More practical ways to make money online

June 11, 2013 A British-Canadian-American film and television writer, Pen Densham, says, “Each time you write something, part of you grows. You’re training your artistic muscles to find your voice.” It is for this reason that I have decided to use myself as a case study so that readers will know exactly what I will do if I decide to start making money out of it using the Internet. First, I’ll create a blog/website which will clearly state that I am a writer who can be of value and will have a “hire me” or “work with me” page that states exactly the kind of services that I offer. In terms of pricing, there are two approaches that can be used: stating your price clearly on your website or asking potential clients to contact you for further details. The choice is yours and this also depends on your target audience. Next is to become a one-stop-solutions provider. Assuming your focus is on one area of writing; get into a partnership with people who can provide writing services in other areas or other related services, such as editing or proofreading. This will help. So, when people visit your blog/website, they will not leave disappointed. If you enjoy writing, then why are you not writing for yourself, especially now that it costs next to nothing to own a blog? I know some writers who love to write, but never bother to write for themselves online and, therefore, cannot be found there. If I were to be a writer, looking to earn a living from writing for others, I would get into the habit of writing interesting topics and then post these on my blog at least once or twice a week. This positions me as an expert in that field. Note that you do not necessarily have to focus on the “writing” niche just because you are a writer. A writer can choose to start a blog that talks about cars. And as long as he does it well, he will be able to attract potential clients who might hire him to write on other topics. One area a writer has to turn his searchlight on for clients, is the social media sites. Not to worry. You don’t have to be extremely active, just a fairly formidable presence on some or all of the big five, namely: Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus & Youtube, will be just fine. Remember, your clients stop by them on a daily basis and it is your duty to reach out to them. You can start by marketing your services on key social media websites after doing a bit of research on who your potential clients are. Remember, a simple email clearly stating the value your business offers might be all you need to win over new clients or generate some interest. Another critical area of success for a writer online is to get involved in email and mobile marketing. This means building a list of followers – people who will always be willing to see what the writer has written about. Each time I publish a new write-up or receive a testimonial from a happy customer, my subscribers are usually the first to know and I will always ask them to please share and tell their friends and family. Increasing my income as a writer demands that I should think international, so I will register on websites such as freelancer.com, odesk.com, elance.com or any other good freelancing website. The idea is to increase my sources of customer acquisition. However, those sites may end up being brain drainers due to a number of reasons. So, I will like to regard them as secondary sources. Finally, I will get offline. Getting offline means that I will create a slightly unconventional business card that will always serve as a means of introduction. I will ensure that my blog/website url and social media details are clearly stated on it. It is, however, one thing to have a business card and another thing to get that card into the hands of those who will like to patronise you. I will attend business events as much as I can. Never allow technology to replace human relationships in your life. This is one of the ills of ICT that I will write about in future. John Jake says, “Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe, shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish.” Remember, you need to be consistent and persistent to succeed in any field; same principle applies here. All the best as you give this a shot.