I’ve been a freelance content marketer and copywriter for 10 years, but I don’t consider my content marketing business to be part of “the gig economy.” For example, Enlighten Writing has its own LLC, business licenses, and separate financial accounts. I even employ subcontractors when the situation arises. So I consider myself a business owner.
Companies develop a lot of content, and creative services teams want to make the content readable, accurate, and engaging. There’s just one problem: it’s really difficult! Many customers are not shy when they give feedback–especially if a manual, web page, or video is confusing and inaccurate. Creative services departments have a choice: develop the content
I sometimes receive inbound inquiries seeking “an excellent writer who is also a painstaking line editor.” The skills seem complementary, right? Pie and ice cream; pickles and mustard; copywriting and copy editing. Many writers are also editors, but both skills require different types of concentration. I’ll use a few examples from my work history to
2011 was an odd year. The U.S. was technically out of the recession, but everyone I talked to felt the recovery was fragile. I had started my freelance writing/editing business the year before, and I was still learning how to market myself to generate leads. Hardly anything was automated or one-click back then. Blogging and
An “undelivered e-mail” message can be frustrating for freelance writers and other self-employed business owners. Learning that the e-mail bounced because your mail server is on a blacklist can be infuriating. This scenario is also called a “mail block,” a Realtime blacklist, or DNS-based Blackhole List.* I recently went through a fairly protracted situation with
…is to follow-through on a promise. Once I’ve understood, or helped to define, the parameters of a project, I tend to take every stage of the deadline seriously. I don’t promise fast turnarounds unless I can deliver. I allow enough time for revisions. Good clients clearly communicate their deadlines and expectations. Ninety-five percent of all
In most of my complimentary consultations, I’m asked a variation of, “is this the type of writing/marketing/editing your content marketing business does?” When I started my business, at the end of the recession, the answer was almost always “yes.” These days, it’s more of a qualified “yes.” I don’t consider myself a generalist, but I’m
A business “rebrand” is the most challenging and rewarding inbound query a freelance copywriter can receive. I’ve owned my freelance writing and editing consultancy for five years, and the changes to how businesses market themselves has been nothing short of extraordinary. In the past year, I’ve been approached by three large enterprises to help them
It all started with Heartbleed. I’m sure the 2014 security bug is a distant and unpleasant memory for many, but I always keep it in mind. (Heartbleed was a vulnerability in the “Open SSL” library that could allow hackers to steal information that we all thought was supposed to be safely encrypted). I was working
I try to keep my initial complimentary consultation focused on the problems of my prospective clients, and the potential ways I can help. Questions about cost can bog the conversation down. Business owners (and marketing managers eyeing their budgets) understandably feel they’re entering uncharted territory when they seek freelance writers or editors. Even in the
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