The freelancing industry is reaching saturation – wondering what you can do?

When I started freelancing back in 2015, things were pretty basic and so was the pay. I wouldn’t say that remote work wasn’t popular back then as well but there was one thing different at that time – competition. The number of freelance writers back then wasn’t what it is now which is why finding clients was easy.

If you had a basic idea of the outlets that could get you, clients, trust me, finding clients wasn’t that tough back them. But, just 4 years has passed, and I can see a drastic change in the freelancing industry. Things are not erratic anymore. It is at its brink of saturation, thus making it harder for the writers to find clients who pay well.

Because, let’s be real, if someone is willing to charge you less, chances are that the client will try to negotiate with them first. Them coming back again for edits and proper changes to the content is a completely different story though.

So, if you are here finding yourself being stuck in this quagmire, let me share some insights that I think might work well for the content writers.

Build your profile

As a content writer, you want your client to know what you represent and what is your forte in the writing business. Knowing how to do this can change a lot of things. There are several freelance content writers in my LinkedIn connection who are doing well and earning well because they have clients who trust them to come back for content. The main reason the same is because they rely on the writer to provide quality. If you want to fight through this sea full of fishes and declining water, you need to stand out with your profile. Focus on building your identity as your brand.

Sign up on freelancing portals

As old school as it sounds, signing up on such portals like Upwork and even Wittypen, one that I currently work with, provides good sources of clients. The pay is something that you need to decide upon when it comes to Upwork but if you want good pay which will help you pay your bills, I would suggest you opt for Wittypen as well. They have a constant flow of work and the pay is quite good as well.

Reach out to potential clients – the OG way

I have often come across several writers who feel shy to reach out to clients. They feel embarrassed because they think it degrades their brand as a writer. If you want to survive in this cutthroat market, you need to opt for cold calling too. The best way that I would suggest you do is simply go on any professional platform like LinkedIn and search with the keyword of “Freelance content writer”, from there, you can see the potential clients who are in need of a remote writer and send them a personalized message introducing yourself and showcasing your interest. Don’t think that sending just one potential client would get the job done. Send it to multiple people and maybe one would reply. It’s tough, but at some points, it’s effective.

Retain your clients

I would suggest you to always focus on retaining your clients rather than focusing on acquiring new ones. It may sound very ridiculous but trust me, building a better relationship with a client ensures better referrals and there are chances that you might end up getting more clients from your existing one. So, if you want to fight through the shortcomings of the saturation in the freelancing industry, deliver good content to retain your clients.

When it comes to freelancing, there is no hard and fast rule for anything. That is what many describe the beauty of freelancing is. But, over time, competition is rising and you need to establish yourself as someone that brands recognize and not someone that is forgotten amidst the sea of the other writers.