Plus, secrets to get most wanted skills
It is hard enough to survive every month as a freelance writer. And 2020 taught us more forbearance than anyone of us could tolerate. As I look behind just one last time, I know why ‘Business’ was better for me and hopefully in 2021 I will have lesser challenges to overcome.
Here is how I managed to keep my remote business running strong. There are other freelance content creators who may have reskilled themselves or done something to keep afloat.
Rise of remote work
Surveys have been done globally to ask freelancers about how their services faired in 2020. Payoneer research showed than 32% saw a down slide, which seems normal. But the future is brighter than ever as throughout the pandemic, people started to work online.
https://pubs.payoneer.com/images/the-state-of-freelancing-during-covid-19.pdf
Since I have worked remotely for more than 18 years, there was no major disruption. Yes, for those who commuted to work a sea change occurred. I did not have to struggle to maintain a routine or mental health as I disciplined myself years ago as a home-based freelancer. I continued to write and gain clients, although I must admit that two of them left me as I refused to lower my professional fees. Securing new clients can be a challenge even otherwise and during 2020 it was no different.
However, referral business (which continues to be my strong point) has always proved useful. Meeting deadlines have never been a problem for me and I continued to do so. I feel clients will face an uphill task to engage content writers. They will need to discern quality work which comes at a price rather than giving a chance to newbies who have just started to work from home after losing jobs. Some clients clearly can distinguish between professional content creators and new toads who have appeared during the pandemic. Remote work will continue and content creators will need to improve their offerings. Hence, business will have to move from mere survival to continuous gigs.
Skills important to remain in business
There is no denying that specific writing skills will keep professionals busy. To succeed, writers require many other skills to get paid assignments. These abilities relate to pitching for business, communications and capability to understand a client’s brief. Equally important is to convince the client that what you have written makes sense and is worthy of being published. As an experienced writer I feel there are nine essential competency levels other than tackling any genre or acing the content writing style.
Communications with clarity
Ability to be flexible at problem solving
Being self-motivated to push the envelope
Having strong work ethics at all times
Swallowing pride if work is rejected
Investing in free samples (with limitations of course)
Willing to work in a remote team
Adaptable to rewrite content entirely
Time management especially while working from home
PS: (I try to adapt all of them depending on the client)
Increase your chances to get more work
Most clients will continue to work on lesser budgets until their budgets for content writing improve. A content writer should lower the fees only if the gap between the actual budget and expectations is not very large. Writers fall for traps (more work will come once this is over and we will pay better). It is disappointing as nothing ever comes in future and you have been fleeced. This is where communicating and negotiating is an art to market your talent. It is hard to refuse but crumbs do not take care of utilities and continue to be a waste of time.
The hardest thing for a writer to understand is this: does your skill match with the project requirement? If it does not, then don’t get into it, unless you want to reskill yourself and attempt writing on a brand new scale. You will also have to match your proposal with the specific project description. For example, if the client wants a white paper, avoid sending samples of blogs and articles. It will not help the client to judge your ability to tackle the white paper project. Maybe you can do a sample to help him judge if you are the right fit.
Some clients still like to ‘interview’ freelance writers. It is okay as you also get an opportunity to read the client’s mind to know if your skills and experience are relevant for a project. This is where communications play a critical role in getting the project.
Focus on what you can control
Upgrading and new skills will be in demand through 2021. All those ‘anti-professionals’ who managed to survive will need to prioritize different genres of writing to pick.
Just to give you an idea on what you can control:
- Know the demand and supply in your writing genre.
- Understand that not all skills are equal and pay proportionately.
- Check trends to know which writing styles are obsolete and avoid them.
- Have a balance between productivity and performance.
- Learn to compete with freshers who charge less.
- Is there a way you can navigate low budget clients or look for greener pastures?
- Can you fix content writing problems for clients? For them getting the right content writer is like finding the right apartment in the city!
It is time to act now. What you do now will impact your income generation for the rest of 2021.
Secrets to getting most wanted skills
Every writer should have a secret weapon in the arsenal to remain in business. Stand out as a blogger, academic writer, copywriter or an accomplished content creator for websites.
Know your uniqueness. Sing your own song. Don’t copy from others. This will make you more skilled and in demand even in lean times. A fresh approach always helps. Do more research to help a client get what he wants.
Professional writers fall in three broad categories.
- Journalists
- Novelists
- Copywriters
Decide your fit and work towards it. And then ask yourself, Do I want to become a writer or an expert in a certain subject?
Decide your fit and work towards it. And then ask yourself, Do I want to become a writer or an expert in a certain subject?
There is nothing like enjoying working from home. It is fun and without any commute. It does come with its share of baggage but that is life at its best.
Do let me know what you did to survive 2020 and your plan to move to the next level in 2021.