Do you hate crafting application emails?
After several busy years, when I hardly took on any new freelancing clients, I've had more time available over the past few months – so I've been pitching for (and landing!) several new freelance blogging jobs, from the ProBlogger Jobs board (https://problogger.com/jobs).
I know how daunting this can feel, though, even for experienced writers. I'll admit that I found the first pitch or two a bit of a struggle to write.
So whether you're looking for freelancing gigs for the first time, or you're suddenly back in the marketplace because you've got more time available, here are three tips that should help:
#1: Make Sure You Include Everything You've Been Asked For
I know this sounds super-obvious ... but when you're pitching for a freelancing gig, it's really important to follow instructions.
If you miss something out:
-
The client won't have everything they need from you in order to make a decision (meaning it'll be easier for them to just go with someone else).
-
The client will – understandably – question your attention to detail (which is a bit of a red flag against you).
While many freelance jobs want the same sorts of things (links to writing samples, information about your experience), some will have quite specific requirements – for instance, one that I applied for wanted to know about the podcasts I listen to.
When a job has a lot of requirements, or slightly unusual ones, I find it helps to make a physical list, or to print off the job ad, and check each thing off as I include it in my email.
Tip #2: Proofread Carefully – Especially if You're Copying and Pasting
Again, I know this is obvious, but you do want to make sure you're proofreading your job application emails. This is particularly vital if you're sending several applications to similar publications. It's very easy to copy and paste a paragraph from one, only to fail to change the client's name or other crucial details.
(Also, on a copying-and-pasting note, do make sure you tailor each application to the job ad in question – don't just send the same generic email to everybody.)
I've started using Grammarly (app.grammarly.com) to help me with proofreading: it's useful to have that extra pair of – virtual
– eyes.
Tip #3: See it as a Numbers Game
One potential client got back to me a week or so after I applied, apologising for the delay – they said they'd had over 300 applications.
That's a heck of a lot of freelancers chasing the same opportunity!
While I definitely don't advise applying for every single job you see, it is important to realise that any type of job-hunting – even for part-time freelance positions – is a bit of a numbers game. You may have to apply for 10, 20, or 30 jobs before landing one. You may well not hear back from clients who decide against hiring you. I know this can be disheartening ... but know that you're not doing anything wrong if this happens to
you.
If you do find that you've sent out a lot of applications without any response, then it might be worth looking at whether you can do anything to boost your freelancing credentials – for instance, if you feel your writing clips aren't on-topic enough for the jobs you're applying for, maybe you could write a free guest post to get some published experience in that area.
Finally ... good luck! I know applying for freelancing gigs can feel quite daunting, but it's definitely worth giving it a go.
It's not necessarily the best way to land a client (most of my clients have come in through personal connections and word of mouth) – but it's quite an accessible method when you're just getting started, or if you're looking to take on several new clients at a specific point in time.
