How to Market Your Online Writing Services

The first thing you need to do is create your online presence. Brainstorm a few ideas for catchy business names, and then search Go Daddy or Network Solutions to see what URLs are available. Ideally, you'll want yourbusinessname.com. Try to avoid .biz or .net, which will make you seem like a noob. Once you have your business name and URL, design a logo or hit up a friend to create one for you. If you must, hire a service to develop one -- and be prepared to pay for it. If you use a free service, you'll get what you pay for.

You'll need to find a web hosting service to manage your website. Although the company you used to register your domain name can probably host it, a smaller company, such as Blue Host, will usually provide lower rates and more personalized customer service. Expect to pay $6.95 to $9.95 per month; most hosting companies will require a year of payment up front.

Next, create a website. It's easier than you think! If you're handy with HTML, great. If not, use WordPress to set up your site. Most hosting companies make this a breeze: All you'll need to do is push a button, and you'll be automatically redirected to WordPress. Once you're there, WordPress makes it easy to select a template and upload your content.

NOTE: Although WordPress will host your site for free, your URL will be wordpress.yourbusinessname.com, which is tacky and dilutes your brand.

To establish credibility, write a profile that you can use on any site. A good profile will be a little catchy, but more important, it will tell people about you, promote your business and protect your personal information at the same time.

Keep it short and professional. Your profile should include a sentence about your business offerings and specific information that gives an overview of your experience -- e.g., "With 11 years of professional experience Tamar Love Grande has worked with a diverse range of clients in the marketing, publishing and real estate industries. If you have a degree relevant to your business, such as journalism or writing, include a statement to that effect. Conclude with a call to action, such as, "If you'd like to find out how my skills can increase your page-views, email me," and include a link to your email address.

If you're currently blogging for a reputable site, add a picture of yourself and, when possible, your business logo. People like to see who they're working with, so take a professional, attractive photo of yourself and upload it to your profile.

To control the type of information people can find about you and your business, use the same profile for every site you post to. Don't give out any extra information, and opt out of Intellius so your clients -- and potential Internet trolls -- can't find out your dirty little secrets, like your home phone number and address.

Likewise, when you're setting up your site host, pay for anonymous whois; otherwise, people will be able to find out who you are and where you live.

Social networking is useful for a number of reasons. Since it's free, take advantage of it! Signing up at different social networking sites will not only increase your visibility, but also give you the opportunity to develop a network of people who can give you advice, barter services and spread the word about your business to their own network.

Once you sign up at various social networking sites, don't just market your services: contribute to the community and become a valuable member. You can upload your own content -- again, for free -- and develop a following of users who will be more likely to read your work.

The algorithms on some sites, like StumbleUpon, Mixx and Care2, will blackball you if you only upload your own content, so take the time to submit websites and articles that are relevant to your business and online identity.

To get the most out of social networking, build an online following. "Follow" as many users as you can, and many of them will follow you in turn -- and hopefully forward your content to a wide network of users.

Not just a creative outlet, blogging is a smart way to increase your internet presence and drive traffic to sites that use a pay-per-click revenue model, meaning you'll get paid a very small amount every time someone clicks on your content. Pennies add up to be dollars, so take every opportunity to direct viewers to sites that pay.

I have a few personal blogs that I use to link to published articles. It's important to include a teaser - a short, intriguing blurb, photo and appropriate tags -- so that people will click through to the paid content. Don't copy and paste the whole article! Give your readers just enough of a taste that they'll want to read more.

Subject-matter experts are often approached to write articles and books on areas in which they've proven their skills and experiences. The best way to become an SME is to write frequently on areas that interest you. Once you've developed a body of work, you'll be able to pitch paying websites to publish your articles.

Examiner.com is a great place to start. A nationwide network of local and national information, the Examiner websites are always looking for new SMEs on a wide range of subjects. Scan their list of available topics, and if you don't see something you want to write about, suggest your own topic. As long as you can prove you that have good writing skills and that the topic isn't already covered elsewhere, you're in. You won't make much money, but the exposure is invaluable.

If you're new to writing, consider doing a few pro-bono projects to build your portfolio. You never know what's going to happen!

Earlier in my career, when I was writing for nothing, I was asked to write two books by editors who found me online. My articles about party-planning enabled me to publish Plan a Fabulous Party ... In No Time, and my sex education features landed me a gig writing The Sensual Bath: Soaking in Pleasure & Passion.

There are quite a few websites where you can offer your services and connect with potential employers. Guru and Elance are the best for writers. Both sites allow you to upload details about you, your company, your services and skills, as well as samples of your work. You can either bid on jobs or accept proposals from employers who find you, and the site will manage the project, including payment. Although basic services are very inexpensive, you'll want to upgrade to the next tier of service to get the most out of these marketplaces.

You can say you're the best service provider in the world, but to back up that claim, it's helpful to link to reviews written by real clients. Yelp is an excellent place to start. A free service, Yelp allows clients to enter useful information about their experiences using your services.

Don't wait for someone else to list your business. Do it yourself so you can control your content. Build out your business profile, and offer discounts and special deals to Yelp users. To make the most of your Yelp listing, insert the free button Yelp provides on your website, and ask your clients to use it.

Be warned: Although you might be tempted to send out an email blast to past clients, Yelp filters are very finicky. If they think the reviews are shills, written by you or your friends, they'll filter them out. Users can still see the reviews, but they won't count toward your overall rating, and the link to the filtered reviews is small and kind of annoying to use.

Instead, select a few past clients who love you, and email them asking politely for a review. Remind them that they can post anonymously, which will ease their minds about posting honest feedback. If you have nothing except five-star reviews, Yelp will filter out most of them.

As you complete jobs, ask your clients to review your services, providing them with a link to Yelp. The content is less likely to be filtered out if it's added over time, not just within a few days, as is more likely to happen if you solicit reviews from all your clients at once.

Also check out these review sites: The Better Business Bureau, Insider Pages and Angie's List

You never know what someone is going to say about you, for better or worse, and you can never tell if a mistake from your foolish past is going to rear up and bite you on the tushie. Make sure you know exactly what your clients will see when they look for you online. In addition to the user review sites, check these sites regularly:

Google: The mostly widely used search engine, Google can be a godsend or a career-ender. Google yourself weekly and make sure that the information you find is true and current.
Dogpile: Dogpile collects information from a number of different search engines -- and it comes up first when people Google "search engines." Ironic, huh?
Bing: Although not as commonly used as Google, Bing is the default search engine for Microsoft Windows.
Yahoo: The genius of building a thriving online community to supplement its search engine has make Yahoo a frequently-used source of information.

Don't forget that you can also add your business to these sites. Although your information will eventually index automatically, you can save time and control your brand by submitting your site as soon as it goes live.

If your searches yield negative information posted about you on bulletin boards or other websites, contact the website and ask for the information to be removed. Although sites are not legally bound to remove libelous information, most will, if only to avoid a lawsuit.

As a writer or editor, your words are your livelihood. Make certain they are accurate and original. Plagiarism is never acceptable; nor are spelling or grammatical errors. Make sure all your links work, too. Finally, never post anything you wouldn't want a potential employer to read. You won't get the job if you embarrass yourself.

You don't have to be a marketing genius to figure out why I wrote this lens: to increase my visibility, strengthen my brand and inspire people hire me.

But I also wanted to pass along a lot of important information to people who could really use it.

The purpose of Squidoo lenses is to provide intelligent, useful information on a variety of topics. If you use it solely to promote your business, not many people will read it.

Instead, focus on an area of expertise that will showcase your knowledge and genuinely help other people.

At the same time, follow my example and leverage your own work, profile, websites and articles to promote your business ... and hopefully find you more work!