If you’re  a freelancer or more specifically a freelance writer then you probably know that there are tons of Freelancer websites like eLance, oDesk, Freelancer, etc. and also many other sites that pay you for contributing content.

I’ve already featured 10 websites that pay upfront for writing articles and I got so many mails suggesting that they’re mostly for U.S. writers. While it’s true to some extent the real problem is that they’re all quality websites in search of high quality writers. It basically means that you must be very experienced to be part of their network.

So today I’m going to tell you how to kick-start your freelance writing without relying on any of those Freelance websites or agencies or those upfront pay sites.

Content Is King: Start With A Blog

You already know that quality content creators are always in great demand and hence you do have a chance. But you’ve to prove yourself that you can write good stuff and must brand yourself as an expert. How? The answer is – a blog.

Blogs need no introduction and you know that it’s one of the powerful ways to create and share content. So all you need to do is start a blog preferably on self-hosted WordPress with your own custom domain name (.com, .net, .co, etc.).

Read: WordPress vs. Blogger.com (Blogspot)

If you’re a complete newbie and don’t know where to start with then you can contact me anytime.

I’ll help you to start a WordPress blog at almost zero cost with your own .com domain name. Seriously.

Now, I’m going to assume that you want to start a blog or have already started one by now.

So What’s Next? Simple. Showcase Yourself As An Expert!

If you really want to make a living from freelance writing then you’ve to focus on a niche topic. I’ve noticed that most of the freelance writers apply everything that’s writing. That is, they claim that they can write on almost any topic under the sun. While it’s possible that’s not the way it should be.

No one can produce original content on any topic. For that you’ve to follow an industry or a niche very closely so that you can come up with original ideas and can easily brand yourself as an expert.

Don’t think that you can’t do it. Remember – every professional was a newbie. If you’re unable to write regularly or produce original content then you can start with content curation. But there’s one thing – you have to be passionate about what you’re reading and blogging. You won’t stop reading, writing, thinking as long as you’re passionate about your blog. And don’t expect a result overnight as it takes some time to build a brand, credibility, and experience.

But the first step is to get started… and everything else (traffic, revenue, clients, credibility, etc.) will follow.

Here’s Why A Blog And Its Branding Is Essential

If you’re just starting as a freelance writer and you don’t have much experience then no one’s going to hire you. Because content creators are everywhere and it is obviously the top skills on-demand and available on all freelance websites.

So you have to build some credibility by showcasing your talent, expertise and portfolio on your blog. How?

Just continue to contribute quality content regularly until you get noticed.

Initially it’s very likely that your blog may look a bit amateurish especially if your blog is hosted by a free hosting platform (.blogspot.com, .wordpress.com, etc.). Again, you have to take care of your design as well as it tells a lot. If you’ve got a professional web design then your readers tends to think that it’s a quality blog.

No one can find your traffic unless you disclose it. They can only assume your traffic based on some available metrics like Google PageRank, Alexa Traffic Rank, etc. But experienced marketers know that those metrics can be faked so they are not going to underestimate your blog.

But design and content is something different. If you’ve got some very interesting content and have taken care of all design stuff then you’re already done.

How About Competition? No, It’s All About Quality!

Like I mentioned earlier content creators are everywhere and every freelance website is crowded with freelance writers. So do you still have a chance? Yes. Why? Because it’s all about quality.

Most of the content creators available are those who don’t focus on a specific niche. They write on almost any topic. So if you’re confident that you can produce better quality content than them then blogging is the right way to acquire clients, showcase your expertise, build credibility, etc.

“If you can’t make it good, at least make it look good.” – Bill Gates

Why You Should Focus On Niche Blogging (And Writing)

As I’ve mentioned earlier there are tons of content creators everywhere but not many of them are real experts. If there are experts then it costs a lot of money to hire their services for content creation. So what if you can generate the same quality content at a lower cost? You’re hired!

I don’t know how many times have I tried to hire a content creator from various freelance sites. But nothing worked as they were not niche writers and showed me low quality or irrelevant content when I asked for portfolio.

So if you already have a blog and you’ve already published few high quality content then you have already marketed yourself.

Why Quality Matters A Lot

As you probably know the primary source of traffic is Google for most websites. In 2011 there was a huge update by Google so as to filter out low quality content from search results.

Ever since that update everyone is after quality and not quantity. It applies to content creation as well because webmasters have now realized that it makes a lot more sense to create one quality article a week than publishing mediocre content frequently.

They Say You Need Big Traffic To Make Money And I Say…

Ask any blogger out there “How to make money blogging?” and they say you have to write content regularly and build links for traffic. Okay, it’s true if you want to make money selling advertisement or by reviewing affiliate products.

The perfect example is my sister’s food blog that she started couple of years back. She started on blogger.com as a hobby and as an online diary where she wants to archive all her recipes. She never cared about traffic or SEO or whatever and all she did was contributed content regularly. Now the blog receives over 100,000 page views a month and that’s great as she didn’t spend a dime for promotion. Recently I convinced her to switch to WordPress platform and we noticed a 30% jump in traffic after migration.

So it’s true that you need good traffic to make money blogging – but it applies only if you want to make money selling ads.

Now if you’re a freelance writer… all you need is a blog AND a huge “Hire Me” button so that everyone will see that you’re a freelancer and can get in touch with you effortlessly. ;)

Again, the perfect example is my friend’s lifestyle blog who is a freelance writer. I convinced her to start a blog and helped with design, SEO, and other technical aspects. Voila! She branded herself as an expert in her niche by blogging unique and quality blog posts. And the result? In less than a month or so companies and agencies contacted her via the blog and hired her for content, for event management, for social media jobs, product reviews etc. again with zero promotion.

Once your blog is established (say with quality content, a complete design, etc.) then you’ll get organic traffic from Search Engines, Social Media, etc. and you can make some extra bucks by way of ads, affiliate sales, etc.

That’s not all! There are sponsored reviews and posts. When you showcase yourself as an expert in a niche then agencies and companies will contact you for a review of their product or service. And you can easily make $50+ per sponsored review.

Freelance Writing Can Make A Fortune For You

If you go to various forum marketplaces like Digital Point or some micro-job websites like Fiverr.com, Gigbucks.com, etc. then you’ll see that anyone can buy an article or two for just $5.

Read: Top 20 Micro-job Websites You Probably Don’t Know

They’re mostly article writers who write on almost all topic by following some simple research or re-writing content from other websites.

But if you ask the rate card of a niche blogger who’s a freelance writer as well then it costs $50 – $500 (or even more) per article depending upon the topic.

So what it means to you is that you don’t really need a high traffic blog to earn that six-figure income from your home.

If you’re still confused or don’t know where/how to start with then leave your query as a comment below or you can e-mail me as I obsessively read and reply to each and every mail I get.

Happy Blogging, Freelancing, and Monetizing!

Image Credit: magnetbox, wheely, smemon

Make Money Blogging: At No Cost & Zero Promotion [Freelancer's Guide] is a post by Minterest

Minteresting is a digital media mashup by Minterest that compiles the finest Blogging, Internet Marketing, Social Media, Tech, and Web 2.0 resources that you don’t want to miss.

My Picks / #Tumblr #Yahoo

• Yahoo Buys Tumblr For $1.1 Billion, Promises "Not To Screw It Up"
• WordPress Claims 72,000 Blogs Imported From Tumblr In Just One Hour
• How Yahoo Killed Flickr And Lost The Internet

Blogging / #How-to #Tips #WordPress

• 33 Blogging Tips To Maximize Social Media Reach
• Do Social Signals Work For SEO?

Internet Marketing / #Affiliate #Content #Search #SEM #SEO #SMM

• 53 Actionable Content Marketing Metrics
• 6 Simple Elements That You Can Optimize For More Home Page Sign Ups

Social Media / #Infographics #News #Tips

• Flickr’s Massive Redesign: Full-Res Photos, A Terabyte Of Free Storage
• 5 New Pinterest Features You Should Know

Tech / #Apps #Gadgets #How-to #Mobile #News #OS #Search #Tips

• Top 25 Free iPhone Apps Of All Time
• Google Is Prepping A Sneak Attack On Microsoft Office

Web 2.0 / #Design #Development #How-to #Internet #Tools #Webmaster

• 18 Websites That Take Scrolling To The Next Level
• AdWords Keyword Planner Officially Launches

Get the awesomest digital marketing & technology content, curated and tailored for you! Subscribe to Minterest via RSS (or just Minteresting RSS), E-mail, Twitter (curated by @maheshone), Facebook, or Google+.

Image Credit: Flickr

13 Digital Media Resources That You Shouldn’t Miss [May 20, 2013] is a post by Minterest

Minteresting is a digital media mashup by Minterest that compiles the finest Blogging, Internet Marketing, Social Media, Tech, and Web 2.0 resources that you don’t want to miss.

My Picks / #Google+

• Understanding Google+ Hangouts
• Hangouts For iOS Review: Google+ Messaging
• Promoting Content With Google+

Blogging / #Tips

• Why We Still Need to Write, Even When We’re Scared
• 5 Writing and Productivity Links You Can Use

Internet Marketing / #SEO #SMM

• Simple Steps To Creating An Effective Social Media Strategy
• How To Be A Badass Link Builder

Social Media / #News #Tips

• Increase Your Social Media Followers And Reach By Gating Premium Content
• Social Media News: Google+, Facebook Ratings, Pinterest

Tech / #News #Tumblr #Windows #Yahoo

• Yahoo Reportedly Wants To Buy Tumblr; Is Scared Of Facebook
• Everything You Need To Know About Windows 8.1

Web 2.0 / #Design #Gaming #How-to

• How To Turn Your Android Phone Into A Gaming Powerhouse
• Photographers: Top 10 Sites To Showcase Your Work

Get the awesomest digital marketing & technology content, curated and tailored for you! Subscribe to Minterest via RSS (or just Minteresting RSS), E-mail, Twitter (curated by @maheshone), Facebook, or Google+.

Image Credit: Flickr

13 Digital Media Resources That You Shouldn’t Miss [May 19, 2013] is a post by Minterest

Minteresting is a digital media mashup by Minterest that compiles the finest Blogging, Internet Marketing, Social Media, Tech, and Web 2.0 resources that you don’t want to miss.

My Picks / #Content

• Your Content Marketing Sucks. Here Are 10 Resources That Don’t.
• 7 Ways To Get More Out Of Your Content Marketing Strategy
• Beginner’s Guide To Content Marketing [Infographic]

Blogging / #How-to #Tips #WordPress

• Help, I’ve Been Hacked! How To Secure Your WordPress Site Against Hackers
• 5 Ways To Bond With Your Blog’s Audience

Internet Marketing / #SEO

• How We Grew Crazy Egg To 100,000 Users With A $10,000 Marketing Budget
• How To Move Rankings Up On Older, Existing Content

Social Media / #Infographic #SMM

• 10 Ways To Promote An Infographic Via Social Media
• 10 Actionable Social Media Marketing Tips

Tech / #Apps #Mobile

• iOS Fell To 17% Of Smartphones Shipped, Windows Phone Passed BlackBerry
• 30 Must-Try Apps For Rooted Android Phones

Web 2.0 / #Internet #Tools

• iTunes Updated With A New Mini Player, Album Artwork & Multi-disc Albums
• Hands On: New Google Maps Make Maps Interesting Again

Get the awesomest digital marketing & technology content, curated and tailored for you! Subscribe to Minterest via RSS (or just Minteresting RSS), E-mail, Twitter (curated by @maheshone), Facebook, or Google+.

Image Credit: Flickr

13 Digital Media Resources That You Shouldn’t Miss [May 17, 2013] is a post by Minterest

Minteresting is a digital media mashup by Minterest that compiles the finest Blogging, Internet Marketing, Social Media, Tech, and Web 2.0 resources that you don’t want to miss.

My Picks / #Writing

• The Most Important Factors For Ranking In Google
• Blogging: How To Build Authority From Scratch [In 5 Steps]
• 10 Lessons From A 100k Page View Blog Post

Blogging / #How-to #Tips

• 50 Blogging Tips To Help You Build Your Platform
• Make Your Blog Come Alive With The Help Of Emotions

Internet Marketing / #Content #SEO

• Content Marketing DOs And DON’Ts
• Content Marketing: Are You Sharing Your Best Stuff?

Social Media / #Facebook #Pinterest #Tips

• How to Compare Your Facebook Page With The Competition
• How Any Business Can Take Advantage Of Pinterest

Tech / #Google #Gmail

• Everything You Need to Know About Google’s Big Announcements
• Gmail Adds New "Quick Action" Buttons, Helps You Act On Your Messages

Web 2.0 / #Internet #Tools #Webmaster

• Google’s Matt Cutts : Spammers Less Likely To Show Up In SERPs After Summer
• 11 Unique Ways to Boost Your Social Sharing with Buffer

Get the awesomest digital marketing & technology content, curated and tailored for you! Subscribe to Minterest via RSS (or just Minteresting RSS), E-mail, Twitter (curated by @maheshone), Facebook, or Google+.

Image Credit: Flickr

13 Digital Media Resources That You Shouldn’t Miss [May 16, 2013] is a post by Minterest

Minteresting is a digital media mashup by Minterest that compiles the finest Blogging, Internet Marketing, Social Media, Tech, and Web 2.0 resources that you don’t want to miss.

My Picks / #Entrepreneurship #Inspiration #Blogging

• 6 Things Exceptional Leaders Do Better
• The Two Reasons Why You Aren’t Making Over $100K a Year
• The Blogger Outreach Equation

Blogging / #How-to #Tips #WordPress

• Migrating A Website To WordPress Is Easier Than You Think [Beginner's Guide]
• How Many Posts Should A Blogger Post? [Pros and Cons of Daily Posting]

Internet Marketing / #Analytics #SEO

• How To Increase Website Conversions By Improving Visitor Engagement
• Buying Awareness To Build Links

Social Media / #Infographics #SMM

• 15 Benefits Of Having A Fan Page Over A Personal Profile Page On Facebook
• How To Get More Likes On Your Facebook Page [Infographic]

Tech / #Gadgets #Android #WindowsPhone #Mobile

• HTC’s One: At Long Last, The Best Smartphone Is An Android Phone (Review)
• Nokia Announces Lumia 925 As It Steps Up Fight Against Apple & Samsung

Web 2.0 / #Design #Development #Webmaster

• Client & Server-Side Approach: Providing The Best Mobile User Experience
• The Anatomy of a Perfect Web Page

Get the awesomest digital marketing & technology content, curated and tailored for you! Subscribe to Minterest via RSS (or just Minteresting RSS), E-mail, Twitter (curated by @maheshone), Facebook, or Google+.

Image Credit: Flickr

13 Digital Media Resources That You Shouldn’t Miss [May 15, 2013] is a post by Minterest

Minteresting is a digital media mashup by Minterest that compiles the finest Blogging, Internet Marketing, Social Media, Tech, and Web 2.0 resources that you don’t want to miss.

My Picks / #Facebook #Marketing

• 5 Ways To Grow Your Business With Facebook
• The Ultimate Guide To Facebook Contests
• Facebook Ads vs Promoted Posts: A Side-by-Side Comparison

Blogging / #How-to #Tips #WordPress

• Three Easy, Free DIY Blog Image Makers
• How To Make Money From Your Blog: 11 Powerful Case Studies

Internet Marketing / #Affiliate #Content #Search #SEM #SEO #SMM

• How To Rank: 25 Step SEO Master Blueprint
• Increasing Organic SEO Traffic By 400,000 Unique Visitors A Month

Social Media / #Twitter #Pinterest #Tips

• How To Effectively Engage More Consumers On Pinterest
• 6 Tips to Grow Your Twitter Followers

Tech / #Apps #BlackBerry #Mobile #Windows

• BlackBerry Messenger Goes Cross-platform On iPhone, Android This Summer
• Windows 8.1 (Windows Blue) Will Be A Free Update, Preview To Launch June 26

Web 2.0 / #Design #Internet #Tumblr

• Outlook.com Users Can Now Chat With Their Google Talk Friends
• 8 Professional Tumblr Themes For Entrepreneurs

Get the awesomest digital marketing & technology content, curated and tailored for you! Subscribe to Minterest via RSS (or just Minteresting RSS), E-mail, Twitter (curated by @maheshone), Facebook, or Google+.

13 Digital Media Resources That You Shouldn’t Miss [May 14, 2013] is a post by Minterest

Minteresting is a digital media mashup by Minterest that compiles the finest Blogging, Internet Marketing, Social Media, Tech, and Web 2.0 resources that you don’t want to miss.

My Picks / #Freelance #Inspiration

• Here’s How I Write My Mashups In Less Than 10 Minutes
• 8 Curious Reasons To Start An Online Business And Work From Home
• 10 Worries That May Influence Your Positive Thinking

Blogging / #How-to #Tips

• How To Immediately Become A More Productive (And Better) Writer
• I Hate Blogging! But I Gotta Do It And It Has To Count

Internet Marketing / #Content #Email

• Content Isn’t King. Trust Is King.
• Why Email Subscribers Unsubscribe [INFOGRAPHIC]

Social Media / #Infographic #Twitter #Tips

• 26 Social Media Marketing Tips From The Pros
• The 10 Commandments Of Twitter

Tech / #Apps #Android #Windows

• 10 Killer Android Apps To Make Your Life Easier
• 10 Things Microsoft Needs To Fix With Windows Blue

Web 2.0 / #Internet #Tools #Webmaster

• How To Use The Keyword Planner From Google AdWords
• Google’s New “Save To Drive” Button Lets You Save Files To Google Drive

Get the awesomest digital marketing & technology content, curated and tailored for you! Subscribe to Minterest via RSS (or just Minteresting RSS), E-mail, Twitter (curated by @maheshone), Facebook, or Google+.

Image Credit: Flickr

13 Digital Media Resources That You Shouldn’t Miss [May 13, 2013] is a post by Minterest

Minteresting is a digital media mashup by Minterest that compiles the finest Blogging, Internet Marketing, Social Media, Tech, and Web 2.0 resources that you don’t want to miss.

My Picks / #Internet #Web

• The One Infographic About The Digital Revolution You Need To Understand
• Content Re-Use To The Rescue
• The Ultimate Beginners Guide To BuddyPress

Blogging / #Tips #WordPress

• 21 Quick Tips: How To Write A Blog For Your Business
• 34 Gorgeous WordPress Themes For Photographers

Internet Marketing / #Content #SMM

• How Guest Bloggers Are Sleepwalking Their Way Into Penalties
• 4 Ways To Improve Performance Marketing On Facebook

Social Media / #Infographic #Pinterest

• How To Use Pinterest Analytics: 6 Metrics Worth Measuring
• 21 Awesome Social Media Facts, Figures And Statistics for 2013

Tech / #Android #Gadgets #Windows

• I Went To Buy An Android Phone And Left With My First Windows Phone
• Microsoft Confirms Windows 8.1 ‘Blue’ Public Preview Due End Of June

Web 2.0 / #Design #Infographic

• New Defaults In Web Design — How Much Has The Web Really Changed?
• Infographic: A Day In The Life Of The Internet

Get the awesomest digital marketing & technology content, curated and tailored for you! Subscribe to Minterest via RSS (or just Minteresting RSS), E-mail, Twitter (curated by @maheshone), Facebook, or Google+.

13 Digital Media Resources That You Shouldn’t Miss [May 8, 2013] is a post by Minterest

Minteresting Friday is a digital media mashup by Minterest that compiles the finest Blogging, Internet Marketing, Social Media, Tech, and Web 2.0 resources that you don’t want to miss.

My Picks

The “My Picks” category of Minteresting Friday (Yes, I know today is Saturday ) post this week will focus on Google’s penalty and recoveries based on few webmasters’ case studies. I’m pretty sure that you’ll learn something new from each case study.

• Lifting A Manual Penalty Given By Google (Personal Experience)
• Bamboo! A Successful Google Penguin Recovery Story
• What A Penguin Recovery Looks Like
• A True Story: From A Triple Whammy Google Penalty To $60K/month Revenue
• How To Get Out Of The Google Penalty Box
• The Difference Between Penguin and an Unnatural Links Penalty
• How To Create A Sustainable Link Plan

Blogging / #How-to #Tips

• 11 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started My First Blog
• 5 Keys To Writing Excellent Blog Posts
• How To Consistently Write 1,000 Words A Day
• 7 Tips for Busy Bloggers on Finding Time to Blog
• How Quick Sprout Gets 176 Comments Per Blog Post

Internet Marketing / #Affiliate #Content #SEO #Tips

• The Ultimate Guide To Making An Affiliate Income From Your Blog
• How My Niche Affiliate Site Ranked #1 In Google In 62 Days!
• 10 Ways To Create High Converting Headlines
• The Future of Content Marketing Revealed
• How Content Length Affects Rankings And Conversions
• SEO From A Newb’s Perspective
• 33 Link Building Questions Answered
• How to Get Your First 1,000 Email Subscribers When Nobody Knows You
• How To Get Over 50,000 Visits to Your Blog in the First Month
• 42 Timeless Ideas for Attracting More Visitors to Your Website
• How I Doubled My Traffic by Finding My Audience

Social Media / #Infographics #Tips

• How To Optimize Contact Forms For Conversions [Infographic]
• 10 Tips To Optimize Your Online Presence (For Job Hunts)

Tech / #Apple #Microsoft #Mobile

• How The iPad Totally Changed The World In Just Three Years
• Microsoft Is Nowhere Near Death’s Door
• In 2013 There Will Be More Mobile Devices Than People On Earth

Web 2.0 / #Design #Tools #Webmaster

• Why Design Is Marketing
• 17 Things You Should Stop Doing to Your Websites
• Google Analytics Real Time Gets Event Reporting
• The SEO Guide To Getting Started With Google Webmaster Tools

Get the awesomest digital marketing & technology content, curated and tailored for you! Subscribe to Minterest via RSS (or just Minteresting RSS), E-mail, Twitter (curated by @maheshone), Facebook, or Google+.

Minteresting Friday: Digital Media Resources Mashup [May 4, 2013] is a post by Minterest