Can you do other things besides write as a freelance writer? Sure! I have 15 great side hustle ideas to get you started.
Side hustle tips
- Be solid with clients in your main freelance writing business first. Then you can think about expanding a bit, if you want to.
- Choose complementary services, but still position yourself as a writer for the main gig.
- Don’t try to build two separate businesses at once. You probably shouldn’t try to create a dog walking empire simultaneously with your freelance writing enterprise.
- Take what you already have and find little ways to leverage it for a side hustle or two. This could make you more marketable and will give you a broader foundation.
Side hustle ideas
Editing
Editing is a natural side hustle choice for a lot of writers. There are different types of editing, including proofreading, copy editing, and developmental editing.
SEO
This can be an additional service or a specialization. Doing keyword research or strategy should be more expensive than just writing–you should be compensated for it.
Content strategy
This is a great lead-in to upsells. First offer content strategy to your client, and then offer to implement that strategy for them. They’re two separate roles–content strategy and content strategy implementation.
Marketing assistant
Being a marketing assistant allows you to gain a deep understanding of digital marketing.
Social media marketing
You can go from writing the content to posting it. Add in graphics creation if that’s something you enjoy.
Digital marketing
You would write copy for ads on Facebook, Pinterest, or other digital advertising platforms. Add in analytics of ad performance if you dig data.
Blog management
This is a natural path from blog writing. Maybe you’re regularly writing for a client who is very busy and needs someone to manage their contributors or take over the back end of the blog–you can be the one.
VA for bloggers or entrepreneurs
Being a virtual assistant for bloggers or entrepreneurs who need lots of content or copy is a good choice. This gives you an inside look at content strategy and you’ll learn how to run a business.
Tech VA
As a tech virtual assistant, you can set up the content that you’ve written as the writer. You can schedule and publish blog posts, set up email sequences on the client’s email service provider, or make sure the lead magnet on their site is being properly sent out.
Web design and/or development
Web design is the artistry of a site while web development is the building/coding of a site. If you can design or build and also write a website, you’re a double threat.
Graphic design
This is a good side hustle for writers who are also visual communicators.
Project management
Project management is a nice stretch step for a writer who wants to go on to another area. You’re not making strategic decisions; you’re taking those decisions and making sure they happen.
Offer creation
This is for those who love to write and strategize. You’d be the idea person, figuring out what will sell.
Funnel building
Funnel building is related to offer creation. It’s mapping out the sales funnel, planning it, and writing the sales page, offer bump, emails, etc.
Audits
This is for those who have some experience. It’s editing meets strategy–evaluating what’s written (site copy, emails, etc.) with the intent to find places for improvement. You would work on positioning, messaging, and analytics. If you do find things that need improvement, and know how to write them, you can offer to write them as an additional service.
More side hustle ideas
For even more side hustle ideas, check out my blog post Other Services To Offer With Freelance Writing.
And don’t forget to join us in my free Facebook group, The Ink Well Guild with Ashley Gainer. We’re a bunch of freelance writers hanging out and talking shop. Check us out at www.theinkwellguild.com!
