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Press releases are a beast of their own. That said, many articles writers and web content providers go about press releases the wrong way. Now notice, I didn’t say press releases were difficult to write. Just different.

Quite frankly, press releases are on of my least favorite things to write. Why? Well, the way I look at it, there’s less creativity involved. Rather than figuring out how to weave words together like you do with sales copy, or having the freedom to write about whatever you want as long as you include the necessary keywords with SEO articles and blogs…press releases just don’t give you that much freedom.

Here’s why:

As a press release writer, you’re concerned only with the facts. What you write is going to go out across the web in an attempt to:

• get someone to notice what your company is doing
• gain links back to your site

It’s not the time to try and sell a product or service. In fact, if you try to write it like ad copy, it will fail. That’s right–no news site is going to give it the time of day. Why give you a free platform to post your pushy sales copy? All they want is a good story. And to put their story together, they just want the facts and nothing but the facts.

Of course, being a bit salesy in your press release won’t necessarily keep you from getting the links you want if you submit it to the right places. But if that’s the case, why not just fire out some articles and syndicate them?

Keep in mind also, many sites that accept press releases will not take them if they don’t seem newsworthy. The title and intro of your new PR needs to offer something new or something timely. Comments on recent events from an expert in the field, new products, website launches, etc.

Have any other tips on becoming a press release writer? Share them in the comments.

In 2011, you don’t have to look far to find website copywriters. They’re everywhere. And with such an overabundance of them, you’d think it would be hard for a part time writer such as yourself to make any money at it. But let me tell you–I’m living proof that it isn’t.

Here’s a secret for you: there’s always room for another web copywriter because the vast majority of those offering their services aren’t doing that great of a job.

Don’t believe me? Go to Craigslist and look at ads by copywriters. Or better yet, post that you’re looking for a copywriter and check out your responses. You’ll undoubtedly get quite a few chuckles as you read through the samples. That’s not to be an ass and say I (we) are so much better than them… but let’s face it–like anything else, the web copy industry has gotten pretty watered down.

Many of the copywriters are getting it all wrong. Here’s just a few of the things I see:

• They don’t worry enough about copy length–Look, I’m not one of those guys who thinks your copy has to be a minimum of 500 words to get crawled. But at the same time, I understand that copy that’s too short doesn’t convert as well. And I also understand that copy that’s too long will never get read.
• They do whatever the client says–You have to remember, you’re being hired for your expertise. That means, your clients need to be told if they’re idea of copywriting sucks. Odds are they want you to write copy that focuses on them. Yet we all know that we-we content everyone is so fond of is terrible for your conversions. Attempt to stick by your guns and tell your client to let you do your job!
• They don’t consider keywords–We spend plenty of time talking about keyword stuffing and how bad it is. But how about website copywriters that don’t pay any attention to keywords? The fact is, to be a good web copy professional you have to think about keywords and how to naturally place them in your writing.

Don’t be discouraged! With so many people out there making mistakes, there is plenty of opportunity out there for website copywriters that understand what they’re doing. Press on!

As a part time writer, you may find clients calling on you for press release writing services. And even if they don’t, you can write press releases to help get the word out about your company. Don’t be scared–they aren’t hard to write. Just different. Here are a few tips to get you started.

1. Keep them short and to the point. Don’t let people try and tell you there’s a target word count for press releases. There isn’t. Keep them precise and concise. No extra info.
2. Avoid ad copy. A press release is purely informational. It’s not the time to try and con someone into buying your product or service. All you want to do is convey your new information. Period.
3. Use your keywords. When distributed across various online press release sites, your press release can result in some good back links. Make sure you use and link the proper keyword(s). Of course, as always, don’t overdo it!

Have you written any press releases yet? Have any tips to add? Tell us about your experiences in the replies!

So you love to write, you’ve heard about copywriting, and you think it’s the career for you. Great! Now how do you get started? Let’s keep this short and straight to the point:

1. Get samples live online–Any jobs you apply for will require that you present a sample to show off your writing skills. And often people will not accept file attachments. they want to see live copy. So how do you get samples before you have any experience? Easy–redo a friend’s website for free. They’ll get fresh copy and you’ll get legitimate samples. Everyone wins!
2. Set your rates–You need to know what you’re going to charge. You can be flexible, but for the most part, stick to what you set. Now there are different schools of thought when it comes to rates. There are those that say you should start off with low rates and build up with experience. Then there are those that recommend you begin with larger rates. You know, set the bar high from the get go. Me, I say begin in the middle.
3. Get a website–It’s difficult to offer copywriting services without a professional looking website. Few people in 2011 will take you even remotely seriously if you don’t have one. So make this a priority. in some cases, you may find a web designer who will barter with you on this. Exchange web copy for web design. It works!

Of course there’s more to starting a copywriting business, but the above should get you moving.

Google “SEO article writing” and I guarantee you’ll find a ton of articles screaming that SEO is a dying art. Or better yet, that it’s dead. And everyone knows that Google made huge changes to their search algorithm. The biggest they’ve made in years. These changes seem to have devalued those article syndication sites we all know and love–which has led to all the article writing is dead talk.

So the question is: is SEO article writing really dead? Or is this one of those Chicken Little “The sky is falling!” moments.

Well, I think it’s pretty clear that those links you obtain from syndicated articles aren’t worth what they once were. But does that mean they’re worthless?

Recently I’ve been asking some of the SEO guys I write for how this change will affect their strategy. I’ve gotten all sorts of answers, but most go something like this one:

“To be honest….Google’s recent changes have not affected my strategy at all.  They have “devalued” some of the so called “content farms”, but a link from those sites is not hurting a client per se.  So I am marching on.  I have never used Article marketing as a sole source of link building, so I guess me and my clients has not been as affected as others who relied solely on that method of link building.”

So it sounds like article syndication isn’t necessarily dead. It’s just slowing down.

How about my number of article orders. Has it slowed down?

Yep.

But I’m still getting them. One thing in particular I’ve noticed is that many of my article orders have turned into blog orders. So where I was doing 1 SEO article for a client, now they’re ordering 2 blogs. So maybe it will make a bit more money for me in the long run.

As for my own business, I will continue to use a bit of article marketing here and there. But most of my link building will come from guest blogging. Those links have meant more for some time anyway.

My advice to you–don’t freak out. Cut down on the articles, blog more, and take a deep breath.

Don’t have time for either? Well you can contact me for SEO article writing services or blog writing services and I’ll do all the hard work for you.

I have the time for you.

Since last week was Thanksgiving, many of us decided to throw caution to the wind and take a long weekend vacation. There’s nothing wrong with it. We all need a break. Especially those building their career part time while working a day job.

But if you’re like me, you woke up this morning and stared blankly at your computer for quite awhile. No matter how much tea and coffee I pumped into my body, I couldn’t seem to get revved up. And it’s not like I don’t have any work to do. I actually have quite a few deadlines looming not-so-patiently on the horizon.

So the question is, how do we bounce back from the holidays when there’s not a single ounce inside of us that wants to get back to work? Here are a few solutions I’ve found:

• Give yourself something to look forward to. For instance, I have 2 things within the next 7 days that I am looking forward to. On Thursday night, I’m going to watch the Houston, Texans play. As lame as it sounds, it’s usually one of the top highlights of my week. But I won’t be able to enjoy the game if I have to work while I’m watching it. Then next Sunday night, the Part Time Writer team is going to see two of our favorite bands play. Jimmy Eat World and Darkest Hour. That means I’ll be out late Sunday night. As a result, I have to plan ahead to sleep in Monday morning, which means my prime writing time will be lost. If I don’t work ahead now, I won’t be able to go to the show. See? Motivation.

• Set income goals and rewards for the week. The month is almost over and I am right on the verge of having my most profitable month to date. But if I slack, I won’t make it. So my goal is to make X amount of dollars before the end of the day tomorrow to break my record. If I hit it, I’ll reward myself on Wednesday. How? I don’t know. Maybe some Shiner Bock?

• Change your scenery. Sitting in your home office might just be too much of a drag right now. I know it’s depressing the hell out of me. Not to mention the Houston weather is grey and blah right now. So I’m packing up my computer this week and trying out some new places to work. Maybe a coffee shop or a friend’s house. Wherever I can find Wi-Fi, I can do my work. It’s one of the biggest advantages of having an online business.

So what are you doing to get out of that holiday funk this week? Share your ideas and let’s get fired up to make some money!

Looking for a quick. Easy way to get freelance writing tips? Well now it’s as simple as following me on Twitter! By following @Chris_HELP, you’ll get daily tips dealing with all aspects of freelance writing. From blogging to SEO to copywriting, there’s something for any freelancer.

You’ll also get links to useful articles, mixed in with a little bit of random stuff as well. Help me get my Twitter running by helping yourself learn more about your freelance writing.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’ve been thinking a lot about all the things I am thankful for. More specifically, I’ve been thinking about how my freelance writing career has really taken off this past year. This got me to thinking about all the things we freelance writers have to be thankful for. Here’s a short list I came up with.

1. We can work wherever we want—Does your family want to go out of town for a week during the holidays? No problem! As a freelance writer, you can pack up your laptop and work from wherever your destination might be. All you need is a wireless connection.
2. We can work whenever we want—One of my favorite things about this career path is I can work whenever I feel like it. At 4:30 in the morning, on my lunch break, at midnight…as long as I meet my deadlines it doesn’t matter when I write. Talk about flexibility!
3. Our overhead is low—Being a freelancer means you have practically zero overhead. There’s no need for an office space. You can work from your house, a coffee shop, a bar. Hell, you can even park your car and work in the driver’s seat.
4. We’re making money off of our passion—I don’t know about you, but I love to write. By day I’m a teacher, which is fine. It pays the bills and allows me to help others. But by morning/night I make money off of my passion for writing. And let me assure you, the way things are going, teaching won’t be my primary income source for long.
5. There’s a wide variety of work we can do—The majority of my work is probably SEO article writing. But I also do lots of web copy, a few press releases here and there, and a monthly magazine article. Not to mention all the blogging I do. Basically, there are all sorts of writing work to be found. If you’re not finding it, you just aren’t looking hard enough.

What other blessings has freelance writing offered us that I’m missing here?