LinkedIn has a member base of more than 900 million people. For freelance writers, this means a huge opportunity to find clients needing freelance writing work. This also translates to increased opportunities to upskill by following tips from top freelance writers.

Think of LinkedIn for freelance writers as a search engine. To be visible in the search results, you need to tweak your profile, adjust your content targets, and learn how to generate leads using DMs, offers, and quality work. We’ll show you exactly how to do that in this post.

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Benefits of LinkedIn for Freelance Writers

LinkedIn is known for being the largest culmination of like-minded professionals online. For freelance writers, this translates to:

  • More writing gigs and growth opportunities
  • Peer comparison and learning opportunities from top freelance writers
  • Bigger networking field, connecting them to thousands of brands in need of writing services
  • A chance to build a compelling personal brand geared toward lead generation
  • A platform to showcase their writing and industry expertise

How to Build a Thriving Writing Business With LinkedIn

Growing as a freelance writer on LinkedIn starts with optimizing your profile, looking back at your posts, and following a regular, targeted content posting. Then, you can actively network and generate leads via DMs and community engagement.

1. Keep an Updated Profile

Generic LinkedIn profiles rarely work, especially for freelance writers. The writing industry is so huge with the number of niches out there. If you don’t explicitly say what you’re good at writing, finding gigs and opportunities might become more challenging.

Here are some tips you can apply to adjust your profile for freelance writing:

  • Use a professional profile photo that reflects your writing niche. If you’re into business writing, using a formal headshot would be appropriate. Meanwhile, something more colorful might work for those specializing in creative writing.
  • Include your writing focus in your headline. Instead of “freelance writer,” try writing “freelance writer for beauty and lifestyle content.” You can make this easier to accomplish with Taplio’s headline generator.
  • Use keywords in your About section. You know how keywords work in SEO. Stuffing a few targeted keywords in your About section increases your visibility among business owners and recruiters.
  • Use the Articles feature on LinkedIn. This way, you have bylined work that you can present during pitches. It’s also a way for you to showcase your writing skills.
  • Highlight recommendations. Since you’re on a freelance basis, you don’t have an agency or company guaranteeing your output quality. Erase that doubt with ample client testimonials.
  • Display your certifications. While they might not be as relevant in freelance writing, having certifications about your educational level and language might help bag the job. Do this, especially if you’re a non-native writer.

2. Post Niche-Focused Content

If you want to stand out in your writing expertise, post niche-focused content. For example, if you specialize in tech, you can post content about spreadsheets, writing tools, app tutorials, and more.

The exact topics you can post about largely depend on the industries you’re most familiar with. But regardless of the topic, make sure that your writing is flawless. Remember: you’re presenting content to some of the finest writers in the world.

Alternatively, you can also post things about your profession. These include writing tips, links to your blog posts, success stories, client feedback, and your services.

3. Build a Regular Posting Schedule

Posting regularly makes your profile appear more frequently in the feeds of LinkedIn members, especially when you put your best writing skills to work. Consistent posting also creates momentum and showcases your commitment to your freelance writing career.

If you’re experiencing writer’s block, which is very common, you can always get the assistance of AI. Taplio can help you generate content based on your profile with its AI-powered features.

While you can post them directly, you can also add a personal touch to ensure that the content follows your writing style.

4. Like, Share, and Comment

While posting content can be your forte as a freelance writer, engaging with others’ posts remains a crucial part of networking on LinkedIn. You can do this by simply liking, commenting, or sharing their posts.

You can also leverage the comment section to share your insights on their posts. For example, if the post is about freelance writing tips, you can also share other strategies that you discovered or developed in your writing experience. Commenting with your insights can also position you as a thought leader.

5. Use Direct Messages

Building relationships is a key step to generating leads for your freelance writing venture. You can easily start using LinkedIn DMs and InMails, which allow you to send messages directly even when they’re outside your network of connections.

The question is, to whom should you send a DM? Taplio’s CRM feature can help you with that—it can automatically import LinkedIn profiles that engage with your posts. These would be your warm leads. Then, here should be your next steps:

  • Sending personalized messages with a clear inquiry of what services they need
  • Offering free consultations about written content and other writing insights
  • Using follow-up messages to unresponsive leads

6. Transform Texts Into Visuals

While you can make great written content, the professionals coming across your posts might not have the time to spare to read what you posted or published. You can change this by adding photos and videos to your content to make it more interesting.

Alternatively, you can break down your written text into smaller chunks of text. Then, post them using a LinkedIn carousel. This would be great, especially for sharing writing tips. Here are a few other ideas you can explore:

  • Use infographics and charts to summarize your LinkedIn articles
  • Use visual storytelling
  • Create a GIF to show how to use a specific writing tool
  • Record a video snippet of yourself giving a writing tip

7. Utilize Lead Magnets and LinkedIn Ads

Optimizing your LinkedIn profile prepares the foundation for you to generate more leads for your freelance writing career. But to actively attract business, you can also utilize lead magnets like LinkedIn ads, free consultations, free eBooks, and similar offers.

Alternatively, you can use LinkedIn search to look for potential gigs and jobs that you can apply for. Also, try the following:

  • Join relevant LinkedIn groups, where you can network with excellent writers, find clients, and learn the latest in the writing industry.
  • Offer your services at a discounted rate to build up your portfolio and testimonials.
  • Search for jobs by keyword, such as “technical writer,” “blog writer,” etc.

10 Freelance Writers You Should Be Following on LinkedIn

Our tips above can only push you forward so far—you also need to explore what other ways you can use to build your LinkedIn profile. So, why not start getting inspiration from the top writers on LinkedIn? Here are 10 freelance writers you should follow:

1. Carol Tice

Carol Tice is a freelance book writer focusing on ghostwriting. She has written for big companies like Dun & Bradstreet, Deloitte, and American Express. She is also the author behind the ebook “The Recession-Proof Freelancer.”

2. Kristi Hines

Kristi Hines has been a freelance writer for over ten years. She is currently an associate content editor at Search Engine Journal and has also worked with top websites like HubSpot and Experian.

3. Mukti Masih

Mukti Masih is the author behind the poetry collection “Poems in a Chai Cup.” She has talked in TEDx about her writing path and is the speaker in the Method to Madness podcast.

4. Erin Brenner

Erin Brenner is the owner and lead editor at Right Touch Editing, a self-employed agency that offers editing services to small businesses and freelance writers. She is a 2023 Top Voice in Business Communications on LinkedIn.

5. Bhavik Sarkhedi

Bhavik Sarkhedi has authored eight books, more than 2000 blogs, and 35 publications, with a focus on entrepreneurship, digital marketing, and AI. He is a 2023 Top Voice in Entrepreneurship on LinkedIn.

6. Craig Clarke

Craig Clarke is a managing editor at MarketReach, Inc., a marketing company focused on B2B. He is a Top Voice in Copywriting on LinkedIn in 2023.

7. Jeff Goins

Jeff Goins is a writer and entrepreneur known for his best-selling books “The Art of Work” and “Real Artists Don’t Starve.” He is also the person behind the award-winning blog Goinswriter.com.

8. Michelle Garrett

Michelle Garrett is a well-known public relations consultant and freelance writer with a focus on B2B.

9. Lori De Milto

Lori De Milto is a freelance writer focusing on the medical content niche. She is an active member of the American Medical Writers Association and has written for institutions like the University of Pennsylvania.

10. Diana Kelly Levey

Diana Kelly Levey is a well-known freelance writer in the niches of pet, beauty, and personal finance. She has published several templates for freelance writing pitches and other useful resources on Gumroad.

Build Your Writing Business With Taplio

With its AI-powered features and other useful offers, Taplio makes it easy for freelance writers to expand their networks, stay consistent in their posts, and maintain timely peer engagement.

Boost your freelance writing on LinkedIn with Taplio. Expand your network, post consistently, and engage seamlessly. Enhance your LinkedIn strategy with Taplio now!