Overview
Blogging is a great way to make extra money from the comfort of your home. I never expected that it would become such a lucrative and trusted income stream for me, until I actually invested the time and energy to find and cultivate relationships with clients. So today I’d like to do my best to pay it forward and share my best advice on how to find blogging clients.
Simple Google Search
Does it seem too good to be true? Well, let me assure you, it’s not. The process of finding writing clients has certainly changed, but Google remains the most powerful search engine on the planet for finding companies that need content. When I was first starting out as a freelance writer, Google searches were my #1 tool for locating these companies and finding their contact information. From there, I sent a pretty generic email highlighting my services and inquiring about their content needs.
If you’re going to use this method to find blogging clients, here are a few pointers to keep in mind:
1. Search for companies that need content in your areas of expertise.
If you went to school for biology, for example, you might consider targeting local zoos or animal sanctuaries to see if they need monthly content to keep their blogs fresh. On the other hand, if you’re most interested in cosmetics, search for a local or regional cosmetologist who is too busy with client work to maintain a healthy online presence.
2. Look for companies in the small to medium size range.
This is not to overlook larger companies, but it is important to understand that many small and medium companies don’t have the additional time it requires to be writing weekly content for their websites. They may, however, have the money to pay you to do so.
3. Start locally and then target key, large markets.
It’s always good to start with local businesses because you’re going to have more local knowledge that will really make their blogs special. However, once you’ve thoroughly investigated local opportunities, target your searches to larger metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, Houston, and New York. This is a sheer numbers game and these markets simply have the most companies looking for skilled writers to maintain their blogs. Also, don’t be afraid to look internationally. Many international companies need people who can write well in English to appeal to larger, global demographic. Some of my best and most consistent clients have actually been based in Canada, for what it’s worth.
Browsing Craigslist
Craigslist can also be a very good avenue to find paid blogging clients. As you might know, however, it does require a bit of filtering and Craigslist is still severely in need of updating their spam protections. That said, you can use the same technique I mentioned above and target key markets with searching for paid writing gigs or jobs. Sometimes they will list them as contract gigs and other times as more permanent job positions.
My best advice when it comes to Craigslist is this: if it feels like a scam, it probably is. That goes for anything regarding Craigslist, but we’re talking about finding blogging clients. Spend time reaching out and following up, but if a certain contact starts asking you to jump through a bunch of weird hoops that you’re uncomfortable with, just move on.
The ProBlogger Job Board
There are a huge number of job boards out there that host databases of writing jobs. They are all a great way to quickly find access to numerous clients looking for writers. Some job boards even ask for a monthly subscription, but I have not found this necessary. ProBlogger is by far my favorite job board because it’s free and I’ve found considerable success finding, attracting, and retaining clients through this platform.
In addition to a job board, it is also a community of more than 300,000 bloggers who are essentially doing the same thing you are! They have a podcast, blog, ebooks, courses, and a number of additional resources for you to check out. As in any profession, the more you spend time honing your craft, the better you’ll be. And in this case, the better you are, the better clients you’ll attract and, ultimately, the more you’ll be getting paid!
Final Words of Advice
When you reach out to prospective clients, you can expect much less than a 100% response rate. The reality is that you probably won’t hear back from most and it’s rare that a company will return your email if they don’t have work for you. The good news, however, is that you don’t need a 100% response rate to build a location-independent income stream through online blogging. Your success will largely depend on the size of the net you cast. In other words, more inquiries sent means a higher percentage of finding new clients.
When performing client outreach, it can be hugely beneficial to compile a list of companies that you’ve reached out to. This allows you to follow up quickly and easily, which I recommend doing about a week after your initial inquiry if you haven’t heard back. It also allows you to keep a running database of prospective clients so that you don’t have to go back to the drawing board every time you drop a client or a contract is up. Some companies that might not have needed a blogger six months ago when you first reached out may very well need one now. So keep that list and go back to it again and again!
How Do You Find Clients?
Do you have any strategies that differ from the suggestions I’ve set forth above?
If you’ve been working on a manuscript for a while, or you have one finished and you’ve been procrastinating on taking the next step, I’d love to know if you found these tips useful. I’d also appreciate feedback if you simply dream of publishing one day in the future and have bookmarked this post for later.
Leave a comment below letting me know if you found this article helpful or if you’d like to see an article on a different topic entirely. I will respond as soon as possible and I appreciate and welcome any and all comments (although I do reserve the right to remove comments if I find them offensive or inappropriate).
I’d also be thankful if you choose to share these organization tips with others, especially if you found it particularly insightful or helpful. Be sure to tag @ballisterwriting on Facebook or Instagram if you do! The point of social media, after all, is to be SOCIAL! I’d like to contribute to a real conversation about how we continue to improve as a society and as individuals.
Get Your Search On!
Tucker Ballister