How to Get Started Freelance Writing for Blogs

This post is a part of the Get Paid to Write for Blogs Course Launch. Get Paid to Write for Blogs is a brand new course created by Cat Alford of Budget Blonde. Cat makes a full time income from writing for blogs, and this course will teach you how to do the same.

Have you ever thought about learning how to get started freelance writing for blogs? Getting paid to write for blogs is a profitable and worthwhile side hustle. Not only will it bring in extra money for paying down debts or investing for retirement, it will also allow you to network with and work for like-minded people.

Online freelance writing can be a tough business to break into if you don’t know where to get started though. You can always try applying for writing jobs through forums like Elance or Outsource, but those jobs are usually go to the lowest bidder. You want your time to be worth the effort you put in. So how do you learn where to find new clients, network efficiently, and produce quality articles? Well, enrolling in a course that teaches you how to get paid to write for blogs can help cut down on your learning curve.

Sign Up for a Course

By enrolling in a course, you can learn how to create a writing business from scratch or expand an already existing business. You will learn the ins and outs of how to successfully start writing for other blogs or take your writing business to the next level of professionalism.

The lessons will help you build a professional website, construct a resume, and perfect your job pitches. Learning from the mistakes and successes of a veteran blogger will kick start your freelance writing business, because you won’t be floundering on your own or learning the hard way what does and does not work.

Start Your Own Website

Having your own blog is not necessary, but most freelance bloggers do maintain their own website. If you are just getting started, writing for your own blog allows you to perfect your writing style, build your portfolio, and start getting your name out there. It’s also a great idea to have a website with a “hire me” page.

As you start getting writing jobs, you will have a writer’s bio at the end of your articles, which will link readers back to your own website and different social media platforms. Without a website, people won’t know how to contact you for a writing position or know how to follow you to learn more about you.

Maintain a Presence on Social Media

Without self-promotion and networking through social media outlets, your writing will get lost to the black hole of the Internet. What good is your hard work if your writing isn’t being read? If you are new to social media, it might be best to start out with one or two platforms. Different bloggers suggest different ones, but I like Pinterest.

After you master that, you should definitely add a Twitter account to share links to your articles as well as network with other writers in the same niche.

Create Real Relationships with Other Bloggers

The freelance blogging world is a surprisingly tight knit community. If you want to be privy to the benefits of word of mouth job opportunities, you need to be connected to other writers.

Start following the blogs that you enjoy reading or that inspire you. Emulate their style in your own writing and see if it works for you. Comment daily on different websites and make your presence known to other writers. Join freelance writing groups on Facebook. Share other writers’ posts on Facebook and Twitter.

Networking is so much more effective when you get to know the real person behind the posts. Genuinely encouraging other writers will make them more likely to reciprocate by linking back to your articles in their own posts or sharing them on social media.

Guest Post on Other Blogs

Once you have established real relationships with other bloggers, ask about guest posting on their blog. For those that may not know, guest posting means writing an article for free on another blogger’s website. Mark Twain is quoted as saying, “Write without pay until someone offers pay.”

Although you aren’t earning money by guest posting, you are getting your name out there with new readers and building up your writing portfolio. Most bloggers also don’t mind if you insert links back to your own website.

Start Pitching

Once you have a sizable portfolio of writing samples, it’s time to start pitching for job opportunities. Sometimes you can apply for hundreds of jobs before someone decides to pay you to write for them. Other times, you get contacted after your first try.

By learning how to get paid to write for blogs, you will work your way up the ranks in no time. Don’t get discouraged, get your name out there, and no matter what, keep writing. After all, that’s what it’s all about.

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Comments

Allison @ Frugal on the Prairie says
July 8, 2015 at 5:35 pm

I didn’t land my first freelance writing job until I started my blog. I was amazed at the difference in the number of inquiries just by having a few posts up. Now I have a couple of months under my belt and the consistent practice has been very helpful.