How to Network as a Freelance Writer(and get writing jobs)

So you've taken the biggest leap-To kick-start your freelance writing business. You've analyzed your skillset and feel confident about starting your freelance writing business.

However, as a beginner, there is one thing that is blocking you from living your dream lifestyle. You are not getting well-paying writing jobs as you would wish.

Well, getting high-paying freelance writing jobs is quite challenging for a beginner because clients are looking for established freelance writers who have experience and excellent portfolio to showcase.

I want to show you how to network as a beginner and land high-paying clients.

Why it is important to network as a freelance writer.
Freelance writing is the best career you can pursue. You get to work with clients you love, work on projects you like, and above all, work from anywhere in the world. On the flip side, writing can get lonely.

Finding good jobs can be hard.

That is why you need to network today.

Networking connects you with potential clients.
Winning clients that pay the big bucks is beyond your resume and portfolio. Clients need to know you and understand how you will bring value to their business.

When you network, you are letting clients know your worth and expertise. You will come first in their minds the next time he/she wants to hire a writer.

You get referrals.
Wouldn't it be fantastic if someone contacts you and say you come highly recommended by someone else?

That is the power of networking as a freelance writer. People who know about you and your freelance writing business will highly recommend you to a potential client.

Networking helps you create a strong connection with experts in freelance writing.

Networking with other freelance writers helps you create a strong relationship with other expert freelance writers in your niche. And you not only learn from them, but chances are they are likely to recommend you if they have their hands full of work.

Networking ups your marketing game.
If you don't like selling your services through cold emailing, then networking is your biggest shot. You will be creating warm writing job leads, and you don't have to cold-sell your services.

You learn the latest trends in freelance writing.
Networking as a freelance writer also helps you stay on top of trends and news. You will learn different approaches to a freelance writing business and entrepreneurship. Additionally, you will learn how to scale up your writing business and how to create different streams of income as a freelance writer.

Networking tips for a freelance writer.

#1-Establish your online presence.
As a freelance online writer, you need to have a robust online presence that attracts clients. Create a writer website and create your social media accounts.

Having a robust online presence tells your clients that you are the perfect candidate for their business. On the other side, if you don't even have a Facebook profile, potential clients will run screaming in the other direction. And you will not get any work.

It is crucial to set up your writing business the right way by creating and optimizing your social media accounts.

There are many social media accounts, but you don't have to be in all of them. Pick a few sites and set up your profile that screams, "I'm a professional freelance writer for hire." You can pick Facebook, Twitter, and most important of all-LinkedIn.
It is identifying where your ideal client(s) hang out the most on social media and creating optimized profiles.

#2-Join groups and forums.

There are so many groups on social media and website forums where you can join for free and network. Facebook has groups and pages.

You can join groups that interest you and aligns with your writing business and start networking.

Do not join groups and start selling your services or stay inactive.

Join the group with one intention-to network and connect.

I landed a $1000 writing project through a Facebook group. And what's more exciting, I did not pitch my services. I only provided value through comments and posting valuable content, and this client reached out to me.

You see,

social media groups are just that-social groups where people come and discuss things of common interest.

Join those groups and give more than you take. People will notice your valuable skills and will want to connect with you.

#3-Guest post.

I love guest posting, and it is one of the best ways to scale up your freelance writing business.

With guest posting, you get the opportunity to establish yourself as a thought leader in the industry and at the same time, sell your writing services hassle-free.

Guest posting is where you post quality content on other people's websites or other companies' websites under your name.

The whole guest posting process creates an overall new experience for you.

You get to know the site's editors and learn from them.
Another thing is that guest posting can land you writing jobs pretty fast.

I did a guest post during my early stages into freelance writing, and the site's editor got back to me, asking if I could ghost-write her blog posts.

#4-Join email lists.

Join relevant email lists that interest you and provides value to your freelance writing business. When you join an email list, you are creating a relationship between you and the email list owner. He/she will send you emails from time to time.
Use those emails to network. Reply to those emails when necessary or send out emails. Subscribing and engaging in an email list gets you known. It will make it easy for you if you decide to pitch your services to the email list owner.
I subscribed to Yuwanda's email list when I signed up for her free SEO course. She has valuable information, and I wanted to be the first to get them on her list. Joining her list helped me understand more about her and have her blog as a valuable resource.

What's more, I landed a guest post on her blog, and I shared how I kick-started my freelance writing business and landed clients.

#5- Follow prospects on social media.

Social media is one of the best places to land writing jobs, especially as a beginner. However, these writing jobs don't come easily. You can create warm leads by following and engaging with prospects on social media.
Follow business pages on Facebook and LinkedIn.

You can also follow blogs, brands, businesses, and other writers on Twitter and Instagram.
Following people on social media means you will get their posts on your feed. That is where you put your foot forward by engaging with prospects and creating meaning relationships.

#6-Comment on blogs.

Another excellent way to network as a freelance writer is commenting on blog posts.

Chances are,

As a freelance writer, there are specific blogs that interest you.

More important, they are in your writing niche.

Don't just read the blog posts but also leave a meaningful comment in the comments section. The site owner will see your comment and possibly reply.

That is how you start a network and will help you if you have intentions of pitching your services to that website.

SEO gurus also say that commenting on blogs is one of the best ways to send traffic to your site. So anyone can reach out to you asking for your freelance writing services.

Additionally, when you leave a meaningful and in-depth comment, people will notice your expertise and will reach out to you.

#7-Attend webinars.

Have you heard about online live events? Like Facebook lives and Zoom events?

They are online meetings where you attend through video recordings.

Webinars are also another excellent way to network as a freelance writer.

Purpose to attend webinars once in a while to learn and network.

You will get tons of valuable information and connect with others during the discussions.

You must participate in the webinar to get the most value out of the event.

Networking as a freelance writer made easy.

Now that you've learned the importance and how to network as a freelance writer, it is time to step out and start creating a meaningful connection.

Warm-up your leads and offer your writing services without banging your head against the wall.

Do you have other excellent networking tips that have helped you as a freelance writer? Share with us in the comments.

Pss! I have a free five-day freelance writing course to get you started as a freelance writer. Get paid to write online today.