The W3 Gobbles Up Content Like I Gobble Up Gummi Bears

Five Places to Earn Money for Your Words

The need for content, both in print and on the web, is massive even in this tanking economy. If anything, the bad business climate has companies scrambling for new marketing outlets, most on line.

And that means work for you. Here are six places that are actually looking for writers and are willing to pay them – in real dollars!. So, if you can string words in to sentences, you can earn money for your efforts. Check out these outlets for content.

1. odesk. Odesk is an outsource hook-up site, connecting service buyers and providers. The site has a number of categories – site design, coding and writing.

Just looked and there are over 200 gigs listed on odesk this morning, divided into general categories to make your search for a gig that much easier. Tech writer? 74 job listings on odesk this morning.

What are you waiting for?

2. Elance. Perhaps the most widely-known outsource hook-up site, Elance has taken strides of late to improve its image in this web space. Many of the writing jobs are for words by the pound. I saw one job – 1000 articles – top bid $500! That’s 50 cents an article.

However, if you’re good you can cherry pick the buyers looking for quality over quantity. Bid low until you gain some feedback from happy buyers. Then up your price gradually.

3. Helium. You don’t think of Helium as a paying site. It’s a content syndication site, right? Well, that’s the biz’s bread and butter but the site also posts paying gigs. You’re competing against a lot of other writers but the site is flogging the fact that one woman made $5K in six months writing for Helium.

Sounds perfect for the work-at-home parent. No commitment.

4. Guru. Another outsourcing site that’s coming up fast. The quality of its postings has improved meaning better paying gigs for you. Again, these on-line sites have postings that change daily so keep going back to see what’s new.

They’re all ideal for part-timers and newbs looking to gain experience and creds.

5. Your local newspaper. The local Picayune is desperate for content. A friend of mine, a Registered Nurse, writes a weekly health column for the local rag. $50 bucks a week. Now, given the amount of time said friend works on her columns – interviews, research, first and second draft, she makes less than minimum wage.

But she’s got a clip book – one that adds to her credibility as a writer – a reliable writer who can hit a deadline every week for years – even if she only gets $50 a week. It’s the creds that count here.

And those clippings can be compiled into a book on health and wellness since the RN friend owns the copyright. Sweet.

So, open your accounts or contact the local editor and offer to do a column on your particular expertise – gardening to low-cost living and consumer tips. Build your clip book and charge $10 a column. Watch that editor jump!

You start working at “burger-flipping” wages but as you gain experience, confidence and credibility, you and your words become better and more valuable.

Start here.


Later,
Webwordslinger

WHAT ARE YOUR WORDS WORTH?

photo courtesy of  david turnbull

5 Places to Earn Money for Your Words

The need for content, both in print and on the web, is massive even in this tanking economy. If anything, the bad business climate has companies scrambling for new marketing outlets, most on line.

And that means work for you. Here are five places that are actually looking for writers and are willing to pay them – in real dollars!. So, if you can string words in to sentences, you can earn money for your efforts. Check out these outlets for content.

1. odesk. Odesk is an outsource hook-up site, connecting service buyers and providers. The site has a number of categories – site design, coding and writing.

Just looked and there are over 200 gigs listed on odesk this morning, divided into general categories to make your search for a gig that much easier. Tech writer? 74 job listings on odesk this morning.

What are you waiting for?

2. Elance. Perhaps the most widely-known outsource hook-up site, Elance has taken strides of late to improve its image in this web space. Many of the writing jobs are for words by the pound. I saw one job – 1000 articles – top bid $500! That’s 50 cents an article.

However, if you’re good you can cherry pick the buyers looking for quality over quantity. Bid low until you gain some feedback from happy buyers. Then up your price gradually.

3. Helium. You don’t think of Helium as a paying site. It’s a content syndication site, right? Well, that’s the biz’s bread and butter but the site also posts paying gigs. You’re competing against a lot of other writers but the site is flogging the fact that one woman made $5K in six months writing for Helium.

Sounds perfect for the work-at-home parent. No commitment.

There's lots of ways to make money on the W3. You just have to look.

Webwrodslinger.com

4. Guru. Another outsourcing site that’s coming up fast. The quality of its postings has improved meaning better paying gigs for you. Again, these on-line sites have postings that change daily so keep going back to see what’s new.

They’re all ideal for part-timers and newbs looking to gain experience and creds.

5. Your local newspaper. The local Picayune is desperate for content. A friend of mine, a Registered Nurse, writes a weekly health column for the local rag. $50 bucks a week. Now, given the amount of time said friend works on her columns – interviews, research, first and second draft, she makes less than minimum wage.

But she’s got a clip book – one that adds to her credibility as a writer – a reliable writer who can hit a deadline every week for years – even if she only gets $50 a week. It’s the creds that count here.

And those clippings can be compiled into a book on health and wellness since the RN friend owns the copyright. Sweet.

So, open your accounts or contact the local editor and offer to do a column on your particular expertise – gardening to low-cost living and consumer tips. Build your clip book and charge $10 a column. Watch that editor jump!

You start working at “burger-flipping” wages but as you gain experience, confidence and credibility, you and your words become better and more valuable.

Start here.

Webwordslinger.com

WEB WRITING: WHO'S READING YOUR TEXT? AND WHY?

image courtesy of Barbara Doduk

Web Writing:

Know Your Demographic

If you’ve been writing professionally for more than two weeks you know what the demographic is. For the rest of you, the demographic is the sweet spot of your client’s market. It’s your target audience.

And the better you understand that target the more effective your writing. It’s all about pushing the right buttons to compel the site visitor to perform the MDA – the most desired action.

The Target Demographic

Believe it or not, many of your clients won’t be able to describe their target audience. Let’s say you’re hired to write website content for a brick-and-mortar hearing aid retail outlet somewhere in Montana. (It could happen.)

The owner of the store may have had a lock on a 25 square mile service area – the only hearing aid dispenser in the region. So, dropping a quarter page advert in the local newspaper was all it took to create a profitable business. And the store owner never gave more than a thought to who she was trying to reach.

So, during the discovery phase you ask, “What’s the target demographic?” Your likely to get an incomplete answer: “People who need hearing aids.” However, that’s a broad demographic so a little research might produce a better return for your client.

Research the Demographic

Hearing aids. So you’re likely to immediately think of the over-50 crowd. Probably right. Nerve deafness goes hand-in-hand with aging so trying to hit that over-50, Baby Boomer demographic bubble may be just the way to go.

But, what do you know about this particular group, other than what you know about your grandparents and the 60-year-old neighbor next door? These people don’t make up a large enough group to actually define the needs and preferences of people over 50.

For example, a little research reveals that the over-50 crowd:

• Are less likely to use computers at home
• Are less likely to comparison shop for products on line
• Don’t make as many on-line purchases
• Are less familiar with local search engine options
• Scroll less than their younger counterparts
• Spend less time on line altogether
• Are not as tech savvy as younger computer users

All of these factors create a clearer picture of who you’re targeting with your writing. For example, if you know that seniors don’t scroll as much as younger people, all of the important stuff must be at the top of the page.

Use the Language of the Target Demographic. Jargon Sells!

What do these people want and need? What information do they require to make an intelligent buying choice? How do they talk to each other? Your writing should use the language of the target demographic.

Let’s say you’re writing a user manual for a mainframe computer company. (It could happen.) You better know what a trouble ticket is and what downstream consequences are. You can quickly learn the insider jargon by visiting websites that sell mainframes or service them.

There’s jargon in every profession. It’s a form of shorthand. But it’s also exclusionary, keeping out those who are NOT members of the gang. So, the use of the demographic jargon (1) enables you to present information in shorthand form and (2) makes you a member of the exclusive group of mainframe computer administrators.

The best place to look for industry-specific jargon is on websites and blogs designed to provide solutions to the specific demographic. These sites detail what the demographic wants so to cut down on research time, cut to the chase and go hang out with the people you’re trying to reach.

That’s the best way to learn the lingo. And deomographic wants and needs, as well.

What Does Your Target Demographic Want or Need?

Increased productivity? Faster shipping? A baby-soft maternity gift? If you don’t know what the target market wants or needs you can’t push the right buttons to induce the site visitor into taking the MDA. In other words, your text missed the mark.

Before you write a single word, know to whom you’re writing. Know how they talk then talk right to them.

Know what they need or want. Then meet those needs and wants.

Don’t rely on your client to give you the goods on the target demographic. Most of these people are focused on business matters. It’s up to you to hit that bull’s-eye sweet spot with your writing.

And if you do, guess what? You just added a regular to your client base – a buyer who will come back for more without any effort on your part.

And repeat buyers are the basis of success for any freelance web writer. So know to whom you’re speaking when you write. Take aim at that bull’s-eye and fire away.

The more times you hit the mark, the more of the client’s problems are solved. And the bigger your client base grows.


Webwordslinger.com

WORK FROM HOME: BUILDING A WEB-BASED BUSINESS

A Web-Based Home Business?

Have You Thought About…

Working from home is great – especially when you have kids. A home-based business provides flex time, the commute is a breeze and you can, in fact, earn money from home. Now, this has nothing to do with those scams you see that’ll pay you “to work at home” stuffing envelops or evaluating websites. Stay clear.

No, this is about starting your own online business. Lots of people do it. It doesn’t take a million bucks to get started. You don’t need to be a computer geek and you can build a business around the things that most interest you – things you enjoy, things at which you excel.

However, what things should you consider before getting knee-deep in a project about which you know so little? Let’s take a look.

Your Interests

If you have no experience or interest in ranking micro-cap oil stocks, it makes no sense to build a business ranking small cap stock markets around the world. Within the realm of e-commerce, the learning curve is long enough without having to learn about the topic of your site. Besides, micro-caps are boring (unless you’re a professional investor).

Instead, think about the things you enjoy. It’s human nature to enjoy those things we do well so, chances are, if you’re a first-class craftsperson (you knit, throw pots, create macramé wall hangings, refurbish antiques, etc.) the topic of your site and basis of your business is easily defined. Go with what you know. Think about what interests you. That’s your business.

Learn All You Can About SEO and SEM

Search engine optimization (SEO) is optimizing your web site for search engine spiders that crawl the web regularly (every 48 hours according to web lore). Search engine marketing (SEM) is the art and science of advertising (marketing and promoting) your web site so that web users know it’s there, visit and order something from you.

Good sources of information? Well, blogs like this one contain the most up-to-date information on everything from how to design an attractive site to how to use ASP scripting to best advantage. (Just kidding. You don’t need to know a thing about ASP scripting unless you want to go deep. If so, it’s not tough to learn and again, today most of this stuff comes in template form.)

Buy a book or two at the book store. There are plenty of online SEM experts who will be happy to sell you a $695 package on everything you need to know about web success. A couple of books from the local bookstore or library will get you started, and you can save that $695 for other, more useful purposes.

Other good sources of information? Webmaster (site owner) web sites and forums. Just Google “webmaster sites.” There’s a slew of them. Pick one, dive in and start reading. Don’t be concerned that you’re only understanding one-third of what you read. In a few days or weeks you’ll learn all about conversion ratios, back links, embedded text and search engine algorithms.

And despite the fact that it sounds like rocket science, far from it. The whole e-marketplace is comparable, in many ways, to the world of brick and mortar commerce. You need an attractive place to sell stuff, you need to advertise, process orders and returns and, of course, keep the customer satisfied. The W3 has lots of similarities to the 3-D world in which we live.

Capitalizing Your Online Business

Once you’ve learned enough about SEM basics, start comparing web hosts – the companies that provide the on-ramp to the world wide web. Go with a web hosting company that gives you a lot of freebies and toll-free tech support. Guaranteed you’ll get glitched up somewhere down the line (don’t worry, it happens to everybody and it happens in any business, online or off) and you want someone to talk you through it. Now. Some of the low-ball web hosts will nickel-and-dime your new business to death. Get the all-inclusive package and make sure it’s really all-inclusive before signing up.

Also, a good web host will provide all the web-building-database-management-secure-check-out-add-a-blog software-and-services you need free. If you have to buy this stuff at retail, you’re out of business before you even post a pixel. Remember, we’re trying to keep this cheap so you don’t have to mortgage the house. Just skip a few meals out at those fancy restaurants. You want EVERYTING. Cheap.

A web-based business is the last bastion of true entrepreneurial spirit. Try buying a McDonalds franchise. You’re talking millions in up-front capital. Your start up costs for an online business will be much lower – but there will be costs. Plan on it and budget for it. The number one reason so many online businesses fail is undercapitalization – not enough money to run the business for some time before it starts showing a profit.

And it does take time. The widely-publicized, web grand slams, like You Tube and MySpace are the exception, not the rule. Most web-based businesses won’t see a profit for months. Maybe even longer.

The smallest cost, believe it or not, is web hosting. It’s a killer, competitive industry so you can buy enough server space to create a web presence. But that’s the easy part. Then, you have to market the business. 6,000 new sites come online every day. The commercial web is growing like some mutant fungi. Marketing your web site will cost more than the web site itself, something to remember when putting together your budget. Set aside a big chunk of change for marketing.

If you can’t write a lick, you’ll have to hire a copywriter to prepare your site text. There are lots of good sources for low-cost writing services. Checkout guru.com and elance.com and post your project. Lots for cheap on these “work for hire” web sites. If you can write a lick, no problem. Do it yourself, make sure you catch all typos and go to town.

Building Your Site

You don’t have to know a thing about web site building. Today, it’s all done with templates. Choose the style you want as a back drop, “Add copy here,” get some product pictures (pictures sell products better than plain old words), add a checkout module (it really is easy if you go with a web host that provides all of this site building paraphernalia) and launch. You’re an e-trepreneur!

Marketing

When immersing yourself in the SEM world, be sure to learn about low- and no-cost marketing opportunities, sometimes called viral marketing. You can list your site in topic specific directories, syndicate content in exchange for back links, you can blog other sites – lots of ways to get your “Open for Business” sign out there for zip.

Also, learn all you can about pay per click, or PPC, advertising. The most well-known is Google AdWords – those stacks of site links that appear on lots of web sites and on Google’s search engine results pages. You can log on to Google, click on Business Solutions under the search box and learn all about PPC advertising.

There are pros and cons to this kind of promotion. One negative? You pay for each visitor to your site. That’s why it’s important to have the capital to properly market your venture. It’ll be the biggest expense you have in the first 12 months of operation.

Think Big. Plan Small.

If you envision your site as the next Amazon, don’t. The sobering fact is that 94% of all web businesses don’t make it past the first year. The 6% that do grow to profitability relied partly on smarts and partly on luck. You can do this, but think big, plan small.

Don’t mortgage the homestead, learn all you can about SEM, keep your expenses to the bare minimum and take advantage of free marketing. This blog contains numerous articles on how to market a site on the cheap. Check them out. Then, check out other resources on webmaster sites for even more information.

Finally, select a web host that wants you to succeed. These companies provide lots of disk space on a server, a tool kit filled with templates and one-click modules to add features (like a checkout or blog) to your site. Never get in deeper than you want to be.

It’s a lot to fathom and this article has either scared you away from online marketing or it’s piqued your curiosity about the possibility of building a real, genuine, profitable home business that will supplement and even supplant your current income.

And let you raise the kids, too. You’ve found a good place to start learning. So, what are you waiting for?

Later,

Webwordslinger

I CAN WORK IN MY SLIPPERS. HOW COOL IS THAT?

THERE'S NOTHING BETTER THAN WRITING FROM HOME FOR YOUR LIVLIHOOD.

THE FRINGE BENEFITS ARE RIGHT THERE.

GO AHEAD, WORK IN YOUR FUZZY SLIPPERS.

Writing From Home:

Six Tips to Keep You On Track

For most of us, working from home will feel a little…well, weird at first. No boss, no florescent bulbs humming overhead, no cubicle. Strange. But I’ve been doing it since Jimmy Carter was president and over the years I’ve learned how to make working at home a workable solution.

Some tips:

1. When you work at home it doesn’t look like work to others. So you’ll get calls from friends during scheduled work hours and your spouse will ask you to run a few errands around town – something that takes three hours out of your work day.

Your inner circle (family and friends) must respect your work time. You must respect it, too. Caller ID shows you it’s your neighbor – a time-waster if ever there was one. So, don’t take the call.

And ask your spouse to pick up her own dry cleaning. You have a web writing business to run. If you treat your activities as a business, others will come to do so, as well.

2. Create a work schedule. Whether you’re going at this part- or full-time, time is money so you want to allocate it wisely. On the other hand, writing from home provides flex-time so you can manage the school carpool and still get to your desk by 9:30 – plenty of time to crank out a piece for syndication.

A schedule is also good for those of us with ADHD and have the attention span of a gnat. If you schedule four hours to do a press release the next day, you become your own boss. It’s always better to be on your boss’ good side – even when you’re the boss.

3. Create your sanctuary. This is the place you go to work. It’s an easy commute and you can handle a conference call in your fuzzy slippers.

The family should know that when mom or dad is “in the office” no disturbances unless the house is actually engulfed in flames. Then you want to know about it, but otherwise, leave the family problems at your office door for pick-up at the end of the work day.

4. Protect your business. Your business exists on your computer’s hard drive. Content in development, addresses and phone numbers, templates, tools – all stored on that one hard drive. Gulp!

It’s essential to protect your expanding pile of business assets. So…

• Use a separate computer for business. Keep the kids (and spouse) off.

• Use an outboard hard drive to back-up all your work automatically. This way, if the hard drive in your computer heads south, you still have your valuable files for download to your new (and more powerful) system.

• And if you’re really serious (and you should be), consider an off-site storage service – an FTP which stands for File Transfer Protocol. In fact, what you want is an sFTP – a secure FTP service. You simply upload your files to this off-site server. This way, if the house burns down or you find the office underwater during flood season, all of your critical data is stored off site waiting for you when you’re back up and running.

Google ‘secure FTP’ to find the service that suits your budget. (Yes, you’ll pay a few bucks for an sFTP each month but think of how much better you’ll sleep at night.)

5. Get a separate business line. True story. I was the lead on a conference call with 16 content experts all talking at once – and this was a Fortune 500 company – you know, a quality, deep pockets client.

An way, right in the middle of the give-and-take discovery phase, my wife picks up the downstairs phone and presses an auto-dial number without listening to see if the phone was in use. Of course, when she realized her mistake she quickly apologized and hung up but you could feel the palpable silence on the other end of the line.

I brushed it off with an “Okay, where were we…” but let’s just say I looked like a total amateur and the tenor of the conversation took a noticeable turn to the left, as in, we all left in a hurry. (Though I was able to save the account with a follow-up to my contact point who had a good laugh over the matter. Tough to laugh at your own goofs.)

6. Run your business on a shoestring. Sure, if you’re still using dial-up on the old Coleco 64 (anybody remember them?), you’ll want to upgrade to a quality, dependable, new system from a reputable manufacturer. (No recommendations, here.)

But skip the embossed, watermarked stationery. You won’t use it. Who uses snail mail anymore except my electric company? (The bastards!)

Skip the engraved business cards. Buy business card software and high quality biz-card stationery and print as needed. Always a good idea to carry a couple of business cards. You never know when you’ll run into a potential client. (Parties are great for networking, especially after the wine has been flowing for a few hours. Man, that’s one easy contract!)

If you’re working at home you probably don’t need a Blackberry or other PDA. You’re home, already! You aren’t going to need to be texted remotely. You’re right there, or at least you should be.

There’s more. Self-discipline, the importance of deadlines and staying in touch with clients, marketing your services and so on. But, here’s the bottom line – literally and figuratively:

If you’re going to write from home, you have a business. Treat it as such.

Just starting a home based business? It's exciting and frightening, kinda like a rollercoaster ride. Call me. Together, we can smooth out some of the bumps.

Did you write yet today?

Webwordslinger.com