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Are You an Invisible Writer?

October 4th, 2011 · 8 Comments

©iStock.com/parema

Too many freelance writers are invisible online, and it keeps them from getting the work they need.

Did you ever notice how some freelance writers seem to be everywhere? No matter what social media, what forum, or what blog you read they seem to have a very visible presence there. Naturally, these visible writers are also the first ones that clients turn to when they have a writing assignment. Clients like to work with freelancers they’ve heard of. But, how do you go from being an invisible writer to a highly visible writer?


One thing you can count on is that the highly visible freelance writers didn’t get that way by accident. Instead, they likely followed a very deliberate plan to create and maintain a visible presence online. The good news is that you can do the same thing. Here’s how.

5 Steps to Increase Your Online Visibility as a Writer

So, you’re ready to go from being an invisible writer online to having a more visible online presence. Here are the steps you need to take.

  1. Have a Blog. Even if you rely on job boards and bidding sites to find work, as a writer you need to have some place to call home base–some place where you can showcase your own work and talent. A blog is perfect for this. You own it, and you control what is published on it.
  2. Join Social Media. If you aren’t already active on social media, consider joining and participating in one of the main social media platforms. In my opinion, the main platforms are Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and GooglePlus. All of them provide great opportunities for freelance writers to meet potential clients.
  3. Take Part in Forums. Forum participation is another great way to increase your visibility. Pick one or two popular forums (think of forums where your clients are likely to be) and become a regular participant. The more people you know, the easier it is to find work.
  4. Share your Writing. Have you been keeping all your writing to yourself? Are you posting everything you write to your own blog? If you want to be visible online as a freelance writer, that might not be the best strategy. Publishing guest posts on other blogs can help build your internet presence.
  5. Be Generous. Above all, be generous online. Help others when you can and be generally supportive. Being a visible writer won’t help you find clients if you’ve created a negative online brand for yourself.

Can you think any other ways to increase your online visibility? Are you an invisible writer?

Tags: Blogging · Writing Tips

8 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Sharon Hurley Hall // Oct 4, 2011 at

    Great tips, Laura. I’m particularly bad at forum participation, I must admit – which ones do you recommend?

  • 2 Laura Spencer // Oct 4, 2011 at

    Hi Sharon,

    I’ve slacked off on forum participation too, but it’s something that I definitely need to get back on top of.

    Here are some forums that have been helpful to me in the past:

    1. wahm.com
    2. AbsoluteWrite forum
    3. Third Tribe forum (although I believe this may now be closed to new members)
    4. Freelance Folder forum

    Some of the forums that I used to frequent are no longer active.

    I’ve also heard of writers benefiting from participating in webmaster forums like SitePoint, but I have to admit I’ve done nothing there but lurk.

    Maybe some of the readers can chip in with additional suggestions for forum participation?

  • 3 Sharon Hurley Hall // Oct 5, 2011 at

    Actually, I think I’m a member of at least two of those – and I search the wahm.comm one often to check out writers and clients, but I’m pretty inactive apart from that.

  • 4 Laura Spencer // Oct 5, 2011 at

    Hi Sharon–It can be hard to keep up with everything, but I know that forum participation helped me a lot when I was starting out. I found one of my best gigs (that I still work on today) through a forum. So, it can be well worth the effort and it also helps improve your visibility as a writer.

  • 5 Hauk IT - Web Consulting // Oct 11, 2011 at

    Perfect function you’ve got done, this web site is actually cool with great info.

  • 6 Hauk IT - Webconsulting // Oct 12, 2011 at

    Thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and adore learning much more on this subject. If possible, as you gain expertise, would you mind updating your blog with a lot more details? It is really beneficial for me.

  • 7 Laura Spencer // Oct 18, 2011 at

    Hauk IT – Webconsulting, Do you have a specific question that I can help you with?

  • 8 Are You a Careless Writer? : WritingThoughts // Nov 1, 2011 at

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