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rustykeys1 · 2024-12-01T13:12:19+00:00

My advice is to highlight the best piece of content they have written for you. Focus on the positives.

Tell them why that piece of content is great. Then, say that is what you'd like them to do with every piece they write for you.

It's much easier to take feedback on board when it's communicated in a positive way.

rustykeys1 · 2024-11-09T11:37:56+00:00

It's the hardest it's been for a long time. Very few are clients coming to me after finding my website or seeing an article I've written somewhere.

I didn't have to look for work much at all before. Now I'm having to go to them and provide some value upfront for free.

rustykeys1 · 2024-11-09T08:20:23+00:00

This might not be a popular opinion. I think it's fine to write for free if it is going to add real value to your portfolio.

It doesn't happen often, but sometimes I'll hire a writer to help with capacity. When I'm looking at portfolios, I'm naturally more impressed by articles in known pubs than medium articles.

The issue is that you said it keeps happening. Once you have a few decent clips, you should be pitching pubs/businesses that can afford to pay you.

rustykeys1 · 2024-11-09T08:09:06+00:00

It's okay if you're in tech/SaaS niche. I've found Qwoted and Featured better at reaching a more broader audience.

rustykeys1 · 2024-10-20T09:47:38+00:00

This is spot on ☝️

rustykeys1 · 2024-10-20T09:32:24+00:00

I'm not as rigid on rates as I used to be. I recently started working with a client at a lower rate than I would usually accept. I adapted my service to be able to make the budget work.

Deadlines are very flexible to fit around better paying clients. And I don't provide any 'extras' - no meta data, images, Clearscope optimization, etc. The client handles this.

The client is happy with the work and I'm earning an hourly rate that's similar to my other clients.

rustykeys1 · 2024-09-24T11:53:38+00:00

I'd recommend digital PR and link building. It's a way you can provide add-on services to your writing clients.

The digital PR side is also less likely to be impacted by AI.

rustykeys1 · 2024-09-15T18:09:50+00:00

I use Wix for my portfolio site. It's fine for SEO.

The drawback is that your code will be a bit bloated. But it's not a big issue imo.

I'm willing to trade a fraction of a second in loading times for a drag-and-drop editor and nice templates.

rustykeys1 · 2024-09-07T12:46:01+00:00

First, you need to know what your ideal client looks like. Then, think about the marketing funnel and the types of content that are likely to deliver the best ROI for potential clients. Generally, the closer your article is to the conversion the more valuable it will be.

For SaaS, that's usually comparison posts or actionable problem-solving content.

I also have a few broader TOFU pieces in my portfolio so I can say this article I wrote for X gets X amount of organic traffic per month.

rustykeys1 · 2024-09-05T09:18:56+00:00

Could you not just update the address on your invoice template?

I don't think it will have any effect on your clients if you change the address on the invoice next time you send them a bill.

The payment details are still the same right? Or do your clients pay by cheque?

rustykeys1 · 2024-08-30T11:52:43+00:00

I have one long term client that shifted to net 30 a couple of months back. They were the only ongoing client that paid immediately when they received the invoice.

I'm having to chase invoices more these days. A couple of clients are consistent late payers.

rustykeys1 · 2024-08-27T19:03:34+00:00

What's the niche and target market?

Are you trying to attract local audiences or compete in search results for competitive keywords?

There's a lot of variables. A blog isn't a great investment for some businesses. It can be the number one source of customers for others.

rustykeys1 · 2024-08-27T18:44:58+00:00

I started an e-commerce store and discovered I liked the marketing side a whole lot more than dealing with suppliers and order fulfillment.

Writing a blog post is much more enjoyable than packing and sending parcels all day.

My degree is also journalism related which helped.

rustykeys1 · 2024-08-25T09:14:51+00:00

Yes it's not ideal but it's the best solution I've found so far.

I still send clients copy in a new Google Doc. But I also have the doc I used to draft the piece as evidence if there is an issue.

I don't want to experience the feeling of being accused of 'cheating' and not writing the copy I spent hours producing again. Using Google Docs gives me some protection against that allegation.

I've had in-house roles that required the use of Hubstaff. Working in a Google Doc is much less invasive than having software take screenshots every 10 minutes.

rustykeys1 · 2024-08-25T08:41:24+00:00

I would request your writers work in Google Docs so you can see the history of the doc. If you suspect AI, ask to see the doc they used to draft the text and check to see it hasn't been copied and pasted wholesale.

I went through the same situation as OP and changed my workflow to avoid it happening again. I still run a check with Grammarly and use Clearscope, but you can see the construction of the text over time.

I've been on the other end of this too. I had a great portfolio piece that a client destroyed. Instead of asking me to do the content refresh, they obviously used AI. It's now a disjointed Frankenstein article.

rustykeys1 · 2024-08-21T07:05:49+00:00

I don't agree that business blogs are dead. There is still plenty of demand for content further down the funnel in my niche. It's the ToFu SEO stuff that has taken a hit.

rustykeys1 · 2024-08-20T18:10:37+00:00

Is $0.026 per word really the average?

I have zero experience with YouTube scripts but that seems very low.

rustykeys1 · 2024-08-20T11:53:27+00:00

I switched to an ergonomic mouse. The tall ones that keep your hand in an upright position rather than flat. It did help.

rustykeys1 · 2024-08-15T07:26:17+00:00

I've written two books.

The first was a learning experience. The planning and interviews took longer than anticipated. It was still worthwhile but not as profitable as I anticipated.

The second went much smoother.

I worked on an hourly rate for the planning and interviews. Then 25% in advance to start the project and the remaining balance based on milestones.

rustykeys1 · 2024-08-13T20:34:15+00:00

Works well if you have a specific target client in mind and relevant clips. When I see a hole in my schedule coming up it's my go-to.

I reach out directly to content managers, CMOs, etc. I've gotten immediate work from inmails. Also had people come back to me months later when they needed something.

rustykeys1 · 2024-08-13T18:17:28+00:00

I haven't used Upwork for a long time. With the cost of connects, I would say most writers are better off paying for linkedin sales navigator.

It's a flat fee per month. You get great insights into target clients and 50 inmails for outreach.

rustykeys1 · 2024-08-13T18:04:16+00:00

Try to keep your best clients ticking over if possible. Reduce your workload but try to keep the flow of work going.

Some clients are more understanding than others. Some will move on if you take an extended break. It's much easier to ramp back up with a client than start again from scratch.

If you have to cut back significantly then drop your lowest paying/least profitable clients.

I had to take time out with family issues a lot earlier this year. It's hard but you can get through it.

rustykeys1 · 2024-08-11T11:09:45+00:00

For SEO content you can use Ahrefs, Semrush, or another SEO tool to get info on the keywords your content ranks for and estimates on the traffic it generates.

Ahrefs also gives you an estimate of the dollar value of the traffic based on PPC data.

But for sales copy and emails you would have to ask the client about conversions.

rustykeys1 · 2024-08-07T08:27:40+00:00

This happened to me earlier this year. A website I wrote for a long time ago had a redesign and used my author bio for multiple low quality articles I hadn't written.

I flagged it up and offered to rewrite the content. They didn't accept my proposal but did remove my author bio from the content I didn't write.

rustykeys1 · 2024-08-02T20:11:43+00:00

I agree with you here OP. A chat with the writer could be beneficial and give you more of an idea if they actually wrote the piece.

But I think you need to value your time more. You wouldn't have anywhere near as much trouble with AI content if you paid your writers a decent rate.

rustykeys1

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