Let’s face it: the freelance writer’s sales cycle can be looooong.
A prospect discovers you through your LinkedIn profile or website and enquires about your services. You get on a discovery call. Then, send over your proposal. Then, there are the negotiations and contract signing, and by the time you get your advance, it’s been a month… or three.
This is a problem when you have an unexpected gap in your schedule. You want to land work now!
While most of the sales process stays the same, you can accelerate one factor. Instead of finding prospects who may need your services, you can find prospects urgently looking for a writer. These projects may be one-offs or long-term. The important thing is they’ll fill up your schedule quickly while your usual leads take their time converting to clients.
3 Ways to Land Writing Gigs Quickly Through LinkedIn
1. Find Prospects Actively Looking for Writers in Your Niche
Sometimes, prospects need a writer to help them with a specific (and urgent) piece of content. They may have a draft ready and want you to enrich and proofread it or have a topic for a lead magnet and want an expert to write it quickly.
So, the prospect posts on LinkedIn looking for their ideal writer. You can find these posts by searching “freelance <niche> writer” on LinkedIn.
- Remember to insert your industry between “freelance” and “writer” to make your search query specific and your search results relevant. Click Enter to search.
- Click on Posts.
- Set the filter “Sort by” to “Latest.”
Here are the writing gigs I found after scrolling the search results for “freelance tech writer” for just 15 minutes.
Here’s a gig that came up on the “freelance sustainability writer” search.
You may need to sift through posts to find those where a prospect is looking for freelance writing help. This process is time-consuming but effective. Even if you spend 15 minutes daily doing this activity for a week and find a $2,000 project or a long-term client, it’ll be worth it!
2. Follow LinkedIn Accounts That Curate Writing Opportunities
Many LinkedIn accounts now curate and post freelance writing jobs. Following these accounts and pressing the bell on their profiles will alert you when they post new freelance gigs. Sift through the opportunities and apply to those in your niche.
The only problem is that these accounts have thousands of followers, so you’ll be competing with many writers for the same gig. You can stand out in the sea of sameness by doing the homework to nail your positioning and craft the right pitch.
Here are three most popular accounts that regularly post freelance writing jobs:
- Chris Bibey
Chris Bibey curates all sorts of writing gigs. Here’s a LinkedIn post from Chris sharing a freelance writing gig…
Here’s one teasing the opportunities curated in his newsletter, which he offers as a free subscription.
2. All Things Freelance Writing
All Things Freelance Writing, founded by Jessica Walrack, has a company page that regularly features writing gigs like this one.
While you can follow the page for updates, the best thing is to subscribe to the newsletter to receive all the opportunities in your inbox.
You can sign up for the paid newsletter for $1 a month to receive 20+ new gigs in your email inbox every Friday.
3. Vivian Tejeda
Some LinkedIn accounts post writing gigs in specific industries. Vivian exclusively posts SaaS and technology writing gigs.
If these aren’t your niches, you can look for gig curators in your specific industry by searching “<industry> writing gigs opportunities” on LinkedIn. If someone’s curating writing opportunities in your niche, you’ll find them in the search results!
You can see Vivian has a newsletter she sends out with SaaS/Tech writing gigs in your inbox weekly.
3. Respond to LinkedIn Jobs for Freelance Full-Time Writers
Often, companies don’t start looking for people until they urgently need something done. So, by the time they post a job, they’re already running late on a project. This is why applying for LinkedIn jobs can be rewarding.
As a freelance writer, you can handle the urgent workload while they make the hire.
Look for LinkedIn Jobs in your niche for content writers/strategists. Connect with the person who posted the job and ask if they’re open to a contractual/freelance hire. If they’re not, propose to fill in the gap while they make the hire. You can use this script:
“Hi <name>, I noticed you’re hiring a FT content writer. My expertise would be the perfect fit for you. Are you open to bringing in a freelance writer? Or, I can help with some urgent tasks on your list until you make the hire. Let’s connect?”
I found 165 writing jobs in the United Kingdom for the keywords “Content Writer.” You can set other filters to your search to find more relevant gigs.
Even the most experienced freelance writers hit a slump time and again. It’s part of the journey. So, let go of self-doubt and judgment and try these tactics to land your next project!
Remember, it’s normal not to be fully booked even after six years in business (me!). The important thing is to have the right mindset to find work fast and keep your confidence high. I’m rooting for you!
