Hey, everyone! This is a guest post from one of the bloggers I follow–Elise from Sugar Coated. I just found her adorable blog by accident a few months ago. Blog hopping does have its awesome rewards! I was ecstatic when I learned she’s a freelance writer and I asked her a while back if she could do a guest post on my blog. She graciously agreed! Yay! Thanks, Elise! :) Guys, do check out her blog after you read this post. Enjoy! :)
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Hello, sweet readers! I’m Elise from Sugar Coated, and it’s truly a pleasure to meet you guys. The lovely Lei invited me over to share a little bit about myself, and some freelancing tips :).
I started blogging about three years ago, simply out of curiosity. I’ve always loved English and writing, but hadn’t really done any writing on a consistent basis. I live in the South, in a tiny town where most people wear crocs and don’t know what Blogger is. In other words, I had no blogging mentors. The blogs I first discovered: Cup of Jo, and Cupcakes and Cashmere inspired me enough to start my own blogging adventure.
Be Original
One piece of advice that’s always easy to hear, but hard to follow. Being original on your blog, or in any writing that you do, is most important! The most intriguing blog posts are ones that you’ve come up with all on your own. If you are going to use someone else’s idea, be sure to credit back to them, and put your own little spin on it. Realize that if you do recreate a project that someone else has done, you will be setting yourself up to be compared. As a newbie in the blogsphere, interest your readers with creative content that showcases your own personal style and personality.
Be Consistent
Obviously, one of your goals as a writer is to gain a large audience. An easy way to build your number of followers is to simply post all the time. Every day? Sure! Post as often as your schedule allows. The key is to be consistent. If your schedule sometimes fluctuates, make a tentative outline for yourself. For instance, schedule posts each week for Tuesday and Friday. If your week ends up being less busy, sneak in a few more posts on Wednesday and Saturday. It’s vital to post at least a couple of times a week, just to keep your readers on-board. Nothing is less time consuming and disappointing to your readers than checking in everyday (sometimes multiple times a day) for five days and finding no new content.
Be Polite
This may seem like a no-brainer, but people, it’s important to be kind on the internet. I am saddened every day by the ugly comments I read on blogs. While every person is entitled to her own opinion, keep it clean. Remember that you are responsible for your reputation on the web. If you desire to make a career out of your writing, you’d better be keeping a clean record on all of the social media sites and blogs. Personally, when I notice bloggers attacking each other, I immediately stop following both blogs.
Be Patient
Here comes the hard part. In a fairy tale land, when a woman makes a blog, it immediately gains three million sweet readers. The woman and her blog live happily ever after. If only life were that simple. To be honest, the freelance world is a tough one! Writing takes commitment, and so many hours of planning. Be patient both with your blog and yourself. There will be times you will feel uninspired, and don’t feel like writing. Your follower status may not change for months or even years, but be assured that people are reading. Don’t give up on yourself! Always put forth your best effort, and be yourself. Never become obsessed with your statistics. You will drive yourself crazy. You have ten followers? Awesome! You have two thousand followers? Awesome! Don’t base your blog’s worth on how many readers you have. It takes a while to become established in the blog world.
Be Resourceful
Last, I give you a golden nugget of opportunity! Use those resources that you do have. Best of all, most of them are free! Utilize your twitter feed, Facebook, and any other social media sites. Create a Facebook page for your blog, and watch the Internet work for you. If you are hoping to land a job as a freelancer, I present you with my most valuable tool: Odesk. This site was made for freelancers, and it is the only one I’ve found to be totally virus and scam free. Payment is legitimate, and the contractors are real. Search and apply to thousands of freelancing jobs, and build that resume!
What started off as a small hobby for me, has now led me to write for a number of companies, and my latest project, an ebook! Truthfully, the freelance world is difficult, but if you are passionate about writing, you will find your dream project!