So, you’ve taken the big plunge into the world of freelance blogging as a web content strategist. You no longer have the security of working for a large company. The freedom to write about whatever you like gives you an uncanny sense of professional pride. Although working as a freelance blogger has its numerous benefits, several pitfalls await first-time freelance bloggers who don’t understand how to build a thriving freelance writing business. If you’re about to take the big plunge into freelance blogging, you should follow blog tips for first-time freelance bloggers that ensure your nascent career turns into a longstanding professional endeavor.
Create a Blogging Calendar
Although the term “freelance” conjures up freewheeling and dealing, seasoned freelance bloggers understand that they need to create and adhere to a regular blogging regimen. Most experienced freelance writers develop monthly blog post schedules that include the date of each scheduled post, along with a topic to discuss. A monthly blogging schedule not only keeps first-time time freelance bloggers organized, it also ensures readers that they can expect regularly uploaded fresh content.
Revisiting Topics is Okay
Many first-time freelancers who are web content strategists have the silly notion that once they address a topic, they can never go back and revisit the topic in subsequent posts. However, think about the number of new readers of your blog since the last time you discussed a popular topic. First-time bloggers should consider revisiting popular topics every three months or so to update trends and educate new readers about a topic that has staying power.
The Proof Is in the Quality
First-time bloggers make many mistakes, some of which irrevocably cause them to lose readers. The most glaring mistake of all involves uploading content that includes misspellings, poor grammar, and amateur sentence construction. Nothing screams shoddy more than blog posts that the publisher obviously didn’t proofread and edit. First-time freelance bloggers must pay special attention to presenting meticulously proofread work that minimizes conventional English errors.
Promote Your Blog
“Write it and they will come” does not work in the world of freelance blogging. First-time bloggers must actively promote their blogs online, from posting messages to forums that cover similar topics to creating interest via social media websites. Just because your write like Hemmingway and provide helpful tips on how to make reader lives better does not mean people miraculously find you online. You need to promote your blog by thinking like a web content strategist.
SEO Gets Your Freelance Blogger Career Noticed
Search engine optimization (SEO) makes the difference between your freelance blog landing on the first search engine results page and languishing on page 34. First-time bloggers often neglect to create fresh, relevant content that search engines such as Google reward. You can write the most compelling blog posts and count the number of visitors on one hand, unless you develop SEO practices that the three major search engines reward with high rankings. That’s where a web content strategist comes in.
Guest Bloggers Ensure Fresh Content
Too many first-time freelance bloggers approach their blogs as if they oversee a vast treasure. They refuse to allow anyone to add insight into topics and they dismiss other perspectives. Since networking opens doors to your freelance blog, a good way to expand your network involves recruiting guest bloggers to produce fresh, relevant content for your blog. The flip side of recruiting guest bloggers is that your guest bloggers may reciprocate the offer to contribute to your blog by offering you a platform to post on their blogs.
Stay Within Your Area of Expertise
The most effective way for a first-time freelance blogger to grow his or her audience is to establish a reputation for being an authority for a particular subject matter. This means blog about what you know and allow commentors to fill in the blanks of what you don’t know. Nothing destroys the credibility of a freelance blogger faster than spouting off about a topic that you have little or no knowledge. Stick with what you know and build the level of trust that makes you an expert in your chosen profession.
Build a Portfolio
The age-old question of what came first, the chicken or the egg, has relevance for first-time freelance bloggers. In this case, first-time bloggers must learn how to gain credibility in a crowded field of other first-time bloggers. You need to build a writing portfolio that demonstrates your writing acumen and knowledge of your specialty. The best way to build a portfolio is to join one of the third-part freelance writing sites that match clients and freelance writers. After spending time building your portfolio, you have the capability to show your readers that you have the chops to produce a compelling blog.
Solve Reader Problems
How do you get readers to keep coming back to your blog for more? The answer lies in helping your readers solve problems. Whether you write a plumbing blog or upload cycling related content, you have the perfect platform for helping readers solve difficult problems. Plumbers can help readers address a wide variety of plumbing issues and cycling enthusiasts flock to cycling blogs that provide helpful tips on bike maintenance. Far too many first-time freelance bloggers write content based more on opinion than fact. Readers want facts, preferably facts than enhance their lives.
First-time bloggers make many mistakes that eventually lead to the end of their blogging careers. You can avoid most of the mistakes by taking a methodical approach to building your readership. Most first-time bloggers take years to develop a loyal following online and they reach readership milestones by following a few time-tested tips that are low on theatrics and high on writing fundamentals. Blogging can become a lucrative career, as long as you avoid the many pitfalls that await first-time freelance bloggers.