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Are you ruining your project w/this 1 mistake?
Published 3 months ago • 4 min read
Hello, Content Connectors (do we like this? Is this corny?)!
I've been more frustrated this past year than ever in my 14-year content career.
Why?
Misuse of AI at one particular stage of the content creation process: the content brief.
I received a handful of briefs in 2023 (and one already this year) with AI-generated directions that haven't been written or reviewed by the client.
Now, I'm all about using AI to supplement this process. It's a fantastic idea! AI is a great way to ideate and expand on your ideas.
But — without human guidance — AI can only do what a machine can do: regurgitate on a very basic level.
If you start your content creation process with instructions that aren't thoughtful, targeted toward the audience, unique to your brand, or that don't fall in line with your overall content strategy, guess how your content will turn out (no matter who writes it)?
It took me a while to identify this as a source of frustration. Now that I'm here, I'm instituting a new non-negotiable policy moving forward.
Clients have to fill out a detailed intake form before we start working together. The intake form asks everything I need to know about the client, their audience, their style, and their goals.
We then discuss their goals in detail on the kick-off call.
This way, I've had a human conversation covering goals, strategy, audience, style, etc.
Second, clients have to use my content brief (or I have to vet their brief).
A good content brief will make or break a project and you can't skimp, outsource it to a bot with no thought, or have incomplete information.
If you need a brief (you do), I offer mine here:
$29.00
Content Writing Brief
Have you ever received feedback that you "missed the mark" on a project, and then you had to start over from scratch? If... Read more
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2/ Tell me more about yourself and how you got started with your career.
Hi, I’m a freelance finance journalist for industry-leading publications including Investopedia, CBS News MoneyWatch, and US News and World.
I started freelance writing in 2013 on Elance (which merged with Odesk and became Upwork). When I first started, I would apply for 20 gigs every weekday morning. As I built a work history, testimonials, and experience, I began to retain clients and land more of the jobs I was applying for.
In 2016, I started growing my network and introducing myself to potential clients on LinkedIn. I also made a profile on Clearvoice which led me to their talent network and resulted in ongoing inbound opportunities.
2/ What advice do you have for freelancers to land clients? What are some of the best ways they can build their business?
Here are the 3 things that have resulted in the biggest growth spurts in my freelance business over the last 11 years:
1. Getting really specific with the writing type I offer, the industry I serve, and the type of company I write for doubled my income in a very short period. When choosing a niche, it’s important that it ticks three boxes: The final writing product is in high demand, the target clients have the budgets to pay well, and you enjoy the work/clients.
2. Building a personal brand: Building a presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Google (via my website) has been incredibly helpful in terms of direct leads, support, community, learning, and referrals. Especially LinkedIn!
3. Always look for opportunities: Even when I’m fully booked, I’m always looking for new opportunities to grow and improve my business. I regularly monitor social media feeds, writing-related social media groups, freelance writing job boards, and freelance writing newsletters.
Want more support? In February of 2022, I started All Things Freelance Writing to help other writers build their ideal businesses. It’s a place you can go to find clients, learn from successful freelance writers, and stay up with the latest happenings in the industry.
Here's my latest find that content marketers + writers will love:
Stand The F*ck Out Daily. With all the recent tech and journalism layoffs, the freelance content marketing market is SATURATED right now. This newsletter is a little dose of strategy every day to stand out/be noticeable.
Subscribe now to grow your content marketing and writing muscles! Each week, you'll get an expert interview from a leading content marketer (free consulting—yay!), quick & actionable writing tips, and content marketing trends you may have missed delivered straight to your inbox. It's an easy decision—join 7000 other content marketers now!
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