Is it a good idea for a freelance writer to go to all the trouble to blog regularly, even if hardly anyone reads the posts?
This is actually a complex question and the answer is different for everyone.
I’ve said many times in the and elsewhere that too many freelance writers spend too much time writing posts for their blogs that hardly ever get read, and that this time would usually be better spent marketing directly to high-quality prospects and completing paying projects. That’s assuming your main goal for writing is to generate substantial money in the short term.
Marc Schaeffer shares a different perspective in the infographic below. He definitely gives some good reasons why you may want to blog even if you have a very small readership.
My Take
I think all of these can be good reasons to blog. I’m especially drawn to number 10. You never know when a post you write can make a big difference in someone’s life. Some of you know that I also write a hiking blog. I’ve had several people tell me that a post on that blog spurred them to start hiking again, or to revisit a place that had great emotional meaning in the past.
I also like numbers 2 and 5. Taken together, they say that blogging helps you learn much more about your subject and helps clarify what you truly think about your subject.
Your Take
Do you agree with the points here? Why or why not? Is any one reason more important than the others, at least for you? Any other reasons you would add?
Hi John,
As you say, this is an individual decision. Blogging takes a lot of time and there are some costs involved.
On the other hand, I’ve definitely gotten lots of opportunities because I have a blog that I definitely would not have gotten otherwise.
Plus, I’ve made writing friends that I wouldn’t otherwise know. I’d say blogging is a “win” for me, especially as a freelance writer. If I were still working in a corporate environment, though, I’m not sure I’d do it.
You raise good points Laura. I’ve also made many writing friends through blogging, and it’s helped develop a sense of community that can be otherwise difficult to obtain in what is usually a very solitary profession.
Hello John,
Absolutely agreed, even am not a Freelancer but blogging helps in building community and its the networth we can say in todays digital world.
John, I just got a question in my mind hope you can answer that..
By profession am an developer and I was about to start a Web Development company, so my question is do we need a blog on it as well? if your answer is yes then what should be the topic we will be covering on it.
I apologize the question seems out of the context but while reading the article that was what came into my mind.
Back to you!! 🙂
I’ve been fine without blogging, but there’s one thing to be said for it that kinda sums up the infographic: Sales gets you customers right now. A blog gets you customers 12 months from now.
Unless you’re planning on retiring in 12 months, you’re gonna need clients 12 months from now, too, so why not do both?
Mind you I have not acted on this insight but I think it’s still valid, because it’s the bedrock for all content-marketing activities – building trust and credibility over the long term that creates an affinity for your business and makes people pick you even when there are better competitors out there.
The challenge for any freelancer is you never need more than a half-dozen clients or so, and in any case it’s tough for a soloist to handle much more than that. So, why do you need the worldwide audience potential of the Web to market yourself?
Frankly, you don’t. But that does not mean you can’t make make it work for you.
You make a good point Tom. Having a few posts that show that you understand the business and can also write well can be a very good selling point when/if potential clients check out your blog.
A few posts won’t take much time overall. However, I’ve seen some freelancers who have dozens or even hundreds of posts, and I can make an educated guess (from Alexa score and lack of social media shares and comments) that hardly anyone reads those posts. Those writers would likely have been better off if they’d put those hundreds of hours into marketing and then working.
Agreed. The best marketing by far is doing great work that convinces people to keep hiring you and not hire somebody else.
John, this is the dilemma every writer has, I suspect.
I think a blog is a great tool for all of the reasons listed, but I don’t think it’s for everyone. It does teach discipline, but only if the writer is willing to build and follow a blogging schedule. It can help with clarity, but only if the writer is willing to work toward honing the message.
Tom, great point. If you do both (and do both well enough), you could net clients both short term and long term. That said, I’ve seen plenty of blogs go belly-up within a year or two of starting. Nothing is worse than seeing an abandoned blog. I take that back — it’s worse when the writer comes back and apologizes for not being around. Repeatedly.
John, it’s a dilemma. I think blogging comes down to answering a few questions:
– What’s your intention with blogging?
– What’s your level of commitment?
– Who’s your audience?
– How will you keep the info flowing?
Lori, your questions for would-be bloggers are excellent!
I, too, have seen many, many blogs go belly up after a couple of years. I’ve also seen a few blogs with 500 or even a thousand posts, but they’re posts that almost no one reads.
All these comments are good, but I really like this one from Lori. (Plus, I’ve admired her blogging prowess and consistency for years now.)
I do agree about the apologies. When I started blogging, I used to do that too. I really don’t think it’s necessary and it seems strange when the post with the apology is no longer fresh. You don’t “owe” posts to your blog.
If you have to take a break, simply resume your posting as soon as you can. But I no longer make a big deal of missing posts. Others may take a different approach.
This is a good discussion.
I think apologies are unnecessary, but it can be a good idea to provide an explanation if it’s been a long time, and the explanation is other than “I didn’t feel like it.”
I notify my readers if I know I’ll be taking an extended break.
I think a freelance writing blog is very handy for several reasons. It makes you easier to find online and hire. As soon as people hit your site, they can learn more about you, your genre and topics, and writing style. They can also check out your portfolio. If you don’t have one, be sure to add it.
As for blogging, yes, it is very time consuming. But if the purpose of your site is to get hired, I say blog at least twice a month because it’ll help with your SEO and make you easier to find.
Good points Marcie.
I always think along the lines of ROI, return on investment. The key point: is the time and effort put into blogging worth the client income and joy we get from blogging?
John, I make a distinction between my professional site (www.annewayman.com if anyone is curious) and the site I best known for – giving advice to freelance writers. Both are now in blog format. The professional site although in WordPress isn’t a blog – it’s just that WordPress makes it so easy to update – no more agonizing over html code, etc.
I actually got hired to give advice to writers then dropped and continued on my own… that’s the short version.
Yes, it’s a totally personal choice and it’s totally okay for writers not to blog.
Many writers use WordPress for their main “brochure” site without blogging on it. I agree that WordPress is overall the easiest for creating a quality site.
Hi John,
One thing missing from that list — it can be fun! Freelance writers spend all day writing for someone else. Sometimes it’s nice to be working on your own creative projects…
~Graham
I agree Graham. I enjoy many aspects of blogging.
For me, it’s not a matter of IF I blog, but how often. A lot of the issues brought up by the objections mentioned in the comments here can be dealt with by removing the dates from your blog posts. Browsers won’t know how often you post with no dates on them, and if you write evergreen content, the dates don’t matter.
This also addresses the ROI conundrum. Spend a good deal of your time directly marketing to your prospects, but take some time once in a while (once or twice a month) to create a new post. That way, you’re not investing a lot of time in blogging, but you are keeping your site fresh enough that the search engines are happy and you can continue to reach out to potential clients through the time vacuum.
I used to think blogging every day was essential. Now, I tend to write longer posts and less often. I still get business from it on occasion, so as long as I see results, I’ll keep doing it.
Allen, I’ve also decided to go with lower frequency with a focus on high quality. I’m not sure how important frequency is to Google, but I think it likely is a factor.
Hi John,
I would actually agree with Marc Schaeffer. Some of the reasons he pointed are really valid. However for me Blogging is all about self evaluation. It’s about getting feedback for yourself. For me it is really encouraging if someone even comments on my article for appreciating it.
About your view on Utilizing time for marketing, i feel blogging is just another form of marketing. Basically you are developing a kind of Portfolio for yourself. You may anytime refer it to your prospective clients.
However i may not be as experienced as you. What do you think about it?
Having a blog as a freelancer isn’t a bad idea. This will give you opportunity to connect with orther people.
The big question is; do you have the time?
Hi John,
First of all this post of yours is little different rather i would say unique.
Well a writer must have a blog because it reflects his or her work, The writer can get the writing jobs from his blog only if he has written some good and quality content on his own blog.
However thanks for this wonderful post.
Great post, and definitely questions worth thinking about. I think it’s important for freelance writers to think about branding their websites as well, and so for that reason, while it may make sense for a freelancer who specialises in health to blog about health-related topics, it would be far less effective if you write about the environment but your blog is all about your novel writing.
I think, for freelancers, it’s really essential to ask the question: What does a potential client want to see when they arrive at my website or blog, and go from there.
Thanks for the super post.
Thank you, Mridu. I agree completely that a writer’s website should be focused on getting clients.
Hi John,
As far as i concern everybody has there own perception but as a blogger or content writer i think it should be very important to be in touch with those who follows you and always appreciate you…I am first time commenting on your post but before that i read lots of info-graphics of yours….Such a superb job you are doing.
Thanks for that…:)