Content Marketing Clients Made Up 64% of My 2024 Earnings

Here's how to find more of these clients for a higher hourly rate

Author

Diana Kelly Levey
January 08, 2025

Hey Freelancer,

I hope your start to 2025 is going well so far.

I’m waiting to hear back from a few sources and find out the status of other projects so I can have a better sense of my month. Anyone else feeling like this?

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I didn’t know it at the time but my first content marketing writing experience was writing for Weight Watchers as an editorial assistant in 2006.

When you’re writing content that supports a brand’s overall mission—and financial bottom line—by educating, informing, and entertaining the reader, you’re doing content marketing writing.

Writing content for brands in the form of articles or blogs as a content marketing writer can be a good next step for many editorial writers and journalists who need to supplement the lower editorial rates with better-paying assignments.

(Get more answers to your questions of “what is content marketing writing?”)

Here are a few ways to find more content marketing clients for your freelance business.

1. Niche it down.
Be the go-to person for one thing. Love sleep writing? Crush it. Passionate about femtech? Own it and share it on social media. Clients pay more for specialists.

2. Showcase your freelance brand.
Your brand = Your promise to potential clients. Are you a data wizard? Creative storyteller? SEO genius? Say it loud, say it clear—everywhere.

3. Build that portfolio.
Clients don’t care about your resume; they want proof. Showcase killer freelance samples that scream, “Hire me!” Here are examples of freelance writing work to check out if you need a guide.

4. Get visible.
🌐 No website yet? Start small. LinkedIn is a freelancer’s best friend. Post, engage, and DM content managers to introduce yourself and applaud something they’ve done or their company accomplished.

5. Warm up those cold leads.
👋 Research the heck out of potential clients. Personalize your pitch. Follow up like a polite-but-persistent pro. Seriously, following up every two to three weeks is where you’ll usually get the business.

6. Network like it’s your job.
Cause well, it is. Introvert? I feel that way too, sometimes. But, chatting with freelancers and clients (online or IRL) can land unexpected assignments. Bring your business cards everywhere you go.

7. Partner with agencies.
Agencies need writers now. I was suprised to see that 46 percent of my freelance pay in 2024 came from content marketing agency work. Introduce yourself and create profiles wherever possible. Pro tip: Be easy to work with and turn in great copy on time. They’ll be really excited to work with you again.

8. Share your smarts.
Write a blog. Post on social. Be a guest judge for an awards panel. Show the world why you’re the content marketer they’ve been waiting for.

When freelancers tell me that they’re really struggling with low rates and are feeling down about freelance pay, I often think (or realize) they don’t have enough content marketing freelance clients.

Having the majority of my bills paid by brands and agency work allows me to still write fun essays or editorial work that tends to take up a lot more time for less pay. It’s a balance!

Read the blog below for more in-depth tips on the content marketing topic.

Thanks for reading!

Diana

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What’s Happening in My Business

  • I did an assessment of my freelance business, discovering where the majority of my money came from (referrals, LinkedIn, my website, social media) and the types of client work I completed (editorial, content marketing, ghostwriting, copywriting). It was eye-opening in many ways. Wayyyy more time goes into writing blogs for BestFreelanceTips.com and this newsletter than works out to my ideal hourly rate but, I like doing it so … you’ll still be hearing from me.

  • I wrote this article on “How to become more flexible with your budget in 2025” for an editorial client (GoBankingRates.com) and another feature for Squarespace’s blog on “How to build a personal brand.”

  • I’m getting on calls with potential clients about projects. I encourage you to do the same.

Freelance Jobs, Contract Jobs, or Remote Jobs I Found

(These were active and available within a few days of this newsletter going out. I have no connection with them.)