Can you be a successful freelancer without your own blog?

Freelancing is one of the many ways people start making money from home. Freelancing basically means providing some type of service, such as writing or virtual assistance. Most freelancers these days operate their business online, in whole or in part, which makes it more convenient and ideal for home management.

Freelancing is a great way to work from home because you can control your workload and your rate, which means that with enough effort, you can make your business as big or as small as you want. At the same time, running any kind of online business will require your time and effort.

One of the things that seems to be on every online freelancer’s to-do list is running their own blog. But why? And is having a blog really necessary when you own a freelance business?

Why blogging is on every freelancer’s to-do list

Nowadays, almost everyone has a blog. There is an almost universal understanding among online entrepreneurs that a blog is an essential part of any – and every – online business. (If you listen to some freelance writers and marketers, they’ll tell you that every business needs a blog, whether they’re online or not!)

If you’re thinking about freelancing – or already trying to run a freelance business – the thing you need to understand about having a blog is that it needs to exist to serve a purpose.

Blogging gets a lot of hype right now because it has the potential to be a fantastic marketing tool. There are reasons why people make a generous full-time income from blogging — when a blog is done well, it can be very profitable.

But there are big differences between a blogger, a freelancer and a (more traditionally thought of) business owner. Let me elaborate.

Bloggers, Freelancers and Business Owners

First, let me be very clear that if you are starting a blog with the intention of making money, you are a business owner and your business is your blog.

The same is true when you start freelancing. No matter what freelance service you’re offering, if you’re in it to make money, you’re a business owner

Sometimes there is an overlap between bloggers and freelancers — some bloggers go into freelance writing or becoming a VA, for example, to develop another income stream. And some freelancers will also start their own blog with the intention of turning it into another income stream.

Then there is the third category of business owners. These are people who are not originally bloggers or freelancers, but have got a company that sells some kind of product or service. In this case, having a blog is part of a broader marketing strategy. It’s a very intentional approach to blogging that ropes in things like audience engagement and digital marketing to build awareness, build relationships with their audience, and (ultimately) generate revenue.

When you’re building a freelance business online, you need to adopt the mindset of a traditional business owner when it comes to your own blog.

Blogging is a business strategy

Have you ever heard of something called “content marketing”? It’s basically the idea that “content” (blog posts, Instagram stories, YouTube videos, podcasts, reports, and anything else you can “consume”) should be part of a specific marketing strategy.

Businesses don’t slap up a blog and let their employees write posts just for it. No way! They’ve probably got a marketing strategy that maps out all kinds of blog-related goals for the month, quarter, and year. Maybe they are looking for email subscribers. Maybe they are looking for customer feedback. Maybe they want to get their name out more. Whatever they do with their blog, they do it with a specific goal in mind.

When you are a freelancer, you should approach the idea of ​​having your own blog exactly the same way.

Blogging needs to be seen as a marketing tool – a potential business strategy that you just want to use to build your online freelance business. It’s not something you can do in your spare time when you feel like it. If you decide to have a blog, you need to work just as hard as any other aspect of your business.

But how do you determine if it’s worth the time? And how do you know you’re doing it the right way?

How to know if a blog is right for your freelance business

No matter what anyone tells you, just know this: It is 100% possible to run a freelance business online without a blog.

There are times when having a blog makes sense and is a good business strategy, and there are times when it doesn’t make sense.

Having a blog doesn’t make sense for your freelance business if:

• You don’t know who your ideal client is.
• You don’t have time to create new blog posts at least Once, if not twice a month… every month.
• You’re already getting enough work without one
• You hate the idea of ​​blogging

Having a blog for your freelance business is a great idea if:

• You know exactly who your ideal clients are and where they “hang out” online.
• You are ready to write or outsource the posts you need.
• You have a plan for marketing the blog posts you write (for example, on Pinterest or through Facebook ads).

Done well, a blog can do great things for your freelance business. Compelling, insightful blog posts can set you up as a subject matter expert and influence the people you want for clients (assuming you know how to get in front of them).

For example, if you’re a freelance web designer who specializes in health and fitness companies, you’ll write blog posts with website tips for fitness professionals. Some people will read these tips and apply them themselves, but (ideally) others will see that you’re an expert in their particular industry and decide to hire you instead of some “I do it all” web designer down the road. This is a blog that supports businesses by bringing great clients in the door.

You have the final say

If you offer some kind of freelance service and you’re clear on who your best clients are, having a blog where you post consistently (though not necessarily frequently — once or twice a month is usually good enough) can be a great marketing tool. Tool. When you write the type of blog post that makes your potential clients think “hmm…this person really knows their stuff, so I think I’ll give them a call” then you’re on to something right.

That said, having a blog is not necessarily a requirement. There definitely comes a time in every freelancer’s life when there is no time to mess around with a blog. It takes time and energy, and sometimes that time and energy would be better spent going out and finding clients. You can always add a blog later.