I used to think it was a pipe dream.
The idea of being able to publish a blog post and make money seemed… almost magical.
This was towards the end of 2012 when I was starting up very first professional blog, CrowdCrux.
It didn’t happen all at once, but gradually, I saw that I started to earn more and more money from my blog.
I was astounded.
Flash forward a year, and I nervously took the first steps towards becoming a full-time blogger. At first, it was scary, stressful, and nerve-wracking.
Eventually, after learning some key lessons, I came to understand how this whole blogging business works.
Now, I make good money writing articles online from home. I can work wherever I want, whenever I want.
It’s dope!
I want to show you how to do the exact same thing. In this article, I’m going to outline some of the ways that you can get paid to blog and write articles from home.
Before you know it, you’ll have more freedom than you ever thought possible.
You’ll finally be able to to enjoy going to work. And, best of all, you’ll have an “audience” that knows, likes, and trusts you.
1. Pinpoint Your “Specialty”
What are you good at!? Not all writing is made the same. You could be good at writing:
- Informative blog posts
- Entertaining articles
- Breaking news articles
- Persuasive sales letters
- Killer advertisement copy
Before you go out there and offer your writing services to anyone, you gotta nail down what you’re good at. This will affect the type of job you go after.
Next, you need to figure out what you like writing about. This could include:
- Travel Tips
- Self-Improvement advice
- Cool tech gadgets
- Smart money management
- Fitness hacks
- and more.
We all tend to do better when we’re working at a job that we like. If you HATE the topic you’re writing about, you’re naturally gonna do a pretty crappy job.
Take a few minutes (right now) as you’re reading this article, and scratch down a few ideas that come to mind.
What type of writing do you enjoy doing? What do you want to write about?
2. Do You Want To Be Paid Hourly or Through Passive Income Streams?
If you want to be paid hourly or by the project, then writing articles for news websites, magazines, and blogs is going to be your best bet for making good money.
You can look into a website like UpWork, Freelancer, or Elance and check out some of the jobs that are currently available.
I think this is a GREAT route if you’re just starting out. It’s completely realistic to be able to do this full-time.
You just need to search out jobs, do the work, and search out more jobs. Simple!
However, I know that this type of work can get very draining.
You’re trading your time for money. After every completed project, you can celebrate for a little bit, but then you gotta get back to the grind.
You gotta constantly search out new projects, so that you can continue to make money.
Even if you do get a few consistent clients, you’ll still have to deal with getting emails at all hours of the day and being available at the drop of a hat.
Annoying, right?
That’s why I recommend every freelancer to also build up their own blog, just like Kristi Hines of Kikolani.
Kristis’s blog Kikolani covers marketing tips and advice. You can see a screenshot of it below.
Along with writing this blog, she also does freelance writing for major publications, like American Express, Bigcommerce, Capital One, and more!
You can find a website screenshot for her freelance writing services below.
She uses her blog to:
- Attract freelancing clients
- Make advertising revenue
- Make affiliate revenue (from her resources page)
Over time, it’s easy to see how anyone can build up their blog into a strong source of passive income to supplement their freelancing.
Then, rather than just trading TIME for MONEY, you’re also padding your income with multiple income streams.
You gotta think BIGGER. It’s not just about a short-term freelancing career.
Don’t you want more freedom and flexibility in your work life?
If you want to make good income, while maintaining your sanity, you’re gonna wanna read up on how to become a full-time blogger.
I know that it sounds… strange.
Like, how could you actually make income from JUST a blog?
You have to understand that you’re seeing a very “surface level view” when you come across a blog.
There is a ton that’s happening behind the scenes. In fact, there are a lot of secrets that professional bloggers probably won’t tell you when it comes to earnings five or six figures online.
I’ve shared them with YOU in this video.
3. How to Approach Freelancing Clients
Now… not everyone wants to become a full-time blogger.
Also, while you’re building up your income streams, you’re probably gonna have to do some freelancing work to pay the bills.
Approaching potential freelancing clients is intimidating, nerve-wracking, and sometimes, it can be downright frustrating.
Often times, you waste your all of your time and mental energy just pursuing jobs or answering questions.
The BEST and EASIEST way to get new freelancing clients is to create a “system” that you can use every time. Make sure you:
- Have links to previous works
- Collect and send testimonials
- Have a bite-sized story to add personality
- Show understanding of the job or task
- Create a USP (Unique Selling Proposition) that makes you stand out
- Have a source of jobs (websites, in-person events, Facebook groups)
- Be positive!
Remember, never take rejection personally. Potential clients are never rejecting YOU. They are rejecting your “approach,” proposal, or how they perceive you.
For starters, you’ll need to join all of the major groups in the industry that you’re targeting. If you want to write articles about healthy living, go out there and join a bunch of groups on fitness.
Network, network, network!
You can find these groups on:
- Google+
- Online forums
- Meetup
Before you know it, you’ll find yourself having online interactions with REAL people. These are potential clients that you can end up doing jobs for in the future. Get their name, email, and if possible, phone number.