Freelancing is fun. At least, that’s what we’re told.

The freedom to choose your own schedule, working from anywhere at any time, being your own boss, and more importantly, avoiding the dreaded commute that might take too many hours out of your day.

But with these perks comes a lot of responsibility.

At the end of the day, whether you are working or not depends solely on you, and how you handle the opportunities you’ve acquired.

Hopping from one gig to the other, if not done right, can leave you with too much time and little work on your hands.

If you’re a freelancer, like me, you know that you have to be able to maintain relationships with clients and be on the constant look-out for work.

This is not easy. I know. That’s because you’re not only creating most of the time, but you also have to play the role of an accounts man- looking for new business that will substitute the work you previously had.

So here are a couple of pointers on how to keep the engine running when it comes to work as a freelancer:

Be Active

And by this, I mean: be actively aware. Sometimes work will come to you, sometimes you’ll have to look harder for it. Both require a high level of engagement with your surroundings and the people in them.

Even if you’ve developed a solid business, that fulfills all, if not most, of your income needs, you should continue to network. It is the best time to do so, since you have work that will allow you to concentrate on the opportunities you enjoy and want to participate in.  

Build Relationships

Learn how to turn old into new. Every job you have as a freelancer is a chance to get another chance at more work, and potentially, long term work. Long-term work in the freelance world is what will allow you to continue to work off the beaten path. At the end of the day, whether we like it or not, financial stability is necessary in life, and this is a great way to have that security.

There are many reasons why having long-term clients should be your goal. It will always be less expensive and you will be able to spend less time looking for new clients. Overall, to build these relationships, your work should reflect that you care about your client’s business, and more importantly that you are THERE.

Build Your Brand

As a freelancer, part of your job is to sell yourself. In today’s uber socialized world, how you present yourself online is as important as how you do it in person. It’s another way to generate credibility and trust with potential clients. A resume is fine, but websites, blogs, social media accounts make your brand tangible. This requires more time than it does money, and it’s a great way to showcase your talents and skills. Think about it as the digitalized version of your elevator speech: you have 30 seconds to 1 minute to catch their attention.

This way you’ll make it easy for THEM to find YOU.

**Sidenote: Your personal approach to new business should be as polished. Being able to relate what you do to anyone, in a concise yet interesting way, at any given moment is essential.

Let Your Work Speak For You

This goes hand in hand with never taking an opportunity for granted. We all have to do work that we don’t necessarily enjoy sometimes. Even freelancers. That’s how you become better at what you do and at distinguishing the jobs that you want from those that you don’t. If you’re working on something that you find a bit mundane, don’t let it become unimportant. How you treat the work you don’t enjoy so much speaks a lot about your work ethic and the commitment to your clients.

Say Yes

Whenever a new opportunity arose, I’d always consult my father on where he thought it could lead. His answer always involved asking whether it was something that interested me and saying what his father would always tell him: “take the opportunities, even more if it’s something out of your comfort zone. Be the one who volunteers, you never know where it can lead.”

In other words, sometimes we don’t look for jobs in places because they have nothing to do with “what we know” or “our experience”. But intelligence and success aren’t based solely on what we know. How willing, and determined, you are to learn will take you farther. I’m not saying you have to go out there and become an astrophysicist, but not knowing everything shouldn’t be a limitation but a challenge to grow.

Then Learn How To Say No

The last point leads me to what is even harder to do as a freelancer, because we’re constantly tempted to say yes to absolutely everything. It’s not about saying yes to every single opportunity that presents itself without careful meditation, it’s about identifying the good from the bad. Yes, you might be working all the time and the jobs will be paying, but there needs to be a balance between doing what you need to do (to sustain yourself) and what you want to do.

Say Thank You And Leave The Door Open

If there’s one thing mom and dad we’re right about is that being polite is important. Don’t forget that your clients are people too. When a project is done, thank your client for the opportunity they’ve given you. Be genuine and show them there is another person on the other side.

More importantly, if you’re interested in working with them again, make it known! Let them know you can be reached for future projects and that you look forward to working with them again. A few words can go a long way.

Don’t Stop Working

You might have hit a rut. It happens. Freelancing is unpredictable because it falls outside the confines of a typical structure. If you find yourself with little work and few leads, the worst thing you can do is think that the work will come to you.

Take a course to improve your skills. Pitch to clients (small and big) every day. Look at your list of contacts: friends, family, ex co-workers, college friends. Reach out to them and let them know you’re looking for something, these are some of your best sources. After all, solid networks are at the base of all success.

Whatever you do, don’t stop.

The post 8 Freelance Habits That Attract New Clients and Keeps Them Coming Back For More appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

The good news is, as more companies, startups, and busy professionals look for online help there are more and more ways to earn as a freelancer.

But where, exactly, are these potential clients connecting with freelancers? It depends. Some find freelancers by word of mouth. Others turn to social media. And some sign up as clients on various freelance websites.

It’s these freelance websites, in particular, that can seem like a foreign landscape if you’ve never used them before. And as someone who has turned them many times as both a client and a freelancer, I can attest that not all freelance websites are created equal.

So, whether you’re a beginner looking to dip your toe in the freelance waters, a seasoned pro looking to find your next favorite client, or a side hustler looking for a gig or two a month, you may actually find what you’re looking for on the different freelance websites out there.

Freelance Websites – What Are They, Exactly?

As I mentioned earlier, not all freelance websites are created equal. Each has a different modus operandi — and, as such, you’ll love how some operate and absolutely hate how others go about doing business. You’ll quickly find that your way of freelancing better aligns with one freelance site over the next. And that’s okay.

For example, I’ve never had any luck as a freelancer on Fiverr (not for lack of trying!) while others have found six-figure success on this well-known $5-gig site.

Then there’s mega-marketplaces like Upwork that some freelancers count on for full-time income while others thrive in competition sites like 99designs or Freelancer.

Really, the freelance website you gravitate towards will depend on your skills and how you like to work. Period.

So, I’ve rounded up a diverse selection of five very different freelance websites to help you figure out what you’re getting into as a freelancer before you get into it.

1.  Upwork

You’ll either love Upwork or hate it. There seems to be no in between for most freelancers. Me? I have a love-hate relationship with the site as I’ve used it as a both a freelancer and a client. Feeling aside, what I can attest to is this: There is a lot of work available on this site!

Think about this: More than 1 million businesses turn to Upwork to find freelancers, like you, to work on everything from data entry to design work. Dropbox, Airbnb, and zendesk are just a few of the well known businesses that use Upwork to find freelancers.

In total, more than 3 million gigs are posted here each year which amounts to more than $1 billion worth of contracts! Pretty impressive, right? That’s why Upwork wins the title of most active of all the freelance websites on the list. It truly is the mecca of freelance marketplaces. But just because it’s the biggest, doesn’t make it the best. There are, however, some things to consider before diving into the deep end of the Upwork pool.

How it Works

You can sign up as a freelancer for free! You’ll create a profile that clients can see. This is where you can show off your portfolio and brag about the amazing work you’re known for. Once you’ve filled out your profile, you can start pitching to gigs that pique your interest. With the free account, you’ll get 60 connects per month. Each pitch you send out will “cost” you a couple of connects. Sometimes you’ll get the gig. Sometimes you won’t. There can be a lot of stiff competition!

When you are rewarded a gig, you’ll hand over a percentage of your earnings to Upwork. The percentage changes based on how long you’ve been with a client and how much you’ve worked for them — long-term projects with higher revenue are rewarded with lower fees.

You can receive your earnings via PayPal or direct deposit — the choice is yours.

The Pros and Cons

The number one pro of Upwork is the sheer volume of work available. On the flip side, you’ve got to do a lot of pitching in order to land gigs. And pitching can take time — a lot of time. There’s also a lot of competition on this site. And sometimes, clients aren’t looking for top talent. They’re simply looking for the lowest bidder. And when you factor in fees as high as 20%, it can feel like you’re working for next to nothing if you’re not careful.

If you’ve perfected your pitch and don’t mind a little competition, you can find tons of success on Upwork. But if you just hate the idea of tailoring a unique pitch to each gig that piques your interest, you may want to move on. I’m serious when I say you will spend a ton of time perusing gigs and pitching to potential clients.

2. FreeeUP

FreeeUp is the newest of the freelance websites to make it on this list. But since launching they’ve seen tremendous growth and have a pretty impressive lineup of clients that include both big-name businesses and single sellers in the world of eCommerce. This includes everyone from Amazon and eBay sellers to large online boutiques and familiar brands.

How it Works

Since the majority of their clients are online sellers, FreeeUp looks for freelancers with talents that translate well to eCommerce. Some of the skills they seek include data entry, customer service, SEO, marketing, and graphic design. They also are interested in hearing from freelancers with experience in popular selling platforms like Amazon, Ebay, WordPress and Shopify.

If you think you’ve got what it takes, you can sign up as a worker and initiate the hiring process. In speaking with FreeeUp CEO, Nathan Hirsch, I learned that freelancers are evaluated on three different criteria:

1. Culture Fit
2. Skills
3. Communication

On average, only about 1% of freelancers make it through their hiring process — but don’t let that discourage you. If you have the talent combined with the open communication needed to work with clients, you may be rewarded with a steady stream of work — no pitching required! That’s right. FreeeUp reviews clients’ needs and pairs them with the perfect freelancer. This means you can spend less time pitching and more time earning, win-win.

The Pros and Cons

For those freelancers who dislike the entire pitching process common on some of the big-name marketplace sites, FreeeUp may be a good fit. Clients and freelancers alike benefit from not having to go through the tedious pitching/reviewing/proposal step and can instead get right to work

On the flip side, being a freelancer on FreeeUp means you’re limited to whatever gigs are assigned to you. This means if you don’t have any work, you’ll have to go elsewhere to find it. But as FreeeUp continues to grow their client base, it means more jobs and steady work for freelancers.

3. CloudPeeps

Unlike Upwork, where anyone and everyone can sign up to freelance, CloudPeeps makes freelancers apply to join their platform. This ensures you have the right skills to meet their clients’ needs. It also helps build a community of freelancers who are dedicated to their craft and are passionate about remote work culture.

While all types of freelancers are welcome, CloudPeeps is particularly interested in hearing from freelancers with design, development, PR, marketing, content marketing, and social media backgrounds.

How it Works

Before you become a Peep, you’ve got to go through the application process. Again, CloudPeeps looks for motivated freelancers who are self-starters. Typically, they seek Peeps with native level proficiency in English and previous work experience in the areas previously mentioned above. Most applicants will know within 24 hours whether or not they’ve been selected to become a Peep.

From there, you’ll get the chance to create a profile and set up a Storefront. This means that, in addition to pitching to posted jobs, you have the opportunity to sell your services directly to clients — a feature unique to CloudPeeps!

As a Peep, how often you’re paid depends on whether your job is hourly, fixed, or a one-time project. Either way, Peeps can receive their payments via PayPal or direct deposit.

The Pros and Cons

I like that CloudPeeps gives freelancers a chance to set up their own Storefront to showcase their talents and receive direct orders from clients. Freelancers get tons of autonomy while using the CloudPeeps platform but are still able to escalate any issues directly to CloudPeeps if needed.

But there is no guarantee that you will pass the application process and, even if you do, you still have to pitch to gigs to find work. However, if you pitch well and sell yourself through your Storefront, you can easily find enough work to keep you busy.

4. Fiverr

If you think you can’t make a living on the famous $5-gig site — think again! There are many sellers making a comfortable six-figures selling gigs here. In fact, there are countless Fiverr seller success stories like this one, this one, and this one!

And it’s easy to see why sellers can be successful freelancers when the Fiverr platform is so popular amongst buyers. For as little as $5 you can buy everything from a polished logo to creative content and keyword research — and that’s just a small sampling of some of the mainstream gigs. There’s even some unique and downright strange gigs to be found here. And that’s what makes Fiverr great — you really can make a living doing whatever it is you enjoy.

How it Works

It’s a common misconception that you have to always sell your work on Fiverr for $5 — but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Yes, you do have to offer at least one basic $5 gig but most sellers earn the big bucks when they create gig packages and add-ons.

For example, let’s say you’ll write 150 words of content for $5. To complement this offering, you can sell an additional 400 word for ten more dollars. If time is of the essence, you can offer 24-hour turnaround for another $15. By the time all is said and done, you’ve just earned $30.

But really, it all starts with a stellar seller profile. Instead of pitching to gigs, customers come to you. How? Your seller profile. This is where you’ll sell your gigs, represent your skills, and tell your story of what makes you the best freelancer for a gig. When clients like what they see, they’ll purchase your gig and you can get to work.

Fiverr does take a 20% cut of your earnings — so if you’re selling something for $5, you’ll net $4 of it. Once a gig is complete, the buyer reviews it and accepts the work. That’s when you’ll get paid.

The Pros and Cons

Not having to endlessly pitch your services to clients means you can focus more on getting work done (which means more money!). And it’s also a bonus that freelancers get to set up different gigs and offer add-ons that can take a $5 gig to a $50 one.

But there’s definitely a learning curve when it comes to selling on Fiverr. It can take some time for your first gig to roll in. Even still, the amount you earn will be based on how well your gig performs on this super crowded marketplace. But if you perform great work and are priced competitively, you can find a consistent stream of orders in your Fiverr seller’s queue.

5. LinkedIn ProFinder

At last count, LinkedIn had a reported 450 million users! And while it’s no secret that many use this social platform to network and find jobs, it’s not widely known as a way for freelancers to find work. Enter LinkedIn ProFinder. Launched in October 2015, ProFinder was specifically built to assist independent LinkedIn professional users connect with companies seeking top freelance talent.

Design, writing, coaching, photography, wellness, and administrative are just some of the most requested services on ProFinder (you can view a full list here). And what’s unique about ProFinder is you get to work on projects in your local area.

How it Works

First things first, you’ll need to sign up as ProFinder Pro. After that, it’s time to pen an eye-catching profile that sells your services! Your profile is the first thing potential clients will see, so you need to make it shine — don’t forget to include a warm and welcoming profile picture. Note: Your LinkedIn profile and ProFinder profiles are connected. Any changes you make to your LinkedIn profile, will be reflected on your ProFinder profile!

When a LinkedIn member decides they need a freelance pro, they’ll submit a request. If your skills and experience are the right fit for the gig, LinkedIn will send you an email to let you know about it. It’s up to you respond to requests with a short proposal. (You’re not obligated to respond to requests.) Once the client thinks you’re a good fit, they’ll reach out to you and start a conversation. That’s it. From there, it will be up to you and the client to establish the terms of the gig.

The Pros and Cons

For those freelancers active on LinkedIn, ProFinder can help boost your visibility — quickly. And since leads are delivered directly to your inbox, you don’t have to endlessly cold pitch to gigs like you would on many large marketplace sites. Plus, if you live in a bigger metropolitan area, you’ll likely find a lot of in-person work requests — definitely a bonus for the social freelancer!

But if you’re a newbie on LinkedIn, it can be difficult to establish yourself as an expert freelancer. Lack of recommendations can keep you from getting your first gig. Fortunately, you can ask for recommendations and use the LinkedIn publishing platform to boost your visibility — and your chances of getting hired.

Finding the Freelance Websites Right for You

Remember, as a freelancer you don’t have to limit yourself to one platform. You can use any combination of sites to make ends meet. Plus, the more you explore, the easier it will be to figure out which of the freelance websites is the best fit for you. What are you waiting for? Figure out which services you’ll offer and get to work! Now is a great time to be a freelancer.

The post Freelance Websites: 5 (Very) Different Platforms to Find the Right Gigs for You appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

But first things first, since this is a no-fail beginner’s guide, let’s look at what freelancing is and whether or not you’re ready to get started!

Are You Ready to Freelance?

An estimated 1 in 3 Americans are freelancing for at least some of their income. That number is pretty impressive! My own mother who, at 50-something, found freelance success after launching a content writing side hustle several months back is a testament to how diverse freelancing is and how it makes sense for a lot of people with different backgrounds and in financial situations.

Remember, anyone can find success freelancing — baby boomers to millennials and everyone in between. If you’re ready to put in the work, you can earn extra money, supplement your income, or go full-time — it’s really up to you!

So, if you’ve been curious about this whole freelancer lifestyle that lets you work independent of location, create your own schedule and set your own pay — I can’t blame you! It really is a great way to earn.

And you’ve probably heard of all these people finding tons of success freelancing. Some of whom smash their previous incomes at their 9-to-5 while working a fraction of the time as a freelancer. And honestly, that really can happen. But it’s not always easy. One of the best ways to get to that point is to set up your own freelance website.

But before we jump into the technical side of setting up a freelance website, let’s answer two important questions:

1. What the heck is a freelance website?
2. Why the heck do I need one?

What is a Freelance Website?

In a nutshell, your freelance website is the place you’ll showcase you and your work. It’s the one-stop shop you can send clients to learn about you and the services you offer as a freelancer. A freelance website also gives a client a chance to see your personality, connect with you on social media, and otherwise get a feel for who you are without having to meet face to face.

Think of your freelance website as your digital business card — but elevated. It will contain all the relevant information clients need to get in touch with you, yes, but it will also show them how awesome you are. When done right, your freelance website can sell your services for you. Period.

Why Do You Need a Freelance Website?

Whether you’re pitching your services to an ad posted online or are cold emailing someone who would benefit from your services, you’ll want them to be able to see what makes you so great. Sure, if you’ve worked before you could send them links to your stuff all around the Internet — but this in inefficient. And chances are, potential clients won’t take time to visit several different websites.

But, if you condense everything — your resume, portfolio, rates — into one easy-to-navigate site that is all about you — well, then, clients are more apt to stop by, check you out, and get in contact. Plus, it looks perfectly polished and professional — definitely the message you want to send out as a freelancer, especially when just starting out.

What will You Sell?

Since this is the no-fail beginner’s guide to setting up a freelance website, it’s probably a good idea to start at the VERY beginning. So, my first question to you is: What are you selling?

And, honestly, you can freelance just about anything. It’s true. I constantly say, “If you can think it, you can freelance it.” Take a peek at Fiverr’s “Bizarre” category for some off-the-wall freelance offerings

Now, if you spend any time here at Work from Home Happiness, you’ll know I’m always preaching about the power of a niche. A niche can apply to just about any online business whether it’s service-based, like freelancing, or selling physical products on Etsy, eBay, or Amazon FBA.

Why You Need a Niche

A well-defined niche can make your life a lot easier as a freelancer. And easy is what we’re all about, especially when you’re a beginner. Your niche will help you fine-tune your services just as much as it will help you figure out how to market your services to potential clients. But a niche also establishes you as the go-to expert in your field — even if you aren’t quite an expert just yet.

Think about this. Let’s say you want to be a web designer. That’s great! But what kind of web design will you do? If right now you’re thinking, I’ll design anything for anyone, I’m here to tell you, right enthusiasm, wrong approach. How so?

Think about it from the client’s perspective. Let’s say a lawyer needs a new website. So, she hops online and comes across your freelance website, which promises killer designs for all professionals, and a competitor’s freelance website which boasts web design specifically for lawyers and legal pros.

As far as skill level, you and your fellow freelancer are even. You each also have a great eye for design and similar price points. If you were the legal client looking for a new website, who would you choose:

The freelancer who specializes in designing legal websites only

OR

You, who doesn’t specialize in any particular area?

If you’re being honest, you’d probably go with the freelance website with all the great legal web design work on it, right? And so will clients. People like to work with others who are perceived as experts — and selecting a narrow niche to start will help you look like an expert.

Marketing Yourself

Another major perk of picking a niche is this: You can more easily find your clients and market your services to them. So, let’s pretend you’re a content writer. And you’ve decided you want to write web copy that sells within the wedding industry. Awesome. Now that you know this, you know where you can find your clients — chances are they hang out on visual social sites like Pinterest and Instagram.

And this means you can make sure you are very active on these sites too and even connect with and follow potential clients on these networks. Then, when the time comes, you can approach them, strike up a friendship, and eventually pitch them your web content writing services.

And this is a much more effective way to sell your services without feeling like you’re selling because, remember, people prefer to work with people they know — and when you’re connected with someone on social media, they’ll feel like they already know you

Have I convinced you of the power of a niche? I sure hope so! Trust me when I say, a niche will make it easy for you to build a stellar freelance website and will help catapult you to success early on. So do yourself a favor and pick a niche!

Time to Pick a Name

Okay. So you’ve got a niche — great! Now you’ve got to pick a domain name for your freelance website. The domain name is the actual address that clients will type into their navigation bar to get to your website. So, for example, my domain name is workfromhomehappiness.com

Now for your freelance website, there are a couple of ways you can go with your domain name: You could simply use your own name OR you could come up with a creative/clever/fun domain name.

My advice? Go with your name. You are, after all, your freelance business. It’s a good idea to have your freelance website reflect this. Now, if you have a common name, like me, you’ll want to pick up a backup name. There’s few more defeating feelings than going to buy your domain name only to find someone else owns it. Bummer. But if you already have a backup name picked out, the sting is less painful and you can quickly move on.

So,  let’s say your name is John Smith. You’re a logo designer. Awesome. But you discover that JohnSmith.com is taken. You might want to try: JohnSmithLogos.com or JohnSmithDesigns.com or JohnSmithLogoDesigns.com Get it? As long as you’ve got your name in there and reference to what it is you do, you’ll be fine.

Let’s Get You Hosted!

Really, you’ve done a lot of the hard work already — defining your niche and picking a domain name is not always an easy undertaking. So, you should be happy that you’ve made it this far. But now it’s time to get you hosted.

What’s a host?

I know it can get confusing when thinking about domain names and hosts. Have you ever paid to park a car you own in a parking garage or car lot? That’s kind of how a host works. You have own your domain name. But you need somewhere to “park” it. Without a host, your domain can’t get seen.

What’s in a Host?

Picking a host is a pretty important consideration. It will make all the difference in how much you pay, the support you’ll receive, and the ease of use. My recommendation? BlueHost.

Why?

• You get a free domain when you host with them
• 24/7 Support
• 1-Click WordPress installation
• No hidden fees. 30-day money-back guarantee.

The free domain name will save you about $15 but the 1-Click WordPress installation will save you a lot of frustration — which is my favorite part of BlueHost. It really is easy peasy. And when you catch them during a sale, like Christmas in July, you can get hosting for as low as $3.95/month — which is probably less than what you spend on coffee each day

But back to installation — the one-click WordPress installation is what we’re after. Why? Because using WordPress will allow you to create a customized, professional, and impressive freelance website without having to hire a designer. Promise. And I’ll even show you some of the most amazing FREE freelance and portfolio themes that will give your freelance website the instant boost it needs to attract clients and get you gigs. You’ll just need to sign up to the free resource library for out-of-the-cube thinkers like you

Install WordPress Using BlueHost

So, if you’ve decided to host with BlueHost — great! The first screen you’ll see will vary depending on any sales or specials going on, but really all you need to worry about is the big green button that says: “Get Started Now”

After you click the get started now button, you’ll need to select your hosting plan. There are three different plans to choose from, each coming with different options:

When just starting out, the Starter plan at $3.95/month is perfect for hosting your freelance website. With it, you get that free domain, 24/7 support, and easy WordPress install we talked about. But, if you feel like you want to go with the Plus or Business Pro plans, you can. It’s up to you. But know that you don’t need anything more than the Starter plan

Purchasing Your Domain

Now that you’ve selected your plan, it’s time to snag your free domain. This is when you get to see if your first choice domain name is available. If it is — great. But if it’s not, don’t sweat it! Remember, that’s why we thought of several backup domain names — just in case.

Just type your desired domain name, for example, YourName.com in the first box and click next. If it’s unavailable, they’ll let you know and you can go with one of your backup names — no problem. After you carefully select the domain name you want (woohoo!), you’ll need to provide BlueHost with your contact information.

Verify that all information is correct — the email address you provide will be the one BlueHost uses to send you important updates and information! Now you’ll select your package information as seen on the screenshot below.
Note: By default, the 36-month plan is automatically selected. This is the most affordable option. But you can also opt for shorter terms to start!

You’ll also see options to purchase things like SiteLock Domain Security, Site Backup Pro, and Search Engine Jumpstart. My advice? You don’t need them. There are free WordPress plugins you can use to secure your site, back it up, and make it search engine friendly. I use such plugins on Work from Home Happiness and am quite happy with how they work!

Now, the one thing I do recommend is Domain Whois Privacy for $9.99/year. Every domain that is purchased needs to be registered. And part of this registration is providing contact information for the owner (you). This means your name, address, and email address can end up in this massive database that can be mined for personal data.

When you use Whois Privacy Protection it does just that — protects your privacy. Your personal information will not be displayed. I just don’t like having my personal information hanging out there. And $9.99/year is a small price to pay for peace of mind

We’re almost there! You’ve selected your domain and your hosting options, now it’s time to make it official.

Just put your billing information into the secure form, read through their terms of service and policies, and click the next button. That’s it. You’re officially a freelance website owner and have your very own slice of the Internet — congrats!

Now you’re probably ready to get your freelance website up and looking great. No problem! As I said, it’s easy peasy and doesn’t require any previous WordPress knowledge. The screenshot below is your cPanel through BlueHost.

This is the spot you’ll need to be to start installing WordPress. See the blue “install WordPress” button under the website builder heading? Click that to get the installation process started.

You’ll be directed to Mojo Marketplace. Just click the green “Start” button for brand new installs.

Once you do this, you’ll need to select the domain you want to install WordPress to.  This should be the domain name you purchased for your freelance website. Simply select it in and click the green “check domain.”

This quick check is just to make sure your domain is ready to have WordPress installed to it. Once that’s done, you’ll see this screen:

Click the “show advance options” so you can name your site and choose an admin username. You can name your site anything you want — I always just go with the domain name. So, just put your name here. For the admin username, you could also use your name or your email address, whichever you’ll remember. This is where you’ll get your admin password too — write it down! Or better yet, take a screenshot of it with Evernote and save it for safekeeping. You’ll also get an email with this information — but it’s a good idea to save it from this screen, just in case.

Once everything is good, make sure you’ve read the terms and conditions. Then click “Install Now.” That’s it. This little install screen will pop up and you’ll be the newest member of the WordPress community — congrats!

Now, to access your WordPress dashboard, you’ll have to login. To login, you’ll need to go to your domain name followed by wp-admin. So, for example, yourname.com/wp-admin It should bring you to a screen that looks like this:

This is where you’ll go anytime you login to your freelance website. Remember, your username and password were created in the previous step — this is where you’ll put in that information to make changes to your site!

After you login, you’ll be in your dashboard. This is where you can add posts and pages, install plugins, and change your theme.

Picking a Theme

Your WordPress theme is what gives your site its look. A theme is selected for you by default. But you do not have to keep this. In fact, I encourage you to change it to a theme that is better suited for a freelance website! And it’s easy to do. From your dashboard, go to Appearance>Themes

On your themes page, you’ll see the WordPress themes installed by default. To change them, just click the “add new” button:

Now you’ll get to search through themes! And this is the fun part as each theme is so different. You’ll get to choose one that perfectly meshes with your own personality. In the search box, type “portfolio” and have a look around.

You can “try on” different themes by clicking on them. You’ll be directed to a preview of the theme. If you like what you see, great! Click the blue “install” button to activate that theme on your freelance website.

While this process of trying on different themes can be fun — it can also get overwhelming! Too many choices can make it difficult to settle on one. That’s why I created a roundup of the best freelance website themes around. To gain access to the guide, sign up to the Free Resource Library below.

Congratulations! You’re now an official member of the freelance club! For a little extra inspiration, check out 4 Client-Attracting Freelance Websites and Top 10 Vital Elements of a Successful New Freelancer’s Website. As always, if you have any questions, don’t be shy: ashlee@workfromhomehappiness.com I’m here to help!

This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure statement for more information.

The post No-Fail Beginner’s Guide: Start a Freelance Website that Sells Your Services for You appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

And you feel overwhelmed.

The following questions flood into your mind:

Where do I start? What do I need to do to ensure I win work, have a profile that stands out and ensure potential clients even read my proposal? Does a photo of me that is remotely usable on a professional site even exist? Do I need to ‘come out’ on my LinkedIn profile? 

It can very much feel like this when setting out to win your first freelancing work. However it really doesn’t need to be some nightmare waiting to happen. If you approach it methodically and know what you need to do to stand out, it’s not rocket science!

Many people get no further than this as even the thought of these questions puts them off, however if you are willing to invest some time upfront, do some research before you blindly start pitching for work, and ensure you seek and act on advice from a few trusted peeps, then you will be way ahead of the pack.

5% of freelancers on Upwork win 95% of the work

Let me tell you about the other 95% of freelancers…the ones who don’t win the work This is what a typical 95%-er will do.

•       Create an account with the bare minimum of info, thinking “I’ll update it later…” (funnily enough, most of           them don’t). Include a random hourly rate.
•       Spend a bit of time browsing for some work and see a gig that they think they could do
•       Spend 20 minutes writing a pitch that is generic so they can reuse it for all gigs
•       Pitch for every gig they see that broadly fits their profile
•       Repeat every day for a few days
•       Two weeks later, wonder why they haven’t heard back from anyone even though they pitched for, like, 100         jobs
•       Decide Upwork (or other freelancing site) is just some massive scam and head off back to their day job,               giving up on the freelancing dream and all the wonderful advantages it can bring them
•       Sign up to an MLM program and wonder why they fail at that
•       Try forex trading and wonder why they fail at that

…you get the picture!

Sound familiar? No problem. I’m now going to tell you what that 5% do, and how you can do this to ensure you get your first client within two weeks of starting out.

Create a winning profile (Time = 2 hours research plus 2 hours creating your own)

It’s not so hard to create a winning profile of your own when you know what one looks like. But where can you find that out? Well here is the beauty of using freelancing sites such as Upwork and People per Hour – you can find the most successful freelancers in your field and see what their profile says.

Let’s use Upwork as our example.

• Go to www.upwork.com (don’t sign in) scroll down and you will see their categories.
• Select your category and you will be taken to a page on which you can browse through a number of freelancer profiles.
• Sign up for a client account to view more than a handful of freelancers in your category – this is well worth the additional effort!
• Once you have registered you can browse freelancers here: https://www.upwork.com/o/profiles/browse/
• You can then filter them by category, job success rate and hourly rate. So select your category and then filter for 90% job success and $60/hr and above.

You now have the most successful freelancers in your field at your fingertips…handy, hey! Now to make use of this…

See What Other Freelancers Are Doing

Against each profile you can see the number of hours they have worked through Upwork as well as their hourly rate. Spend some time browsing and you will quickly get a sense of who is doing well (many hours at a good rate). You can also see if they have any badges, eg ‘top rated’. Again a good source of info on who to study.

Now click on the best people, review their profiles and make some notes:

What does their profile look like? What do they state that they do? Do they include testimonials and where on the page are these? Does their photo look professional or relaxed? What skills do they state?

After a short time doing this you will start to identify some trends.

Identify What’s Not Working

To go one step further, look at the profiles of people who are seemingly not winning much work. How do these differ?

Now you not only can see what makes a winning profile, you can see what isn’t proving effective for the less successful candidates.

So you’re already on track to be in that 5% just by virtue of doing this bit of research, but of course, you have to make it count. You have to now translate your new found knowledge into your own winning profile. So take the time to do this.

Pick Your Picture, Carefully

You will need a good photo on your profile. Don’t underestimate the importance of this. If you don’t have a good photo, ask a friend with a decent camera to take one of you. Make sure you are smiling and dressed reasonably well for it! Ideally you want a head and shoulders shot with nothing distracting in the background.

Ask for Feedback

I suggest you create your profile and ask for feedback on it from people you know and trust and think will make sensible suggestions on this! Then act on their advice (only if you agree of course).

Don’t forget that whilst important, your profile is only a small part of each pitch – we will come onto pitches in section 5.

1. Set your rate (Time = 1-2 hours)

What? 1-2 hours to set my rate? Can’t I just pick a number for now?

Well, no.  If you start at $10 per hour then find the average for someone with your skill level is $40, it’s going to be tricky to retrospectively justify that huge increase. If you go too high, you’re not giving yourself a realistic chance of winning work.

Even though I talk later about offering your services for below your hourly rate (and explain why) you still need your rate to look sensible for now otherwise potential clients won’t take you seriously.

So how do you go about setting the correct rate?

Go back to the list of freelancers in your field on the Upwork site. What is the range for per hour rate being charged? What is the maximum? What is the average (don’t spend ages working it out – just from glancing what feels about average)?

At this point I wouldn’t recommend going in at the max. Those who do will struggle as they don’t have the evidence (on Upwork) yet to back this up. Don’t worry though – you can always hike your rates once you have a great profile with top recommendations and 100% client satisfaction.

Equally, you don’t want to go low. Depending on your experience, I would recommend pitching your rate between the average and 80% of the max. In point 4 I’ll go into a bit more detail about pricing at the start but it’s important to start with a decent rate – even though you may not charge this for the first few pieces of work that you do.

2. Boost your profile by doing some tests (Time = 2 hours for now)

This isn’t relevant on all freelancing sites, but it is becoming increasingly common, and it exists on Upwork. So if you’re using a platform that offers tests, spend a bit of time doing the ones relevant to your skills.

If you’re using Upwork, go to www.upwork.com/tests and find the skills most relevant to the work you are going to be pitching to do. There are tests on everything from Excel to translation, and from Python to typing speed.

If you are unsure which tests to do, head back to the profiles of the ‘good and the greats’ in your field and see what test they have done (some will not have done any because they already had an awesome reputation before tests were introduced), but you should take the time as it’s a great way to boost your credibility before you start pitching.

If you’re a little rusty with some of your skills, find some tests on another site and practice. Typically a certain amount of time has to lapse before you’re allowed to retake a test, so you don’t want to mess this up. But don’t stress either!

3. Find the right kind of potential clients (Time = 2-4 hours)

There are two types of clients on sites like Upwork: The price monkeys and the quality lords. No prizes for guessing which type of client you want to hook up with. And yes, you can and should be picky from the start – you don’t want to waste your time working for the wrong type of client. Believe me – you will regret it later!

Clients to Avoid

Price monkeys look at one thing only: The expense of getting a job done. Like the freelancers who get involved in the ‘race to the bottom’ of pricing, they do the whole gig economy no favors. They pay crap, they get crap, they leave. So we want to avoid these people.

Clients to Look For

Quality lords, on the other hand, are exactly who we want to find. They will of course have their eye on price — but getting good work done by someone they can trust is way more important to them. And they will pay a premium for this. They are also far more likely to become long term good clients.

When I was last looking for a freelancer on PPH (like Upwork) I ended up paying 20% more than the budget I had stated as I simply needed someone good and could not afford any mess ups. It was absolutely worth the extra money and I will always happily pay more for the right person than pay less and find myself re-doing much of the work.

4. Write a Winning Pitch … and another, and another (Time = 1 hour per pitch. 10 hours total for now.)

Ok so here’s to the crux of it: You’ve done your research, created your profile, found your ideal clients and jobs and now you need to pitch. So, how do we create a winning pitch?

Tailor Your Pitches

First, you need to accept that you are not going to have one pitch that you send to all. You are going to make each pitch stand out to each client so that when they read it they will know you have written it specifically for them.

When I get a bunch of proposals, the first thing I do is delete all the pitches that are not specific to what I’ve asked for. If someone can’t be bothered to craft a personalized pitch, it says to me they are unlikely to do a very good job for me. These freelancers are discarded without a second look.

Tick their Boxes

The more information that is provided by the client on the job description, the easier it will be to pitch. View the job description as a tick list that you need to check off for the potential client.

If they state they are looking for someone with experience writing business plans, state directly and specifically that you have this experience, and give an example.

You need to tick off what they are asking for by stating you have that specific experience, and backing it up with examples. Of course you may not tick every box they are asking for in which case focus on those boxes you can tick.

Do What Clients Ask

Also some people put little ‘tests’ in their job description to enable them to quickly filter through the ‘one size fits all’ freelancers. For example, I saw a job description this morning that instructed pitchers to write “coaching” at the top of their pitch. This instruction was right at the end of a fairly detailed job description. You can bet if freelancers aren’t including these tests in their pitches, they’re proposals are getting thrown out. 

So read the job description thoroughly – doing this alone will put you in with a better chance than most (unbelievable, I know!).

Answer Their Questions

Some clients also ask specific questions that they want you to answer in a pitch. This is absolutely critical. You must do a good job of this. Even though it often comes as the last part of the pitch to complete, don’t treat it as an afterthought – on Upwork for example, answers to their questions are actually the FIRST thing the client sees. So they may even scan just this part of their proposals to whittle down the number of applications they review.

Those who treat this as an afterthought will never land the job.

Go Above and Beyond

If you can think of a way to go above and beyond, state this in your proposal. For example, I had a pitch from someone for a straightforward piece of work where I had stated criteria I was looking for them to collect against a list of companies.

The winning pitch came from someone who suggested a couple of other criteria that could be useful to collect (and gave their reason for suggesting it). I didn’t end up using their suggestion, but the fact they made it gave me confidence they knew what I was looking for, and how to do it (and that they had experience with this kind of work). So I paid them over what my budget was, because their pitch gave me confidence they were great!

As well as doing these basics (which you need to do for every single pitch) you need to do some more — especially when just starting out. Here is what I suggest you include as a new freelancer:

• Acknowledge that you are new to the site so have no track record, but state relevant experience you have and / or relevant companies you have worked with or for
• Propose to do a sample piece of the work for free so they can see the quality of work you will do (if this is possible with the type of work being requested)
• Offer to do this piece of work for well below your hourly rate – in exchange for a prompt and honest review and feedback on your work when it’s completed

You may be wondering why I’m advocating offering to do work below the value you really want to charge. Well I view this as my upfront marketing cost – it’s the price I’m willing to pay to get clients and build a reputation ASAP.

So if my hourly rate would be $50 and I offer to work for $20 on a 10 hour project, I’m ‘investing’ $300 to build my profile. The beauty is that unlike other forms of advertising, this investment only happens if I win work – so I’m generating cash from the first project, even if it’s less than I will generate once I’m a bit more established.

Once you have 3 to 5 clients and 5 star ratings, you can ditch the below market rate, but for now, it’s a great way to get up and running, quickly.

Ask For Feedback if You Didn’t Win the Pitch (Time = 5 minutes per pitch)

While I expect you will succeed, if you do all the above, you are still likely to be up against a small number of other excellent freelancers – who will have a reputation already on the site you are using.

You are unlikely to win them all gigs you pitch to. That’s fine, and is part of the journey. What you will want to do as a top performer is follow up and reiterate the following:

• You would be interested in working with them in the future
• You want to put yourself in the best possible position to do this
• In order to do this you, would love to understand what the winning pitch offered that you did not

Of course, they may not reply. However, I always think it’s worth asking. And again, it puts you at the forefront of that potential client’s mind.

If the person they have taken on turns out to be less than they were cracked up to be (which happens!) then they may be on the lookout for a quick replacement, and you’ve put yourself ahead of the pile simply by sending this follow up message.

5. Win work that isn’t even being advertised (Time = 2 hours for now)

Ok so here’s where you can really get ahead of the pack. This is a little known trick that I absolutely loved when I was approached in this way – but only one freelancer has approached me like this – so keep this trick to yourself

When you were going through step 4 you created a list of clients you liked the look of. Some of those you will have already pitched to, some you won’t because they don’t have any live projects.

So you are going to message these people to introduce yourself and make yourself known to them. Here’s how. Find the old job they posted and select ‘pitch’. Include the following key points in your message:

• I’ve only just joined [name of freelancing platform] and was scanning through jobs to get a feel for the type of work available.
• I came across an old job you posted. While I realize you’re likely to have filled this now, I wanted to get in touch to let you know that should you have any more work like this then I would very much like the opportunity to pitch
• I have in the past done a lot of work like this (give some succinct examples and companies / clients you have worked for – ideally include some key results achieved)
• As I’m new on this site, I don’t have a rating or any feedback yet. As such I’m keen to do some jobs asap and frankly, am willing to do them well below my market rate.
• Therefore if you have any similar jobs on the horizon, please do consider me. I’d be willing to work for £x per hour rather than my rate of $X per hour. In addition, I’d be willing to offer an upfront sample of the work for free so you could validate the quality of my work before committing to anything.

Obviously, put this in your own words! This will put you head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd

Rinse and Repeat!

In summary, if you are proactive, willing to invest some time upfront and happy to learn as you go, then you will be able to establish yourself as a credible freelancer with an excellent reputation in a very short space of time (this is possible within a month but of course depends on how much time you have to spend each week).

Don’t worry that this seems a lot of work. It won’t be this much work for every piece of work you pitch for. In fact, if you take this approach then people will start seeking you out. The best freelancers spend barely any time pitching – they simply don’t have to!

Hence why I emphasise putting the work in up front. It will pay dividends later! As a final thought on that (and it should go without say…) – absolutely nail your first few projects – go above and beyond the client’s expectations. Once you’ve done this, they won’t want to let you go!

If you do all this, not only will you have your first client within 2 weeks, but you will very quickly be in a position to increase your rates, be more selective about the work you do or the clients you work with and create that lifestyle you’ve been dreaming of – be that working from a laptop by the pool, quitting the dreaded daily commute or working while your baby is having their nap!

Need extra help perfecting your pitch? Sign up below to gain access to the beginner’s guide: The Dos and Don’ts of Pitching — you’ll also unlock the entire the Work from Home Happiness Free Resource Library.

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The post How to Win Your First Freelance Gig in Two Weeks appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

Is it because you’re not sure exactly how to start? Are you afraid to take the first step? Too many unknowns and what-ifs? Fear not! I know it’s one thing to make a decision and something else entirely to actually take action. And when there’s a lot of information out there on the subject, it can make getting started seem overwhelming.

Fortunately, there are real, practical and actionable ideas you can implement today (yes, today) and start to see results. Before you know it, you’ll have a full-fledged freelance writing career on your hands. 

1. Sign Up for Some Content Mills

It’s not exactly glamorous or perhaps the vision you had when you decided to become a writer. But the truth is,writing for a content mill or two can actually boost your confidence, give you real world experience, and help you grow your freelance writing career.

My personal favorite content mill is Textbroker. Why? They offer feedback on the writing you submit. This feedback is very constructive and helps improve your writing.

This is a screenshot of my Textbroker dashboard:

And, as you can see, there are no shortage of assignments to choose from. When you sign up as an author on Textbroker, you’ll be given an initial star rating between 2 and 5. If you’re given a four-star rating, you can work on four star, three star and two star projects. If you’re given a three-star rating, you can work on three star and two star projects. And if you’re given a two-star rating, you can only work on two-star projects.

Each star rating has a different per-word rate — the higher your star count, the more you’ll earn. What’s great about Textbroker, that you won’t find at other content mills, are additional opportunities to earn:

• You can receive higher paying direct orders from clients
• Work on special teams like product descriptions or blog posts
• Become a proofreader

Remember, you don’t have to write for content mills, like Textbroker, forever.  Think of it as a paid freelance writing internship — you’ll gain confidence, experience and a little cash along the way.

2. Guest Blog

Take a look around the Internet and you’ll find tons of blogs and websites that accept guest posts (myself included). This is the perfect opportunity for the budding freelance writer to get their feet wet and get their name out there. Plus, it’s one of the most visible ways to build your portfolio with actual links to live work.

The sites you approach about guest blogging should be within the same niche you want to write for. Let’s say you want to write about personal finance. You might want to submit an article to The Penny Hoarder since they cover all things related to money.

Usually, a quick Google search with “your niche” + “guest blog” will give a good list of sites to approach.

Remember, there are right ways and wrong ways to go about guest blogging. Make sure you fall into the “right way” camp by keeping these things in mind:

1. Read each site’s guest post requirements, and follow them!
2. When submitting a guest post request, be personal! Don’t send a canned email. Take the time to find out the blogger’s name (it’s usually on their “About” page).
3. Introduce yourself. Don’t just say, “Hey. I want to write a post for your site.” Explain who you are and why you want to write for them.
4.  Don’t ask if they pay for guest posts.

Yes, some sites will pay you for your guest post — but those are few and far between. The majority of sites will offer you a link to your personal blog, portfolio or social media profiles — which can be even more valuable than any other payment!

For more opportunities to get your name out there, you need to check out this mega guide of 700+ Guest Posting Sites you can submit articles to.

3. Set Up a Writer’s Website

Speaking of getting links in exchange for guest blogging — when you guest blog, nine times out of ten, you’ll be given an “About the Author” section following your post. This is your chance to write a couple sentences about yourself so that the person reading your article can learn more about you. It’s also a chance to include a link so that readers (and clients!) can find you.

So, what should you link to? Hands down, the best place to link to is your own blog or portfolio. Not only is this super professional looking, it makes it easy to showcase your talent by maintaining and frequently updating a blog with your unique voice.

I’ve had a number of clients approach me about writing for them simply because they liked the work featured on my blog. You can achieve this too — and it’s much easier and cost-effective than you may think.

1. Sign up for affordable hosting over at BlueHost. When you do, you’ll get a free domain name (which will save you about $15). Your domain name can be your actual name or, if it’s taken, something like BenFranklinWrites (using your name of course).
2. Install WordPress. With BlueHost, this can be done easily and in just a few minutes. Check out my full tutorial for setting up BlueHost and installing WordPress for step by step instructions.
3. Select a theme. Colorlib has a great list of free WordPress Portfolio themes that are perfect for showcasing your freelance writing skills.
4. Start writing! You can link to guest posts you’ve written on your site, but it’s also a good idea to write an “about” page, services page, and frequently post about relevant news within your niche.

Check out these different freelance writer websites for inspiration:

• Pat Howard
• Emily Suess
• Sarah Kolb-Williams
• Brandi-Ann Uyemura

When you have a portfolio or writer’s website in place, it’s much easier to present yourself as a professional, polished freelance writer!

While you can easily get your own blog or website setup on your own, you may prefer to let someone else do it for you. If that’s the case, check out Fiverr. There are some extremely talented WordPress gurus on there who will get your portfolio site up and running (and looking great!) within a day or two — and chances are, it will cost less than $10.

4. Get Started on Upwork

The largest freelance marketplace is Upwork. There are literally thousands of gigs posted at any time, many of which are content writing jobs. Granted, there is a lot of competition on this site but if you know how to write an effective Upwork proposal, you’ll find it’s not that difficult to land some decent jobs!

I’ve found some great clients on Upwork that I still work with to this day. On average, I spend about 20 hours a month (I usually sit down for about five hours each Sunday night) writing for these clients and can earn about $1,200 for my efforts. That comes out to $60 an hour on average!

It’s free to submit proposals on Upwork but Upwork does take a 10% fee — so keep this in mind when you are bidding on work! You can get paid via direct deposit or PayPal, and can request your earnings whenever you want. My Upwork earnings go straight into my savings account since I’m using this money to build my emergency fund.

What are you waiting for? Sign up and fill out your profile completely. It will take Upwork several hours to approve your profile — but by the day’s end, you’ll be up and running and ready to write!

5. Clean Up Your Social Media Presence

If you’re going to present yourself as a professional freelance writer, your social media profiles better reflect this! If need be, have separate personal and professional social profiles. While you want to show your personality on social media (after all clients like to work with people they feel like they already know), you also don’t want to divulge too much information.

I get several clients who approach me each month via Twitter asking about my freelance writing services. Why? Because my Twitter profile is set up the right way:

<—-That’s me! I’ve got my name displayed, a professional handle, @AshleeWrites, and a description that is search-friendly with industry appropriate hashtags! I’ve also got a link to Work from Home Happiness in there (if you set up a blog or website, and you should, include it here!)

I can’t stress enough how effective social media can be when landing clients. It’s all about how you approach it!

Some best practices to keep in mind when using social media as a professional freelancer:

1. Share helpful and relevant industry news on occasion
2. Follow other freelancers and prospective clients
3. Be active and engage with others (it’s called social media for a reason!)
4. Don’t be shy — tweet or post links to your latest works, whether it’s a guest blog post or an article posted to your own website
5. Don’t spam — ever. This means no repetitive self-serving tweets and posts

Whether you use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or a combination of platforms, social media can be a goldmine of clients when you take the time to market yourself the right way.

Still Not Ready?

Over at Write Your Way to Your First 1K, you can learn the action steps needed to launch a freelance writing career the right way. This includes plenty of practical advice and valuable takeaways that will prepare you to be successful. Learn more about the self-paced course for new freelance writers by visiting Write Your Way to Your First 1K.

Have any questions? Leave them in the comments below! Or, you can email me directly at Ashlee@WorkFromHomeHappiness(dot)com and I’ll do my best to help. Don’t forget to like Work from Home Happiness on Facebook for even more freelance inspiration!

This post contains affiliate links. What’s an affiliate link? Read my disclosure statement to learn how I use them on this blog. 

The post 5 Things You Can Do Today to Jumpstart Your Freelance Writing Career appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

Freelance writing from home lends itself well to those looking for a change — perhaps you’re ready to quit your 9 to 5 or just ready to take your career in a new direction.

It also happens to be a great option when you need a flexible schedule that lets you work on your own terms — perfect for caretakers, stay-at-home moms and dads, or when you need to supplement your income.

You’ve probably heard all of this before and that’s why you’re ready to try your hand at freelance writing from home. But there’s so much information out there and different paths to take — how do you know where to start?

The best way to make room for yourself in what can feel like a crowded freelance marketplace is to carve out a niche for yourself.

Why Focus on a Niche when Freelance Writing from Home

Niche writing is great for a number of reasons:

1. Establishes you as an expert in a particular field
2. Makes it easier to target clients
3. Greater referrals
4. Higher pay

When you concentrate your efforts on a specific area, you can grow your freelance writing business more efficiently, spend less time sourcing clients and more time doing what you do best — writing!

Become an Expert

You probably wouldn’t start a service business that offered everything from home energy audits, nutrition education, virtual assisting, and life coaching. Why? For one, it’s confusing to clients. And two, you can’t really hone your skills if you’re trying to tackle too many things at once.

I know when first starting out it’s tempting to say, “But I’ll write anything for anyone.”  While that go-getter attitude is favorable, the approach is all wrong. People love to know they’ve got the best of the best working for them.

When you have a portfolio of writing samples within the same industry, you stand out as that expert a client is looking for. A portfolio with random samples from catalog descriptions to financial advice and everything in between doesn’t pack as much of a punch.

You’ve got to establish yourself as an expert — even if you’re not (just yet). This is easily done by focusing on a niche when freelance writing from home. Make sure you clearly define what is it you’ll write about and why you’re the best at it. This is your value proposition. It will go a long way in helping you stand out from the competition.

As social media expert, marketer, and digital communications lead, John Gordon, so eloquently put it:

“Experts are not called upon because they are the smartest person in every room; they are called upon because they are the smartest person in a specific room.”

When you find your freelance writing niche, you become the expert in your room — not the entire living space.

What’s in a Niche?

What do you love to do? What do you know a lot about? Are you already an expert in something? If you can answer these questions, you’re well on your way to start freelance writing from home the right way.

Ideally, the niche you pick is something you already have experience in. At the very least, it should be a subject you enjoy. After all, this will be your career and you don’t want to burn out before you even get going. It doesn’t mean you can’t change gears down the road — but when getting started, picking a niche is the easiest way to get established.

In-Demand Freelance Writing Niches

Before I started freelancing writing, I worked as a paralegal. It only seemed natural that I start freelance writing from home in the legal arena. So, that’s what I did. And it paid off.

Since I already had experience in the legal field, I was able to produce writing samples for clients and write knowledgeably on the subject. This allowed me to quickly land clients which led to plenty of referrals and eventually allowed me to raise my rates.

If a niche isn’t jumping out at you right away, consider these ideas for inspiration:

• Beauty
• Fashion
• Marketing/Advertising
• Ecommerce/Product Reviews/Product Description
• Pets
• Career
• Business
• Finance
• Religion
• Dating/Love
• Travel

Are you a fashionista? Do you love to travel? Have you owned your own business? Combine your life experience and interests and you’ll find the perfect subject matter that you actually enjoy writing about.

You can also head on over to About.com and scroll all the way to the bottom. You’ll see a section called, “Everything on About.com”

Browsing through all of their topics is great for inspiration. Chances are, you’ll stumble upon a niche writing idea that you wouldn’t have considered, but just happens to be perfect for you.

No Experience? No Problem!

Let’s say you clawed your way out of debt and learned tons of things along the way. Now you want to share all that wisdom with others as a freelance financial writer. Great!

So, what’s the problem? You have no experience as a financial writer or writing samples to prove how awesome you are. Honestly, it’s not even a problem.

If you don’t have any writing samples, that’s an easy fix — write them! Sit down and write 3 to 5 high-quality samples that fall within the niche you’d like to write about. At the very least, make sure your samples include:

One shorter article around 500 words

One longer article between 750 and 1,000 words

Clients regularly ask for a short example and a longer one, so it’s best to have these samples on hand from the start. The other sample articles you write can be your choice — just make sure they showcase your writing style and are indicative of the quality a client can expect when they hire you!

Consider Guest Blogging

In the freelance writing from home world, experience is usually second to talent. That is, if you’re able to deliver the quality of work a client is after, they don’t necessarily care where you’ve been published before (or if you ever have been!)

But sometimes, you’ll find a client who specifically requests links to previous work. No problem! The solution? Guest blog.

Again, let’s say you want to become a financial writer, do a little legwork and find websites and blogs in that niche  accepting guest posts.

For example, The Penny Hoarder is the world’s largest personal finance blog. They also happen to welcome posts from the public (they’ll even pay you for it!). If you take the time to write a high-quality and thoughtful post for their site, think how impressive that’d look to a potential client.

Not sure where to start? Head on over to Google and type in: Your Niche + Guest Blog

You’ll be presented a list of plenty of guest posting opportunities — helping you get the experience and exposure when just starting out. Guest blogging is valuable to all new freelance writers. It builds up your portfolio quickly and helps you establish connections with professionals in your niche.

Keep in mind, most guest posts are unpaid but still well worth it. Before submitting a post, make sure you thoroughly read a site’s acceptance guidelines (and then read them again).

You want to make sure you go about approaching them in the right way — impersonal and canned pitches that clearly do not follow guidelines will usually get tossed!

Still Not Convinced of the Power of a Niche?

Before attempting to establish a freelance writing from home career, you need to harness the power of niche writing. But don’t just take my word for it.

As award-winning journalist and writer, Nathan Meunier, notes:

“In the freelance world, getting paid to write about topics that resonate with you on a deeper level is powerful stuff. But being able to spin that into a full-time living, where you spend most of your days writing entirely about the topics you’re most passionate about? That’s where the real magic is at…”

You can learn more about the value of going niche in his book, The Niche Freelancer: How to Pitch, Sell Your Work, and Break Into Niche Writing Markets.

Once you pick one niche, you can certainly branch out and establish yourself in others, too. Check out Carol Tice’s How to Figure Out Your Best-Paying Freelance Writing Niche for plenty of extra inspiration and ideas!

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The post Freelance Writing from Home: Get Started Guide appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

An estimated 34% of the national workforce now freelances. Flexibility and earning potential are two of the biggest reasons workers decide to go solo.

But where are 53 million workers who freelances finding work? The short answer is, all over the place.

Some freelancers apply directly to contract positions found on places like Indeed and niche job boards. Others use social media marketing and referrals to build up a client roster. And still, many more use popular freelance marketplaces to find gigs and micro jobs.

The Rise of Freelance Marketplaces

With 1 in 3 workers now freelancing,  marketplaces have soared in popularity in recent years. These websites act as middlemen helping connect clients with freelancers. Many of these platforms, like Upwork, Guru, and Freelancer, operate on a proposal system where freelancers bid against one another in order to land gigs posted by clients.

But in a sea of similar sites, where freelancers fight against each other for jobs, one stands out as a place for freelancers to showcase their talents and have clients come to them: Fiverr.

As the largest freelance marketplace with unbeatable value, Fiverr is the go-to place to get things done. 

Freelance Success on Fiverr

Launched in February 2010, Fiverr hosts millions of gigs that start at just five bucks (hence the name).  If you’ve been thinking of freelancing, Fiverr is the place to start.

With categories like Online Marketing, Writing & Translation, and even Fun & Bizarre, you can sell just about anything on Fiverr. The best part? Fiverr encourages sellers to share their passion with the world (and get paid for it!).

Set Up Shop

Getting started on Fiverr couldn’t be simpler. Sign up with your email address (you can also connect with Facebook or Google), choose a username, password, and activate your account. That’s it.You don’t have to pay to start selling on Fiverr and there’s never any hidden fees.

The kinds of gigs you sell are up to you, but you have to offer at least one basic gig. All basic gigs are priced at just $5.00 (Fiverr takes one dollar, or 20%, of a basic five-dollar gig). Sellers can make more when they offer add-ons to their basic gigs like super fast turnaround times or stock images.

Four Fiverr Top-Rated Sellers Share Their Success Stories

Think you can’t make a living on a site that offers unbeatably priced gigs starting at $5.00? Think again. Fiverr really is a marketplace for sellers to achieve financial independence doing the things they love.

Not only are sellers earning a living, they are finding truly amazing freelance success on Fiverr.  Still not convinced? Read on. Four Top-Rated sellers share their stories of success and practical advice to help new sellers earn money on their own terms.

Redd Horrocks, Voiceover Artist, Fiverr Top Rated Seller

Redd lives in Las Vegas and makes a full-time living through Fiverr. She left her day job with the circus to pursue her passion: Voiceover work. Thanks to her work on Fiverr, she’s been able to pay off thousands in credit card debt and has even put a down payment on a house. If that wasn’t enough, she makes over six figures a year selling gigs on Fiverr and is the sole breadwinner for her family.

As a Top Rated Seller, it’s easy to see how Redd has achieved six-figure success: Her commitment to customers.

Providing amazing work paired with second-to-none customer service keeps her customers happy, gives her repeat business, referrals, and has earned her some of the best feedback on Fiverr. Her secret?

“A deadline for a project is a promise you’ve made to a client. Do your best to keep the promises you make. Be realistic about how much work you can handle and be sure to set your delivery time to correlate to that. Delivering early is better than delivering late!”

If you’re ready to pursue your passion, like Redd, Fiverr opens up your services to millions of clients around the world. You can choose from more than 100 categories to sell in and get started in less than five minutes. To help you achieve success, Redd offers this advice to new Fiverr sellers:

Remember to show people that you are a real person, as building a connection with clients is the best way to secure repeat business.

Brooke, Short Story Writer, Fiverr Top-Rated Seller

At 67 years old, Brooke is a great example of how freelancing can help you meet your financial needs. By selling on Fiverr, Brooke is able to supplement his Social Security income each and every month doing something he enjoys. He writes short stories and sells them for $30-40 each. Selling part-time on Fiverr gives him an extra income of $10,000 a year!

Linnea, Voiceover Artist, Fiverr Top-Rated Seller

Linnea moved to New York when she was just 14 years old to follow her dreams of becoming an actress. To help make ends meet while pursuing an acting career, she started selling full time on Fiverr. Her voice over gigs have netted her more than $200,000 since she started selling. Thanks to Fiverr’s flexibility, she gets to pursue her passion while earning a very good income.

One of the most effective ways to start selling gigs is to use your seller’s page to make yourself stand out. Fortunately, you don’t have to look very far to find an affordable way to showcase your services. To give yourself an initial boost, Linnea suggests:

Utilize other Fiverr sellers when you’re creating your gig, whether that be a video creator, a copywriter, or graphic designer. It can really spruce up your page and make it look more professional.”

Tracey Freese, SEO, Business Copywriting, Blog Mentions, Fiverr Top-Rated Seller

Tracy has been selling on Fiverr since March of 2014. The bulk of her Fiverr business comes through custom orders. She stays so busy selling on Fiverr that she frequently has to put herself on vacation in order to keep orders from pouring in!

With over 1200 positive reviews, Tracy knows what it takes to provide exceptional customer service along with amazing work. But that doesn’t mean it’s always been easy being a successful solopreneur. Tracy cites customer service as one of the difficulties of getting established on Fiverr:

I have built a book of clients that are professional and highly respectful today, but at the beginning of my Fiverr seller tenure, the stress of a gig gone bad was painful. I would remind myself that if I was running a flower shop locally, there would always been unhappy customers. Poor customer experiences are the cost of doing business.

Her ability to spot potentially difficult customer service situations and strategy of pricing her services above what spammers will pay, has gone a long way in avoiding negative feedback altogether. When it does happen, she takes it in stride and stands by her work.

Sometimes this means having to take negative feedback and respond appropriately. Fiverr’s feedback system allows sellers to respond to feedback left by buyers. When worded correctly, the seller’s response can often outweigh clearly unreasonable feedback by a buyer.

Tracy’s advice for anyone thinking of selling on Fiverr?

“Do it! There is no other freelancing platform like Fiverr. Fiverr.com is a zero-barrier-to-entry business model. I got started in an afternoon and closed 200 gigs in my first 30 days. I assure you, the demand is available if you are willing to put in the time and create an appealing seller profile. Buyers don’t want supermodels on the other end of the transaction, they just want to know you are real, so film a video and tell the world how awesome your talents are!”[divider]

Feeling inspired? Head on over to Fiverr to start selling today. With zero startup cost and a platform that puts sellers in charge of their services, Fiverr makes it easier than ever to enter the freelance scene doing the things you love on your own terms. You can also check out The Fiverr Master Class: The Fiverr Secrets Of Six Power Sellers That Enable You To Work From Home to get kick off your freelance career and get a head start on becoming a Top Rated Seller.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see the disclosure statement to learn more.

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