There are numerous niches and specialties you can choose as a freelance writer, but one of the most popular is blogging.
Millions of blog owners are looking for content right now, and many of them will pay top dollar for it.
And one of the TOP benefits to becoming a blogging writer?
Blogs are continuous. The nature of blogs is that they are posted daily, weekly, monthly, etc. This means that you are not signing up for a one-off project with a client.
If you do well, you will have a continuous gig. If you can snag a few high-paying blogging gigs, you can earn a more repeatable, sustainable income.
Sound like a winning career path? Then let’s dive into the details.
How Do You Get Paid to Be a Freelance Blogger?
Blogging can be your specialty. You can focus your entire career on providing blog content for established websites, or writing for corporate blogs across the web. Or you can pick up a few side gigs blogging.
An additional career path is to specialize in a specific niche of blogging, like real estate, marketing, DIY or some other niche area of the market. By specializing, you make yourself a commodity – someone with:
- Expertise
- Experience
- Knowledge
- Proof of results
Blogging in your specialty can make you an in-demand writer. That means you can raise your rates and charge high premiums for your services, and the more potential clients who request your work, the higher those rates can soar. This can be a quick route to the top if you play your cards right.
Getting Blogging Clients
In the blogging world, it all starts with your first client.
With just one client, you can build up solid content to post on your portfolio, share with other potential customers and use as clips in pitches to other blog owners. And, that one blog post has the potential to be seen by dozens of other clients who, if they like your blog, will contact you for your blogging services as well.
I snagged a gig with a popular internet marketing blog years ago. This one gig turned into full-time income for me because the companies who saw my blog, contacted me to write for them because they liked my content so much. I no longer had to scour through job ads looking for work. I had clients coming to me and ask me how much I charge.
Start by browsing freelance writing job boards. When searching for jobs, look for posts that specifically ask for bloggers, and if you’re interested in specializing in a niche topic, look out for clients in that space as you browse.
Once you find a potential gig that fits, take time to work on your pitch. Gather up your past personal blogs, pull together writing samples in your niche, and create a pitch email that sells both your talents and your expertise. Refer back to the original job post as you write, and always include a link to your online portfolio.
If you impress them, the client will likely come back looking for rate info.
With blogging, you can charge numerous ways:
- Per word
- Per hour
- Per blog
- Per project
I recommend charging a per-word or per-project rate. If you’re just starting out, however, a client may be hesitant to put down a big chunk of cash on your unproven talents, so if this applies to you, you may want to offer a “trial” per-blog rate to start. Offer the client an exclusive one-time rate for one, two or three blogs. Then, once you prove your worth, negotiate a payment schedule that works better for you in the long term.
It sounds like a complicated way to start your blogging career, but it’s a great way to gain trust with your clients. And that’s something that can keep them around for many, many years to come.
If you want more information on how to attract, find and win high-quality clients, check out my Free eBook, The Freelance Writer’s Complete Strategy Guide to Wining High-Quality Clients. In it, I compiled all of my proven client-winning strategies for freelance writers. Download it here!
Building Your Career
Once you win your first client, keep updating your portfolio. Also, ask the client for a quick review of your services, which you can post on a “testimonials” page on your website.
Real-life testimonials are a MUST if you want to snag the best clients. If you want to streamline the testimonial-gathering process, connect with your client on LinkedIn and request your review through that platform. LinkedIn will send an automated message, and the clients can provide a testimonial for your work at their leisure.
As your portfolio and reviews expand, stay on top of job board postings. These will keep you in the loop regarding the best and latest blogging gigs as they open up.
As you gain more experience and more clients, continue to raise your rates. Take a step back every 6 months to evaluate what you’ve learned, your portfolio and your skillset, and adjust your rates to reflect those changes. Sometimes, that means losing a low-paying client in the process, but it also opens doors for bigger, better-paying customers.
Guest Blogging
Let’s switch gears for a second.
Though job boards provide blogging opportunities, they’re not the end-all be-all of the blogging world. In fact, if you’re specializing in a niche topic, guest blogging may be the more lucrative route to take.
With guest blogging, you offer your knowledge and experience to the audience of an already established blog.
Here’s an example: You specialize in gluten-free dieting. You could pitch potential guest posts to nutrition blogs or those focused on healthy eating, weight loss and more related topics. Your content would provide some useful and credible information for the blog’s regular readers.
The benefits of this type of guest blogging are two-fold.
- Great pay – Many blog owners are overwrought with work, and a guest post can provide them a much-needed break they’ll pay a pretty penny for.
- Builds your reputation – Guest blogging can help you build your reputation. A blog includes your byline, and it gives you a chance to show off your expertise and knowledge in a specific sector. And the more knowledgeable you are in a subject, the more you can charge for your services. It’s an endless cycle of upward mobility that only means success in the long run.
- Gain exposure – Companies who frequent the blog will be those who have an interest in the subject. They may contact you if they need content and they like your work.
Starting Your Own Blog 
In addition to guest blogging, you can also start your own blog on your website. This doesn’t have to be your sole source of income but it can be for fun, to gain experience, or just to show off your knowledge in a specific niche. Regardless of its purpose, blogging on your personal website can have numerous benefits for your career.
Remember: Thousands of people get paid to be freelance bloggers every day. It’s fun, it’s flexible and when done right, the income can be pretty great, too.
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Blogging sounds like something that would work for me. I like the idea of having an ongoing writing gig with clients.
Yes! That is the best benefit of writing blogs for sure. 🙂
Maggie