HOW TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL FREELANCE WRITER IN NIGERIA
Gone are those days when you need to have a 9-5 paying job or become an entrepreneur before making money in Nigeria.
One of the greatest inventions of our time is the internet and how you get to use it determines whether you will be successful or not.
The introduction of the internet has made it possible for we Nigerians to become successful as freelance writers. Becoming a successful freelance writer in Nigeria cannot be over-emphasized as there are a lot of persons making it as a freelance writer in Nigeria. The interesting part is you don’t need to have the capital to start unlike an entrepreneur, you need your laptop and internet access.
According to statistics freelancers represent about 35% of the global workforce. With a global workforce of about 3.5 billion, there are about 1.1 billion freelancers around the world. As of 2019, 57 million freelancers are working from home. 75% of freelancers say they wouldn’t trade their freelancing job for other types of work.
The freelance industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world to date.
WHAT IS FREELANCE WRITING?
By now you must be wondering what is freelance writing?
Freelance writing is the act of writing professionally for firms, organizations, business owners, etc., and getting paid as you do. Yes, it’s as simple as that, but then you need to build and develop your writing skills to be able to be a successful freelance writer.
There are different dimensions to freelance writing and several ways in which a firm or an organization will need a freelance writer. They include blog articles, newspaper articles, and proposals, advert content, ghostwriting, grant writing, transcriptions, proofreading, reviews, e-books, and so many more. The list is endless as they are not limited to the ones mentioned.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL FREELANCE WRITING IN NIGERIA
Before building a successful freelance writer in Nigeria there are some vital things you need to know and put in place.
Be passionate about writing/ know how to write: A lot of us out there might think it is not necessary but it is. Writing is one of the jobs there that people think is very easy to do once they are educated but it goes beyond that. You have to be creative, know the art of putting words together to make it interesting, engaging, and comprehensive to read. You need to have passion, it should be what you do daily without being forced to. You have to build yourself to hone the skill.
Timely Delivery: You have to build trust with your clients by getting your work done on time. Build your time management skill so that you can be paid, no one will pay you for unfinished work.
Know how to market yourself: The freelance writing space is very wide, as many people are into this, so, you need to know how to put yourself out there making people know what you do. Build an online presence through social media, be active on it and also build a good reputation for good-paying clients.
STEPS TO BUILD A SUCCESSFUL FREELANCE IN NIGERIA
Determine your niche: you know the saying that says jack of all trade, master of none. There are different niches as a freelance writer which are fashion and beauty writers, legal and business writers, lifestyle writers, crypto writers, and so on. So, you need to find your niche, the one you are very good at writing.
Build your portfolio: building your portfolio means creating social importance for yourself. It also means showcasing your previous work to a prospective client while bidding for jobs. The best way to do this is by starting your blogging, writing in other people's blogs too.
Never expect success to come overnight: building a successful freelance writing business is very possible, but never expect to be successful overnight. It requires commitment, dedication, and patience. Make sure to learn while you earn.
Learn SEO: SEO means search engine optimization. Learn how to incorporate keywords as a freelance writer to make the writing of your clients rank top on the internet. If you do not know how to write SEO content make sure you learn them.
Provide value: Learn how to prove your worth, set yourself unique in the marketplace. Produce high-quality content for the money you are paid. Let your content be worth the amount you are charging your clients if not you might lose them.
Basic research skills: As a freelance writer, you need to know how to search for information on the internet. Many people out there know how to use the internet but do not know how to research. We have google, know your way around it because as a freelance writer 90% of your work is knowing how to research.
Learn how to pitch jobs to your prospective clients: Learn how to use your marketing skills to pitch to your ideal clients and also show them a portfolio of various works you have done. Build your LinkedIn profile well to attract recruiters looking for freelance writers.
TOOLS REQUIRED TO BUILD A SUCCESSFUL FREELANCE WRITING BUSINESS
A personal computer or a laptop: This is a very important tool as a freelance writer, it's a must-have for you. If you don't have this then you are not ready to start a freelance writing career
Internet access: Your laptop or personal computer will not be relevant without being connected to the internet. Hence, get an affordable internet plan for yourself to get started.
Writing apps: It is important to get apps that are necessary to your field as a freelance writer to improve your writing journey. Apps like Grammarly will help proofread and check for plagiarism to know how unique your content is, Evernote is also important to help save your write-ups in case your laptop becomes unreliable, Google docs to help in keeping and typing your content.
SITES TO HELP YOU START YOUR FREELANCE WRITING
Upwork
Fiverr
Peopleperhour
Freelancer
The sites to get started are more than this, but you can check out these five to get started.
With all this stated, you are on your way to becoming a successful freelance writer in Nigeria.
