There are three proven ways you can make more money as a writer:
- Increase your rates
- Add more clients
- Do more strategic work
If you’ve tried the first two, you quickly realize there’s a ceiling. You only have so much energy and time in the day.
Plus, it’s tough to differentiate yourself from other writers, so potential clients may not see the difference between you and someone else. It’s hard to charge a premium if prospects see you as a commodity.
But when you start playing a more strategic game, you can directly impact the bottom line. Show the direct results of your work and enjoy a bigger payday.
It’s why sales page copywriters typically make more than bloggers.
But how do you make your move from say blogging to those bigger paydays? In this article, I’ll explore ways you as a freelance writer can make more strategic offers, move into a more influential role, and AI-proof your career.
It starts with tweaking your offer.
Example 1
Many writers use a variation of this as their offer, “I write SEO-optimized blog content for XYZ industry, and here’s some of my client work.”
That’ll get you started, but you can improve it. Why not try, “I help B2B companies turn blog traffic into leads by writing content aligned with their sales funnel.”
Do you see how that’s stronger?
Surprisingly, many companies assign content without a clear idea of its purpose. If you can talk with your clients and help them craft an objective for the piece, you’re already positioning yourself differently than 90% of other freelance writers.
Ask questions, such as:
- Do they want more traffic or more requests for a demo?
- Do they have lots of traffic but few conversions?
Those potential outcomes require different thinking about the prospect and their motivation.
You might be able to take a quick look at their site and make a couple of suggestions.
Those are the kinds of conversations that build trust and open the door to more strategic work.
Example 2
One trend I see in B2B marketing right now is focusing on content that is closer to the decision-maker.
One example is to focus on the action just before the prospect buys. Does the company rely on sales teams? If so, your goal is to create content that leads to more sales calls. Content like case studies and in-depth blog posts that answer the questions and potential objections of the prospects can (literally) pay off.
Another tactic is comparison posts. For example, you’ve probably seen posts that compare software like “Mailchimp vs. Kit,” or “Aweber vs. Mailchimp.” These comparison-style blog posts are popular because:
- They’re usually easy to rank in search, so more of your target market sees them.
- People who read such posts are looking to subscribe to email marketing software. i.e., they’re ready to buy.
Content teams continue to be stretched thin; the more “wins” you can help them achieve, the better. Hopefully, these examples have your brain percolating on becoming a more strategic partner for your clients.
How to Step into a Strategic Partner Role
Invite your client to a call to discuss their goals and the chief problem they want to solve. Usually, they’ll say something like “We want more traffic” or “We want more sales.”
These are vague business problems you could apply to virtually every business. Your job? Help them narrow it down by asking some specific questions.
Here are a few ideas:
- Are you looking for new customers, or do you want to make more sales to existing customers, or both?
- Do you have a specific sales target in mind?
- Do you want quick wins, or is this part of a longer-term time frame?
- What would generating seven leads or more in the next quarter mean?
- What type of investment can you make?
After further discussion, they say they can invest $12,000. The goal? Seven or more leads.
Great! Now you have a defined goal.
Next, you need to ask what problem your prospect has that you need to overcome.
For example, is the audience aware they have this problem? Are they aware of your solution? If so, copywriter Eugene Schwartz calls this the “Problem Aware” prospect.
If your prospect knows their problem and your solution solves it, why haven’t they bought yet?
Your job is to find out why they’re holding back.
- Is the problem not big enough yet for them? If so, you can demonstrate the cost of inaction in your content.
- Are they still researching potential solutions? If so, can you focus on the benefits of the solution you offer? Show how it differs from the others.
- Are you using the language of your prospect?
- Do you have case studies that demonstrate the ROI?
- Do you have guarantees and testimonials?
- Have you equipped them with materials they can share internally for buy-in from their boss?
One way you can discover answers is to talk with recent buyers. Ask why they chose the product. How has it helped them? Talk with the sales teams. Find out what questions they hear over and over again.
What makes the prospect recognize they have a problem that needs solving now? Find that “lightbulb” moment, and you can create more compelling content that helps your prospect become a buyer.
Not everyone looks at content as a business asset. You can be a writer who does by asking questions about your prospect’s business goals and tying your content to those goals. Make a difference with your strategic work and the payoff for you will be a bigger payday.
