Make your Web writing career a roaring success with testimonials

Many writers have amazing successes with Web writing. I know several writers who are making six figures, using a combination of business models: professional blogging (for clients), and writing and selling ebooks. One writer is making six figures just writing video scripts (a great specialty, BTW.)

I also know of many, many writers who’ve given up writing for clients for good, and just focus on creating their own Web properties: sites and blogs. These writers have their eyes on seven figure incomes, because they’ve had a taste of Web success and know it’s more than possible — they use their writing skills solely on their own behalf.

The money is there to be made; it’s all up to you.

Unfortunately, the majority of new Web writers just don’t comprehend one essential fact: when you’re a Web writer, you’re working on the Web, and TRUST is minimal. This makes sense, when you watch TV news stories every other day about spam, identity theft, and other sleazy matters which make people very wary online.

So how do you engender trust, when you’re a brand new writer, with no one who knows you?

Here’s how: testimonials. The easiest way to get testimonials is on the outsourcing sites, but you can get them anywhere. Just know that they’re essential.

In my article “Make Money With Web Writing: Basic Questions to Ask Yourself” I said about the outsourcing sites: “Your aim in signing up is to get jobs AND testimonials.” Every testimonial you get is worth money to you, and once you have five testimonials you can say goodbye to the outsourcing sites for good, because you won’t need them -– you’ll be getting clients who come to you.

I know that many writers hate the outsourcing sites, but that comes from looking at them in the wrong way. Get perspective. The outsourcing sites are TOOLS you can use. They’re very powerful, when used in the right way. They can help you to get testimonials fast.

Take Web writing seriously, and dive in, I promise you that when the money starts flowing to you, your life will change for the better in ways you can’t imagine now. I get messages each week from Sell Your Writing Online NOW (SYWON) subscribers telling me about their successes, and there’s nothing more heartwarming than to hear about loans paid off, and day jobs deep-sixed.

I published a version of this article in Fab Freelance Writing Ezine last year, and the “get testimonials” tip needs to be repeated, because it’s vital to your success. If you take it to heart, it will make all the difference to your writing career.