Online Freelance Writing for College Students: 8 Practical Tips

Running a successful website is no easy feat, there are almost over 1.8 billion websites on the internet and it’s often an uphill task to have it stand out. In instances where it already has a loyal fan base, the chances are high to lose them due to competitors offering better content, poor SEO practices, poor content writing on webmasters part, etc.

In a bid to convert as much traffic to your website as possible, webmasters must stay ahead of the competition and deliver effective and quality content. That’s why website owners are always in the process of search for freelance writers, so don’t forget to make your CV good-looking for future freelance jobs that you will apply to. You’ll have to send it to webmasters to show at least a bit of your expertise and experience in a particular sphere. That’s a first step you should consider before applying for freelance writing jobs as a college student.

Understanding the behavior of the average internet user

Before writing the contents for the website you must consider the behavior of the average user. You need to understand that users don’t spend much time reading content but rather scan through it looking for helpful information.

Knowing that you can only have their attention for a little time, you have to find creative ways to capture their attention and convince them your content is worth reading through within this little time frame. Here are the top tips for writing effective texts as a freelance writer while still in college.

1. Research your audience

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Remember, every content is aimed at an audience. You need to find out their topic of interest. What subject matter resonates with them? This question helps you determine what content you should discuss and the direction to go.

Don’t try to force content on the audience rather base your content off research data. Obtain data from trend analyzing tools, research into the industry, or analyzing the competition.

2. Put your best foot forward

First impressions matter, so hit the audience with your strongest point right off. Write effective headlines that trigger curiosity in audiences. It should demand attention.

Employ some of the best content writing tools on the internet, as quality contents are also key to keeping and gaining an audience.

3. Be clear and concise with delivery

Don’t write vague sentences in an attempt to show how smart you are. Readers are always in a hurry and seldom settle for the only one result. They don’t want to waste time deciphering your sentences when others offer solutions in plain terms. Much like one would find it irritating to navigate a website with a difficult UI, so would one be irritated with ambiguous statements.

Audiences aren’t looking to play detective or take a test in the English language. Therefore your sentences should be easy to read and understand.

4. Make use of simple and familiar words

“Sometimes keeping things simple can be the best way you can go” just as Bruce Clay, a writer from PaperLeaf said. Don’t try to sound like an expert with a Ph.D. in the field. This isn’t what your audience is looking for. And remember, all contents are tailored based on audience preferences.

Take a scenario where someone is looking to buy a low-budget laptop. They are less likely to search for a word like inexpensive but are likely to use the word cheap instead. So it’s best to drop the fancy words and use common words instead.

5. Write for lazy readers

Avoid making use of wordy sentences. Keep sentences as short as possible as if writing an event description without a compromise in quality. This doesn’t mean you should write dumb or fill sentences with jargon. Rather avoid using unnecessary words in sentences. Don’t go repeating information or dragging one out either. Also, write in the active voice as opposed to the passive.

6. Ensure the structure of your text is appealing  

Due to negative effects of social media on writing skills, well written texts have little or no effect if they aren’t properly structured. Consider structure elements such as font type and size, background colors, highlights, font styles, and more. Make use of headings, bullet points, and numbering.

Split your copy into paragraphs, with a paragraph containing no more than four sentences.

7. Practice SEO writing

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The use of search engines in finding content is fast becoming popular around the world. Though sharing your links on social media can help search engines contribute a significant amount of traffic. Add meta titles and descriptions to your content.

Make use of optimized keywords and their variations in your writing. Do this in a way the sentence is relevant to the paragraph, makes sense, and does not dip in quality. Creativity is key to getting the best out of SEO. Find ways to input links to your other content.

8. Thrill your audience with visuals

The use of imagery to convey information is the strategy of some of the most successful websites. A single picture they say is worth a thousand words. The saying holds in the world of effective writing.

Visuals aren’t restricted to just images but also includes videos. Study the image and video trends to get an idea of how to employ them in your marketing campaign. Quality visuals can improve your engagement by as much as 300%.

Final Thoughts

Writing effective texts that convert to engagement requires simplicity and understanding of your audience. They are multiple ways you can find out what resonates with your audience. Conducting pools, encouraging feedback and suggestions, using tend analyzing tools, etc. Ensure your website has a decent aesthetic value through the use of visuals, text structure, and text formatting.

Essential skills needed for maximum effectiveness

  • Great understanding of the audience.
  • Good understanding of wordplay.
  • Ability to interpret the market.
  • Good knowledge of automation and analytic tools.
  • Good customer relations.

You can always run your own blog, where you could provide helpful tips to your fellow students during the college times.

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