Getting Online Writing Jobs: The One Thing Clients Seem to Be Wanting More of These Days & How to Offer It To Them

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February 7, 2012

Landing online writing jobs can be relatively easy – if you know what clients are looking for. Here’s one thing I’ve noticed that my clients seem to be wanting more of these days.

Foundational Content: Never heard of this term? Let’s explain it so you can see why clients these days are ordering more of it.

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What Is Foundational Content?

Foundational content is copy that anchors a site. It is in-depth, usually running longer than a standard 350-400 word web article. This copy can be found only on a client’s website; they don’t use it in article marketing campaigns or distribute it in any other way.

FYI, content that is distributed beyond a company’s site (like in an article marketing campaign) is often used to drive traffic to the foundational content on their site.

opportunities-in-freelance-writingYesterday, I completed a “foundational content” order for a client. This client is an internet marketing firm. The order was for one of their clients, a technology firm. My client’s client had forwarded them a white paper. My client wanted me to use the talking points in the white paper and write a foundational article for their client’s site.

As an aside, I was able to charge more for this article – over and beyond my SEO writing company’s rates, because I had to do some research first (ie, read through the white paper). So, the charge was for the article, as well as for editorial research time, which my firm bills at $45/hour.

Learn more about the different types of online content.

3 Reasons Offering Foundational Content Can Make You More Money as an Online Writer

I. The Big Panda: Many clients got hit hard by the Google Panda Update last year. And, they’re still trying to recover. Now clients are ordering more, well-written, in-depth content because Google’s SEO writing guidelines are rewarding this.

If you learn how to provide copy within these guidelines, not only will you stand head and shoulders above other online writers, you can command more per article as well.

II. Sell Your Expertise: Another reason foundational content can earn you more money is that it illustrates that you know your craft. By staying abreast of major search engine changes – and letting clients know that you do – you again separate yourself from the competition.

III. Research: Foundational content usually requires some research. For example, in the article I wrote for my client yesterday, I not only had to read through the white paper first, I also did some online research and added some stats to the content.

As an aside, never understtimate how much time it’s going to take you to produce in-depth content like foundational articles. Either bill the cost into your rates – or bill for it separately, especially if the client forwards you material that you have to comb through in order to complete the copy (as I did, which is what I billed for separately).

Online Writers: How to Sell Foundational Content to Clients

All it takes to do this is to write up a simple report (white paper) explaining why foundational content is critical to a firm’s online marketing efforts these days. Then, offer it as a free download to clients AND proactively distribute it by sending it to current and prospective clients you market to.

Learn more about why writing and distributing free reports works so well to land freelance writing jobs.

Landing Online Writing Jobs by Focusing on Foundational Content: Conclusion

Search engines have changed algorithms – and they continue to do so. But the one thing that remains a constant is that online marketing begins and ends with content. Companies are now starting to recognize this.

Those who’ve known it for a while and got penalized by Google’s Panda (and Google’s other search engine updates) are trying to climb the charts again.

Those who are new to content marketing are starting to invest – period.

The beautiful thing about marketing for these type of online writing jobs right now is that you don’t have to look for new clients. Just beef up your marketing in this area to existing clients — who already know and love your work anyway.

Your Thoughts: What have you noticed clients ordering more of? Please share in the comments section below.

Yuwanda
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5 Responses to “Getting Online Writing Jobs: The One Thing Clients Seem to Be Wanting More of These Days & How to Offer It To Them”

  1. Jessie Fitzgerald says:
    February 7, 2012 at 5:46 pm

    I can testify to this: I am placing a few foundational content orders for New Media Words in a few weeks.

    It is important that writers understand this type of content. It is an essential ingredient in an Internet marketing plan.

  2. Ruth says:
    February 7, 2012 at 7:53 pm

    Yuwanda, I have been trying to email you for the last 2 days but I keep getting my emails returned (5 times now) with this message:

    This Message was undeliverable due to the following reason:

    Each of the following recipients was rejected by a remote mail server.
    The reasons given by the server are included to help you determine why
    each recipient was rejected.

    Recipient:
    Reason: Mailbox quota exceeded

    So I thought the only way to reach you was through your blog comments section.

    Any ideas what’s going on with your email?

  3. Melissa says:
    February 7, 2012 at 8:20 pm

    Ah – So I’m not the only one! I wanted to thank you for your help with sorting out the Marketing Kit problem I was having, but my emails kept getting sent back as undeliverable . . .

    Thanks, Yuwanda!

  4. Yuwanda, Site Editor says:
    February 8, 2012 at 10:35 am

    @Ruth, @Melissa:

    Thanks for letting me know there was a problem ladies. One other person told me about a couple of weeks ago that they were having problems, but I put it down to just a “glitch” since no one else had said anything.

    But when you two — and another person alerted me within the last 24 hours, I looked into it. It’s been fixed now, so you should have no problems contacting me via my regular email addreess (info***at***InkwellEditorial[dot]com.

    Again, thanks for your patience! :-)

  5. Yuwanda, Site Editor says:
    February 8, 2012 at 10:35 am

    @Jessie:

    My team and I look forward to helping you with your content needs. Thanks for keeping us in mind for your web writing needs.

    As always, continued success.

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