Working with a long-term client

I have worked with Manav Gupta for over two years on various projects.

Here is an overview of the type of content I worked on with him.

Being a writer himself, there was a lot to learn in my time working with Manav.

Here are the key learnings I have accumulated in the span of working with him on various projects.

Proper research means the job is half done. Detailed research on any topic leads to the following:

An understanding of what our competitors are talking about and how they are talking about it.
You can mention accurate data. This helps in maintaining trust with the readers.
An outline of the relevant details to add while writing the content.
Comprehensive research helps in formulating your own ideas on the topic. This helps in adding a personalized touch to your content. It helps us provide a unique perspective rather than showcasing what the majority has already talked about.

While writing is a skill, successful writing is an art.

You need to use different writing styles. For e.g., writing varies when it is about selling from when writing is about creating awareness.
The basic and crucial step to writing well is proofreading your own work. What seems like a useful sentence while writing may turn out to be unimpactful when reading for the second time.
Moreover, we do not realize before we read our own content how some of our sentences make sense to a tool like Grammarly, but they don't make sense in reality. Often while we are 'in the flow' we do not realize our thoughts have changed or merged while formulating sentences on the screen. It creates inconsistencies in your content that drastically reduce the quality of the content.
A simple grammar and spell check goes a long way in creating above-average quality content.

When working as a freelancer, it can get tough to maintain accountability or follow deadlines. However, it is mandatory to learn for a freelancer.

It is crucial to set workable deadlines. Even though we are excited to provide output, it is necessary to work with a realistic timeline.
If for any reason you think you will not be able to meet the deadlines, it is important to mention it well within time. This helps our clients adjust their schedules better and can reduce the impact of late submissions.
Do not provide sub-par content just to meet the deadline as it can lead to more changes and ultimately more wastage of time and resources. Do it once, but take your time and do it right.
And in order to be able to follow through with the above point, it is important to know how to manage your work well.
Committing to a lot of work might seem like the right decision financially, but it may not be the best course of action in the long term. Because it leads to low-quality deliverables which hampers your chances of maintaining long-term clients. This means, even if you get new clients, you may have a high churn rate and you will be constantly stuck in the cycle of looking for clients. And this leaves fewer opportunities for you to scale and eventually earn more.

Penny For Her Thoughts