The idea of owning a blog or establishing a freelance writing service would definitely excite anyone with a thing for writing and/or blogs.
Executing this idea is where the honeymoon ends. Easier said than done right?
But engaging in this thrilling and lucrative venture does not have to be a nightmare if the newbie knows what to do and how.
In this article I will be bulleting 16 things that would make any newbie break through the shackles that holds their work from floating.
1. Get a professional looking blog/website
It doesn’t take much to do this!
Thousands of writing based websites is being created daily so there’s your competition. Prospective readers would skim through any site they land on for at least five seconds and if your site is worth their two cents, they stay a while longer.
Now am not suggesting anything too fancy but a decent site should be characterized by a theme that says you mean business and well defined pages to match.
If you can afford it, have a pro fix you a wordpress.org site but if not, use and study similar sites that have a lot of traction before designing yours. First impression is key.
2. Take your time
Believe me you are gonna want to take this one very seriously.
Designing your blog site is one thing, posting articles is another thing but penning and publishing an article that would make readers bookmark your page at first view is something else entirely.
For every person that reads your hurriedly written mediocre article, you lose one out of the potential 3 billion plus audience; probably forever.
It’s a normal thing to want to get your piece out there but it is better not to have any at all than to stain your brand in anyway. Every poor piece you create equates to a bad credit.
From your choice of theme, to your article title and then content should be carefully picked.
3. Network hard.
Getting your work out there may not be as easy as tossing a ball but you can make it happen even without spending a dime.
These days sharing of links on ones facebook wall do not guarantee views, you have to do better. Make use of facebook groups in addition to sharing on your wall.
There are writers that share your vision; make them your friends, exchange creative ideas, set up a blog carnival (where you and your new friends exchange works and promote yourselves).
Make the best of forums out there. Get yourself noticed.
4. Do not be overwhelmed by your target
I am all for getting results and so I know how it feels when you fall behind your target but beating oneself is good therapy either.
Even the worlds richest do fall short of their targets otherwise they would be trillions of dollars rich by now.
Targets are meant to be a pointer that we move towards and knowing that you gave it what you could should mean something. Rather than beating yourself down about how you aren’t as good as the other, you should make the best of a not too good situation.
Figure out where you went wrong but do not fail to note out methods that worked out for you and retain them or improve on them if there’s room for that.
5. Start with your A-game
If you are gonna write, write well!
There are millions of writers out there so why do we have to read what you have to say?
It’s not what you say but how you say it.
In most cases, the true best do not get the job. The guy who brought his best act first does.
So when you make an article make sure it’s something you really want to talk about and something you would want to read.
Write, edit, rewrite, polish, borrow extra eyes, and demo your work if possible. Make sure it’s something that makes you smile to yourself any time you read it, before you post it on your blog or send it out to a client.
6. Tell some white lies if you may
While this may sound bad, it really isn’t.
Most readers want to think that they are getting their information for good authority even when it is a crappy write.
I’m not asking you to tell them that you that you are a qualified psychiatrist just so they can read your article on depression but command your sentences in such a way that they would think you are. After all if you work is good and it helps, you might as well be one.
Say that you have been through the experiences you write about. People want to know that someone out there have walked through that lane and have seen the end of it. Be that someone.
7. Do not over research
It really sucks to.
Over researching a topic before you write on it could really screw you over by messing with the ideas on your head. Sometimes you go too deep that you lose the original concept.
Let your audience feel you and not Wikipedia. Go through some materials to give you wider scope on your topic be do not go beyond the scope.
8. Be creative with social media
Thanks to the likes of Mark and co, reaching out to a good number of people now cost next to nothing.
Social media can champion your audience but you’ve got to be really creative with it. The obvious ways do not stand you out. Everyone can do it so they don’t see anything special in you.
Take two hours of the day and pretend to have a publicist, only that the publicist is you but no one has to know.
For these two hours, map out social media strategies and timelines.
Avoid spamming as tempting as it might be, it makes you look unserious
Build communities around hashtags; it does magic.
Test out ideas; ask readers what they want to read. Use twitter.
Partner up with other brands ‘publicists’
Ask for social shares.
Monitor your progress and work on the lags.
Come up with your own ideas.
9. Write long posts
The thing about long post is that it makes the work really seem valuable prompting users to bookmark your page. Starting out, you would need such treatment. Readers and client should perceive you to be very knowledgeable on what you write.
I suggest nothing less than a 1000 worded article for a newbie.
10. Engage your readers
Interactive works compels more readers. They would want to get more from you, know your answers to questions which you imposed in their minds.
Dare to be controversial but do not be disgusting. Readers and clients love boldness plastered on a work. True not everyone would agree with you when you bring in a little controversy, not everyone would agree with you when you don’t. plus controversy trends.
Excite you readers with points they didn’t know before on a really known topic. How? Research and discover things you didn’t know either. It’s most likely that a lot of people wouldn’t know.
11. Avoid multi-tasking
Better to be a master of one than a jack of all trades.
Jettison all other ideas and topics when you are working on one. Squeeze out every ounce of juice you have on that one and be sure to be done and dusted before you exclaim on to the next !
12. Read and write a lot
Devote certain hours of each day to studying and writing. It may not be pleasant at first especially if you haven’t been used to it but it comes with the job. It is non-negotiable in this industry and you get result for it. It increases productivity and flexibility.
13. Use short paragraphs
Crowded words threaten most readers. It makes the work look long and boring so you must avoid it.
Limit a paragraph to 2 or 3 lines and double space between paragraphs.
14. Be frighten descriptive
Don’t just drop a heading and expect the reader to figure it out no matter how self defining it make seem.
Readers trust you to paint your points to them and produce an artistic picture in their mind.
Emphasis on describing points especially those that could be open to different interpretations.
15. Use enticing images and catchy titles
Believe me, most books are judged by their cover. Capitalize on this fact.
When you search for a topic and Google comes out with various results, you go for the ones with certainty about the heading, yes?
Use heading that sound sure and commanding. Rather than using should, use must.
Images bring style and a certain professional look. Use them a lot.
Design images for quotations if possible.
16. Persevere after doing then needful; your break would certainly come!
www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/151-things-new-bloggersfreelance-writers-must-know_us_57bedd71e4b0b01630ddcca2