6 Types of Freelance Writing Clients to Help You Diversify Your Income
Last week’s newsletter about Google’s manual delisting of major publications struck a nerve. A lot of freelance writers lost work (myself included), not to mention tons of editorial staff members who were laid off as their employers’ websites no longer ranked at all on Google. I heard from a few other freelance writers, some whose businesses were highly impacted and others who reported they were ok because they write for different types of clients. I also saw some LinkedIn posts from freelancers who solely specialized in affiliate content and now, of course, have lost huge percentages of their income.
I think this shows it’s just as important to diversify the type of client you serve, not just the number of clients. That means you need to evaluate each client’s business model to make sure you’re not over-exposed in one area.
With that in mind, here are six types of clients I’ve had experience with - but this list is by no means exhaustive. I know writers who do tons of other types of work, like magazine, alumni pubs, and more. Start here and then do some digging on other types of clients you may want to work with.
Digital Marketing Agencies
A digital marketing agency helps their clients across a multitude of online initiatives, including SEO research, graphic design, ads, and of course, content. Then freelancers are pulled in to help execute that vision. Instead of working with an editor, you'll likely work with an account executive who oversees specific clients.
Once you establish a solid working relationship with a digital marketing agency, you'll likely be tapped for new projects as well. I've frequently worked with agencies on personal finance projects, and then been pulled into other unrelated topics as well. As long as I feel comfortable with the project, , I'm happy to step out of the finance niche.It helps keep my work interesting and it's a great way to work with major brands that have the budget for full scale content creation managed by an agency.
Branded Content Agencies
I feel like branded content agencies are often overlooked in the freelance world. Or maybe other freelancers don't talk about them because they're one of the best paying outlets!
What is a branded content agency?
Most major publications (think magazines and their online counterparts) are owned by a large media company. In addition to posting their own content, these publishing companies typically have an in-house branded content agency that works with brands that pay to have sponsored content published on those platforms.
I've worked with a couple of different branded content agencies and this is where I've landed my highest paying work: over $1 per word. The downside is that the work can be inconsistent since brands may only sign on for a few pieces. I've also noticed that account executives tend to spread out projects across multiple freelancers.However, I've built good relationships and made a lot of money from branded content agencies without huge time investments.
Affiliate Websites
An affiliate website centers around a specific vertical, such as student loans, health, gardening, etc. The goal of the website is to produce large volumes of content with a focus on SEO. They use affiliate links to direct readers to certain products or services and earn a commission on clicks or purchases from that site.
As a writer for these sites, assignments may focus on commonly searched topics or ecommerce reviews. It's important to gauge the quality of affiliate website clients before you get too far into your communications.
Some affiliate websites are backed by media corporations and have the budget you'd expect. Others are side hustles run by entrepreneurs with limited budgets. The advantage of writing for any affiliate website is that they typically give you a byline , which help can lead to other jobs.
B2C Companies
Business-to-client (or B2C) companies sell a product or service directly to consumers. These can be major publicly traded corporations or small businesses with online or brick-and-mortar footprints (or both).
The best way to target these companies is to demonstrate how well you understand their clients and their problems. No matter what type of content or copy you write, whether it's long form blog posts or snappy sales email sequences, you need to be able to convey how the company's product or service fills a very specific need for their target customer.
Pro Tip: Even if you don't have direct experience with the product or service a potential client is offering, scour your portfolio for your experience with their ideal audience. For instance, I got a gig writing blog posts for a mid-size investment firm that focused on high-net worth individuals because I had experience writing email alerts for a tax and accounting firm with the same ideal client.
B2B Companies
Business-to-business (or B2B) companies sell a product or business to a completely different type of audience: other businesses. The problems they're trying to solve take place in the target audience's professional life, not their personal life. That means you need to understand a specific job or industry.
For instance, I write for a company that integrates homeowners insurance into the mortgage application process. When I write for them, I put myself in the shoes of a loan officer and think about what issues they're facing and how my client's product can help increase efficiency and revenue.
Pro Tip: Search posts on LinkedIn to see what people in the industry are talking about. What are their challenges and opportunities? Drop in some of those nuggets into your application or letter of introduction to show your understanding of the business.
Ghost Writing for Industry Leaders
Thought leadership often falls under the category of ghostwriting. You are establishing either a brand or executive's authority in their area of expertise. Whether it's authoring LinkedIn posts, white papers, industry publications, or conference presentations, there is a lot of opportunity here.
And thought leadership clients are often incredibly interesting and success-oriented individuals, which can be extremely inspiring as a writer. I love working with high-achieving people who want to get their message and expertise out there.
And in my experience, these opportunities are not well-advertised — they either come as referrals or very low-profile LinkedIn posts.