Have you ever clicked on a link that says something like “101 Hacks to Get the Most Out of Your Smartphone” and discovered tons of things you had no idea your phone could do? Well, keep reading because this post is going to tell you about some hacks for blog writers to get more clients – and more revenue – through the nDash platform. You might be surprised at what you didn’t know you didn’t know!
1: You can edit your tagline.
nDash imports your basic profile information from LinkedIn. But you can change that default tagline to more accurately target the nDash audience. And it’s well worth the few minutes it takes to do that because nDash founder Michael Brown says that’s one of the first things clients look at when they’re browsing writer profiles.
2: Completed profiles show up first.
When brands do a keyword search for writers, the results are randomized – sort of. While another search for the same keywords might present the writers in a different order, nDash does give preference to completed profiles (just like Google gives SERP preference to quality content).
What does a completed profile look like? According to Michael, completed profiles include:
- The industries you write for
- Links to at least two social networks
- Relevant keywords
- At least one writing sample
- A Stripe connection
About Stripe: As a writer myself, I’ve always been reluctant to set up yet another financial connection unless I know I’m actually going to get paid for something. In this case, though, setting up Stripe ahead of time actually increases your chances of finding work.
3: Step up your pitches.
We’ve written a lot about pitches, so I won’t rehash the basics. But here are a few things you might not have thought of:
- Don’t wait for brands to complete their profiles. By the time a brand has completed its profile, all the other writers on the platform are pitching them, too. If you want to get a head start, pitch a company with a blank profile. You can do your own research outside of the nDash platform to find out more about the brand and what kind of content they want.
- Pitch industries. Not only do industry pitches reach more people, they also give brands a way to browse the great ideas you’ve had. Although direct pitches are private, industry pitches show up on your profile when brands browse writers. Reading over the industry pitches you’ve made in the past is a great way for brands to get a feel for what you can do.
- Be patient. There is no time limit after which a pitch falls off of a brand’s dashboard, and brands have been known to accept pitches months after they were submitted.
4: Blog Writers – Step up your applications, too.
When you apply for an open assignment, don’t just click “Apply.” Treat the comments field like a cover letter, and use it to tell the client why you’re the best writer for the job. You can point out relevant experiences and even include links to writing samples.
5: Build your own community of prospects.
Just as brands can favorite writers they’d like to work with, you can do the same with companies. As you browse the list, just click on the star to add a company to your “Prospects” page. That gives you a big head start when you’re looking for companies to pitch.
6: Blog Writers Should “Like” brands back.
If a brand adds you as a favorite writer, that means they’re interested in working with you even if they don’t have anything specific in mind at the moment. Blog writers – it’s a great time to pitch them. But if you don’t have an idea ready to go, at least add the company to your prospects so that you’ll stay on each other’s radar.
7: Blog Writers can make passive income through referrals.
I know what you’re thinking: “Why would I want to put my clients in touch with a bunch of other writers?” Well, one huge reason would be that you get a 5% commission on all sales made to clients you bring on board. But, if you’d rather not invite the competition, you don’t have to. You can recommend that your clients set themselves up as “private” (nDash can help with this) so that no one else sees them (and they aren’t bombarded with random pitches…hint, hint). You’ll still have that exclusive relationship, but you’ll be able to use the nDash platform for communication and payment processing.
nDash has been around long enough now that we’re starting to see “best practices” emerge, and these are some of the best. Blog writers — give them a try today to get even more out of nDash.