As I’m winding down my second month in my 12 month quest of starting 6 businesses, I’ve learned a few things on how to get started earning a few dollars online without experience. I’m going to skip past the part about setting up a website since I’ve already discussed that, and you can find instructions on this many places online.
In this post, I’m specifically addressing finding work in SEO writing. Once you have your website set up, here are 5 steps to making your first dollar- on your way to $500 in one month:
1. Send out a lot of emails. Include cold emails into your marketing plan, but don’t rely on that alone. Start telling your friends, family members, former co-workers, social media contacts, etc. what you are doing or looking to do.
2. Join fiverr.com as a provider. Make only 5 bucks per gig you say? Sounds like nonsense right? The truth is, you will be working for small amounts when you start out. You have to build your profile up. This is also a good way of getting some articles written for your portfolio if you are brand new. If your native language is English, your skills will be in immediate demand. And once you get a few successful gigs under your belt, you can charge for extras like delivery speed, publishing it to their site, or extra words.
3. Use Craigslist.org. You can post ads daily on Craigslist, and describe exactly what you are offering. This is a great way to get started and having clients come to you, instead of having to chase them.
4. Go beyond expectations and get back to people quickly. Think of ways the client you are writing for can improve their business. Email them back as quickly as possible with answers to their questions. These small actions will make you stand out in a sea of mediocrity!
5. Build up an oDesk profile after you’ve built up your portfolio. oDesk is pretty competitive, but it can pay off with clients willing to pay for quality writing. But jump on board too early, and you won’t likely get much interest.
Following the 5 steps above will get you rolling online and easily on your way to a $500 month without prior experience. This is a great way to start your location independence!