SEO copywriting

It has long been stated by Google themselves that quality copy is what adds value to your website and helps you rank well in the search engines. Better search engine rankings results in more visitors and potential customers to your website, blog or Facebook page.

Hot Copy provides articles that are original and written by professional, experienced SEO copywriters who understand the important factors for good search engine rankings.

If you’re interested in copy for your website, contact us today – we write articles on a variety of topics that you can use on your blog, website, Facebook page, newsletters and emails.

You could also use articles we provide as press releases or submit them to article directories and social bookmarking sites.

How to get started:

• Decide on the main topic/s of the article/s you want
• Determine how many articles you need
• Request a quote from us

We will perform keyword research and write your articles with good SEO principles in mind.

Contact Tony today for a quote on SEO copywriting.

The golden rule is this: people don’t READ online, they SCAN.

In the fast-paced world of Internet-browsing, people don’t read your carefully-crafted prose as if though they are snuggled up with a James Patterson novel. There’s no time for that…people want the bottom line in record time or else they’re going to move on.

The key to writing online is cunning use of formatting so that your copy doesn’t feel long-winded and heavy.

Long-winded example:

Coffee is a brewed beverage that is made from the seeds of the coffee plant. These seeds are commonly known as coffee beans. Coffee is grown in more than 70 countries around the world. Green coffee beans, which are unroasted, are an important agricultural commodity and form the cornerstone of many economies on Earth. The caffeine found in coffee seeds acts as a stimulant in humans. This makes coffee one of the most sought-after beverages in most countries.

Easy-to-scan web copy:

Did you know the following interesting facts about coffee?

• Coffee comes from the seeds (or beans) of the coffee plant
• Coffee is grown in more than 70 countries world-wide
• Green coffee beans are traded as one of the most important commodities in agricultural economies
• The buzz you get from drinking coffee is from the caffeine found in the coffee bean

Remember to keep the most important information at the top of the page and get to the point quickly. Start off with the main idea of the article.

Use one main heading per page that describes what the page is about. This is important for search engines too.

Divide your article into sub-headings that show the topics of the article.

Most importantly, keep the content short and to the point.

Today I decided to investigate all the major search engines and social bookmarking sites to find out which freelance writing sites are most popular. As a freelance writer it is important to stay on top of these kind of things – you never know when new writing markets will open up.

The site that cropped up time and time again was….

http://www.freelanceswitch.com

There are tons of useful resources in the list below, though – enjoy!

The Search Engines

I’ve decided to limit my search to Google since it completely dominates Yahoo and Bing. Sorry Yahoo. Sorry Bing.

Google.com:

“freelance jobs”:

1. http://www.ifreelance.com/
2. http://www.freelancejobs.org/
3. http://www.freelancejobsearch.com/
4. http://www.gofreelance.com/
5. http://allfreelance.com/
6. http://www.contractedwork.com
7. http://www.guru.com/
8. http://www.freelancer.com/
9. http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/
10. http://www.sologig.com/

“freelance writing”:

1. http://www.freelancewriting.com/
2. http://freelancewrite.about.com/
3. http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/
4. http://www.freelancercareers.com/
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freelancer
6. http://www.aboutfreelancewriting.com/
7. http://www.worldwidefreelance.com/
8. http://www.chrisblogging.com/
9. http://www.prospectsolution.com/
10. http://www.yudkin.com/flfaq.htm

Google.co.za:

“freelance jobs”:

1. http://www.careerjet.co.za/freelance-jobs.html
2. http://freelanceincome.co.za/
3. http://www.jobspace.co.za/jobs_at/freelance
4. http://www.bizopportunity.co.za/bizopps3.html
5. http://www.sawn.co.za/
6. http://www.jobs.co.za/job-seekers/jobs/41/freelance-translators-editors-and-interpreters
7. http://freelancentral.co.za/
8. http://www.indeed.co.za/Freelance-jobs-in-Johannesburg,-Gauteng
9. http://jobs.2oceansvibe.com/
10. http://www.wowjobs.co.za/jobs-freelance-jobs

“freelance writing”:

1. http://www.sawn.co.za/
2. http://hotcopy.co.za/
3. http://www.futureshock.co.za/FAQs.htm
4. http://www.safrea.co.za/home/
5. http://directory.searchza.com/entertainment_industry_journalism.html
6. http://www.bigtimerecruitment.com/Freelance_Writer_Jobs.cfm?CategoryName=Work%20from%20home&event=BrowseJobs:3&JobProfileID=501&UserRegion=true&CategoryID=78
7. http://www.bizcommunity.com/Forum/196/39/17076.html
8. http://freelancentral.co.za/index.php?option=com_cdi&task=search&category=Writing
9. http://www.shirleycorder.com/
10. http://www.zoopy.com/video/4lt4/freelance-writer-jobs-online

Social Bookmarking Sites

Digg:

“freelance jobs”:

1. http://freelanceswitch.com/finding/the-monster-list-of-freelancing-job-sites/
2. http://www.noupe.com/tools/15-incredible-mac-apps-for-freelance-web-designers.html
3. http://theappleblog.com/2008/10/28/demand-for-iphone-developers-up-500/
4. http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/07/fox_has_fact_writers_because.html
5. http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/freelance-nation-why-permanent-jobs-may-not-come-back/19319743/
6. http://marketinghackz.com/a-webworkers-guide-to-effective-marketing/
7. http://freelancefolder.com/6-easy-ways-freelancers-can-save-money/
8. http://delimitdesign.com/news/freelance-design-jobs-marketplaces/
9. http://www.foundvalue.com/blog/50-must-reads-job-hunters-telecommuters-freelancers-220
10. http://www.odesk.com/blog/2009/02/the-freelance-economy-according-to-odesk/

“freelance writing”:

1. http://valleywag.gawker.com/tech/myspace/what-news-corp-doesnt-want-you-to-know-about-myspace-condensed-edition-199668.php#more
2. http://freelancefolder.com/20-must-read-blogs-for-freelance-writers/
3. http://www.badlanguage.net/how-to-be-a-freelance-journalist
4. http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/11/20/10-must-have-tools-for-communicating-with-clients/
5. http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-save-time-hiring-a-freelancer
6. http://freelancefolder.com/fifty-free-resources-for-freelance-writers-bloggers-and-others/
7. http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/67-freelance-niche-writing-markets-you-may-have-never-considered/
8. http://www.splicetoday.com/writing/juicing-the-freelance-market
9. http://www.spoonfeddesign.com/top-20-websites-to-find-work-as-a-freelance-designer
10. http://sthig.typepad.com/my_weblog/2005/03/the_ten_command.html

Delicious:

“freelance jobs”:

1. http://freelanceswitch.com/
2. http://www.freelancer.com/
3. http://www.guru.com/
4. http://www.authenticjobs.com/
5. http://www.odesk.com/w/
6. http://freelanceswitch.com/finding/the-monster-list-of-freelancing-job-sites/
7. http://www.krop.com/
8. http://www.vworker.com/RentACoder/DotNet/Default.aspx?blnDidRacRedirectToVworker_RequestParm=true
9. http://programmermeetdesigner.com/
10. http://www.crowdspring.com/

“freelance writing”:

1. http://freelanceswitch.com/
2. http://www.guru.com/
3. http://freelanceswitch.com/general/101-essential-freelancing-resources/
4. http://www.mediabistro.com/
5. http://www.triond.com/
6. http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/
7. http://www.freelancer.com/
8. http://www.ifreelance.com/
9. http://24ways.org/2008/contract-killer
10. http://www.gyford.com/phil/writing/2006/10/26/a_beginners_guid.php

Reddit:

“freelance jobs”:

1. http://maxkle.in/us-freelancers-are-pretending-to-be-from-phil/
2. http://www.odesk.com/blog/2009/02/freelance-job-growth-accelerates-in-the-us/
3. http://maxkle.in/us-freelancers-are-pretending-to-be-from-phil/
4. http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/9qc44/to_all_the_entrepreneurs_startups_freelancers_etc/
5. http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/9css5/three_years_ago_i_quit_my_fulltime_programming/
6. http://allforces.com/2009/01/27/on-the-job-turns-3/
7. http://lifehacker.com/5436821/how-to-start-freelancing-without-quitting-your-job
8. http://freelanceswitch.com/general/top-10-reasons-you-should-quit-your-job-today-and-become-a-freelancer/#more-51
9. http://www.reddit.com/r/Design/comments/70dta/im_an_experienced_graphic_designer_looking_for/
10. http://freelanceswitch.com/humour/20-types-of-freelance-work-identified-and-explained/

“freelance writing”:

1. http://fleetstreetblues.blogspot.com/2009/10/sceptical-hacks-guide-to-social-meeja_08.html
2. http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/8i052/what_are_the_best_websites_for_earning_some_extra/
3. http://freelancewrite.about.com/b/2009/03/06/freelance-home-writers-dont-bother-295-not.htm
4. http://www.reddit.com/r/self/comments/9fdu0/does_anybody_make_a_decent_living_from_content/
5. http://freelanceswitch.com/finding/putting-twitter-to-work-for-your-%20freelance-writing-%20business/
6. http://freelancefolder.com/no-tech-skills-give-freelance-writing-a-try/
7. http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/2007/10/does-blogging-pay-less-than-traditional-freelance-writing/
8. http://www.thewriterscoin.com/2008/02/08/freelance-writing-setting-your-rate/
9. http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/2008/08/back-in-the-day-how-the-internet-changed-the-freelance-writing-business/
10. http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/2007/11/23-places-to-find-freelance-writing-jobs-and-freelance-blogging-jobs/

Stumbleupon:

“freelance jobs”:

1. http://www.ifreelance.com/
2. http://www.guru.com/
3. http://writinghood.com/writing-business/freelance-job-sites-creating-a-freelance-profile/
4. http://www.allfreelance.com/freelancing_blog/2007/10/10/huge-list-of-147-freelance-job-boards-sites/
5. http://www.allfreelancework.com/
6. http://www.wisecrunch.com/2009/12/06/top-10-paying-and-most-trusted-freelancer-sites/
7. http://www.freelancewriter101.co.uk/2009/12/what-will-you-do-when-you-are-out-of.html
8. http://freelancersoasis-blog.com/2009/11/how-to-avoid-freelance-scams-online/
9. http://twitwall.com/view/?what=060A090F07
10. http://www.studio1c.com/website-design-blog/225-top-freelance-website-design-and-developer-job-sites.html

“freelance writing”:

1. http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/
2. http://www.ifreelance.com/
3. http://freelancefolder.com/20-must-read-blogs-for-freelance-writers/
4. http://hubpages.com/hub/Four_Secrets_Of_Freelance_Writing
5. http://writetodone.com/2008/11/06/branding-101-how-to-promote-your-blog-like-the-big-guys-do/
6. http://absolutewrite.com/
7. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/490401/how_i_made_70_for_90_minutes_of_work.html?cat=3
8. http://www.squidoo.com/WritingSites
9. http://factoidz.com/how-to-write-a-winning-factoid/
10. http://thewritingmall.blogspot.com/2009/08/building-blocks-of-powerful-writing.html

SEO copywriting is writing web content with the objective of attracting visitors to your site through search engines and then persuading them to become customers.

If you want to DOMINATE in the search engines as a web copy writer, you need to LOVE SEO just as much as Paris Hilton loves this hamburger. Which is obviously quite a bit.

Here’s how:

• Specify unique META CONTENT for each page = META TITLE, META DESCRIPTION and META KEYWORDS
• Write about 1 main topic per page = MAIN KEYWORD
• Include links to 4 or 5 related topics in the content of the page = SECONDARY KEYWORDS
• Have enough CONTENT DEPTH = 300 to 400 words per page
• Build up enough CONTENT BREADTH = about 300 pages per website
• Blog daily about interesting, topical stories that will get people talking = FRESH CONTENT
• Promote your content on SOCIAL BOOKMARKING sites such as Digg, Reddit and Stumbleupon
• Cluster pages  into related topics = LOGICAL CONTENT ARCHITECTURE
• Include related media on the page = IMAGES AND VIDEO
• Add related navigation (links to related pages on the site)  to improve the overall QUALITY SCORE of the page
• Perseverance and hard work will pay off – this is the SECRET SAUCE

What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization – it’s a collection of ongoing actions you need to take in order to use the power of search to your advantage.

Some of the SEO actions are shown in the following diagram – do not be afraid of this for I will explain:

Let’s begin:

1. Initial Analysis

You really need a plan – just like Captain John “Hannibal” Smith from The A-Team, you have to love it when a plan comes together. This means outlining the objectives of the website: who are your potential customers and how do they normally use search engines to find information about the product or service you are offering. People generally do a bit of research before they buy anything online – whether it’s to confirm something they heard about from a friend or saw on TV, or to compare prices.

You need to figure out who your customers are and how they behave online.

2. Keyword research and analysis

When people search for something in a search engine, like Google, they type in a word or phrase they hope will tell the search engine what they are looking for. This is called a keyword (or keyphrase) in SEO terms.

Good search engines like Google will try and match the keyword that a person searched for with the most relevant pages about that topic. e.g. someone searching for cat litter will see a list of web pages that are as relevant to the topic of cat litter as possible, according to the rules (or algorithms) that the search engine uses when bringing back a set of search results.

Without heading down an overly technical discussion, what is important to remember is this:

Search engines must be convinced that your web page is relevant to the topic people are searching for. You can’t just drop Google an email saying that your webpage is all about gardening books – Google will evaluate your web page and determine the relevancy of your page to the topic. It measures your web page based on a number of relevancy factors – and these factors change from time to time which is why SEO is such an interesting thing to be involved in.

Getting back to keyword research: you need to create a list of keywords that you think people will use to find your site. Each page on your website should be optimized for a unique main keyword – the PRIMARY KEYWORD for that page. Deeper in the content of the page you would have 4 or 5 RELATED KEYWORDS that link to related pages.

e.g.

Main/primary keyword: organic vegetable gardening

Related, secondary keywords: organic fertilizer, worm farms, mulching, organic pesticides

Do you get the picture?

3. Competitor analysis

This is obviously important – you want to check out what your competitors are up to so that you can counter-attack with an even better strategy. Or you can pat yourself on the back and laugh at their mistakes. Either way, competitor analysis from an SEO point of view means getting a view of the following:

• Where are your competitors getting links from?
• What kind of content are they adding to their sites?
• How often are they adding content to their sites?
• How are they doing in the search engines? Are they outranking you on the search keywords you are trying to rank for?

4. Sitemap and RSS feed inclusion

Let the search engines know when you update your site by submitting your sitemap (usually an XML version) and your RSS feed.

5. Search Engine and directory submission

Not really that important anymore since Google is going to find you if you’ve got a quality site. Still, doesn’t hurt.

6. Social Bookmarking

The benefit of submitting your pages and posts to social bookmarking sites like Digg, Reddit and Stumbleupon (among many others) is that you get to promote your content to some of the most active communities online. This results in more visitors to your site and more awareness of your brand.

7. Blogs and Press Release Creation

The reason your website should have a blog is primarily so that you can quickly and easily let your readers know about the latest news/product/service/event. You also give people an opportunity to have their say when they comment on your blog posts. Blogs result in fresh meaningful content, which results in greater relevance and better rankings.

ePR (or Web PR) is the electronic version of the press release. There are many press release and news portals out there dying to get their hands on a juicy stories and spreading the word. If you have something to say, submit your story to an ePR portal or 10 and you’ll start getting more traffic and links to your site.

8. Articles submission

Yes, all the world loves free content and none more so than the article sites out there, eZinearticles.com for example. What you get in return for giving them free content is links to your site and more brand awareness. Not a bad thing, but don’t base your entire strategy on article site submissions.

9. Link Popularity

It goes without saying that if your content is interesting/funny/controversial/inflamatory/newsworthy or instills some kind of interest or emotion, you will get people linking to your page. Links to your site is like voting YES to your site and this adds credibility and trust – which means you will start ranking better in the search engines.

Link bait is a term used to describe content that is so good it just attracts links like crazy.

1o. SERP Report

SERP – which stands for Search Engine Results Page, not an abbreviation for SERPENT -  is where people see the results of the searches they perform on search engines. The Google SERP has most relevant, trusted sites appearing first – the higher you rank in the SERP the more traffic you’ll get. Ranking well for your keywords is one of the ways you will know if your content is doing its job. Getting tons of customers is of course the ultimate purpose – but doing well in the SERPs is a great measure.

Coming soon:
The Sound of Music Guide to SEO keyword research

About the Author

Tony Lopes enjoys long walks on the beach and watching Battlestar Galactica. He is kept off the streets by working as Copy and Content Manager at Osiris Trading and at night he is a freelance writer and blogger. He emits zombie-like sounds between 6 and 7 am.

This image was created from the tags and categories of content on this website.

Check these out:

http://www.editandtrain.com/

http://www.editors.org.za/

For translators:

http://translators.org.za/

Those dark, bleak days are behind you, gentle reader, but I would not doubt that the mere mention of these words create a sense of deep anxiety, even now.

Well, pull yourself together, you are all grown up  and in order to make it out there you need to learn to LOVE those dreaded “parts of speech”. They are, after all, the spanner set in your writer’s toolbox.

And so, without any further blathering, I present with pride the most important parts of speech you will ever use:

THE NOUN

These are naming words and you get a variety of nouns: common nouns, proper nouns and collective nouns.

Common Nouns:

Common nouns are naming words such as albatross, pen, grape or car. Common nouns can be singular or plural.

Proper Nouns:

Proper nouns are names and usually start with capital letters e.g. Mark, Heidelberg and North Vietnam.

Collective Nouns:

Nouns which refer to groups or collections of things are known as collective nouns e.g. a murder of crows, a flock of seagulls or a gaggle of school girls.

THE VERB

Verbs are the action words – they express a state of being or a particular activity

e.g. Jesus wept, Barry stubbed his toe, Michelle ate hurriedly

THE PRONOUN

A pronoun substitutes for a noun. The phrase that the pronoun replaces is called the antecedent.

e.g. he, she, it, they, we, our

An interrogative pronoun replaces an item used in a question e.g. who

There are many types of pronouns.

THE ADJECTIVE

It’s time to get descriptive! Adjectives are describing words and go hand in hand with NOUNS.

e.g. red apple, happy baby, boring class and juvenile delinquent.

THE ADVERB

If you want to describe a particular action you would use an adverb. Adverb’s tell us more about how an action was performed.

e.g. danced gracefully, ate messily, jumped high, cried aloud

THE PREPOSITION

Prepositions are those little words that keep things flowing and hold it all together. Prepositions often describe direction or location.

e.g. onto, beside, near, above, below, against, beyond

These are the basics in terms of the parts of speech you should know as an English speaker. You can of course delve deeper into the fascinating world of parts of speech by reading great grammar books or websites.

Your headline needs to sell the rest of your article – and you have mere milliseconds to grab attention.

Copywriters have always known that a good headlines is the key to getting their work read. Like the subject line of an email, it is the headline that does most of the work yet so few time is usually spent on the headline.

Clients and managers put great pressure on writers to get copy written quickly and this results in the headline being written very quickly without much thought.

Tips to make sure you write the best possible headline in the quickest time:

• Use direct headlines: straight to the point, plain language and e.g. 30% off Winter socks
• Indirect headlines will initiate inquiry in the reader’s mind e.g. Google goes fishing
• “How to…”, “What is…” – these types of headlines are very effective
• Ask a question in the headline to get the reader involved e.g. Do you want to make a pile of cash?
• Action headlines ask the reader to take action e.g. Take control of your personal finance today!
• Using the name of a celebrity in the headline adds a testimonial-like element e.g. Steve Jobs agrees that  Hot Copy is a fantastic read
• Numbered lists are also effective e.g. 12 reasons why you have to read Hot Copy every day

In these uncertain economic times it’s good to know that, with a bit of entrepreneurship on your part, if the unthinkable ever happens and you get retrenched or made redundant, you will have a sustainable career to pursue as a freelance writer.

A SOUTH AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE

South Africa is a developing nation. There are opportunities everywhere, if you find them using non-conventional methods. In developed countries where a telecommunication monopoly hasn’t hampered the adoption of the Internet, the market is mature enough for a pure Internet business. There are many bidding sites where writers can bid for freelance work – but in South Africa the market is still growing and the Internet is not a reality for many businesses.

This is where South Africa becomes interesting – you will need to embrace the old and the new, the Internet and the brick and mortar business. Search for business by meeting people, talking to shop owners, posting flyers, getting your name out there. At the same time however, you should use the developed world tactics of registering on job sites and directories, and emailing prospects. South Africa is a hybrid economy with the wealthy, middle class and poor living and working side by side.

As a result, opportunities abound where you least expect them.

QUESTIONS YOU MUST ANSWER BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Read these questions and answer them in your mind. Take as long as you need until you are 100% satisfied with the answers to these questions. After that, read on.

1. Why do you want to be a freelance writer? What is your objective? Be very honest with yourself
2. Look carefully at your finances and work out exactly what income you will be able to live with: not just scraping by but really live with. Do you have money saved up you can fall back onto during the quiet months when business is scarce? Remember, this is a BUSINESS – treat it with all due financial care as any other business owner would
3. Have you got a clear business plan in place? Imagine you had to take your freelance business plan to the bank to ask for a loan – put down your strategy in a formal business plan. Doing this will not only highlight your strengths and weaknesses, but will also clarify your objectives and goals for the future

The Marketing Department

It goes without saying that unless you are engaged in a joint venture with someone, you are pretty much on your own and therefore YOU NEED TO SELL YOURSELF.

People are not going to throw themselves at your door begging for you to write for them, unless of course you have marketed yourself as a writer. Think about how you can let people know that you are in the writing business. Start off small with friends and family – email or phone them to let you know that you are available and ask if they know of anyone who needs writing done.

How to promote yourself:

• Have a website that showcases your work, gives people information about you and how you work and that  gives your contact details
• Prepare a good resume and link to it from your website, or email it to people, post it on job sites or directories
• Your website should be dynamic (regular content updates for repeat visitors) and interesting (keep visitors on your site for longer)
• Get some business cards made that you can give to interested people
• List yourself in business directories both online and offline (depending on your budget of course, but many directories are free to list in)
• Meet with people in the real world: fellow writers, friends, colleagues and BECOME VISIBLE
• Attend writing conferences or gatherings of people in your industry or field of interest so you can mingle with your peers and talk about what you do and how you can help others

The infamous Ps of Marketing

Anyone who has casually opened a first year marketing text book will have read about the 4 (or 5, 6, 7 or 8 ) Ps of marketing, as follows:

1. Product
2. Price
3. Place
4. Promotion
5. People
6. etc

In the case of the freelance writing business:

Product = your services as a freelance writer
Price = what you charge for your services
Place = the Internet – typically your content gets emailed to your client
Promotion = the steps you take to market yourself as a freelance business, to ensure your customers keep coming back for more, and to attract new business
People = the people you interact with as a freelance writer: family, friends, colleagues, clients, other writers (The Competition) and so on

Most of the Ps are rather straight forward, but the one that keeps most people guessing is PRICE – what should I as a freelance writer charge for my services?

What rate to charge as a freelance writer

Some people charge per word, but I find that charging by the hour works best. Be sure to make a good, realistic prediction assessment of how long it will take to perform a specific writing job and then quote on this. Your rate per hour will be determined by a number of factors:

• Your qualifications and experience
• Your business requirements – you need to make sure that your business expenses are met and that you make enough profit to sustain your lifestyle
• What competitors are charging – do not fall into the trap of trying to undercut your competitors on price, in truth you will be cheating yourself. Do not price yourself out of the market but have a good understanding of industry averages
• What type of work are you doing? You may have a different rate for article writing, editing someone else’s work or advertising copy – be sure your clients know what your rates are by category
• Your flexibility: you may be willing to negotiate for more work at a lower rate, or you may even accept a monthly retainer (which amounts to a monthly salary that you get paid for any amount of work you do for that client throughout the month)
• Type of client: corporates in banking or technical industries generally pay better

Do some research and find out what other writers are charging – you will be amazed that some writers are getting paid upwards of R700 per hour (2009 rates).

The Business Management Department

You need to run a tight ship when you’re running your own business – be as professional as possible and maintain the highest of standards, even in the little things.

Create a corporate identity

You are a business – now look like one! This includes:

• Business logo
• Business stationary (for invoices and correspondence via email)
• Business card
• Go all out and promote yourself with stickers on your car or promotional t-shirts
• Be inventive and get your name out there: think outside the box (as a writer, you should be doing this in any case)
• Be CONSISTENT: keep your corporate identity consistent wherever you promote yourself – you are building a BRAND

Professionalism

It’s the little things that add up to being very important:

• Your personal appearance when you meet clients is important
• Be punctual – not too early, not too late
• Deliver the goods: your work builds your reputation, so if it is shoddy or delivered late, your reputation will crumble, and so will your business
• Fight home distractions: it’s easy to procrastinate and go for a swim, a coffee, or let your mouse start wandering around the Internet – so be diligent. Reward your hard work with some time off having fun (your time is your own, which means you have to manage it)
• Find a balance: you can easily fall into the trap of working too long hours. This will hurt in many ways: your family life, your physical health and eventually your ability to produce good writing. Don’t become a workaholic – rather do what you can and don’t overextend yourself
• Be prompt with returning a call or an email – your speedy response shows you care
• Remember: under promise and over deliver

Your working hours

The fantastic thing about freelancing if that you work when you want to – there’s no clock-watching manager giving you the evil eye when you clock in 5 minutes late in the morning.

That being said, get into a regular pattern of work – whatever works for you. This will allow your friends, family and clients to plan their activities with you, and will allow you to give good estimates on when a particular job will be done by. It all comes down to proper time management, so keep a log of your working hours and plan your working days.

At the end of each day, take fifteen minutes of your time to write down the 5 most important things you will do tomorrow. This will prepare you for the next day so you can start early and get through your work with a fixed plan in mind.

Remember, your working hours are sacred, so make sure that you have made agreements with all your friends and family members about your time. Just because you are at home or in your outside office does not mean that you are available. Respect your time with your family and friends and ask them to respect your working time.

Build time into each day for some physical exercise – take regular breaks and get your blood flowing. This will help your business grow and will also give you opportunities to spend time with other people.

Taking leave to go on holiday is important too – remember that you need to give yourself a good solid break every now and then so you can return refreshed. Make sure you plan your projects around your holidays and let your clients know well in advance of your plans.

The Office Management Department

Your working environment will be dictated by your own personal preferences – another great advantage to working as a freelance writer. No cube farms for you!

Ergonomics are VITALLY IMPORTANT for a number of reasons. You will be sitting down for extended periods of time working behind a computer – this puts severe strain on your lower back and other parts of your body. Follow these tips for healthy computer work:

• Adjust the height of your monitor so that the top of the screen is in line with your eyebrows
• Sit comfortably in an upright position with your shoulders back, stomach tucked in, head upright and arms parallel to the floor. Your wrists should not be bent to far up or down, and your feet should be flat on the floor
• Take a 10 minute break for every hour of work, and do not work for more than the regular 8 hours a day if possible
• Have a solid breakfast and lunch, with time for regular breaks in between
• Make your environment pleasant to work in – paint your room, get some pictures up, play music – whatever you like that will make your working life an absolute pleasure

What you will need:

• Computer, mouse, keyboard, printer, scanner, fax machine – lap tops are great for coffee shops
• Microsoft Word, Excel or the full Office suite (or you can use Google Docs for FREE, or download Open Office for FREE)
• Reliable Internet connectivity
• Comfortable chair and desk
• Stationary – notepads, receipts, invoices, envelopes, pens, pencils
• A space to work in (your own office, shared office, room in your house, outside cottage, coffee shop, beach – whatever works for you)

The Finance Department

Your business health depends on your cash flow – financial matters really matter!

You need to be extremely diligent with keeping track of your income and expenses.

Consider the fact that you need to pay tax on your income and figure out the best form your business should take – find out about small business taxation policies and tax rates. If you are in South Africa you can find out about running a small business by reading through the Small Enterprise Development Agency website – managed by the Department of Trade and Industry. The South African Revenue Service website will give you plenty of information about taxation.

Don’t evade the tax man – it’s illegal and can mean the end of your business, reputation and livelihood. Rather, set aside a percentage of all your income for when you need to do your tax return – you will then have the cash on hand to pay what you owe in taxes.  Make sure you know what tax bracket you fall into so that you set aside enough and don’t get a rude shock when your income tax return comes back.

It helps to get a professional on your side to help you with your taxes and if you earn enough you can even hire a book keeper to manage your books for you. Hire someone reputable though.

Getting paid

Most people work as follows: they do the work for a client and then send an invoice, which hopefully gets paid soon. Never sell yourself short – you are writing to GET PAID and as a professional offering a professional service this is exactly what you should expect. Doing favours from time to time is very rarely acceptable – you are a business and your time literally means money.

Set up an agreement with each client that defines the terms, rate and expectations that you will be employed under.

Invoicing

Part of your professional image includes proper, formal invoicing. Your invoices should include the following elements:

• A title e.g. Invoice from Hot Copy
• Your contact details: name, address, email address and phone number
• A unique invoice number for reference purposes.
• The name and contact details of your client being invoiced
• The date of the invoice
• On a single line describe the nature, duration and cost of work you have done
• Split out the VAT amount if applicable and display the total amount payable
• Include your payment terms if you have any (by when) as well as how (cash, cheque, EFT etc)
• Make it clear that non-payment by the due date will have interest and legal implications
• Send your invoices in NON EDITABLE format e.g. PDF – this reduces fraud and minimizes disputes
• Make your invoices extremely clear and legible, whether transmitted by email or fax or snail mail

Department of Administration

You really do need to run a tight ship – and this includes filing away all important documents and keeping good track of invoices, receipts, expenses requests for quotations, your quotations, agreements and any other form of communication with clients or financial documents.

Keep soft and hard copies, and back up regularly to prevent the unforeseeable from ruining your business.

Keep good accounting records: an income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statements are the basics you should maintain.

FINALLY

There are plenty of good sites out there that can teach you a thing or two about freelancing. Read Freelance Switch for great advice to freelancers, links to freelance jobs and resources for freelancers.

The most important thing to do right now is to START – get up off your butt, leave your safety zone behind you and be adventurous! Be practical, be rational and plan everything and you will be successful, if you stick to your plan.

Good luck and enjoy your freelance writing journey!

You may also want to read the following

How to write good copy

The writing process

Preparation

“I can kill catering with a thought”. Funny!