10 Things Freelancers Should Blog About

Blogging sells what you do without the work. That’s why I’m a firm believer in maintaining an online presence, even if your goal isn’t to become “a blogger”.

Especially in freelancing, it helps to demonstrate knowledge, your ability to communicate, it creates a platform to show off your skills, and is proof that you’re engaged with what you do. You can do this with LinkedIn posts, on Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, your professional site…anywhere, just make sure it’s happening.

I’ve been blogging for over a decade, and know that it can sometimes be hard to know what to talk about, so here are 10 things you as a growing freelancer should be talking about in your online presence.

1. Industry news: This demonstrates your connection to the industry…something all clients want and something that will set you apart from competition. (Easy to do with a Google news search.)
2. Your services: Know what part of my website people visit least? My services page. What they do love though, is in-depth posts about individual services. This gives them a preview of something they may be considering, and more info than just a short description and price range.
3. Your opinion: Getting freelance clients is like dating in many ways…in this case, it’s a process. You can’t just tell them to buy, they have to learn to like and trust what you do, and to see that they way you think fits with what they want. Offer your opinion on industry topics to give them a preview.
4. How Tos: The most popular post I’ve ever published on LinkedIn was based on a list of questions I sent a client to better get to know their project. Was that giving away secrets? Kinda, but in return I received a list of 1000 people who were interested in what I do. Giving away a few “secrets” is worth that.
5. Mistakes: Do this one carefully since you don’t want to directly trash someone’s brand, but sometimes it’s helpful to write a list of “what not to do”…keep it specific to your field though, since general lists have been done to death.
6. Superstars: Talk about the people who are doing things right in your field. Explain why. Do it with confidence. If you can recognize a superstar, you can figure out what makes them super. (Don’t forget to email them afterward to let them know they’ve been featured.)
7. Outliers: Chances are that there are people and companies in your industry that are making things work despite breaking all the rules. Dedicate a post or two to them.
8. Things you’d sell: This applies mostly to writers and other online content producers (though I’m sure you could modify the idea to fit fields like accounting and law)…Every now and again I’ll write the kind of piece that I’d be willing to sell to a client. If they can see you do it on your own space, they’ll know for sure you can do the same for them.
9. Interviews: A few good questions with interesting people can go a long way. If you don’t want to write, record.
10. Great client experiences: People LOVE case studies and testimonials. If they’re on your site, they’re interested in what you do and likely just need to know that they’ll have a pleasant experience with you and will get the results they want. Don’t make them guess before they buy.

And remember…use your keywords…they build your SEO and let your clients know you’re in touch with their needs.

So there you go…those 10 items should be enough to get you going on your online presence today. Good luck!