If you are a freelance writer, you probably have an online writing business already. Advertising on the web is the way of the future, after all! However, your website may not be getting as much attention as you would like.
When it comes to marketing, visibility trumps everything else. You may have the best writing in the world, but no one will hire you if they can’t even find your work!
This is why you will want to learn about SEO. And not only SEO, but also SMS marketing, blogging, social media, and how to interact with forums and reviewers. To get yourself known out there, increasing your knowledge and applying it to your marketing strategy will make a big difference.
SEO
In online marketing, SEO is a total game-changer! Luckily, there are some ways to improve your page ranking that are simple and powerful. First of all, you will want to learn all about keywords. These are the heart of SEO.
Basically, keywords are the words or phrases that people use the most when searching online. The right balance of keywords in your content will help it rank quickly, so more people will find it.
You can discover the best keywords with a Keyword Analyzer Tool. Google Adwords, for example, has a user-friendly Keyword Planner Tool.
There Are 3 Rules for Using Keywords Properly:
- Try not to keyword stuff. When you place too many keywords in your content, it is called keyword stuffing, and it’s a common enough mistake. As a matter of fact, keyword stuffing is one of the main pitfalls that can actually have the adverse effect and cause your content to drop in rank. To avoid this, a balance is key. Two to four keywords per page is a good general rule.
- Provide value. Anyone can stick keywords into low-quality writing, aka fluff. To stand out, create top-quality, valuable content, and use just the right amount of keywords. You will begin not only to rank but to gain loyal followers as well.
- Use keywords naturally. This one may take a bit of practice! Do your best to make sure that your keywords blend in. Otherwise, search engines will consider the content suspicious and rank it lower. Not to mention, poorly placed keywords may look awkward to the reader. To avoid this, always space keywords apart. When incorporating keywords into your content, take the time to do it well. Sometimes you may need to be creative and clever.
Using Links in SEO
Links are second only to keywords. The two most important types of links are internal and external. First, we have internal links. You can use an internal link to direct visitors to your other content. This is fantastic for self-promotion and shows that you are an expert on a topic. People who follow the links can learn more about you, your company, and the services you offer.
For an average blog post (say, 1000 words or so), we recommend using internal links three or four times in total.
Next, we have external links. These will be links to other authority sites. External links serve to show that you are not biased, which will help strengthen your reputation overall.
As with keywords, you will need the proper balance of internal and external links. In a roughly 1000-word blog post, external links should be used two to five times.
SMS Marketing
SMS marketing is a new-gen marketing technique that can really help your online writing business take off. How does it work? You can find an SMS marketing company, and reserve a keyword (such as PIZZA11). When someone texts this keyword, it will activate an auto-reply. They will also be added to a future texting list. Encourage people to message these keywords over SMS by providing some sort of incentive. For example, a certain amount off your product or service.
There are some pretty neat ways to customize your SMS marketing. On top of a unique keyword and auto-reply, you can set up an automatic message to send on birthdays. You can also set your messages to send even when you’re on vacation. Use SMS marketing to send updates about upcoming events, to encourage people to sign up. Ninety percent of SMS messages are read within the first five minutes – ensuring advertising that is direct and effective!
Run Your Own Blog
Any company can benefit from running a blog. This is one of the most effective marketing strategies out there. In fact, blogs have recently been found to be the fifth most trusted online resource – that’s a big deal! If you are a writer, all the better; you will be a natural.
To blog for business successfully, all you need is a little know-how. Here are some steps to get you started on your way to a top-notch blog that people will want to follow!
- Use WordPress. You can use other blogging sites as well, of course, but do not neglect WordPress! It is perhaps the most renowned blogging site today. As a result, people and search engines will find blogs made on this site more easily.
- Focus on a niche. This will help readers know what to expect and encourage those interested in the topics to follow you. This is also key to creating a recognizable name and presence for yourself.
- What’s the buzz? Many curate information that is already available for their blog posts. While it is okay to include classic or really important stuff, you will also want to present what is new. This means staying up to date with news and trends, to show readers that you really are in-the-know. More than 409 million people read over 20 billion blog posts each month on WordPress. You’ve got to stay ahead of the pack!
- Consistently provide quality content. This will help show that you are truly a professional blogger. And of course, quality is extra important when you are looking for leads as a writer! For great blog posts, you will need to identify your target audience (gender, income, age, etc.), learn what they want, and write content they will find genuinely helpful.
- Guest post. Ever heard of guest posting? These are posts made on someone else’s blog, preferably a popular one. As you can probably imagine, this can be a good way to increase your visibility as a blogger and writer!
Social Media and Promotion Go Hand-In-Hand
When it comes to social media, there are some classic ways to advertise – and others that you might not think of. The main social media platforms you will want to use are Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Facebook has a special setup for the professional, called a business page. Followers will see your posts and the deals you have. Try to include some entertaining content related to your niche, as well. You can also use paid ads on both Instagram and Facebook. These will allow you to showcase your ad for a set amount of time, among people’s posts and stories. And due to the sheer number of people who will see it, it can really work.
Of course, advertising on any social media requires subtlety, so it doesn’t look like spam. For example, you can slip in a little self-promo in the comments on Reddit. Make sure your comment is both relevant and genuinely useful.
Social media is all about trends, so make sure to join in on hashtags such as the popular Throwback Thursday #TBT. Become a part of the community, and people will come to you.
Another part of social media marketing is responding to online reviews, and any comments you might receive. The more people you have positive interactions with, the more your efforts will pay off.
Learn anything new about smart marketing your online writing business? All you need is a little SEO, some SMS marketing, your own blog, and consistent activity on social media. You can also help potential leads and clients find you by joining an online freelancer platform, like Upwork and Fiverr. Put these tips into action, and you’ll be well on your way to making your online writing business successful.
Author: Jennifer Berube