Basics to Become a Freelance Writer

If you have stumbled upon this article, chances are you want to be a content writer, probably working freelance. Perhaps you want to stray into the world of copywriting, or writing marketing material for advertising purposes. Well, that’s great, but you’re likely wondering what kind of skills you need and what steps you need to take to start.

Today we have invited Miguel from Spanishwriterpro.com to give you a quick summary of all that. 
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Read on to find out whether you have what it takes to become a great freelance content writer.

Skills you need to be a copywriter
There are several skills you need to hone if you want to find success in the writing world.

Good writing skills
This probably goes without saying, but it is vitally important to have a polished set of writing skills before you become a professional writer. How can you persuade an audience to buy into goods and services when you don’t have a good command of the language?

For this, you’ll need good grammar, a wide vocabulary, and an ability to twist the English language in a way that hooks the reader’s attention and persuades them to do something in your clients’ site.

Awareness of internet advertising
What we mean by this is an ability to write using search engine optimization (SEO) and keywords to make sure your copy gets attention. However, you also need to be aware of user experience and how your work will come across to the reader. The copy you produce must be accessible and engaging so that the audience can interact on some level with the text.

Writing good copy means finding the sweet spot in the delicate balance between SEO and user experience. Your pieces must be, above all, great for the user, but should also be able to achieve high rankings in search engine results.

Education requirements
A low-level freelancer does not necessarily need any education requirements, apart from basic high school-level degrees. That said, if you want to be achieving the top tier when it comes to freelance copywriting, many employers will seek a bachelor’s degree in something like journalism, or communications.

Furthermore, many employers now seek copywriters that are specialists in certain topics. If you are trying to break into a more niche market like this, you should ideally have some sort of qualification in that field, too.

Good news! You can become an expert without paying a university, study the topics you like more and show your expertise in a way that the university title is irrelevant.

Making a portfolio
A good freelance writer should have a website showcasing their talent. This will be your portfolio, showing off the experience that you have in the field (if you don’t have any experience, try making some experimental pieces that show off what you can do). You should add to this all the time as your career flourishes.

Remember that the website must be professional and convey your work ethic and positive attributes. Also, try linking your social media accounts to your webpage, as long as they are appropriate for a potential employer to see.

Getting work
This is the hardest part. Once you have the capabilities, you have to start getting work. A lot of writers start off not freelance, but working for a small advertising company. It is possible to start off by freelancing online for example in this very website; the trick is to build a base of clients through hard work and determination.

At first, you may need to work for less money than you want, or sometimes do tests for free just to show your skills.

Once you have started building a portfolio, you’re good to go! You simply need to learn how to market yourself, and before you know it the work will be rolling in.

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