As a freelancer there are a lot of ups and downs. You move from project to project and are always on the lookout for your next client.
Corporate writing gigs offer freelancers a way to minimize these ups and downs with a more predictable and reliable income.
In a world driven by content marketing, your skills as a writer are very much in demand by all kinds of organizations. One effective strategy for corporate work is to identify specific industries where you can develop subject matter expertise: are you a writing expert on semi-conductors or HR issues?
Whatever your niche, you can build a reputation not only as a great writer but as someone who truly understands the trends, issues and challenges of that market.
Finding and landing corporate writing gigs
LinkedIn can help you connect with prospective corporate clients. Make it as easy as possible for corporate clients to find and connect with you. Be sure to optimize your profile to showcase your writing expertise by including samples and current or past writing assignments. Additionally, you may want to join relevant industry or professional groups.
In pricing your time for corporate jobs, you have many options including by the word, a hourly rate or a set price per job. Be sure to carefully estimate your time including building in review cycles and edits as multiple individuals are likely to review your piece. Get an understanding of the approvals required for a project, how many individuals are involved and if you will be needed to handle the approvals. These factors can significantly impact your scope of work.
Remember, these are corporate clients who have a budget for marketing and need your services. Do not undervalue your skills and experience as a freelancer.
Here are five specific types of content that corporate clients often need freelance writers to support:
1. White papers and research pieces
These are staples of lead generation in the corporate world and your ability to produce well-researched and compelling content can quickly set you apart. White papers are typically a more intense writing assignment so ensure you spec out the entire project before you proceed, including creating an outline of content and finding out what resources will be provided for you.
2. Corporate blogs
The sheer amount of content that needs to be generated as part of the editorial process for a corporate blog means contract or freelance writers are often brought in. For this type of assignment you may play the role of blog editor or coordinator setting the blog’s editorial direction and editing and managing content, or you may be hired to simply write one-off posts as required.
Writing for corporate blogs is a particularly desirable type of work as new posts are always required, which means ongoing writing support will be required.
3. Case studies
Most companies rely on customer proof for sales and marketing. Working with clients to set up a solid customer testimonial process including interviewing, gathering background and then writing and editing case studies can be particularly profitable. Case studies are in high demand and the sales team usually wants them done yesterday.
Before any company provides you with access to their customers, they want to be 100% comfortable with you and your skill set. Consequently, when seeking this type of contract, you want to play up your background working directly with customers in similar programs and/or conducting interviews.
4. Press releases
Press releases offer a structured way to deliver news or updates about the company and continue to be a staple in the majority of organizations. When you work with your client to assess news, structure the information correctly and package it for the media, you deliver immense value.
Organizations will be on the lookout for a track record of writing press releases that comply with standard conventions and provide clear messages. A PR background is particularly helpful for positioning yourself as a press release specialist.
5. Annual reports
If you’ve ever read an annual report, you’ll understand the significant amount of work that goes into producing one. Many writers specialize in writing annual reports where they write the summaries for different sections as well as messages from executives. Because of the importance and prominence of annual reports, companies are generally willing to pay a premium for expertise. (Click to tweet this idea).
These are just a few of the corporate writing gigs that are up for grabs as a freelancer. Other possibilities include newsletters, employee communications, copywriting, speeches, presentations and more.
If you can get your foot in the door, you’ll quickly find most organizations have writing needs you can assist with, helping create a more stable income for you as a freelancer.
What corporate writing gigs have you taken on as a freelancer?