I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
-Maya Angelou
Content marketing is an area ripe for well-paying work for freelancers. But what does that mean to you?
What is content marketing?
Companies are finding that customers don’t want to have products and services pushed in their faces. They want to be pulled in and have quality interactions. That’s the goal of content marketing.
Rather than heavily advertising products, most business now have blogs used to inform and educate customers. They tell stories through the content to inspire loyalty. They keep product mentions to a minimum.
For example, a mattress company may have blog posts about sleep and health, quality pillows and the top 5 features to look for in a mattress. A hospital shares information about diseases or procedures. Build-a-Bear talks about play and parenting topics.
What skills does a freelancer need?
Being able to write informative, compelling content and to tell stories is a key component in content marketing. But content marketing also includes videos, infographics, white papers for download and newsletters you can subscribe to.
Consider content marketing if you have some combination of these skills:
- Copywriting
- Interviewing
- Social media marketing
- Content planning
- Broad or in-depth SEO knowledge
- Videos
- Infographic design
- Ebook writing
- Email campaigns
- Newsletter writing
How do I get started?
Some companies post content through internal marketing departments. However, many of them contract with agencies that contract with freelancers. There are numerous sites that hire writers, photographers and designers to develop marketing content for their clients.
These sites are great for freelancers. They save you the time and effort of seeking out individual clients. Instead, you apply to a content marketing firm, share some samples and choose your niche(s). Once accepted, the firm attracts businesses and either matches you to their clients for ongoing work or posts assignments you can claim in a marketplace.
You can also reach out to individual businesses in your area and pitch writing services. Your chiropractor, nail salon, kickboxing gym, favorite boutique may all be in need of writing services, they just don’t know it yet. Pitch how you can help them by writing blogs or preparing infographics for their website. List your rate or a bartering arrangement.
Pursue multiple angles at once. Reach out to businesses, and apply to more than one site. It takes time to get started and build up consistent work. You may also get rejected. If that happens, take a look at your samples. You can contact me for coaching to learn how to get your portfolio started.
