Web writers and blogging: what should you blog about when you’re trying to get writing gigs?

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Monday, April 2nd, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed

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Most new Web writers get in touch with me via one of my blogs, and one of the most common questions I’m asked when I recommend blogging to them as a way of getting Web writing gigs is “But what should I blog ABOUT?”

You can blog about anything at all, but for a blog which is selling your Web writing skills, you could blog -

* Sample articles - if you’re promoting your article writing skills, link to a few sample articles;

* Projects you’re working on (with your clients’ permission of course). They may be glad of the link. If the project is hush-hush, you can nevertheless mention the general area of the Web writing - “Blogging will be light this week, because I’m writing content for a new Web site in the construction industry.” The idea you’re aiming to get across is that you’re a Web writer, and people can hire you. This may seem totally obvious to you, but remember that people access your blog posts in various ways.

Each blog post you write is (usually) a lone and lonesome HTML page, tossed in with a few billion additional Web pages, so you need to keep mentioning who you are, and why you’re writing, and that you’re available to write for others. There’s an excellent book on Web usability called “Don’t Make Me Think!”, and it’s advice you need to take to heart. Make the response you want totally obvious - or you won’t get any responses at all ;

* Advice on Web writing;

* Advice in your various areas of expertise - for example, if you’re writing about health, you could blog about the latest health news. Make sure that you have a button or a link which takes people to your “Hire Me To Write For You” page.

There are no rules for “prospecting” or “portfolio” blogs. In fact there are no rules for blogging at all - blog whatever you please, but remember that your aim is to make it totally clear to your readers that they can, and should, HIRE YOU.