How to Start Freelance Blogging (When You Don’t Know How to Blog)

Elna March 7, 2023 93 Comments

Do you know that one of the best work at home gigs you can have as a stay-at-home mom is freelance blogging?

I’m a stay-at-home mom with twins and I’m a part-time freelance writer, but I’m really a freelance blogger. I average around $600 per post and I have several high-paying clients.

How did I stumble into freelance blogging and can any stay-at-home mom succeed?

The answer my friend, is yes you can! And what’s great about this freelance service you can offer, is that you don’t need a journalism degree or experience blogging.

Before I was a freelance writer, I never read blogs and I had no idea what WordPress was. I just went online for Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest!

It was an understatement when I tell you I was a full-on noob when it came to finding freelance blogger jobs. 🙂

Okay, if you’re a stay-at-home mama or working mom that just wants to earn some extra cash on the side, let me give you the low down on how to become a freelance blogger for complete beginners.

What is a Freelance Blogger?

If you’re not entirely sure what a freelance blogger is, it’s someone that is hired to write blog posts for an online business.

Your client or freelance writing job can be:

Small business owners
Entrepreneurs
Coaches
Authors
Content creators
Influencers
Youtubers
Podcasters

You name it!

All of those “clients” need content. As a freelance blogger you may write:

SEO content
Emails
Social media posts
Website copy

The sky is the limit when you are a freelance blogger. When I started I offered blog writing, eBook cover design and social media writing.

Over time, it has developed into long-form SEO writing and copywriting.

Get Some Blogging Skills

Start a blog and write a few posts so clients can hire freelance blogger and not just a hobbyist.

Get the feel of typing and using a content management system like WordPress or Squarespace.

If you don’t have a blog already, that’s okay! It’s super easy to start a blog and it only takes 10 minutes or so!

Step 1: Find a Platform

I use WordPress.org for my blogging platform. I suggest you don’t go to WordPress.com to get a free hosting blog as this isn’t very professional for a freelance blogger.

You want to show that you have a service not a hobby right?

A WordPress.org blog does require hosting but I totally recommend you have a self-hosted site if you ever want to monetize your blog or start a business with your blog.

There are also platforms you can use like Squarespace, but a lot of my clients want me to upload my posts on their backend, which is 100% a WordPress blog. WordPress is just used by most businesses and there’s a lot of support if you ever need help figuring out how to use WordPress.

Step 2: Choose a Name for Your Website

Your domain name is important if you want to use this as a service based site. When I first started I didn’t want to use my name; I wanted a company name. I ended up choosing Innovative Ink.

When you decide on your domain name think about what kind of service you want. If it’s freelance writing you can use words like: writing, ink, inkwell, copy etc..

But, it’s not necessary. You can totally brand your name and rock that up! 🙂

Step 3: Start a Blog With Bluehost

I use Bluehost for many of my sites and I absolutely love them.

Why?

They have incredible support. It’s available 24/7 and you can even do Live Chat! Ah-mah-zing!

Check out my post on how to start a blog using Bluehost.

Once you pick your package, you create your domain name – that’s your website name – and your account information.

Review the terms and click pay now and congrats! You have a self-hosted blog. But wait!

What’s cool is that Bluehost installs WordPress for you! No tech needed!

If you want a step-by-step tutorial on how to set up a blog using Bluehost, check out my post!

Get to Know Blogging

Freelance blogging is much different from writing essays for school, magazines or newspapers.

Have you noticed that blogs have a certain look to them? That was one of the first things I noticed. Here are some key elements all blog posts should have:

A lot of white space – This means making your paragraphs short. I do no more than three sentences per paragraph and often only do one sentence. This makes it easier to read.
Has subheadings – A lot of blog posts use subheadings to break up the writing. Most use H2 subheadings. In WordPress, it’s called Heading 2.
Uses bullet lists and numbered lists – This is another way to chunk up your blog post and make it easier to read
A CTA – this stands for call-to-action. This is at the end of your post and tells your readers what you want them to do. It can be to pin your post, leave a comment, or answer your question.

And one important thing freelance blogging has that blogging doesn’t really have is citation. Your clients want facts and statistics in your writing. They don’t want you pulling it out of thin air or from a conversation you had with a friend.

For example, here’s a snippet of a Pinterest post I wrote for Blogging Wizard:

Right? See all those facts I whipped up? But, when I talk about my Pinterest strategy on this blog, I don’t have to mention all these facts and I can be more casual and personal.

2. Draft Some Sample Pieces

Being a new freelance blogger can be hard if you don’t have any sample pieces in your portfolio.

Prospects are going to be less trusting of your ability if you don’t show them what a great and awesome writer you are.

And one of the best ways to create samples is with your personal blog! This is what actually happened on this blog. My twins post, What 3-Year-Old Twins Say to Each Other, traveled all over Pinterest and caught the attention of the editor for one of the biggest twins websites online, Twiniversity.

I posted my twins post in April – about a month after starting Twins Mommy. Just one month! And then I receive an email for a writing job:

Now, I’ve been freelancing blogging for almost two years over on Elna Cain and even though I’ve received writing work from that blog, I’ve NEVER had this fast turnaround time as I had with my Twins Mommy post.

This tells me that YOUR niche blog, can be just the thing to catch the eye of an editor or blogger on Pinterest or Twitter or Facebook.

And the more niche you are, the better! Alexa Mason of Single Mom’s Income said her mom landed a freelance writing job without even trying. All she was doing was blogging about deer and arrow hunting of all things and was asked to be a writer for a magazine!

It’s time to get your blog on mamas!

3. Hype Up Your Service

Here’s where it gets fun!

Prospects aren’t going to find you unless you tell them you’re a freelance blogger! The best way to tell other businesses is on social media.

If all your Twitter profile says you’re a coffee-guzzling mama who likes to DIY their house, then it might be a good idea to also add that you are a freelance blogger.

Here’s Christina’s Twitter bio:

Here’s my Pinterest bio:

Anywhere on social media, I make sure I mention that I’m a freelance writer or freelance writer for hire.

You can mention you are a freelance blogger or freelance copywriter. Whatever works for you!

4. Time to Pitch

All freelance bloggers are hustlers. That means we work to find work. But, that doesn’t mean you’ll be doing that forever!

After a while prospects will start coming to YOU and asking you if you have a spot open in your content schedule for work.

That’s the best feeling and it can happen early on. For me it was within months of starting as a freelance blogger.

In the beginning, if you’re new and no one knows you are even a freelancer, the best thing to do is go to some job boards and pitch to some job ads.

Some job boards I like are:

If you notice, I don’t mention freelance market places like Upwork or Elance. I find these are lower quality work and the pay isn’t the greatest. Plus I never had luck going that route!

But, what about a freelance blogger resume?

Is that required? Do you need to learn how to write a resume for a freelance blogger?

Not really. If a job asks for your resume then they aren’t treating you like a freelancer!

Your LinkedIn profile or portfolio page on your blog is sufficient to pick up a freelance blogging job.

When you find a blogging gig or writing gig, the next thing you do is pitch to them. Sometimes the job ad states exactly what they want. For example:

Three writing samples that have been published
Sites you visit related to this niche
Why you would be a good fit for their blog

But, mostly, job ads just have an email address to send your pitch to and it’s up to you to impress them. Personally these are the important things to mention in your pitch:

What type of freelance blogger are you (home decor writer, business writer, pet industry writer)
Where you have written before (these can include guest posts or your own blog)
Samples of your writing
What they get when they hire you (this might mean, click-worthy headlines, engaging tone, CTA, featured image)
Link to your website or portfolio

This is typically how to hire freelance blogger from the business perspective.

They want to view your portfolio and check out your samples after reading your pitch.

From that, they can get a good idea if you would be a good fit for their blog.

Freelance Blogger Pay Rates

For new freelance bloggers, I suggest you start your pay rate at $.10/word.

You can start higher at $.15/word but only if you have experience with that topic (i.e. it was your career or past job).

For example, you can charge a higher rate for educational writing if you’re a teacher.

Similarly, if you are a nurse and want to quit nursing, you can leverage that experience and get paid a high freelance blogger salary for nurse writing.

Can You Be a Lifestyle Blogger that Does Freelance?

Yes! Of course!

This the best thing you can do if you’re a lifestyle writer. Show your credibility in your topic like beauty, motherhood, recipes or home decor and then you can use that as samples.

As you saw, my Twin content caught the eye of an editor for a twin blog site.

So, the best think you can do as a lifestyle blogger that wants to freelance, is to keep creating optimized blog posts that are reader-friendly and SEO’d.

For example, if you want to be a freelance and parenting blogger make sure your blog has these categories:

Motherhood
Toddler Development
Learning Through Play

Or variations of parenting topics and children topics for your blog.

With that content you can quote experts, review books and show that you are credible as a parenting freelance blogger.

Are You Ready to Be a Freelance Blogger?

I can’t believe I have a successful part-time freelance blogging career! It happened so fast and now I can enjoy staying home with my twins while financially providing for my family.

And now that I have diversified my income, I know I’ll have consistent income coming in every month.

If you are serious about being a freelance blogger, I have a free email course on my freelance writing site. Try it out and see if it’s for you (and I also have a complete course for the uber serious blogger).

So, tell me stay-at-home mamas, are you pumped yet?

93 Comments

Hi Elna, I am not a mommy actually, I am a 23 year old boy and looking for some ways on how I can have a freelance job. And thanks that I’ve crossed at your blog. Such a big help. ?

I’m a blogger who freelances for other bloggers and I’d like to scale my efforts in 2021. Thanks for these tips.

Hey Christian! Go ahead on my other blog Elnacain.com to find about how to be a freelance writer!

Hey Elna. Lovely Post, it was very informative! Just one question; I’m already a blogger and would like to start a freelance blogger service; how would I do that ? would I have a page on my website about my freelancing service or what ? thanks again for this article

Hi Aliah, Yes, on your blog you can have a page called Hire Me and on that page list your services! Good luck!

Hey! Elna.. I read your blog it was very helpful but I’m still little bit confused because I want to start blogging but not getting where to start; which platform should I use n which is more safe?

Hi Sara, Sorry if this post didn’t explain it well! My post that directly talks about starting a blog should help: https://twinsmommy.com/start-a-blog-for-beginner/ I do suggest you find a self-hosted plan with Bluehost and then use WordPress as the “front” or look of your blog.

Hey ! Mom Elna ! Thank you so much for sharing your advice , it’s so helpful , I was overthinking a lot about how to start be a freelance blogger , and you mentioned that you have to have your own blog first to attract clients , I am a college student about to graduate and I don’t have any insight on what I wanted to do after college with my degree , and the idea of being a blogger got my attention as I love to write

Hey Sheri, Thanks for coming over! Good luck with your decision but starting a blog is great for sure before becoming a freelancer!

Thank you for all of the info and advice! I’ve just recently started blogging but I’m still a little lost as to where I want to go with all of it. Your post gave me a fresh sense of direction and I’m super excited to see where it takes me.

Hi Audrey! I’m so happy to hear this! Finding direction online is so hard. There are so many blog posts and bloggers telling you to do one thing or the other! I’m glad my post cut through the noise and is helping you start a blog!

Hi Elna, Thank you for all of the information, there is so much out there aimed at beginners, it’s hard to sort through it all. I really appreciate the way yours is written (I can see why you are a freelance writer/blogger) and the content is forthcoming and professional. Ideally, making additional money would be great, but before that, my goal is to write quality pieces which are hopefully helpful and meaningful to someone. You’re site is exactly what I was looking for, thank you again!

Hi I’m chaz and I just started blogging a few months ago! I want to earn money for my blogs just not sure how ! I am on WordPress with a personal domain I created ! I could use the help ! Thank you!

Hi, should I be posting my name as the author, on the articles I write for others, as a freelancer? If I don’t, won’t it be ghostwriting? I’m urgently looking for some guidance and I’d really appreciate your response in this regard, thanks.

Hi! For your blog posts you can have an author bio like I have on all my blogs. It just tells new readers who wrote this post and more about you!

Great post. More inspiration for me to get going on blogging, thanks!

Hi Elan! (again!) I just read your ‘Goals All New Bloggers Need’ post and shuffled over here as fast as I could to get some tips on how to start (so that I can tailor those sample goals you listed in the Goals post, of course). Loved this post, just as helpful as the other. Keep going!xx

Elna, thank you for this post! I’m just starting to explore the possibility of freelance writing and blogging, and this was very informative.

Hi Andrea, You’re welcome! So glad you are interested in freelance writing!

Hi Elna! I love reading your posts and I am in the VERY beginning stages of starting my own blog. What do you recommend when it comes to starting a free blog verse paid blog? I have never blogged before but I love writing. I’m a homeschooling/ stay at home mom and have a ton to write about when it comes to raising daughters! When I first thought of starting a blog I was thinking of doing it as a hobby.. as I sit and read your posts though I’m considering trying to make a little extra income.. any tips would be greatly appreciated! Thank youuuuu!

Hi Emily! Thank you so much! So happy you are finding some tips to help you decide if blogging is for you! As for your question, I guess if you strictly want to do this as a hobby then a free WordPress blog is fine. This blog would be more like a diary of what is going in your life and not monetizable. But, if you do want to generate some income from your blog then having a self-hosted blog is the best option. You just have more options with your blog (like using plugins to enhance the function of your blog and themes to make your blog fit your brand) if you do a paid option like using Site Ground!

Hi Elna, I have been reading and re-reading your posts for a month now, and I think I finally have the courage to suck it up, and venture into the world of blogging. At 50 years old and slogging it out in the corporate world I’d really like to retire early and write my little heart out; if not for money at least for my own personal amusement! Thank for all of your tips and inspiration.

Betty! Wow! Thanks so much for sticking by me and figuring out this is what you want to do. Blogging opens up so many doors and it’s a great way to share your creativity and build an income. Please make sure to join us in the Mom to Mompreneur Facebook group!

Great post for anybody who is interested in blogging . Salute ur work even with kids n home to take care of . M in a joint family n have 2 kids , also my family doesn’t understand what all this blogging career is. But I really wanna start blogging n do something for myself too . I want one help – can u do a post where u can tell us all the struggles u faced when u started blogging as well as now in details as much as possible . Love u.

Hi Gree! Thanks so much! My blogging journey is different than most other mom bloggers. I stared out offering a service, so my struggles were about finding clients, not about blogging and gaining traffic. But I do have a post about if I could really do this: https://twinsmommy.com/the-steps-to-sitting-pretty-this-time-your-blog/

I always find good information in your posts. I am new and trying to learn. Thank you.

Great post! I am in the process of starting my own blog. the only thing right now is deciding witch webhost to use. is siteground the services you are currently using?

Hey Ingrid! I used SiteGround on this blog when I started. I’ve found they have the best performance for the price by far. I now get free hosting (thanks hubby) but if I had to pay for hosting again, I’d be back at SiteGround in a heartbeat!

Ty for sharing with us…. It helped me alott

Elna, thank you so much for such an informative and very helpful post. I started blogging a few months ago, and I am constantly trying to improve my skills.

Hi Ammy! You’re welcome. Glad you found this post helpful to starting a blog! Good luck!

I really want to earn extra cash but don’t know where and how I start then this blog post catch me.All the info. that I needed to is here as a noob this make me want to start my own blog (baby step).I also start to read your other blog website which is ElnaCain.com thank you for sharing really helps me.

Hi Robert! Glad this post made you focus on a blog plan!

Yeah I am starting to make a website for my blog right now.

Hi Elna, I wish I had this blog post available for reading when I first got started as a freelance blogger last August. I could have learned so much just from this one post, not to mention the other posts on your blog(s). You are an inspiration to me and I’m glad you’re helping other freelancers like me become better at our “jobs” as business owners. Thank you for what you do for us!

Great post Elna, very informative Thanks, Dan

I’m a freelance writer as well and I do guest posting to some websites. May I ask for advice/tips in regards to getting clients for guest posting in their websites? Great article by the way as always Elna. Keep up the great work!

Hi Kathleen, Go to my other blog, ElnaCain.com for more freelance writing advice!

Hi There!! This may be a silly question, but when you agree to do a sponsored post or freelance writing for another brand or company, how do you handle payment? Do you collect all upfront, 50% up front or collect all once article is posted? Thanks! Candace The Big Blue Debutante http://www.thebigbluedebutante.com

Hi Candace, I don’t know for sponsored posts, but for my freelance writing clients, I typically ask for payment after I submit my post and the client enjoys my work (which is every time). I use PayPal. Other writers do 50% up front. I would likely do that if it was a huge project to ensure I get paid (for example, doing a course for a client).

I will definitely be revisiting this post for fun. I love to write. I just launched my blog still working on some things with it! Thanks for the tips!

Hi Chari, That’s awesome! I LOVE LOVE writing too 🙂

Thanks for the GREAT tips!

I’m very new to blogging so I’ll definitely try the job boards you suggested! I will definitely have to come back and read this post again. Thanks!!

Hi Chaymae! That’s awesome and good luck on getting paid to blog! BTW I have a blog that focuses on getting paid to write online called ElnaCain.com 🙂

Oh, I am going to do the Pinterest thing. Thanks for the tip. Will have to reread this post later.

Awesome! Let me know how it all works out!

Thanks for these tips! I’ll be bookmarking this post

You’re welcome! I’m glad you found some great tips in this post.

thanks for all the great tips ! would love more specific post about CTA’s people can use. I always struggle with that!

Hey Tianna! Thanks! Yes, a CTA can be anything you want. Usually a question you can ask as a way to start engaging on your comments or to sign up to your email list or to share your post!

Awesome advice, as usual! I love reading your posts because your writing style is so relaxed and conversational- almost like chatting with a friend!

Hey Sarah! Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed this post 🙂

I have a personal blog that I have had for around a year, but I’m not sure how to get it noticed. Any advice or tips on how to get my blog discovered?

Hi Sheena, I think the best tip is to start sharing your blog posts on Pinterest and Facebook! I have a free resource you can grab here.

This post gains me more knowledge about freelance blogging and draft me some worth ideas for starting my blogging sooner. Thanks for this worth sharing content. Keep going.

Hi Panha, You’re welcome! Good luck with freelance blogging!

Not a mama, but I appreciate your input so much! I have always loved writing and within the last year have developed a passion for cooking. As long as I can remember I have just wanted to be a part of others’ lives and help where I can – which is why I started blogging. What was your best strategy when it came to connecting with bloggers like yourself? I have done the “discover” and “search” in WordPress, but it’s honestly a little overwhelming. Thank you so much!

Hi Jessica! That’s so great and you don’t have to be a mama to enjoy my post! As for networking I found a lot of my mommy blogger friends in Pinterest groups and FB groups! I clicked to their blog post, commented and shared and placed their URL in my blog commenting sheet. So I just put them in rotation and after a while I would reach out to them! Try it out!

Elna, Thank you so much for the input! Would you recommend creating a facebook page for your blog specifically right away? Or did you do this later one?

Hey Jessica, If you want go ahead! I don’t remember how soon I made a FB page for my freelance writing website, but there’s no timeline on when to set up your FB page!

Very helpful article! I’ve had my blog since July and I got my first writing job from a another freelancer. I wrote a post for her and she knew of someone that was hiring. I feel getting to know other bloggers in your niche that are also freelancers will give you great advantage!

Hi Gretchen, That’s a great story! Yes, connecting and networking with other freelancers can help you find work! That’s what also happened to me 🙂

Oh and my twins are 14 months. I love with they laugh together. Can’t wait until they start taking a little more!

Wow! Nice meeting another mama with twins! Ah, 14 months. That was a challenge for me. One was walking, the other was not and I was baby proofing.

Thanks for this very helpful article . I’m just starting out in the blogging world and enrolling in your course. Nice to get actionable advice!

Hi Liz, That’s great. I hope to see you around in the private FB group!

Thank you for writing this article. I’m a proud mom of 3 guys, I have been told that I have a gift for gab and that I should write a blog. The problem I have is I just love to talk about nothing! But people say that I’m funny and can tell a story like no other. My question is can I blog about any and everything that life throws out there or do it have to be on a specific subject of expertise?

Hi Elizabeth, First you need to find a niche that you like writing about and that is lucrative. Once you’ve figured that out you can find jobs in that niche to supplement your income. While you can write about anything under the sun, you really can’t make a living from it. It’s a nice way to get a couple hundred dollars a month though!

Love what you have to say. There are certainly things that clients look for in their writers. Once you have the mechanics, you can add in your personal voice. Keep up the great work here and live unstoppable!

Hey Rhonda! Thanks so much! You’re right – clients really want a personable writer with their own unique voice. I find that most of my clients hire me not only for my expert knowledge in digital marketing but also the way I write in a conversational tone!

Such a fantastic article – I so want to work from home as a Mum, but keep stalling it. I’ve just started off in blogging and am yet to find my feet. My goal is to eventually monetise so that I can work from home like you but haven’t figured it out yet, so freelancing is definitely a great place to start.

Hey Tina! Thanks so much. Freelance blogging is so awesome! I simple LOVE blogging and I get to blog about…well BLOGGING 🙂 (not all my clients but some of my clients). So happy to hear you want to work from home. I know it can be a tough decision to fully go through with it, but when you do, you’ll be kicking yourself for not doing it sooner! I hope you stick around as this blog’s purpose is to help moms become mompreneurs. 🙂

Oh wow! I never considered this. I got so excited, I signed up for your free course. I just transitioned home because I want to have a baby and stay home with him or her. I cannot see myself as a person that makes jewelry or sells products. I love the idea of selling information.

Hey Britney, That’s great you’re interested in freelance blogging. Glad you signed up for my free course on getting paid to write! Good luck! Freelance writing is an awesome way to stay home with your child and make money online!

I’d love to know more! I am also a Mommy with twins! 🙂 But, I have a two year old daughter and My Boys are one! Talk about A Mad house lol. I’d love to learn so I’m able to share many stories.

Hey Brittney! That’s awesome. I love meeting other twin mommies. I have no clue how I would make it with three kids so serious kudos to you! For you, just handle your home and carve some time to get your blog on! Good luck!

This is really helpful. I am not sure I’m ready to freelance just yet, but I’m bookmarking this for later. I’m also adding it to my tweets to share for those who are ready now. 😉

Hi Teri, Thanks so much for the share! Freelancing and having your own side hustle is a big leap, but the good thing is, if you do end up doing it as a side gig, you can still work at your job and not lose anything. And if your side hustle does take off, then you know you can make a go from it if you do it full-time. Good luck!

Always great info, Elna! I’ve recommended your sites to several of my friends who are interested in getting started freelancing. I’ve had some recent success with Upwork, though I don’t bother with the jobs that pay pennies… I’ll definitely check out the other job board recommendations. Happy blogging!

Hey Terra! Thanks so much for referring my site to your friends 🙂 Word of mouth is the best form of marketing. That’s great you’ve had success with Upwork. I haven’t had much success when I had a profile on Elance or oDesk (at the time). That’s why I preach about doing this on your own, but it doesn’t hurt to try freelance marketplaces! Thanks for stopping by!

No, not ready, terrified but interested. I love learning so I am excited to learn in your free course, and I know I need to step up my personal blog. This should be fun! Thanks Elna for offering help! Btw, I HAD to go read your twins chat blog post. So cute!

That’s great you’re interested. I think your niche (e-learning) is really profitable 🙂 You can really add some expert knowledge in that niche. 🙂 Thanks for telling me you HAD to read my twins chatting post 🙂 ha.. Yeah, I was shocked that post was what attracted an editor. I’m always amazed by stories like that. Thanks for stopping by!

This post is perfect timing for me to read as I recently started writing for a nursing app! I would love to branch out to posting on other sites for money. I will have to look into what options are available out there! Thanks ? Tori

Tori, That’s fantastic to hear. It’s amazing how sometimes it’s super easy to land a writing gig eh? You blog and they will come 🙂 But, to really make a killing, you’re gonna have to find the clients (but that’s not that hard either). Good luck and make sure to take my free email course to get started freelance writing!

These tips are awesome! My biggest struggle is knowing how to pitch myself, especially in face-to-face contact! Rachel / http://www.seashellsandsparkles.com

Hey Rachel, Pitching face-to-face is daunting! That’s why I absolutely LOVE freelance blogging. The majority, if not ALL, pitches are via email 🙂