When you are starting out as a freelance content writer, you may not be aware of certain industry trends and practices that will, in the long run, help you establish a strong foothold in the content writing industry. Even some content writers who have been working in the industry for a significantly long time now tend to ignore these aspects. And as a result, they are never able to make it big. If you wish to know whether or not you are committing the same mistakes, then my dear friend, read on and explore!
Top 5 mistakes every content writer must avoid at all costs!
- You do not invest time in self-branding
Personal branding can literally escalate your earnings as a freelance content writer. It helps you grow tremendously and establishes yourself as an authority figure who has ample experience and knowledge. So, if you do not have a full-fledged personal brand, then know that you are simply staying aloof to some of the best work opportunities in the industry. Without a self-branding strategy in place, you cannot expect your prospects to know about your calibre and services.
- You do not believe in upskilling
The content writing industry is quite diverse and also highly dynamic. There is so much to learn- branding, marketing, tools to aid writing, graphic designing, search engine optimisation and so on. The more you learn, the more you can offer to your clients. This means that you will be in a position to mint more money. So, ideally, you must set aside a learning fund for every month which you can invest in buying the right courses and books.
And also, simply buying the resources won’t help. You need to be willing to learn and execute the same. Soon you will start witnessing phenomenal results.
- You avoid charging in advance from your clients
If you do not charge in advance from your clients, then you are significantly reducing your chances of getting paid by that client. You may end up mailing the deliverable, and the client can then ghost you altogether. Therefore, make it a part of your business policy to charge in advance. Depending on your expertise and experience, you may charge 30%, 50%, 75% or even 100% in advance from your clients.
- You do not get your clients to sign a contract before working on a project
Before commencing to work on any content project, you must get an e-contract signed by your client. In that contract, you need to clearly mention the below-given points:
- Deliverables (Number of blogs, topics, word count etc.)
- Total chargeable amount
- % that you have charged in advance
- Submission deadline
- Copyright guidelines
- Number of free revisions/edits
- Last date for full and final payment
There are so many tools and software that you can use to create your e-contract and get it signed. Having a contract means that your clients will have clarity of what to expect from your services. Also, you will experience peace of mind as there will be no instances of delayed payments, endless revisions and so on.
- You have no fixed work hours
You CANNOT attain your productive best until and unless you have a fixed work hour. You can work in the wee hours of the night. Or maybe you are a morning person and prefer working in the early hours of the day. Again, you can be a student and choose to work in the evening. Just ensure that you fix your work hours and workdays and adhere to them. There has to be a sense of strict discipline and consistency if you wish to attain greater heights in life.
In a nutshell
If you have been committing even any one of these mistakes, then it is high time that you bring the much-needed change. Acknowledging your mistake and accepting the fact that you have been doing it wrong requires courage. The next step involves taking remedial steps.
So, what are the mistakes that you have been committing till now? And what will you do to rectify them?
A traveller at heart, writer by profession, Bidisha carries 5 years of experience in content writing. Her words give wings to brands, businesses and influencers and help them notch up their work to the next level. Writing is definitely her cup of tea, and she prefers sipping it now and then. When not writing, you will find her cooking and dancing.
