5 Surprising Reasons Why Blogs Fail
Do you know the reason why blogs fail? You might think it's lack of interest, or maybe poor writing, but I'm here to share with you the 5 surprising reasons why blogs fail...and how you can turn that frown upside down and get your blog back on track.
5 Reasons Why Most Blogs Fail
One of the goals that I set for my website, Home Garden Joy, is to increase my site traffic and decrease my blog's bounce rate this year. It's not an easy goal. With WordPress reporting 74,652,825 blogs on their site alone, it's tough to crack the blogosphere with zippy content.
I decided to join a link party or blog party this year to help boost traffic to my own blog. A blog party is an online event in which a group of bloggers bands together to share, promote, and help each other with their blogs. As part of the blog party, I visit at least 60 to 100 different blogs each week. That's a lot of blogs!
Because I'm now reading so many blogs, in so many different categories than my own, I've gotten a really good sense about what makes a great blog, a good blog, and a boring blog. These 5 tips are derived from my own experiences reading 100+ blog posts a week.
Ready? Here's why most blogs fail:
- What's the point? Many bloggers have a hazy, unfocused blog that tries to cover everything under the sun. Today they're writing about parenting issues, tomorrow about fashion, and on Friday, home decorating. That's not to say that you can't do this, but if you do decide to cover a multitude of topics, make sure you do in a fresh, fun way. Having your blog structured around particular posts on a certain day of the week, such as Foodie Friday or whatever can give it structure. Keep your blog focused around one major topic and similar related topics. Structure in blogs, as in art of music, is a key to a successful blog.
- Where do I look first? If you have 17 ads blinking and screaming at me, all boldface type, no discernible headlines, and giant blogs of text, I'm skipping your blog and heading elsewhere. Don't try to cram your blog with every advertiser you can to make money. Focus on just a few or even none if you're starting out. Purchase a good blog template if you're not used to designing a blog. My site host, Web Design of Palm Beach, did an excellent job on the original layout of this website. I purchased the template for my blog, Home Garden Joy, on Etsy. Blogs can fail due to poor design. Hire a professional graphic designer to design your blog or purchase a license to a good stock template. Poor blog design turns readers away.
- Nothing new here. When was the last time you updated your blog? While you don't want to be a slave to blog updates and send out several day, you also don't want to let months rush by without at least one blog post. A good rule of thumb is to post 3-5 times per week if you want to grow your blog. Blogs can fail from lack of attention. Frequent updates signals your readers that you've got something to say. Don't neglect your blog.
- Nobody cares about you: Unless your blog is about an experiment you're doing or your life, and you're doing something incredible, I have to say this straight out: nobody really cares about you. If all your posts are about what you want for your birthday, your last pedicure, or the coupons you found online, you're going to bore your reader to death. Many blogs fail because they are written all about the writer and not about the audience reading the writing. Write with your reader in mind. What do your readers want to know? That's what you should write.
- Be original: Even though I don't want to know every detail of your pedicure, I do want you to be yourself. I'd rather read the writings of a truly original person than to read a poorly reproduced carbon copy of someone. Be yourself. You can't be anyone else. If you love puppies and heavy metal music, let your readers know that. Just because Blogger A is famous and Blogger B seems to be making a lot of money doesn't meant that A and B know what they're doing. They may be lucky, they may have good sponsors, or they may just have hit on a hot topic. I know of one writer whose blog gets 30,000+ hits a month. Now, I could copy what she does...or I could continue to be an original and grow my blogs in my own voice, style and tone. She's popular...but I'm not her. Blogs can fail when you try to copy someone else's style or tone, even if they're popular. Be yourself. You can't be anybody else.
Building a successful blog takes time. I know that there are stories out there of people who have managed to build a smashing success in six months, a year, or two. Good for them! Congratulations! For more writers and bloggers, success takes time. It takes practice. It takes blogging, day or night, day in and day out, until finally you hit that sweet spot known as success, however you define success.4
By Jeanne Grunert, President, Seven Oaks Consulting. Jeanne is a freelance writer, blogger and novelist with a background in internet marketing. This post originally appeared on Acorns, the content marketing blog of Seven Oaks Consulting. Feel free to link to it. Reprints by permission only.
Use Images Legally Online
I love vintage everything...vintage fashion, vintage style. I subscribe to several vintage blogs and read them avidly.
Over the weekend, a blogger whose work I've long admired shared a Valentine's Day post. Included in the post was a vintage image that appeared to be scanned in from a magazine. She included a Flickr credit under the image with a link to the original. I was curious. I've asked several vintage bloggers where they license their images, and I never heard back from any of them. I'd love to know since I'm always on the lookout for vintage images for one of my clients and finding and licensing them can be tough.
Anyway, I clicked through to the image source and discovered this disturbing fact: the original Flickr photograph was marked "All Rights Reserved."
Flickr Licenses and More
If you're using Flickr images to decorate your blog posts or websites, you need to understand the difference license levels that content owners can apply to their photos. Flickr uses the Creative Commons Licensing system. This is a voluntary, non profit licensing system whereby content creators can affix one of several licenses to their works. Each license grants different permission levels for the use of the work.
Some licenses grant permission to use an image for commercial purposes. This means that the use of the image on a website that displays advertising is allowed. Other images require attribution. You must state the photographer's name and link to the license in order to use the image legally. Still others allow the use of the image, but you may not modify it.
All photographs, illustrations and copy (words) published online are immediately granted copyright protect and "All rights reserved" even if the artist doesn't state it. That's because under United States law, copyright is granted the instant an artist creates a work.
When a photographer shares something online, yet marks it with "All rights reserved", he's taking a further proactive step to state, "You can use this for reference or you can email me for permission. But you can't use this image without permission."
The End of the Story
I hesitated a few minutes before dropping the blogger a quick note, with reference links to some great articles about proper use of photographs, just as a friendly, "Hey, did you know this and hey, if you don't pay attention you might be in a lot of trouble, and hey, I care!"
Her response to me was astonishing. Not only did she justify the use of the image, but she wouldn't take it down. She claimed (and she may be absolutely correct) that when she downloaded the image, it was done so legally. Just because the photographer or image owner changed the copyright on it doesn't mean that she has to take it down.
I'm no legal scholar. I'm not a lawyer. I do know far too many people who have been embroiled in dreadful copyright extortion schemes. Many even used images legally, as I've done with this post, paying a licensing fee to the company from which I downloaded the image. A simple mistake in how you use an image online, no matter how innocent, can lead to a lot of stress and potential heartache.
Use Images Legally Online
The moral of the story? Use images legally online.
- Take your own images. That's the very best way to make sure you don't run into any legal issues!
- Make a screenshot of the license if you download from Flickr. It may seem silly, but if the image owner changes the license later, you'll have proof that you used it correctly at the time of download.
- Learn all you can about image copyright. Never use Google Image Search to find an image for your blog. It is terrible at finding the original image source or the person from whom you can license the image.
- Understand the various Creative Commons licenses before you download images. Read licensing terms on any stock photo website.
- Avoid free photo sites such as free wallpaper sites. Some sites are unscrupulous and swipe images from photographers then make them available to the public. You are on the hook for the legal issues involved in using the image, not the free wallpaper website. Many have clauses in their terms of use that put the burden on YOU. Know what you are getting into when you download and use photos.
- Purchase stock photography and use it under license. If you're not sure you are using it correctly, contact the company. I had question for Deposit Photo on how I could use their images, so I contacted their Customer Service department. They were pleasant and helpful, plus I now have a written transcript of my chat with their customer service agent who granted me permission to use the image for my stated project.
As for the blogger I emailed, I'm disappointed. She seems to think that she can slap a credit link on a photo and use it as she pleased. Giving credit is nice, but it doesn't absolve you of legal responsibility if you use an image improperly.
Everyone makes mistakes. The internet can be a forgiving place...or a very unforgiving one. Don't take a chance. If you are a content creator like me, a writer or blogger, take your own photos, learn how to license them properly, and avoid getting into trouble using stock images.
For more information:
- Smashing Magazine's Gide to Copyright Online
- Blogger Beware: You Can Be Sued
- Tips for Using Images on Your Blog
By Jeanne Grunert, President, Seven Oaks Consulting. Jeanne is a freelance writer, blogger and novelist with a background in internet marketing. This post originally appeared on Byte by Bite, the content marketing blog of Seven Oaks Consulting. Feel free to link to it. Reprints by permission only.
Don't Rely on Free Sites for Your Small Business Website
A small business website is absolutely essential today to acquire, retain and create loyal customers. Self- hosted websites, or sites that you pay to have hosted online, are the smartest, safest option for most businesses. Why?
Once upon a time, there lived a young couple who were eager to make a home for themselves. They were newlyweds, and with all the enthusiasm of newlyweds, they set out to find a house they could afford. But they couldn't find anything, not even a fixer-upper, that was within their price range.
A friend suggested they rent his aunt's home. His aunt was going into a nursing home and didn't want to sell her house, but was willing to rent it. "Don't worry," the friend said, "When auntie dies, I'll sell you the house at cost, at this very low price, so you will have it forever."
Now he was a good friend...a great friend...so the couple never got the agreement in writing. Friends don't bail out on promises, do they?
The house hadn't been updated since 1952. It needed new windows. It needed new doors and a new roof. The lawn was ugly and bare. The inside and out needed paint and new carpet. The couple set out with a will, doing the painting themselves, even installing new windows.
They did a lot of work on a home they were sure would be theirs someday.
Now you know what happened next, right? They were just renters. The old aunt died, and suddenly the nephew realized he had a valuable, newly painted and fixed up property...to sell. The asking price was way outside what the couple could afford. They complained, but too bad. Out they went, the house was sold, and they moved on to their next apartment.
The story I've just told you is true. It happened to a relative of mine. And it goes to prove the old adage: NEVER build on rented land. In other words, if you rent a property, don't invest in it! Whoever owns the land gets whatever improvements you've made on it. Period.
Now what does this have to do with a small business website?
The Importance of Owning Your Own Small Business Website
How many small business owners do you know who rely on "rented" property for their websites? I'm talking about the businesses who insist that their Facebook page is their web page, even going as far as printing the URL of their Facebook page on business cards and brochures in lieu of a web address.
Others build websites on free hosting platforms. They're doing the same thing--investing in rented land. They have no guarantee that the site host won't discontinue the platform.
[Tweet "The importance of owning your own small business website. Free sites are dangerous!"]
I went through that exact experience with ivillage. Do you remember ivillage? It's faded from memory, but back around 1999 it was the bee's knees. I had my email account with them and set up several free websites for hobbies and my freelance writing. Then they decided to discontinue their free web hosting and email service. Ooops. Gone. My stories, everything I'd published online vanished. I had to scrambled to copy it all down before the site was removed.
Ditto with Yahoo Geocities. Remember Geocities? A great source for free websites...until Yahoo decided to discontinue their free service. Then they moved to SiteBuilder, and I had my business site hosted with them for over a decade. THEN they decided to shut down their service on that software, too. They'd still offer hosting, but only with their templates or your files. They discontinued the easy to use software that let me run a great retail site.
Can you see a pattern here? As a small business owner, I absolutely need a strong, robust and well-optimized website. I have several sites now, two of which I host with Web Design of Palm Beach. (I highly recommend them, by the way. Great service, reliable hosting, fair prices, USA-based.) I now own my own land, so to speak, so the "house" I build on it in terms of my blog content and other content is mine.
Relying on a free web service, free blogging platform or worse, a social media website to host your online presence is like the couple in my story making repairs and improvements to a house they don't own. At any moment, the homeowner can snap his fingers and kick you out and take what you've invested. It's his right and your tough luck.
You do realize, of course, that a social media site or another platform can do the same with your business site? And then where would you be? You'd lose all that time and money invested in your site. You'll have to throw away the business cards, bumper stickers and t-shirts printed with your "website" address because it wasn't really a website at all.
Invest in yourself. Own what you build. Although at first it may seem like a strain on your wallet, in the long run, it's money well spent to build and own your own small business website.
If you're ready to build your own small business website, hire a professional marketing writer to craft engaging, search engine friendly text. Invest in professional writing services for a better return. Contact me, Jeanne Grunert, "the marketing writer", for great service and superior writing that gets results.
Long Form Content Ranks Better
A new report from QuickSprout underscores what many content marketers have known all along: longer copy ranks better with Google's search engines.
The report, available from the QuickSprout website, provides details on the company's study of page length, ranking and conversion. Among their findings:
- The average page length for content that ranks among the top 10 search results Google is at least 2,000 words.
- The better a site ranks, the more content it has.
- Overall, Google's search engine algorithm prefers content rich sites.
Why should longer content help with search engine rank? Longer content keeps people on your website for greater lengths of time than shorter content. If I can see at a glance what you're trying to say, I might click away quickly, resulting in low time on page and high bounce rates. But if your content requires me to focus on what you are saying, draws me into the page, provides insights or useful information, and keeps me reading, I'll stay on your site longer.
Longer website content also tends to get more inbound links. These inbound links are strong signals to Google's search engine algorithm that a web page has merit.
Lastly, social media users tend to favor longer content, even if they're not aware they're doing it. By studying sharing patterns on Facebook and Twitter, QuickSprout determined that a post with 1,500 words or more received 68 percent more tweets and 22 percent more Facebook likes than a post under 1,500 words.
Are You Ready for Long Form Content?
Long form content for content marketing programs takes skills and finesse. You can't just keep blabbing away and stuffing keywords and expect to get the same results as a thoughtful, in-depth and insightful long form article.
As a long form specialist, my freelance writing services include extensive research. I have a gift for finding excellent original research from well-regarded and reputable sources to support the theme of your article. My writing is also creative, engaging, and insightful, which will make your content highly shareable, too.
If you're interested in receiving an estimate on your long form content projects, please contact me.
Irony: This post is under 500 words.
But you now what? Sometimes you only need a few words to say what you want. Sometimes, short copy is appropriate. Know when to use long form or shorter copy in your content marketing programs is what I do best.
Five Reasons Why Your Business Needs Bloggers
Do you have a business blog? If not, why not? According to HubSpot, business who run a blog receive 67 percent more leads than those who do not. I don't know about you, but I'd sure like to get 67 percent more leads than my competitors.
Heather over at the Virginia Bloggers Club (of which I'm a member) has written a great post, The Five Reasons Why Your Business Needs Bloggers. A good blog can generate leads, improve your search engine rank, and drive more leads, traffics and visits to your website at a minimal cost.
Samples of Freelance Writing - Don't Write Them for Free
If you're asked for samples of freelance writing by a potential client, do share published samples. These can be samples you've published on your own - on Medium.com, on your blog, on your website. Or, they can be samples of published work completed for your clients.
But whatever you do, do not provide free samples for a potential client written specifically on their chosen topic. Any company serious about hiring pays a small stipend, even a fraction of the actual cost, to show good faith and good will to freelancers.
If you're a company considering writers, please do not ask them to do a test article or sample for free. Why? Watch this video.
Samples of Freelance Writing: Asking for Free Samples Is Not Industry Standard
Writers, companies hiring for freelance work do need to see samples of your work. But they should not ask for free samples of freelance writing. I have had 'samples' published by such unscrupulous companies.
Instead, provide samples as follows:
- Your own website and blog - yes, it is okay for you to write your own blog and use that as a sample
- Published works - anything published with your byline is great! Do share it.
- Samples of client projects (with their permission)
Paid test projects, on the other hand, are fine. If a client asks for a sample of your freelance writing work and is willing to pay even a small amount, that is acceptable.
Here's a more in-depth article I wrote about "writing on spec" - a term which means writing on speculation, or with an eye towards future work. It never or almost never works out. Professional writers, do not write for free on speculation or in hope of getting an assignment.
Should Freelance Writers Complete Free Test Articles?
As a freelance writer, I'm often asked to complete a test assignment. Sometimes companies offer compensation, sometimes they don't. Here's my answer to such a request, and why.
Why Freelance Writers Should NEVER Write a Free Test Article
Last week, I submitted an application to a company seeking a content writer. A friend passed the ad on to me, and the company looked interesting and well-established. The ad didn't say how much each article assignment would eventually pay, but the professional tone of the advertisement was encouraging. So too was the fact that I had impressive publishing credentials in exactly the space the potential client worked in - and magazine clips to submit on the exact topics he wanted someone to write for. It seemed like a slam-dunk, a home run.
The potential client responded within 24 hours. "Congratulations! You've made the first cut. You're among 25 writers we're considering for this vacancy."
You've narrowed it down to...25? Are you kidding me? Already I had that prickling feeling on the back of my neck that warns me a potentially bad situation is looming. But the next paragraph clinched it for me.
"In order for us to select the best writer, we require you to complete the attached questionnaire and submit two sample articles. Each article will be keyword-rich and 1,000 words. Submit your articles within 24 hours to us at..."
How long does it take a professional writer to research keywords and topics, then write a really solid 1,000 word article? I would say at least one hour per article. So essentially, this company wanted two free hours of work from each of their 25 potential writers. Then, and only then, would one lucky writer be chosen to work with them. And by the way, they still didn't mention how much they planned to pay.
So I emailed them back and politely let them know that while I would be willing to complete a test, my rate for completing such a test is X, and I accepted PayPal and bank check.
They seemed absolutely flummoxed by my response. I received another email back, letting me know that it was standard practice within their company to ask applicants to complete tests. Writers, designers, computer programmers, whoever was going to work with them, they wanted a lengthy test.
Now while I can see such a test for a full-time position, for freelance work it is absurd. It is especially absurd when you consider that I had submitted published magazine articles on the EXACT topic requested in their test article.
I declined to write the test, and explained my reasons to them in this manner.
"Would you ask a lawyer to prepare a free legal brief for you so that you can assess his skills? Ask a physician to commit two hours at no charge to you so that you can assess his surgical skills? Ask a dentist to install a free filling and a crown so you can test his skills? No. So why are you asking writers to give you two free hours of their time?"
Their only response was to tell me that this was their standard method of assessing freelancers and so far, no one had complained but me. Well, I have news for them. The reason they haven't heard complaints yet is because the better writers packed up their keyboards and went elsewhere.
The sad fact is that many writers probably DID complete their test assignments. What guarantee do we have that the company won't use the two free articles produced as part of the test? None. Just their word that they have given the same writing prompts to all 25 writers and therefore couldn't use the resulting articles. After all, no one would want to publish, let alone read, 25 articles on the same topic. Right? Well, maybe...
Now I am not saying that this particular firm intended to get free content. It has been my experience, however, that companies who want lengthy free consultations or to "hear your thoughts" on their pressing problem before they hire you as a consultant are hoping to get free work out of you. Why companies think it is okay to do this with consultants and creative freelancers, such as designers, writers, photographers and others, is beyond me, but we (the creative types) do seem to get hit with this more frequently than say, other white-collar professions.
As a freelance writer, my experience is simply this: the best companies I work with are the ones who paid me a fair rate for a simple test assignment. Many paid me to participate in short online training courses to learn the ropes for their particular clients or content platforms. They paid me for my time.
If you are a freelance writer and a company asks you to complete a big free project, ask yourself (and yes, ask them too) why. Why do they want a test assignment? Offer clips of your work, links to it online, or a short paragraph if they truly want to assess your writing skills.
But don't give your time and talents away for free. You're worth more than that.
No, freelance writers should not complete test articles at no charge.
This article was written by Jeanne Grunert, president of Seven Oaks Consulting, and "The Marketing Writer". Jeanne is a 20+ year veteran of countless meetings which could have been handled by phone calls or emails. Her experience includes leading marketing department, writing books and magazine articles, and pushing cats off of her desk. Jeanne does not write free test assignments but she's happy to give you a satisfaction guarantee on your first project with her. If you're not happy with her writing, you're free to cancel and go elsewhere with no hard feelings and not a penny owed to her. For more information, visit www.marketing-writer.com, Jeanne's website.
What Is Long Form Content and Why Does It Work?
I saw some fascinating research today on long form content. For those not in the marketing world, long form content refers to longer online articles and blog posts. Many people think that longer stuff doesn't work - that people skip over and don't read it. Research shows, however, that the opposite is true. Well-written long-form content gets two thumbs up from readers, especially business readers.
What Is Long Form Content?
Ask any two marketers what long form content is and you'll get two different answers. There's no industry standard definition. I'd put long form content at 1,000 words or more.
Long form content depends on several factors to make it work online:
- A broad enough topic so that you can get plenty of "meat" into the content;
- Great primary research. You can't fake good long form content.
- A solid outline. Like building a skyscraper, you need steel girders under it!
- Written to be formatted for the web. Because long form conveys a lot of information, the information needs to be written with formatting in mind. Plenty of white space, breaks, lists, subheadlines - you get the idea.
- Formatted for easy reading. You can't just plunk down thousands of words of text on a white web page and call it a day. Long form content has to be displayed for easy reading on mobile devices and screens. That means links, jump links, pictures and so on.
Why Does Long Form Content Work?
It works because it conveys information, plenty of information, and it gives readers tremendous value.
Wordstream offerred insights into why long form content works via several graphs. The interesting thing about long form content is that it increases reader engagement and time of visit, two important signals that Google and other search engines use to assess the value of website content. The longer people stay on your blog or site, the better. Long form accomplishes this admirably.
Why Don't More Companies Use Long Form Content?
Company owners have also bought into the myth that "people don't read anymore." My question to you is this: what people are you talking about? Do YOUR customers read?
Let's look at two of my niche areas: gardening and business. In both niches, people can and do read. They crave information. Gardening tends to rely a lot on pictures, but the business world? People love facts, figures, case studies, illustrations and more.
Long form is harder to write. If you're used to just dashing off any old thing for your blog or website, the idea of creating a 1,000+ article can be daunting. Most casual writers can't craft a solid outline, and they sure as heck can't create readable online copy. That's where long form content separates the men from the boys or in my case, the women from the girls; it's where the better writers excel, and the weaker ones flounder.
I love writing long form content and offer it as my area of specialty to interested business owners. If you're intrigued by the thought of adding some longer guides, articles and blog posts to your website but still uncertain whether or not they work in today's fast-paced world, check out the following articles:
- Forbes: Why Long Form Content Marketing Works and Why It Doesn't
- QuickSprout: How Content Length Affects Ranking and Conversion
- KISS Metrics: Why You Should Create Long Form Content (and How to Do It)
- Search Engine Watch: What Type of Content Should You Create
Surprising New SEO Developments You Must Know
I was trained in the wonders of SEO (search engine optimization) as part of my onboarding for a company I freelanced for in 2008. As a new freelance writer, I attended numerous online classes in the mechanics of SEO. I had to master a keyword search tool the company subscribed to; I had to learn countless formulas on how to use keywords in headlines, in the body copy, and more. There seemed to be rules and regulations for every aspect of search engine optimization. The most sought-after writers were those, like me, who could take any keyword phrase, no matter how awkward, and worm it into a sentence gracefully.
Now flash forward to 2015. Seven years later, we're in an entirely new world of SEO...and I'm breathing a huge sigh of relief.
Why? Here are some surprising ways that SEO has changed - and why it's better for your online content marketing AND for your customers.
5 Surprising SEO Developments and What They Mean to You
1. Search engines understand intent, so you don't have to be a slave to keyword phrases: Remember the days of trying to write copy for keyword doozies like, "Jeremiah Bullfrog Song who wrote"? In the early days of SEO, search engines relied upon exact, word for word phrase matches to serve the answers to user queries. Today, search engines are much better at matching a person's intent behind a query as long as your text answers the overall question and contains enough related content to alert the search engine that yes, this copy is relevant.
The current keyword inclusion method focuses on:
- Intention - does the keyword phrase used match the intention of the searcher?
- Authority - does the page of information related to the question have authority?
More about the authority issue in a minute....
2. Titles, headlines and descriptions should still include keywords: Okay, so I told you in point 1 that keyword phrases do not need to be exactly matchy-matchy, the way ladies matches shoes, purses and belts in bygone years. But keyword phrases are still important. While you don't have to match everything precisely, appropriate keyword phrases should still be used to tag the title of your content, the headlines within the body copy, and the meta data behind the information. The old formulas may be gone, but the concept behind it remains the same.
Don't write for search engines. Write for READERS.
3. Focus your content: Don't write for search engines or to arbitrary word counts. Write for readers. Focus, focus, focus on a niche topic. Niches work. The tighter your focus on a concept within the content, the better.
4. Mix up your content: Long content ranks better with search engines, specially if it's well-written. Break up long content, however, into short copy blocks, subheadings and more. Add jump links and a table of contents with links deeper into the page for super long form copy. Use call outs and illustrations to make sharable points. All of this makes your online content more interesting for both your human readers and search engines. But don't neglect short form content. Both rank well now!
5. Quality counts: I mentioned earlier about making sure you have an 'authoritative' site. Authority is calculated by the powers that be at the search engines using their usual secret formulas, but content marketers are pretty good at guessing what goes into the secret formulas. My own guess is that links are an integral part of those formulas. Links from external authoritative websites pointing into YOUR site are a great badge of authority. For my gardening blog, Home Garden Joy, having a well-known home and garden website, a university extension site, or a magazine site point into my site is a great way to enhance the site's overall authority. Another way I believe that authority is calculated is based on social signals; how many times is your content shared, and by whom? All of these online actions build a comprehensive picture that search engines are growing increasingly smart about reading.
Creating appealing content for search engines and for human site visitors is both an art and a science. Gone are the days when an easy, formulaic approach worked like magic. Instead, content is developing into more of an organic, holistic approach that has both writers AND readers rejoicing.
This article was written by Jeanne Grunert, a content marketing master and president of Seven Oaks Consulting. Jeanne helps grow business and brands by producing expertly written articles, guides and ebooks and online content that builds authority and engagement. For more information, please visit Seven Oaks Consulting.
Professionalism Among Freelance Writers
No, I don't write in my pajamas.
The best freelance writers exhibit professionalism - and that includes treating freelance clients with RESPECT. I show respect for my clients by rising each day, entering a my office, and behaving in a business-like manner.
Professionalism Among Freelance Writers: Why Don't We Get Any Respect?
I'm fed up - truly sick and tired - with advertisements online for freelance writing websites, job boards and coaching programs that show a woman twirling madly on the beach, blonde hair flying, arms outstretched, so happy she is free from the corporate grind that she is WRITING on the BEACH. On the beach!
Or the advertisements that claim you can "write in your pajamas" and "never get out of bed!"
Talk to your physicians, your attorney, your accountant. I'm betting they get up, shower and dress before tackling their work for the day. Why would anyone assume writers are different?
The Assumptions and the Realities of Freelance Writing as a Business
The reason these advertisements make me so angry is that there's an underlying assumption that freelance writing is easy. Freelance writing isn't easy. Neither is owning your own business, and that's what you're doing when you decide to hang out your shingle as a professional freelance writer. You're an artist, but you are also an entrepreneur. You wear many hats. None of them are sun visors to keep the glare of the sun from the ocean waters away from your eyes.
The assumptions I see daily about freelance writers include:
- Anyone can become a freelance writer
- It's easy to make six figures a year (or if you buy a proven formula or take a class, you can make six figures in a year)
- You don't need any special training to own a freelance writing business
- You can work from home in your pajamas all day
- You can make as much money as you want
The realities of owning and running a freelance writing business are:
- Anyone can become a freelance writer, but few people have the talent, skills, experience, education and innate creativity and curiosity to make it happen. Freelance writing for a living is more than stringing together words to form sentences. You must be able to find new clients, pitch ideas, and successfully sell the ideas (and your skills). You must understand basic accounting and business practices, basic copyright and business law, and basic website design, build and programming. You must be able to juggle multiple projects simultaneously, speak confidently, communicate effectively, and hit every deadline, ever single time. Are you ready for that?
- Is it easy to make six figures a year? Zero is a figure. So yes, it's easy. Is it easy to make an excellent income as a freelance writer? No. Can you make a living wage as a freelance writer? Yes, if you are good at what you do, treat it like a business, and focus on your most profitable writing services.
- Of course you don't need any special training, licenses, degrees or certifications to own a freelance writing business. But if you lack the credentials, it will be all the more difficult to sell your services and to run your business. At a minimum you need a high school diploma, preferably a college diploma in English. You need basic business skills, which can be obtained by taking adult education courses, online courses, reading books, or self-study. But you do need to constantly refine and add to your skills as new technology, new communications methods become available.
- Sure you can work in your pajamas all day. Some do, some don't. But the idea that you're going to lounge around in bed or on the couch all day watching talk shows while the money pours in is just ludicrous. You will need to interview people by telephone. You will need to attend local meetings and video chats, and please don't think you can do so in your jammies. I find that when I dress professionally, I act professionally. I have a dedicated home office with a separate business telephone line, a business fax machine, and a door that closes so that I can have quiet when I am on the phone with clients. When you treat your work professionally, clients sense it.
- Can you make as much money as you want? Ask yourself: what will I trade for that money? Money represents a trade, whether you're trading goods for money or time for money. So yes, if you are willing to invest all of your time, energy and talents into your freelance writing business, you can make as much money as you want. You can write your own books and sell them at a profit; you can write a blog that eventually earns a good income; you can hustle and gain dozens of clients. The trade off, of course, will be time.
If you are a business owner seeking a freelance writer, please do us all a favor: don't make your pitch to us as if we're lazy bums lolling in bed all day casually tapping at a keyboard. And if you're a freelance writer, please do the profession a favor, and treat the profession like a professional. Show up on time, submit your copy by the deadline, treat your clients as you would like to be treated, keep good accounting records, comply with business laws and regulations, and treat your business like a business, not like a hobby. If you want to write as a hobby, by all means, do so. Write poems, plays, novels, short stories, blog posts, or anything that makes your heart sing. But when you begin to sell your time and talent to paying clients, get out of bed and get to work. In the end, it will show in the quality of your work.
Jeanne Grunert is the president of Seven Oaks Consulting and a popular magazine columnist, blogger and book author. She did not write this article from bed. She is seated at her desk, as you can see, below.
