All freelance writers have months that are better than others. Hopefully, you have some money saved up from a good month to be able to get through a bad month. Regardless of your financial situation, however, there are some secrets to scrounging up work, which can take you from a really, really craptastic month to a “meh” month. Meh is better than craptastic any day.
This list will be continuously updated as I develop and test new ways of making money! Also, feel free to add your own comments if you have a secret method of scrounging up work.
Reminder for Clients
Sometimes, all you have to do to scrounge up some work is remind your clients that you exist. Email everyone who has ordered a project in the past and tell them that you’re finalizing your schedule for the next few months and would like to know if they have any projects they’d like to get on your schedule. If you imply that your time is limited, some clients will jump on the chance to ensure they’re on your schedule.
Referral Incentive
Offer an incentive for your current clients to refer you. For example, for every person they recommend who orders a project with you, they get one free article, a $10 credit on their next project, free ebook formatting, etc. Yes, you’re giving something away, but it’s worth it to get some new clients into the mix. Offer this incentive when you’re having a slow month and remind clients about this incentive if you have a slow month in the future.
Monthly Special
Run a monthly special for your existing clients. For example, you might say that anyone who orders more than $200 during the month of January gets a $40 credit on a future project. This entices them to order a project now, and since they’ll have a credit, they’ll order a project in the future. Or you could offer a straight percentage off for any project ordered in the next two weeks. Make sure that you mention that this is a limited offer based on first-come, first-served. Again, it makes your time seem in short supply, which encourages people to get on your schedule ASAP.
Constant Content
The site Constant Content is a place where you can sign up and post articles at whatever price you want. People can then peruse what you have to offer and purchase the rights to articles they want. If you have free time, check out what’s selling and what’s popular right now. Write up a few articles and post them for sale. There’s no guarantee that they’ll sell, but it can bring in a little income during the month. Constant Content takes a percentage of every sale, so keep that in mind when you determine prices for your work.
Note: That is an affiliate link to Constant Content. You won’t make less money by signing up through me, I’ll just get a percentage of Constant Content’s fee as their way of thanking me for introducing you to the site.
Blog Contests
If you blog for a client and are paid based on pageviews, a really awesome way to boost your exposure for the month is to run a contest. The prize doesn’t have to be something outrageously expensive, but it does have to be something relevant for your niche. If you can’t find someone to sponsor the prize, think about something niche-related that you own and could give away, like a book you’ve already read. You could purchase something as well, though remember that you want to make money, not spend money, so calculate the extra money you’re likely to receive versus the cost of whatever you’re giving away.
Make sure to check your contract to ensure that you’re allowed to organize contests. Some clients don’t allow this simply because it boosts pageviews without providing a lot of high-quality traffic. Others want the exposure regardless of traffic quality, so they’re happy to allow you to run contests. When in doubt, ask.
Promote your contest across all social networking platforms, even to people who may not normally be interested in your niche. You’ll be surprised at how many people show up for the chance to win something, even if it’s not something they especially want. You should also add your listing to contest directories. My favorite is found here, but there are others around as well that can all help you draw in traffic.
Discounts on Pre-Written Content
This technique only works if you either 1) have pre-written content or 2) have a day set aside to write content extremely quickly if an order comes in. It again has you contact previous clients, but this time, make a specific pitch to them. Tell them you have content available for a discount in their niche area, and if they’d like to purchase any of it, you’d be more than happy to sell it. Many people are happy with the content they own, so won’t order more, but also won’t pass up a sale. List specific titles you have available (or can write quickly) and tell them they can mix and match.
Use Social Networking Sites
Don’t be afraid to announce on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking sites that you’re looking for writing work. Most of my work comes from referrals, and often all you have to do is announce that you’re taking clients to get a ton of recommendations. People need to be reminded that you’re available. Make sure you’re connecting with as many freelance writers and social networkers as possible, and return the favor when you have more work than you can handle by referring clients you can’t take to people that are part of your network.