While personal branding has become big news in the online world with everyone and their mothers seemingly creating a name for themselves by creating a “brand” around their product or service, personal branding when you’re not online is equally important.

Branding yourself in the “real world” doesn’t have to be difficult, but when you’re making face to face contact with potential clients and people who may become interested in the projects you’re working on, it’s important that you have something tangible that they can remember you by and identify with your product or service next time they come across it.

Business Cards

If you don’t already have one, after you’re done reading this article, go and buy yourself some. Business cards are an invaluable tool when it comes to personal branding. Not only do they provide contact information, they’re also a statement about how seriously you take yourself and what you’re all about. I recommend using a professional looking card on nice cardstock for your business cards, as it shows potential customers that you’re serious about how people regard you. Remember to include the following on your card:

• Company/Service Name with your Logo

• Your Name

• Email Address

• Phone Number

• Website

One of the biggest frustrations I have with people who give out business cards is that they don’t have enough information on them for me to be able to get back in contact with them. Email and phone numbers are a must in this day and age, so make sure you include them.

Phone Etiquette

If you’ve just met someone for the first time and think they could be helpful to your business to help it grow, exchange phone numbers and email addresses before the conversation is over. Getting your name into someone else’s phone book immediately adds credibility to your next phone call to them and keeps your name fresh in their mind (one of the biggest purposes of personal branding).

Resumes/Cover Letters

Lastly, if you ever send a resume or cover letter on a document to someone, be sure to brand it. Not only do you want to brand it with your name and something the company or recipient can remember you by, but you also want to use this opportunity to plug your Facebook and Twitter pages as well. It may seem “unprofessional” to include this type of information on a resume, but in the age of social media, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t use every opportunity you can to raise awareness for the brand you’re promoting.

LinkedIn

As an addition to the resume section above (and I know it isn’t offline, but it’s worth mentioning in conjunction with the resume tip), I also recommend that you setup a LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn allows you to create a personal branding space around your skills and expertise, as well as present them in a professional manner. LinkedIn is a professional social media tool that allows clients to get together and showcase who they are and what they can offer to any given situation. With your profile established on LinkedIn, you can create a very personalized brand of yourself that you can share with others as you apply to jobs and the like.

Dress Well

To help reinforce your brand, anytime you go to meet a client or someone you’re planning on working for, be sure that you dress well. The way you dress says a lot about who you are and how seriously you take yourself, so do yourself a favor and dress the part. A nice suit and some nice shoes may set you back a few hundred dollars, but they’re an invaluable tool at your next business meeting. Dressing well helps communicate who you are to other people and helps people identify the professionalism in your personal brand the next time they look for your services.

Share Yourself

When you’re at business functions or out talking to prospective clients, don’t be shy to hand out a business card and let people know what you’re about. It may seem forward at first, but the more you get yourself into people’s minds, the more they’ll remember you. Just because you have a great online presence doesn’t necessarily mean that people will just flock to you. You have to be proactive about promoting yourself and getting people to recognize not only you, but also your brand.

If you enjoy traveling, then the concept of being able to visit exotic locales on someone else’s dime is an attractive one. Every week there are travel writers visiting Europe, Asia, the South Pacific and other vacation hotspots for free, thanks to their travel-oriented blog. It’s an approach that can be followed by anyone, assuming they put in some time and some effort into the plan.

The first thing you have to do is create a travel blog. You need a site to show the PR professionals working for the resorts, airlines and booking agencies. It’s usually best to pick specific niche of travel or part of the world. For instance, family-oriented travel or the beauties of the South Pacific.

There is not a set guideline for how many posts you’ll need before you can begin making your pitch for free travel. But you need to have a number of thoughtful, well-written and well-researched pieces spread over a period of months. Most blog software will allow you to pick the publish date you want to show to the world, so you can write all the pieces in a short period of time and then publish them with dates spanning a year or more.

You’ll then to get yourself some business cards with your blog info on them, as well as a business phone number. Illustrating to potential clients that you are a professional will make your task much easier.

Scoring that first free trip will be the toughest sales job. That initial trip might not be the one you would otherwise choose. But it is a free trip and it will open the door to more extensive and fun-filled future adventures.

The best place to connect with travel-related PR firms and travel agencies is at a local travel or home show. Nearly every community has several each year and by visiting booths and making some connections, you’re likely to find someone willing to trade a free trip for some publicity. When you are making your pitch to them, stress your ability to write a number of pieces about the trip, using text, photos and video. Unlike a traditional print travel writer, you can give your readers a real sense of what it’s like to make that trip.

It’s important that when you do get that first free trip that you do a top-notch job. Be easy to work with, write multiple posts for your blog and highlight as many different aspects of the trip as you can. Not only will this please the company paying for your trip, your coverage will serve as a resume the next time you make your pitch.

Once you have a trip or two under your belt, you’re likely to find that you’ll be approached by other companies with offers of free or reduced-rate travel. There are lots of people writing travel pieces. But there are far fewer who write well, can do the trip justice in their coverage and are easy to work with. Once you have that reputation, you’ll have more free trip opportunities than you can easily accept.

[photo credit]

Joe Hall is a web head, computer programmer, oddball, marketer, author, and artist. Joe is the originator of Myrtle Beach Hotels.

Anytime you come across a successful freelancer, they always have great organizational skills. I was never good at it when I first started. In fact, it always felt like I was being pulled in 20 different directions. It wasn’t until I was in a conversation with another online freelancer that I realized what disorganization was doing to my career.

There are several different ways a freelancer can manage his or her clients. I want to give you my own personal layout. As usual, it’s going to be based around my SEO career, so make the necessary changes if need be.

Buy a Calendar or Use one Online

I’m a little old school when it comes to organization. I have a calendar hanging in front of me with client’s names and requests all over it. There are also time slots when I will start any project. This has been one of the most beneficial tools I have used in my freelancing career.

There will be times when it needs to be readjusted due to oversights, but it’s a lot better than not using one at all. If you don’t want to take the 1980s approach like I do, there are plenty of online calendars (Google calendar) you can use. Then again; some freelancers take advantage of the calendar on their cell phone. Any of them will work.

Sign Up for PayPal

If you don’t have an account with PayPal, you will definitely need one as a freelancer. I understand the constant debate about fees, but you can always add these into your prices. The best part about PayPal is making both parties accountable. Clients must provide payment after work is completed, and freelancers must provide the work.

When either side defaults, a claim can be issued. I have had to use this in past, and eventually you will probably have to as well. It’s one of the many reasons why my personal policy is to have the payment upfront. It keeps you from potentially losing money throughout the work week.

PayPal also offers you the ability to invoice clients. This can help keep all the financial records in one spot. The invoices can also be saved so they can be resent to repeat customers. Even if the price needs to be changed, there is an editing area available. It’s a more efficient way to make and receive payments.

Client Relations Management Applications

I like to consider myself as having a great memory. I listen to my clients, even if they’re talking about personal stuff in their life. It’s just something I take pride in, but some people have a difficult time just remembering names. Either way, a client relations management application is advised.

After about 3 months of using it, I realized I didn’t remember everything, so it definitely comes in handy. When you start building a client base, it’s always smart to provide that personal, yet professional approach.

A CRM also allows you to leave notes about a client. This can help you gain repeat business. Whenever the work period is slow, don’t be afraid to reach out to past clients and see how their business is doing. Sometimes it will turn into additional work and revenue.

The notes can also provide insight on how the client likes his or her work. In my case, some clients need content for article directories, while others are looking for website content. These are two different areas, and if I don’t get it right, revisions will have to be made.

Other Effective Tools

Presenting clients (even potential ones) with Skype, Gtalk, or Yahoo Messenger IDs is also important. You never want to make a client wait when they are considering hiring you. It’s said that if a potential client doesn’t hear from you within 12 to 24 hours, they will most likely hire someone else.

Sometimes clients will even pass chat message IDs onto their friends who need work done. In the end, it’s an open line of communication for everyone. Clients will enjoy easy accessibility to you. It’s also a quick way to provide updates or ask any questions about the project.

Conclusion and Upcoming Information

Using tools to manage clients can provide better organization for your freelancing career. I consider each one of the tools I use to be a necessity. A freelance position is all about continuing to grow your business. If it takes a calendar, PayPal, at least one CRM, and chat messengers to do make it happen; they should be a part of your business repertoire.

Next time I want to discuss the differences between personal and corporate branding. I’ll give you my opinion on which is better, and how you can implement it into your web presence.

Today’s focus is all about finding work as a freelancer.  I want you to receive your first payment this week, so let’s not waste any time.

Creating a web presence can take an astronomical amount of time.  It’s really a never-ending process.  In order to be successful as a freelancer, you have to know where to go, how to promote yourself, and what techniques will work best for your industry or niche.

I am about to give you two of the best angles I use to find work, so make sure you save this page.  Most importantly, the work should come in on a continuous basis.  Everything will revolve around my writing career, so implement your own business when necessary.

Building a Portfolio

I touched upon this in the first piece of this freelancing series, but its well worth discussing again.  A portfolio on the Internet allows potential clients to “window shop.”  If they like what they see, there is a good chance you will get hired.  Your portfolio should offer 5 to 10 examples.  My personal portfolio has one article for each of the formats I am capable of writing (e.g. technical, conversational, press release, syntax, unique article wizard, etc.).

Most clients will ask for a sample before hiring you, so having one handy will be helpful.  They will also feel as though you take your freelancing career seriously.  A well prepared freelancer has a much better chance of landing a new job.  After all, you will look much more professional.

Setting Up Accounts with Bidding Sites

One of the first places you should create an account is Elance.  This site allows potential clients to post jobs, and then freelancers can bid on them.  You should upload your portfolio, be attentive (they will send you messages, asking questions), and bid with confidence.  Each project is different, so you will have to agree on the payment structure and deadlines.

You could potentially get hired for a new freelancing job today.  There will be an area where you can provide a sales pitch, so tell them why they should choose you.

Also, I have found that a mixture, a personal and professional approach in your sales pitch works much better.  Search the Internet for similar sites, because there are plenty of them out there you can join.

Join a Couple Forums

Two of my favorite freelancing forums are Digital Point and Warrior Forum.  I use the latter to learn more about different areas of SEO, but I use Digital Point to promote my business.  Once a month I will set aside time to schedule work for affiliate marketers and website owners.  Granted, I have plenty of work to keep me busy, but utilizing the forums can open doors to new opportunities.

Leaving posts and interacting with others can also help you advertise your freelance business.  I know it takes 14 days to utilize the Buy/Sell/Trade area of Digital Point.  You also have to have a certain amount of posts to add a signature link (I believe 25).

The most productive approach is creating an advertisement (thread) in the Buy/Sell/Trade area.  When it’s complete, just place the link to that page in your signature link area.  All the posts you have on the site will now be showing hundreds or thousands of people your freelancing advertisement.  It’s a very easy way to gain work in a short period of time.

Sub-Contract for Other Companies

There are a lot of opportunities to sub-contract work.  In the writing arena, I sent samples and completed trial runs for several different companies.  Some of them rejected me, while others praised me.  Some have come and gone, but I still supply content to Demand Studios and Need-an-Article from time to time.

These are great places to work with if there are vacancies in my schedule.  This way I’m not left worrying about the bills if a couple months are slow (usually January and August).

Excellence goes a Long Way

My final piece of advice is to make sure you provide clients with the best experience possible.  Once you’ve completed their project, ask for them to provide you with feedback.  Be willing to go out of your way to get the job done.  During my third year as a freelancer, I was up for 28 hours straight just to meet a deadline.

Even though it wasn’t my best work (words don’t flow very well when you’re exhausted), they loved the effort.  I had to make some corrections, but it landed me a long term project that lasted almost 2 years.

Conclusion and Upcoming Information

I have given you my personal approach to finding freelance work.  Most importantly, you will find that there was no mention of needing a website.  If anyone ever tells you a website is needed to be successful, please direct them to this page.  Finding work as a freelancer is all about knowing where to go and how to approach it.  Just by joining a couple of bidding sites and forums can keep you busy for years.

Eventually you might consider a website (I never made one for my freelance career), but for now, just focus on these areas.  I truly hope you can gain your first freelancing job this week and receive payment.

Also, the next part of my series will discuss different tools and techniques to help manage clients.  Be sure to look it over when it’s published.

Building a strong Facebook page is one thing, but if you’d really like your personal brand and business to take off, it’s time to start considering Facebook advertising. While everyone has probably seen a Facebook ad in their time, very few folks know what makes a good advertisement and what drives traffic to their page.

While the advertisement isn’t directly tied to your personal brand, it will help direct traffic to your blog or Facebook page where you can introduce people not only to the service you’re selling, but also to you as a person (which is important when you’re trying to humanize the brand you’re selling).

Below, I have provided a step by step guide you can follow to create an effective Facebook ad. Nothing vague like other Facebook ad tutorials, but rather practical information you can put to use.

Where Should They Go

First off, you’re going to want to decide where you want to direct visitors to go. In my personal experience, directing the people who click on the ad to your Facebook brand page is the best option. With people on your Facebook page after clicking on the ad, you have a better chance of them coming back frequently or staying up to date because they can “Like” your page to keep updates you post on their News Feed.

Getting people to Like your page is tough in and of itself, so we won’t cover it here, but when designing your ad, be sure to specify that you want the ad to direct to your Facebook page (preferably a custom landing page, which you can Google to see how to make one).

The Question Tactic

The best incentive people have to click on an ad is when the first line of the ad is a question. “Looking for more information about XYZ?” is a popular question that can help entice people who answer “yes” internally to click on the ad. Questions also help eliminate unwanted clicks on your ad. If your advertisement is vague, people may click on it just to see what you’re all about. If they don’t like what they see, they’re going to disappear.

This not only costs you money for every click that results in a customer that’s not interested, it also reflects negatively on your personal brand. The more people that see your page who aren’t interested, the more “negative” feelings people have towards your personal brand.

Questions in the first line of the ad help establish what you’re about and sift out the people who aren’t interested in finding out more.

Quotes/General Information

Following the question in the first line, next you’re going to want to include positive praise you’ve received or general information about what you and your brand can do for someone. “Your Name is an industry leader in XYZ and his blog features daily tips/tutorials to help you get started with XYZ.” While that sentence may be a little vague (everyone’s personal brand is different), you should hopefully be able to get an idea of what to include.

It’s important that after you’ve gotten people to answer “yes, I want to learn more about XYZ” that you establish yourself as the person who can aid them in learning more by showing them that not only do you have a blog that’s dedicated to tutorials on the XYZ subject, but you’ve also received praise for your services already (if you’ve gotten reviews or mentions on other blogs on the subject).

Call to Action

Finally, and this is often where people creating Facebook ads fall short, make sure to include a call to action in your ad. Phrases such as, “Like us to get a free eBook about XYZ” or something similar work perfectly to entice people to not only like you, but to also receive a free gift or more information about the topic at hand.

As soon as you get that “Like” of your page, your personal brand has spread and now each time you post a status update, your fans are going to see it.

Building brand equity in yourself through Facebook ads doesn’t have to be difficult, it just has to be effective. With a limited number of characters, you have to establish a need for your brand, as well as a solution, which is you.

Time management seminars are big business at the moment. Time is after all the one product that we all want. Anyone that offers you more of it at a price has a winner on his hand.

Throw in some fancy words and a killer personality and your charging thousands an hour telling business executives just how to eat their breakfast faster in the morning.

In the past however, there have been some pretty great quotes made on the subject by many great men. And the most shocking thing is, not one of the people that heard them say it had paid for the privilege.

“It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about?”

Henry David Thoreau

“It’s not so much how busy you are, but why you are busy. The bee is praised. The mosquito is swatted.”

Mary O’Connor

These are two of my favorite time management quotes as I feel that they really highlight the absurdity of judging the success of a day based upon the hours worked and not the work achieved within those hours. While many of us are not paid on a commission or productivity basis, almost nobody will gain promotions solely from clocking in on time every day.

There are many people who even pride themselves on looking busy at all times however results simply do not lie. If you want to get far in any career, you need to organize your time in such a way that gets results. You may even find that you’ll be more productive and less busy.

“To do two things at once is to do neither.”

Publius Syrus

“One cannot manage too many affairs: like pumpkins in the water, one pops up while you try to hold down the other.”

Chinese Proverb

As you can probably tell from reading other articles on this site I am a serious non-believer in the advantages of multi tasking. A term thrown about in the nineties by men in shiny suits at productivity seminars, I find that its primary affect is to allow each activity to distract you from the other.

It also is a breeding ground for procrastination as one can constantly avoid doing difficult tasks by moving onto another more straightforward one.

I think that one of the easiest techniques to implement time management is to organise your day into a few set time activities each that involve a single task or body of work. When that’s the only job that you are allowed to work on, you are essentially forcing yourself to get real work done.

“Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door.”

Dr. Laura Schlessinger

One of the most important aspects of effective time management is knowing when to quit. There is a big difference between moving onto something else and giving up and putting your feet up. Though the second option won’t get you far, not utilizing the first at many times can make progress impossible.

Basically do not waste your time on impossible tasks. Your goal is the result, think outside the box and you may find other ways of reaching it.

“Don’t start your day until you have it finished on paper first.”

-Jim Rohn

“Many people fail in life, not for lack of ability or brains or even courage but simply because they have never organized their energies around a goal.”

- Elbert Hubbard

There are many lessons and principles within the genre of time management but none more vital than preventing yourself from running around in circles, working really hard and yet still missing deadlines. If you ignore all of the type and the fancy seminars, the one thing that you need to take is simply to organise your day-to-day activities via a list that has been developed with a single end goal in mind.

How many things do you do each day that do not really influence your overall career goals? The first time that you are honest about answering this question can be more valuable than any seminar.

“The great dividing line between success and failure can be expressed in five words; “I did not have time”.

Franklin Field

Over the weekend, I created a tutorial on using Google Docs for team collaboration, especially article writers and marketers. After I was finished with it, I changed my mind. “Why not publish a video tutorial?” was the thought. So, I set out looking for a voice over service online.

The result is the video below.

Now, before you wonder why I opted for a voice over, I have a heavy voice and accent, not very pleasing and aesthetic. Not wanting to disappoint my readers, I decide to hire a paid service.

So, here is my first video tutorial. It is so exciting to publish it, I am considering doing more of these. Someday I may decide to appear in person (in the videos).

Note: Please enlarge the video for better clarity. 

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial. Do let me know in the comments and don’t forget to LIKE and TWEET this.

Most freelancing careers begin and end within the first month. It’s due to a lack of patience and not having the right mindset upfront. I can’t stress enough how difficult freelancing can be in the beginning. In fact, my first 5 months into it, I only made $110. One of the major problems was trying to do and learn everything myself.

I thought it would be like working in the real world (and it is to an extent), but it backfired on me. My mindset wasn’t in the right place, and my revenue was a clear reflection of it. Plus, it was real easy to get caught up with social networking sites and conversing with others, as opposed to focusing on the task at hand.

If I had to do it all over again, I would focus on one area of business. Before my writing career took off, I was trying paid emails, MLM companies, affiliate programs, revenue sharing sites, and a variety of other platforms. I failed at every single one of them, because I really didn’t know what I was doing. Looking at the positive; I did come away with a lot of helpful information.

Today I want to give you a strong foundation to start out with, which will allow you to find success in a shorter period of time.

Focusing on Goals

If you came over to my house, you would see a list of goals hanging from my work desk. Even when I complete them, I put new ones up there. They allow me to work towards something, which turns it into a challenge. Goals can also keep you from getting distracted with other areas of the Internet.

For instance; I refuse to spend time on Facebook unless it’s for working purposes. It’s great to see what old friends and new ones are doing, but a couple minutes can quickly turn into hours. Whether it’s Farmville, Mafia Wars, or photos, they can all take up a substantial amount of time.

I like to keep 3 specific goals at all times. Here is what I see every day:

Goal #1 – Be more efficient with your time. Keep track of how long it takes to write each topic and word count. Later on this will help with proper price quotes for clients.

Goal #2 – Do not take on more work than you can handle. You hate being late for anything, and that includes deadlines. You will feel more organized if you have a manageable work load.

Goal #3 – Make it a point to take off Sundays. Family time is important. After all, that’s why you started a freelancing career in the first place!

These have been hanging here for 5 years, and I will never take them down. Just seeing them everyday can keep everything in perspective. My secondary goals are all based on finances and new endeavors. These change anytime they are completed, but right now they are:

Secondary Goal #1 – Take on an extra job this week and transfer that money to our vacation account (no less than $100 job).

Secondary Goal #2 – Add $150 to the children’s credit card plan. By the time they reach 16, they should have enough to put down on a vehicle.

Secondary Goal #3 – Transfer the new website over to a faster server (Saturday).

I highly recommend writing out your goals so you can work towards them daily. I didn’t do it the first year, and it created many hardships you shouldn’t have to endure. I also realize your goals will be different from my own.

Developing Patience

Luckily I have been a very patient person for the majority of my life. Most people I’m surrounded by are not. You need patience when building a freelancing career, because there are several obstacles to overcome. Remember; I only made $110 the first six months into my own career. Everyone I have told about this acknowledges they would have quit, especially when I tell them about some of the obstacles.

In fact, let’s get you prepared for some of the most common obstacles that will surface:

• Criticism
• Distractions
• Little to no return on investments
• No knowledge of online promotional techniques
• No knowledge of website creation
• Saturated Markets
• Shady clients
• Spending too much time reading “How-to” content

Without patience, any one of these obstacles could turn your freelance career upside-down. However, if you know they are coming, you can accept them a lot easier.

Conclusion and Upcoming Information

The first day of your freelancing career should be focused on the skill set you will provide (business), setting goals, and planning for the potential obstacles. Your initial 6 months will be more manageable if you utilize these tips.

In the third part of my freelancing series, I will give you some powerful secrets on how to find work and make good money the first week. Also, I want to discuss how to handle some of the obstacles I’ve mentioned here today.

Although it’s usually talked about at the beginning of every article about Facebook, it bears repeating. Over 150 million people are members of Facebook. That’s a lot of people no matter where you’re coming from in the world. To ignore the vast database of people hungry for information and services on Facebook would be branding suicide, which is why having a professional presence on Facebook is important.

Unfortunately, although people set up Facebook profiles, many of them sit idly by and hope that people will just “Like” their page without any incentive to do so. While you may get a few “Likes” here and there, to build a strong brand on Facebook, you’re going to have to be proactive.

Page Setup

By far the most time consuming thing you’ll have to do is set up your Facebook page to ensure that people have enough information about you. It’s recommended that you have a personal page to interact with clients, as well as a professional space where your company or brand can exist.

Having both a profile and a page will help not only keep your personal and business life separate, it helps create two forms of personal branding on the site. How you manage your personal page is up to you, but when you create a page for your personal brand, there are some things you need to make sure you have in order.

Contact Information: Above all else, please make sure that you have a means of contact for your company or business. Better yet, try to have more than one way to get in contact with you. Email addresses, personal addresses, and phone numbers should all be included on your page so that if someone wants something that you’re offering, you don’t have to make them hunt for it.

Website Information: If you have a website (and you should), be sure to include it on your page. If people can’t find what it is you’re offering, then there’s no point in even having a brand page to begin with.

Biography: Depending on what your company is centered around, or what type of services you offer, biographies always help humanize the person behind the scenes. Building a proper biography on Facebook means keeping it under 2 paragraphs in length (to keep the attention of the web generation) and giving enough insight into your personal life that people get the sense that both you and your company are inseparable parts of each other.

By humanizing yourself and including yourself in the company, people are more likely to be receptive of what you have to offer, as opposed to companies who are faceless names that only provide products and services. Making a personal connection with folks is imperative when building a brand.

What You Do: Be sure to outline what it is you do. While slogans are great, they can often be so vague that people looking at your brand won’t have any idea of what it is you even do without looking through your website for a few minutes. Outline it for them on your Facebook page with bullet points and feedback so that anyone looking at your brand will know what you offer and how other customers feel about it.

Slogans like “Connecting people through tomorrow’s future” may seem business-like, but they’re ultimately nonsense and detract from your worth.

Engaging

Once your page is completely set up, it’s time to start engaging people. Any time you have the opportunity to include your personal Facebook page on something, do it. No one is going to know about your brand unless you tell them about it, which is why it’s important that you make sure you advertise yourself anytime you can. Include your Facebook URL on your business cards and on any other web pages you have (LinkedIn, Twitter, etc).

Engaging also means that if someone ever posts on your wall, you take the time to respond to them personally to show them that you took the time to read what they had to say and that their comment/question means something to you. It may take extra time out of your day to respond properly to every message, but when you’re building a personal brand, being personal is what it’s all about.

I am frequently asked what I do for a living, because I’m always at home. See, I’m an S.E.O. specialist. My job is to create keyword content, (answering specific questions asked by Internet searchers) to make it popular in the search engines. I take a topic, turn it into a helpful piece of information, then I integrate keywords and URL links in the appropriate areas.

However, when people ask me what I do, I just tell them I’m a freelance writer or I help website/blog owners build boat loads traffic to their business through rich content.

The immediate thought is; “Wow, it must be nice working from home.” I have to agree, it does have its benefits, but sometimes it can be more difficult than most 9 to 5 jobs. It’s important for you to understand this before you jump into any freelancing career. It’s also why I decided to write a series specifically for amateur (and veteran freelancers). I want to help you become successful with this type of career.

I’ve been doing this since the latter part of 2007, and in the beginning it wasn’t beneficial at all. Blogs weren’t nearly as popular back then, so anything other than formal writing was shunned upon. Slowly this changed, and now everyone seems to write in a more “conversational” tone. So, for a long period of time I was the “starving artist” with little to no experience. Unless you count the journal I have wrote in for the last 20 years.

The beginning of my freelancing journey was all about learning. I spent 17 to 18 hours a day reading other pieces of content, how they were formatted, and grasping the concept of article marketing, SEO, SEM and more. There wasn’t much life outside of my little apartment.

Fast forward to today and I can develop content in over 15 different formats, I have a substantial client base, and I am living a secure lifestyle with plenty of stability. Keep in mind; I still work 6 days a week.

Since you’re here, I imagine you want to start (or just started) your own freelancing career. It takes a lot of hard work, but I’m going to alleviate some of it for you. Please take advantage of the information I’m about to present you with, because it will make your journey much more manageable.

Work Hard, Play Later

Yes, we all want to think about the advantages of working from home, but it never starts out this way. The initial goal is to layout a plan of attack, especially when it comes to branding your name or freelance business.

In my case, I started writing for Associated Content back in November of 2007. You were only paid per page views, which are basically pennies on the dollar. I had no identity either.

What I mean by this is I wrote about anything I could. Whether it was restaurant reviews, sports, or gossip, I was trying to utilize them all. The worst part was…I wasn’t very good.

I didn’t understand the importance of keywords being specifically placed in an article. I thought the titles were supposed to be similar to what you see in the newspapers.

Needless to say, I wasn’t making a lot of money. However, I was building relationships with other writers, which eventually opened doors to new opportunities.

Growing in Time

By January of 2008, I was offered a chance to sub-contract work for an online publishing company. They required two samples, which would be used to assess my expertise. I can’t stress enough how important it is to have a portfolio with any work you have done. Even if you are just starting, take the time to build one before you start promoting yourself.

I used the two highest page view pieces I prepared for a Swiss based (I cleaned them up a little first). After being accepted, it was a constant learning process. I had jumped into a situation where I thought I knew everything, but was still an amateur.

Long story short, I’ve been with this company ever since and I can’t even describe everything I’ve learned.

All freelancers go through “Growing Pains.” It’s inevitable, and the way you handle them will provide insight on whether or not you will be successful. Heck, it has been six years since I started and I’m still learning.

Networking and Education

I have so much to share with you, but all of it cannot be covered today. In the beginning, focus on learning more about industry your’e freelancing in. You don’t have to spend as many hours as I did reading everything, but schedule a time for education. You also have to schedule separate time to network with others in your field.

It’s amazing how building rapport with “like-minded” individuals can turn you onto new adventures. Even if you’re an expert, freelancing is all about enticing people to use you. Once you’re hired, the work must speak for itself. Otherwise your freelancing career won’t last very long.

Today I want you to organize how you’re going to approach a freelancing career. You must have the right mindset, the proper promotional techniques, and provide clients with your best work possible. I’ll go into more detail about these areas in the coming chapters.