours after launching the SEO leads campaign on Ninja Outreach…

    Out of the 50 emails I sent for the day, I received one reply from a prospective client!

    want better content

    To this, I say – HELL TO THE YEAH!

    via GIPHY

    Now, there’s still work to be done. I still have to close this lead into a client. That’s another story for another day.

    However, through cold email outreach, I was able to reach out to people whom I had no connection with before into someone who’s interested in my services!

    If I can do this for my freelance business using Ninja Outreach, so can you!

    NinjaOutreach Free Trial

    Write a blog

    Then, you might want to think about writing a blog.

    When it comes to blog posts, they can be great for SEO and getting your site noticed. But not only that, you can show off your expertise to your ideal client or help other writers too.

    So make sure that there’s a blog section on your site and start writing about your craft.

    Create great content

    And, you absolutely have to make sure that you’re producing great work as a minimum. If you can do a good job, clients will repeatedly hire you and even recommend you to others.

    To make sure that you’re using things like www.neilpatel.com to grow your craft and constantly look to improve.

    Focus on a growth plan

    And then from here, you’re going to want to know where you’re going. And this is where a growth plan comes in. It’s going to be important for you to be able to think about where you want to take your freelance business and how you’re going to do it.

    The good news is, you’re already working on a lot of it. So you can take a few of this steps and add them into your growth strategy. Then, as you’re moving forward and ticking each section off, you should find that you’re well on your way to where you want to be.

    Have more ideas on how to get more clients? Share your tips by commenting below!

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