If you want to START A FREELANCE WRITING BUSINESS in Nigeria, you are really setting yourself up for riches in this digital age. Freelancing writing has become one of the most lucrative online businesses. In this article, you will discover the simplest way to start your freelance writing in Nigeria.
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A lot of people want to make money at the comfort of their homes.
They want to work at their own pace and increase the earnings in their process.
If you are among the category of such persons, as you read through the article you will discover some steps that guide you in kick-starting your freelancing business in Nigeria
Perhaps, you have questions like:
How do I get started?
What does it take to become a freelance writer?
How and where can I get freelance writing jobs and, hence make money?
If you are really interested in getting answers to these questions and others about freelance writing, then you are in the right place!
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I assume you know that the best way to be good at something is to practice over and over and over again.
One thing I want you to know is that freelance writing is much more than writing. You have to be good at researching and doing a number of other things that I’ll discuss later.
Just so you know, Google is your friend!! Everything and anything you need to learn is right at your fingertips (or are you reading this blog post from a book?).
If you ask Google the silliest of questions, trust me, you’ll get an answer.
So, how can you become a paid freelance writer in Nigeria?
Candid answer: if you want to START A FREELANCE WRITING BUSINESS in Nigeria, Learn to research and be a versatile writer.
Here’s why…
You’ll be dealing with different clients that’ll demand several types of contents.
What client A wants can be extremely different from what client B wants, so you have to be flexible when it comes to freelance writing.
Unlike creative writing which makes use of imagination, artistry and emotions, freelance writing is about researching and putting your research together in a unique way your client wants.
Therefore, learn how to write content in different ways.
Let’s say you’re given a topic to write and it’s titled “How to Start a Blog.” There are actually several ways this topic can be written but your goal, as a freelance writer, is to satisfy your client, so you’ll have to ask a lot of questions to ascertain the way it should be written.
Is the content a blog post, case study, video script, press release, white papers, sales copy, ad copy, email sequence or product description?
Should it be Search Engine Optimized (SEO) content?
Should it be written in first-person, second-person or third person?
What should be the word count? 250, 500, 1000, 1500 etc.
What should be the keyword(s)?
The above, I think, is basically the important thing you need to find out. This will guide you as to how the entire content should be structured.
Remember!
You’re not writing for yourself.
You’re rendering a service. Hence you must know how to render quality service to your client or satisfy your client’s readers and give them what they want.
Now, let’s proceed to discuss freelance niche writing, how to get gigs and make money.
Freelance Niche Content Writing
Some people are often faced with the challenge of specialization.
They want to know which is better: Being a writer in a particular niche or being an all-rounder.
Well, based on my experience, I’ll not advise anyone to focus on just one niche -but you can be an expert at one.
Say writing about Technology only or health contents only, or cryptocurrency contents only.
Learn how to write for different niches, but, again, you can be an expert at one.
When I started out, I used to be a writer of politics, history and nature content only (you won’t blame me, my course in OAU is related to that, so writing in that niche was far way too convenient)
Along the line, I discovered that I wasn’t earning much money and my client base was very small. So I decided to ditch Freelance “Niche” Writing and expand my horizon.
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I was fortunate enough to get to BIZMARROW TECHNOLOGIES that sharpen the skills in a holistic way. making my FREELANCE WRITING BUSINESS easy to start.
The tech company wasn’t rendering a specific niche writing.
They’ve got jobs of different kinds; SEO writing, research writing, proposal writing, blog posts and articles, storytelling, press release writing and especially copy-writing on any and every area: tech, crypto, agriculture, business, finance, real estate and all.
This was when I made the big shift and of course, it has been helping in solving any writing problem that comes my way.
What basically kept me going was my positive and welcoming attitude towards these writing assignments.
Believe you me, becoming a well-paid freelance writer in Nigeria requires some certain uncommon knowledge and keen creativity most people don’t have.
A mediocre writer will be paid below average. On the other hand, a top-notch writer will undoubtedly get good pay.
You have to be really flexible when it comes to writing and what will keep you going when things are tough is your attitude.
Along the line, you’ll learn a whole lot about different things. cryptocurrency, fashion, business, finance, travel and all.
Freelance writing is lucrative but it depends on how you package the skills and advance its course.
So, this will lead me into the final section about becoming a freelance writer in Nigeria.
How to Find and Get Freelance Writing Jobs in Nigeria (and Eventually Get Paid)
There are countless ways of getting freelance writing jobs and we’re fortunate to have the internet.
You can write anywhere as long as I’m connected to the internet and the environment is conducive, you’re good to go.
So, where are these jobs, if there’s no need to walk around searching for a job?
Social Media Platforms
You can get freelance writing jobs on social media platforms like Facebook and Telegram. LinkedIn is also a very great place –and the best– to connect with people that need your services.
You just have to search for and join serious groups and pages with common sense and use the right keywords to search.
There’s no company that doesn’t need a writer –especially if they have a website/ blog.
So shoot your shots. Make your social media accounts presentable and sell yourself there.
Referrals
This guy’s a good freelance writer
You can also get jobs through referrals, thus don’t underestimate the power of letting the world know that you’re a freelance writer.
I have gotten many clients through this method and I remember how I met one of them through my sibling.
This particular client assigned big and long-term contracts to me and I’m thankful for meeting such a person (through referral)
Freelance Websites
You can basically get both local and foreign clients from freelance websites e.g Feverrs, Damongo, Upwork, Indeed, Uvocorp Nigeria, freelance etc.
There are a whole lot of these websites and freelance writers from Nigeria are making it big via these freelance platforms. This is basically because they know and have what it takes to make money online in Nigeria.
CONCLUSION
Now that you’ve learnt the basic steps of starting freelance writing, I hope you will get started without delay.
A lot of people just wish to do something but would never take the bold step of actualizing it. Take practical action today and move out of the idea zone.
Do your job and make your money legitimately without any stress and unnecessary protocol in the bureaucratic arena.
FAQ on HOW TO START A FREELANCE WRITING BUSINESS IN NIGERIA
Freelance writers are very successful in Nigeria, and you don’t really need to go far looking for proof. some Freelance writers makeup to ₦1.7 million per month writing and doing content marketing. There are many freelance writers that do a lot much better than that especially those that have other complementary skills like digital marketing.
How to Start Freelancing in Nigeria with Little or No Experience.
As long as you can write, Select a Skill or Craft. Trust me when I say that people require professional services for almost any task you can imagine.
Build your Brand.
Build a Portfolio and Ask for Testimonials.
Pitch Pitch Pitch.
Go with the Odds and begin today. Getting started is the hardest part of it seriously
There’s no simple answer – freelance writers charge anywhere between ₦500 to ₦5,000 per 1,000, words. We’ve hired thousands of writers, and have found that starting from ₦500 can be a fair rate for both clients and writers. The truth is that you need to charge based on prevailing circumstances. You can charge less when you are less busy. Your experience and portfolio matter also. If you don’t have experience and no portfolio, charge less. FREELANCE WRITING BUSINESS
As a freelancer in Nigeria, you can make a lot of money online.
Apart from the website below, you can freelance for companies in Nigeria. If you can build a wonderful brand on social media where you tell people and businesses the value you can bring; money will chase after you
Best freelancing websites for Nigerians
Upwork. Upwork is a very popular freelancing platform. …
Fiverr.
Freelancer.
PeoplePerHour.
Toptal.
99designs.
Guru.
Asuqu.
Good day sir
I’m so happy to come across this article just about when I almost gave up .
Please is there any way I can reach you either phone call or WhatsApp.
I really need a mentor