Making money as a freelance writer isn't hard. But be ready to do the hard work. Learn everything you can about writing. Study the legendary writers like Cormac McCarthy and William Faulkner. Become a master at weaving together words and phrases that speak to the right people. Learn how to sell yourself. Then be willing to pitch to clients.
Data suggests that in 2022, annual earnings by USA freelancers grew by $100 million to total over $1.3 trillion. But to make money as a freelance writer, be better than the rest. Statistics confirm that there are around 73.3 million freelancers in the USA as of 2023.
To get attention, create a unique angle. Find a way to stand out from the crowd. Then be ready to do a ton of writing. As a freelance writer, your writing is the only way to earn an income, unlike the local lead generation business model, which focuses on building digital wealth. Once a client pays for your writing, they own your work. But with lead generation, you own digital assets. Websites that belong to you and generate passive income.
Making Money As A Freelance Writer In 2024: 3 Income Boosting Strategies
To make money as a freelance writer in 2024, you could check out job boards like Blogging Pro or Constant Contact to find freelance writing work. Use a content mill such as Scripted and Crowd Content. Or check out websites like Fiverr and Upwork or writing sites that pay daily like The Barefoot Writer and Longreads.
Then pitch offers to as many people and freelance writing gigs as you can. But the problem with these sites is that they're often saturated. So you need to settle for low-ball offers. Or deal with clients who don't see the value of your writing.
Of course, when just starting, they are a place to land a freelance writing job. Do a stellar job for your client. Overdeliver on their expectations. Ask them for a review. Then you get the social proof you need to gain attention from the high-ticket players and earn money writing stories. But when you're ready to be an entrepreneur and earn some real money writing, consider these three crucial factors:
Pick the right freelance writing niche. Choose one with a high search volume that is in demand. Then consider your interests and life experiences. For example, Do you have a passion for a specific niche or notable talent in a certain type of writing? As a freelance writer, you're going to be doing a ton of writing.
So choose something you like or are interested in learning more about. Then you don't risk burnout. It's easier to write about a topic. Or create content that offers a different perspective when you like what you're composing. Next, narrow your niche. Find gaps in the market. Is there an underserved audience? How can you be better than what's already online?
Your niche can be an industry like healthcare, medicine, SaaS, and finance. Or it can be the writing style you offer, like product descriptions for ecommerce or a long-form blog post. But in 2024, the real money is in niches that require research and a specific skill. Studies suggest that the highest-paying writing freelancers offer SEO consulting, direct response copywriting, and sales.
The key is to target a niche with high-profit margins—or business owners with the budget to pay for your writing services. Next, as a new freelance writer, develop a stellar writing portfolio. The idea is to create an arsenal of your best work. Then your writing sells your services to higher paying clients. Don't add a ton of writing samples. Instead, make your portfolio skimmable and easy for a client to summarize.
Your brand voice is what gains you attention from the right people and helps you land a writing gig. A brand voice is your personality. It's how you set yourself apart from all the Internet noise and connect with your ideal client. But you need a brand voice that speaks their language. Use words that tap into their emotions.
The key is to learn everything you can about your client avatar and their niche. Understand how to tailor the sound and tone of your brand to connect with the right people. Then be consistent. Every post or comment you share online needs to be in the voice of your brand.
Brandly states that brand visibility is 3.5Xs higher for consistently presented brands than those without a consistent brand presentation. As a result, you become recognizable. Then you can land more freelance writing jobs in your niche market.
To grow your freelancing business, be where your potential customers are. What platforms do they like on social media? What networking groups do they belong to? Where are they looking for answers? Build a strong presence on the right channels.
For example, create a Facebook business page, set up a LinkedIn profile, or join network groups in your niche. Connect with a writing cooperative and ask other freelancers for referrals. Build a website and post content on a blog. Offer to do a guest post or related post for another blogger in your niche.
Research suggests that using multiple channels can increase engagement by more than 300%. Get your content writing in front of a ton of eyeballs by becoming consumer-centric. The more channels you leverage, the more customers you can reach. Share valuable copy that's better than what's being posted online. Become the expert. Connect with the right people. Then you can make good money freelance writing.
What Is Freelance Writing?
Freelance writing is crafting text for a third party. As a freelance writer, you're not an employee or staff writer for an agency or a company. Instead, you get paid directly from the clients you retain. But it's a competitive market. Data suggests that 82% of freelancers in the United States are freelance writers. So to get paid well for your writing services, be the better marketer. Then write content that people want to read.
What Is A Freelancer?
A freelancer is self-dependent. They work for themselves and are their own boss of an online business. Freelancers are typically retained by a potential client on a per-project or per-job basis. Data states that 60% of freelancers who left a full-time job to become freelancers make more money than they did in their previous jobs. As a freelancer, you can work from anywhere in the world. You get to dictate your schedule and work for the people you want to work for.
How Do You Get Started As A Freelance Writer?
To get started as a freelance writer, practice and master your writing skills. Decide what niche you want to write about. Get active on social media. Showcase your writing skills on multiple channels. Tell people what you do and start conversations. Then become the authority in your niche.
1. Learn and understand current writing trends:
Learn from one person. An expert who you can ask questions and derive guidance from. Then apply what you learn and get experience. Spend time writing. The more you practice writing, the better you understand what words get the right reaction.
2. Decide on your freelance writing niche:
What does your ideal client look like? What type of writing do you want to offer? Use tools like Google Trends or People Also Ask. Check out what kinds of questions or topics people are searching for online. Learn what kind of content gets the most engagement. Then craft text people want to read.
3. Create profiles as a freelance writer:
Get active on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Share content on networking forums like Quora and Reddit. Focus on providing the best answer. Don't write fluff. Instead, share hyper-targeted content. Publish a website that lists your writing services.
Add a bio and a blog. Use local SEO to drive online traffic. Build awareness and advertise your writing services. Focus on selling the benefits of your skills. Next, design a writing portfolio to showcase your writing types. For example, include sales copy, direct response copy, or long-form articles.
4. Pitch potential freelance writing clients:
Be persistent. Don’t stop until you find one that says 'yes.' Invest the time in online marketing tactics like social media posts, paid ads, or content creation on sites like TikTok and Instagram. Carol Tice discusses a lot of marketing strategies for freelance writers in Freelance Writers Den 2x.
5. Land higher paying freelance writing clients:
Overdeliver for existing clients. Get social proof like reviews and testimonials. Then include them on your website or profile pages.
Ask for referrals. Leverage word-of-mouth marketing to broaden your reach. Invespcro suggests that people are 90% more likely to trust and buy from a brand recommended by a friend. The more people know about your writing skills, the faster you can scale your freelance writing business. But this is how to earn an income and become a successful freelance writer in 2024.
How Hard Is It To Break Into Freelance Writing?
It is fairly hard to break into freelance writing, but it's not impossible. There's no test or license to be a freelance writer. The secret is to be a great writer. Produce the kind of writing that your ideal client is looking for. Have a killer portfolio. Tailor your pieces to fit what a potential client wants. Then nail down your pitch. Don't spam and be too salesy.
Instead, lead with value. Give them a no or low-risk offer they can't refuse. To break into freelance writing, you have to be the best writer. But you also need to be the best marketer. Learn how to sell yourself. Identify why you're the best choice. And how your writing can gain a client more eyeballs, more sales, more leads, or more revenue.
Is Freelance Writing Oversaturated?
Freelance writing is not oversaturated. There are over 5.18 billion internet users. And there are millions of pieces of content posted every day. But to gain attention from the right audience, write copy that people want to read. Communicate to your online audience text in their language. Use their words and phrases.
Then share an alternate perspective on a topic. Or teach them something new. People are inherently curious. They use the Internet to learn. Business owners know that in 2024, there is a demand for Internet and social media content. The key to selling your writing skill is to learn how to pen the text that drives online traffic to their offers. Then your freelance services will be in constant demand.
Is A Freelance Writer A Good Side Hustle?
Being a freelance writer is a good side hustle because it's a home job or one you can do from anywhere in the world. There are no set working hours. You can retain one freelance client or one hundred. Of course, there will be deadlines.
But if you're clear with your clients. Set boundaries in your freelance contract. Then you have a ton of autonomy as a freelance writer. But to make money freelance writing, write for the right niche. DDIY suggests that some copywriters can earn up to $250 an hour. How much you make depends on your niche and your writing type. Consider things like,
- What kind of writing do you want to do?
- Do you want to be a ghostwriter or write content for a blog?
- Do you enjoy crafting headlines and compelling text needed for sales copy in PPC advertising?
- Or scripting text for social media posts used in digital marketing campaigns?
Copywriting can be profitable as long as you can position yourself as the expert. Become an authority in your niche and write content that speaks to the right people. Then your freelance work will sell itself.
Are Freelance Writers In High Demand?
Yes, freelance writers are in high demand. Studies show that the number of freelancers in the USA is estimated to reach 79.6 million by 2025 and 90.1 million by 2028. There are over 33.2 million small businesses in the USA. Each one of them represents a potential customer. Business owners know the only way to stay relevant is to be online.
But most lack writing skills. Or they don't have the time to create copywriting or content marketing. So they hire a professional writer to drive traffic to their offers and build brand awareness. Freelance writers who can get high conversions or more sales for a company will always be in high demand and achieve a successful writing career.
Why Is It Important To Diversify Your Income As A Freelance Writer?
It's important to diversify your income as a freelance writer to protect yourself if you lose a big client or there is a shift in market demand in your niche. As a freelancer, you get paid for each freelance job you complete. But in 2024, you need to have multiple channels to generate income. For example, a business may only need a content writer for a short time, so they outsource to a freelancer.
But when the gig is done, so is the money. The key is to stay ahead of trends. Then you stay relevant and can earn a steady income. Check out what the top players are doing. Where are they posting or getting writing jobs? Do you have another skill you can bundle with your writing? Could you offer graphic design or SEO copywriting? Other ways to diversify your income as a freelance writer include:
Freelancers who diversify their income stream put themselves in a safer place financially. There's less earning instability. And you don't risk losing a ton of cash in the event of economic turndown.
How Does Local Lead Generation Compare To Freelance Writing?
The local lead generation business model is a proven concept. The idea is to build and rank micro websites that target the right location and offer the right service. Unlike freelance writing, the websites, the tracking number, and the leads they produce belong to you. You don't need to pitch to clients or spend time writing to become a success story. Instead, you leverage local SEO tactics to get your sites to the top of the search engines.
But at the top, your lead gen sites are valuable online real estate. They start producing leads you sell to a local business owner for profit margins as high as 85%-90%. Once you understand the process, you can develop your system and scale fast. Each site only takes around 10-15 hours to build and about $500 to rank. Build one. Then build ten more. Create an empire of lead generation properties. But this is how you create passive income and make money online in 2024.
