20 Steps To Becoming A Freelance Write For Us Guru For Business

The Coronavirus crisis has made online marketing more critical for businesses than it has ever been, now and for the foreseeable future. It will benefit the freelancing content marketing community greatly. There are many ways to benefit from this mega trend, but one sure way to benefit is by becoming a “Write for us Guru”.

For freelancers this can be fulfilling and lucrative. Freelance writers and video producers who create quality content to tight deadlines are loved by bloggers and businesses that require new posts and videos to keep their marketing strategy fresh. Without written words and videos, websites will experience lower traffic, lead generation, and sales.

For those that are interested in video production as Business Video Gurus we have produced the following articles for you (click on the links):

Returning to “Write for Guru”: as a top-notch writer, you can help a business improve its content marketing and help it recover from the Coronavirus crisis and improve its profitability. But what are the steps to becoming a freelance “Write for us Guru?” And why is it important to consider the sector as a viable career choice?

What Is A Write For Us Strategy?

A “write for us” strategy is where platforms ask contributors to craft posts for the sake of the site. Yes, it is that simple! Why? It is because guest posting does the following:

Allows sites to gain expert knowledge
Maintains marketing freshness without harming the business as a whole
Helps build winning relationships and partnerships
Increase exposure
Utilise SEO

These are only five reasons businesses have “write for us” solutions – there are more reasons why businesses should have a guest posting strategy.

Why Start Freelancing Now?

Let us address the elephant in the room – Coronavirus. The world is in lockdown, and even if countries begin to open sooner rather than later, the global economy is in decline and may take years to recover.

Australia’s economy, for one example, is set to experience the biggest contraction since the Great Depression in 1930. Unemployment and underemployed levels are due to rise, too, as the total hours worked in Australia are likely to decline as shown by this Australian Bureau of Statistics forecast here.

Thankfully, Write for us Gurus can supplement their income through regular freelancing jobs, and you are no different. Writing content does not require any formal qualifications, and experience is not a dealbreaker. If you can prove that you are a quality wordsmith, you will find work, and you can do it from the comfort of your home while overseeing your workload.

Plenty of reasons already exist to embrace freelancing, but the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated them due to the need to offset a drop in wages and income. Adding “Write for us Content Management Services for Small and Medium Enterprises” to your list of freelance solutions is a fantastic way to boost your income, regardless of the situation.

How Write For Us Services Make Businesses Money

Here is a selection of ways a Write for us Guru service is a potential money-spinner. With a better understanding of the following, you will see how essential your skills are and how much you can charge for them.

Big ROI, Small Investment

Content marketing is one of the most cost-effective forms of advertising. Even outsourcing the role to a writer such as you will save a business around 62% of a traditional advertising budget. Therefore, there is plenty of scope to hire writers who can hit a brief.

Not Promotional

Blogs and posts help to build relationships. Audiences come back to the site to read what you, and other contributors, have to say. Companies love content writers who can tow this line perfectly because it allows them to raise brand awareness and sell themselves without being tacky.

Builds A Reputation

Once you add to your portfolio and start a buzz, you will be wanted by businesses throughout the industry. As a result, there is a keg of untapped potential for writers whose work is error-free and proven to aid SERPs.

Long-term Investment

Businesses with content marketing plans are not trying to lure their customers into a quick sale. Instead, it is about building trust over a period so that they stay loyal. This means the jobs, even if the contract is a rolling one, are not short and inconsistent. You can rely on guest posting.

10 Steps To Becoming A Freelance Write For Us Guru

So, you want to be a guest blogger? Great, because “Write for us” as a service is accessible and lucrative to everybody. All you need to do is check out these ten tips. The following will help you establish yourself on the path to be a quality freelance writer.

1: Write Down Your Goals

Like a business, you need a plan of attack. Writing down your targets lets you refer to them as you move forward and adjust if necessary. The key is to understand why you are doing it and what you aim to get from the process. Aside from a new revenue stream, you should consider building a good network of connections and sharpening your SEO skills.

Whatever you decide, your goals must be SMART:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-bound

2: Launch A Website

Although there are not any requirements for formal qualifications, you must show a body of work. A blog or site is an excellent choice because it can be casual and does not cost a penny. A free host (WordPress) gives you access to a wide range of tabs and genres. Plus, running a blog will make you more aware of what guest posting consists of and how to do it effectively.

If your site gains a lot of traction, you can partner with clients to double down on traffic and raise awareness of both platforms. Writers who offer this service to businesses will find that they are more employable as they bring extra revenue streams to the table.

3: Publish Regular Posts

First and foremost, publishing blog posts regularly proves that you are a skilled and competent writer. This is especially true if your content is varied as it shows that you can create content about almost anything. In an industry where singular topics are few and far between, it is a great asset to possess.

Also, publishing posts helps to build a base. Loyal readers are incredibly powerful because companies may check out how many clicks your blog gets. The more you have, the more they stand to profit from hiring you.

There is no magic number, but studies suggest that you try to reach the 55 to 70 blog post-range ASAP.

4: Choose A Speciality Carefully

A niche will provide you with more opportunities than the average “Write for us Guru.” The straightforward reason is that there is less content on abstract subjects, so you will make your services instantly advertisable. Plus, with fewer writers to pick from, you will have a better chance of securing work if you are not competing against a plethora of candidates.

A fantastic knock-on effect of choosing the right speciality is that you will make yourself an expert. Posts that rank highly and have lots of views are precisely what businesses want to expand their operations. As a specialist on a topic, your posts will have a solid reputation and be more in demand.

5: Build A Portfolio

Your portfolio is more useful than a resume or CV. Not only is it evidence of your skill level and experience, but it is a legitimate representation of your work. Applying for a job is a formal process that includes lots of bluster and “liberal truths.” Your portfolio does not lie. A glance at one or two of your best pieces will tell employers what they need to know within minutes. With that in mind, please ensure there are zero typos and the chosen posts highlight your abilities.

An online portfolio is a savvy move because it is always viewable and easier to maintain.

6: Start Searching

Now that the prep is done, it is time to start searching for guest posting opportunities. Do not worry if you are unsure where to begin because a quick Google search will reveal everything. Or you can target businesses that you want to write for by heading to their websites. If they have a “write for us” strategy, it should be in a prominent position on the homepage or “contact us” and “careers” tabs.

Another tactic is to use online job sites. Leave the “where” search bar blank and put “writer” in the “what” search bar. Jobs that come up should be freelance or home-based, so pick those that stand out the most. Alternatively, our eBook, “Guest Posting Gold: Content Creation Strategies for Website Owners and Writers,” has over 200 recommendations.

7: Do Your Research

Since Matt Cutts released a post detailing the demise of guest blogging as an effective way to gain links, Google has cracked down on the practice. Today, being a guest poster is trickier than ever because sites will not accept applications unless they have a purpose (build relationships/raise awareness and traffic). Therefore, you must research the business and website you want to write for.

When you do this, you will notice the types of posts they publish and the style and Tone of Voice (ToV) . Some editors, for instance, prefer text whereas others opt for infographics and videos. Better knowledge of their practices will help you craft an undeniable pitch that is on point.

8: Read The Guidelines

That said, you should not assume you know what a potential employer wants from a contributor. Usually, businesses and sites are gracious enough to tell you the requirements, and you should not look a gift horse in the mouth. For one thing, it shows a blatant disregard for the rules, and your application will be ignored. Secondly, it is a waste of time as you will have no chance of securing a role if you do not meet the guidelines.

Aside from the ToV, be sure to double-check the application requirements. For example, how many pieces do you have to include? Must you write a test piece? What is the word count?

9: Personalise Your Pitch

The chances are that several candidates are on your “write for us” hit list. If so, you must resist the urge to copy and paste your last message and reuse it. Above all, it is lazy and prevents you from personalising your message. Adding something witty or unique is a powerful selling point that will grab the reader’s eye. Applicants that make them laugh or smile will have a better chance of securing a reply.

So, be mindful of the company, and keep your pitch short and sweet. That way, you will treat businesses as individuals.

10: Follow Up

Never fret if you do not get an instant reply. Typically, it can take a few business days for a response, especially if the demand for guest posting spots is high. Of course, there is nothing stopping you from following up and asking for a reply. It is not pushy, and nor is it a bad habit. Firstly, the business will be happy to see that you are passionate about your services, which is a big plus. Also, it is an opportunity to ask for feedback so that your next pitches do not fall short.

Do not give up on a good thing as your next job could be around the corner.

How FatJoe Can Help

Becoming a freelance ‘Write for us Guru’ is an excellent way to supplement your income in these tough times. Of course, doing it alone is going to be more challenging. After all, transitioning to freelance work takes knowledge, experience, and a bit of luck.

Thankfully, FatJoe is a content creation company that is dedicated to helping freelancers. By using FatJoe’s link building & content services, you can benefit from the following.

Affordable Content Creation

Content is the king of marketing. Without content, you will struggle to advertise your services as a freelancer. When you cannot raise awareness of your skills, you will not be able to use freelancing as a viable way to make money when times are tough. You are not worried because you are a skilled writer who can curate articles and blog posts without spending a penny.

As this post has already stated, you need to publish up to 70 posts to get your site off the ground. Otherwise, you will not be a credible freelancer with a loyal fanbase. But the hard work does not stop when you reach this figure. Once your audience is hooked, you cannot limit the number of posts. You need to churn out as many as humanly possible to make sure they do not bounce, and this is hard to do when you only have one pair of hands.

FatJoe’s content creation program is over 100-strong. By utilising FatJoe’s help, you can tap into their pool of writers to keep on posting quality blogs and articles that readers will love.

Extra Flexibility

You want to make sure that you have breathing space when you manage multiple content strategies for SMEs. A backup plan is essential in case something goes wrong or an unforeseen circumstance plays havoc. Unfortunately, most content solutions force you to lock into a contract. As a result, you must pay for posts that you do not need, which is a waste of money.

Typically, this is better than not being able to publish anything. However, FatJoe has a brilliant order-as-you-need feature that allows you to use them as overflow if necessary. In short, if you are in a pinch, you can hire them for a short period to cover your clients’ specifications. Then, when things slow down again, you can go back to your usual management style.

The inability to fulfill orders is not impressive and will not reflect well on your services. Use FatJoe to maintain your reputation and sure your processes continue to run smoothly.

Free Tools

Money is tight when you start as a freelancer. Until you establish yourself as a reputable and skilled partner, you will need to cut costs wherever possible. Often, this is not realistic because everyone who can help will want you to pay a fee. Even if the amount is small, it may be enough to exclude you from obtaining their services.

FatJoe is different because, while they charge content creation and link building solutions, there is a host of free tools on the website. Among the best is ‘FATREL NoFollow Link Highlighter’ that shows if any of your links are tagged as ‘nofollow,’ which means they will not impact SERPs.

There is a ‘FATRANK Keyword Rank Checker’ and ‘Infographic Embed Code Generator,’ to name two more.

The Final Word

Hopefully, these ten steps have been helpful and shown that guest posting is an incredible way to boost your income. Regardless of your qualifications and experience, you can use a personal website, portfolio, and a perfect pitch to secure revenue streams when times are tough.

And do not forget about FATJOE. Thanks to their affordable services and free tools, you will always have flexibility to fulfill orders and more time to focus on your craft.

Disclosure
We use Fat Joe in the way that we have advocated above because of their excellence in products and services. When you require fast turn-around times when you are under pressure to deliver services FatJoe can deliver in three days! Yes, you read that correctly – three days!

That is why we became their affiliates. You can become their affiliate too, but we recommend that you try them out first by ~~clicking here~~ . Here is some examples of their work (click on the links):

Freelancers and guest bloggers posting and linking guide post Google update.

Infographic for the Ultimate Freelancing Library.

If you are starting out as a freelancer we have produced the Ultimate Freelancing Library to help you. This is a series of 12 Amazon eBooks at only USD1.00 each to help you get started e.g. Freelancers 20 Critical Mistakes to Avoid. The library can be accessed by clicking on the graphic below or at the top of the Navigation Bar on the right.

If you wish to learn more about earning more through online freelancing and how to become a successful online freelancer, you may also find this eBook helpful:

How to Be Self-Employed: A Freelance Work from Home Guide