How to Write an Introduction That’ll Spellbind Readers in 2020

Want to know how to write a good introduction?

Those first sentences or first paragraphs that’ll tease your main points, sprinkle in just the right amount of background information, and still grab your reader’s attention so they’re glued to your every word?

It’s actually not as difficult to do as you’d think. You just need to shamelessly copy the pros.

Here’s how you do it:

Deconstruct Great Writing to Uncover the Secrets of Your Heroes

You’ve heard the advice a million times, right?

“To write better, study the writing of other great writers.”

And on the surface that makes sense.

Until you actually try to do it.

Seriously, how exactly do you study great writing?

Should you just read other writers and hope their brilliance rubs off through some form of literary osmosis? Should you write out in long hand what others have typed, in hopes of similar spontaneous hand-to-brain absorption? Or should you rely on something more concrete?

Writing well is hard enough, and the last thing you need is ambiguous advice to further complicate the successful-writer puzzle.

What you really need is a cheat sheet.

Since this is Smart Blogger, let’s deconstruct one of Jon Morrow’s strong introduction paragraphs and reveal three specific writing processes that he uses to hook readers so thoroughly:

Do you feel that?

That little tugging sensation on your heart?

You’re not sure what, but something is pulling you to change. Not in a confess-your-sins-oh-ye-sinners way, but to shift directions, to embrace your calling, to finally do what you were put here to do:

You feel the ideas inside you. You sense them straining to escape. And you know your job is to set them free, firing them like a cannon into a world in desperate need of them.

But you’re afraid.

You’re afraid of quitting your job and living without a safety net. You’re afraid of the concerned, disapproving looks your friends will give you when you tell them you’re giving it all up to write for a living. And you’re afraid of not having enough money for food, of the power being cut off, of watching your family shivering and hungry, all because of your “selfishness”.

And most of all?

You’re afraid you’re wrong about yourself.

Maybe that tugging sensation you feel is just an illusion. Maybe your ideas are crap. Or maybe you’re just a fool with delusions of grandeur, and this whole fantasy of becoming a writer is just that: a fantasy.

So, you do nothing.

You cower in your safe little job. You tinker with a blog or a novel or a screenplay. And you drown your dreams with junk food or booze or shopping sprees, all the while telling yourself you’re doing the right thing.

But are you?

“No,” a little voice whispers inside of you. “No, this is all very, very wrong.”

Oh God…An Open Letter to Writers Struggling to Find Their Courage

Quite effective, huh?

It grabs your attention, draws you in, and keeps you reading.

But what’s going on beneath the surface? If you knew, you could recreate some of that magic in your own writing, right?

So let’s lay bare the first of our three techniques.

Editor’s Note: The rules for writing introductions are a bit different for academic writing or essay writing where you’re dealing with thesis statements, research papers, and the like, but for bloggers and copywriters these techniques are worth their weight in gold.

Introduction Technique #1: The Opening Question

Did you know Jon starts many of his posts the same way — by asking a tantalizing opening question?

Let’s look at some examples:

• Google Says Guest Blogging is Dead. Is it true?
• Do you feel that? That little tugging sensation on your heart?
• So… it’s the silly season, and let me guess?
• Can I be blunt with you for a moment?
• Did you know Google can make your blog disappear from its search results?
• Have you ever wished you could peer inside the mind of one of the greatest writers in the world and find out exactly what makes them tick?
• You’ve wondered, right?
• Can I tell you my worst nightmare?

Did you notice some of the ways Jon used questions to capture your attention? I spotted the following:

• Deliberate vagueness to create curiosity
• Mentioning specific threats that instill fear
• Promising personal information (and audiences love to know more about their heroes)

Questions like these create open emotional loops that must be closed. And to find closure, you need to read the sentence that follows. Which pulls you further into the post. Sneaky huh?

In Jon’s introduction example above, he opens with the question: “Do you feel that?” When you read it, you can’t help wondering: “Feel what?” and suddenly you’re unable to resist the next sentence.

You have lots of ways to open an emotional loop. Just make sure your opening question instills an overpowering desire to discover more. Engineer your questions so that the reader can’t possibly stop reading.

And if you doubt this technique, just try turning off your television in the middle of your favorite reality television show’s final episode. 🙂

Introduction Technique #2: Delayed Transitions

Transitions are words and phrases that smoothly join two ideas, sentences, or sentence fragments.

For instance, the following sentence uses “but” as a transition:

“You want to become a better writer, but you don’t know how.”

Transitions include conjunctions (e.g., and, but, or, yet, for, if, nor, and so), exclamations (e.g., sure, well, yes, no, and oh), and colloquial phrases (e.g., in fact, of course, and granted).

Many transitions are so commonplace that we’d struggle to write without them, but where transitioning is elevated to an art form is through the use of delayed transitions.

A delayed transition puts the transitional word or phrase at the start of the next sentence, or even the next body paragraph.

So, we think a sentence is complete.

But in fact there’s more information to come.

And we can’t help ourselves but to keep reading.

The benefits of using delayed transitions are as follows:

1. Allow us to write shorter sentences, which are easier to read.
2. They pull the reader further along in your posts, especially when starting a new sentence on a separate line (even delayed transitions written on the same line are one character further along in the document compared to a transition with a comma).
3. They give the reader the illusion of reading faster than they actually are (remember those awesome books you read in one sitting and you couldn’t believe you read that many pages? That’s what I mean here).
4. They are a bit unexpected, thus provide a mild stimulus to your reader to keep them actively reading (try giving your significant other an unexpected gift at an unexpected time 🙂 ).

Let’s see how Jon used delayed transitions with his example:

You feel the ideas inside you. You sense them straining to escape. And you know your job is to set them free, firing them like a cannon into a world in desperate need of them.

But you’re afraid.

You’re afraid of quitting your job and living without a safety net. You’re afraid of the concerned, disapproving looks your friends will give you when you tell them you’re giving it all up to write for a living. And you’re afraid of not having enough money for food, of the power being cut off, of watching your family shivering and hungry, all because of your “selfishness”.

And most of all?

You’re afraid you’re wrong about yourself.

Maybe that tugging sensation you feel is just an illusion. Maybe your ideas are crap. Or maybe you’re just a fool with delusions of grandeur, and this whole fantasy of becoming a writer is just that: a fantasy.

So, you do nothing.

You cower in your safe little job. You tinker with a blog or a novel or a screenplay. And you drown your dreams with junk food or booze or shopping sprees, all the while telling yourself you’re doing the right thing.

But are you?

Transitions aren’t rocket science, but you must practice to get a feel for what combinations of transition words flow well together and what combinations don’t.

Introduction Technique #3: Poetic Iteration (and The Rule of Three)

Poetic iteration is the deliberate repetition of certain words or constructions to enhance the impact of your writing on the reader.

It creates an enticing rhythm that captivates readers and creates a magical bond between related segments of text.

Here’s an example from Jon’s introduction:

You’re not sure what, but something is pulling you to change. Not in a confess-your-sins-oh-ye-sinners way, but to shift directions, to embrace your calling, to finally do what you were put here to do:

The trio of phrases to shift, to embrace, and to finally do makes this sentence more pleasing to read and cements the feeling that this is a writer in full command of his craft.

The Rule of Three is a specific form of iteration that states any idea presented in threes is more memorable, enjoyable, and interesting. (See how that last phrase is so much more satisfying to read than simply “memorable and enjoyable” or “memorable and interesting?”)

So, what’s so special about the number three?

Three is the smallest number necessary to create a pattern, and we humans can’t get enough of patterns to help us make sense of our world.

You’ll find The Rule of Three everywhere.

In well-known quotes:

• “Government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
• “Stop, Drop, and roll.”
• “Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!”

In famous stories:

• The Three Billy Goats Gruff
• Goldilocks and The Three Bears (“This is too hot. This is too cold. And this is just right,” as opposed to, “This is too hot. This is just right.”)
• The Three Little Pigs (“I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house down,” as opposed to, “I’ll huff, and I’ll blow your house down.”)

Even in the basic building blocks of storytelling itself:

• The Beginning
• The Middle
• The End

Neat huh?

Let’s see some more examples from Jon’s opening:

You’re afraid of quitting your job and living without a safety net. You’re afraid of the concerned, disapproving looks your friends will give you when you tell them you’re giving it all up to write for a living. You’re afraid of not having enough money for food, of the power being cut off, of watching your family shivering and hungry, all because of your “selfishness”.

Maybe that tugging sensation you feel is just an illusion. Maybe your ideas are crap. Maybe you’re just a fool with delusions of grandeur, and this whole fantasy of becoming a writer is just that: a fantasy.

You cower in your safe little job. You tinker with a blog or a novel or a screenplay. You drown your dreams with junk food or booze or shopping sprees, all the while telling yourself you’re doing the right thing.

To compare a segment of text with and without iteration, let’s use an example from another popular post by Jon:

To most of the world, blogging is a joke.

It isn’t a career. It isn’t a way to make money. It isn’t a tool for changing the world.

Notice how this reads much better than:

To most of the world, starting a blog is a joke because it isn’t a career, a way to make a living, or a tool for changing the world.

We don’t call Jon “His Royal Awesomeness” for nothing!

“They Laughed When I Sat Down At the Piano But When I Started to Play!”

Now to drive home this point, I’d like to share my favorite example of poetic iteration and The Rule of Three. It’s part of an introduction to a famous ad by legendary copywriter John Caples:

I played on and as I played I forgot the people around me. I forgot the hour, the place, the breathless listeners. The little world I lived in seemed to fade – seemed to grow dim – unreal. Only the music was real. Only the music and visions it brought me. Visions as beautiful and as changing as the wind blown clouds and drifting moonlight that long ago inspired the master composer. It seemed as if the master musician was speaking to me – speaking through the medium of music – not in words but chords. Not in sentences but in exquisite melodies!

Notice how well that paragraph flowed and how hypnotized you were? Did you spot the uses of poetic iteration (such as the repetition of “I played”) and The Rule of Three (“the hour, the place, the breathless listeners”)? I bet you found some examples but not all of them.

Let’s deconstruct the text using color-coding to reveal the magic:

I played on and as I played I forgot the people around me. I forgot the hour, the place, the breathless listeners. The little world I lived in seemed to fade – seemed to grow dim – unreal. Only the music was real. Only the music and visions it brought me. Visions as beautiful and as changing as the wind blown clouds and drifting moonlight that long ago inspired the master composer. It seemed as if the master musician was speaking to me – speaking through the medium of music –  not in words but chords. Not in sentences but in exquisite melodies

No wonder this is considered one of the greatest pieces of copywriting of all time!

Now Get Out There and Write Introductions Like a Pro!

As a blogger and writer, you spend a good bit of time improving your writing.

And until recently you’ve had a good excuse to ignore advice to study the greats.

But now that you’ve seen three of the most powerful techniques the pros use to sprinkle magic into their introductions, you have no excuse not to start using them yourself.

So why not see if you can use any of these techniques to strengthen your past efforts?

Open one of your old posts and read the introduction again. Opportunities to add an introductory paragraph question, delayed transition, or poetic iteration should reveal themselves.

Be sure to use them on your next post too. Remember to practice, practice, practice.

And keep studying those pros. They have more magic up their sleeves.

But that will have to wait for another post. 😉

Write on!

About the Author: Shane Arthur is a former copyeditor for Jon Morrow’s kick-butt Guest Blogging Certification Program (affiliate link) which teaches writers just like you how to get their work featured on the world’s biggest blogs and online magazines.

The post How to Write an Introduction That’ll Spellbind Readers in 2020 appeared first on Smart Blogger.

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Ethics and Social Media Influencers: What Consumers Expect

Most people are OK with social media influencers' promoting products--as long as the influencers actually use those products, according to recent research from Influence.co. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

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21 Beginner-Friendly Tips for Landing Freelance Writing Jobs

Whether you’re a seasoned freelance writer or a beginner with no experience, freelance writing jobs are plentiful — if…

• You know where to look;
• You know how to promote yourself;
• And you know how to differentiate yourself from your fellow freelance writers.

And that’s where we come in.

If you’re a freelancer who wants to work at home and earn a full-time or part-time income doing what you love, this post will help you do just that.

Let’s dive in.

Free Class: Want to supercharge your freelancing income? Check out our Six-Figure Freelance Writing Class. It’s the new way to make real, tangible money as a freelance writer.

Get Your House in Order: Steps to Help You Prepare (and Land More Freelance Writing Gigs)

The philosopher Seneca (allegedly) said, “luck is what happens when practice meets opportunity.” The book of Galatians in the Bible tells us we reap what we sow.

Stephen King put it this way:

Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.

The common theme? Success tends to find those who are prepared for it.

As a writer, here are four things you should do to prepare for freelancing glory:

1. Create a Writing Portfolio That Kicks Butt

“Do you have writing samples?” “Can I see some of your writing work?” “What are some high-quality articles you’ve written?”

As a freelance writer, you’ll hear questions like these often.

And your answer?

Here’s a link to my writing portfolio.

At least, that should be your answer. But unfortunately, many freelancers skip the whole “prove you actually know how to write” thing.

As Scott Weiland once sang, “let the proof be in the pudding, sugar.”

Don’t simply tell prospective clients that you’re an amazing content writer. And don’t assume they already know you’re the cat’s meow and the bee’s knees.

Show them.

Further Reading: How to Create a Writing Portfolio That’ll Wow Potential Clients walks you through everything you need to craft an online portfolio of your work. It also offers tips for building a list of writing samples if your portfolio is a bit sparse.

2. Supercharge Your Writing Skills

Unless you want to spend your writing career slumming through content mills with entry-level job ads that pay peanuts, you need to level up your content creation skills.

Because those high-paying freelance jobs you lay awake dreaming about? Companies don’t hand those to just anyone.

They give them to writers who:

• Realize the importance of SEO (and can create content with both readers and Google in mind);
• Understand the importance of proofreading and submitting error-free work;
• Write fast and meet deadlines;
• Craft amazing headlines, write with clarity, and support their points with examples;
• Can connect with readers on an emotional level.

The good news?

With hard work, anyone can improve their writing skills. And for the few who are willing to roll up their sleeves and do it, the payoff can be huge.

This site is filled with helpful how-to articles on copywriting, content writing, content marketing, and SEO. And if you need training, we have that too.

Further Reading: How to Become a Better Writer: 14 Tips to Up Your Writing Game in 2020 shares our favorite must-have skills for writers. Read it, bookmark it, and come back to it again and again.

3. Ask for Testimonials

Landed a job or two? Awesome.

Did you ask the client to give you a testimonial? A few words declaring their undying love and/or satisfaction with your work (that you can use to help you land more clients)?

No? Well, you’re not alone.

Most writers who do freelance work, either due to ignorance or fear, don’t ask for testimonials. Our own Jon Morrow says he’s only had a small handful of writers over the years ask him for a testimonial — even though he would’ve been perfectly happy to give one to them.

So how should you ask for one? Keep it simple.

Here’s how Karen MacKenzie asked for a testimonial after we published her first post on Smart Blogger:

And because Karen did such a good job on her post, I was happy to give her the following testimonial:

Karen offers everything I look for in a freelance writer: Her work is excellent, she finishes on time (if not ahead of schedule), and her attention to detail is wonderful. I enjoyed working with her so much that, as soon as her first article was completed, I asked her if she’d like to write for us again. I happily recommend her.

Want a great testimonial like Karen’s?

Create testimonial-worthy content for your clients and then — this is key — ask them for a freakin’ testimonial.

Note: You can count me among the poor, unfortunate souls who missed out on Jon’s generosity. Before becoming Smart Blogger’s Editor-in-Chief, I was a freelancer. I wrote five posts for Smart Blogger as a freelance writer, which means I passed on five opportunities for Jon to say nice things about me. Don’t repeat my mistakes — ask for testimonials at every opportunity.

4. Learn How to Craft a Killer Author Bio

Picture it:

A wealthy business owner sitting in a Herman Miller chair on top of a rug made out of recycled Herman Miller chairs is reading an article you’ve written.

She’s impressed. She calls to her butler, Jeeves, and asks him to bring one of her suitcases filled with money.

Your article is so good, she wants to hire you.

But then she gets to your byline — the one you threw together at the last minute. The one that lists your hobbies and has no clear call to action.

“Throw the suitcase in the fire, Jeeves,” she says. “I shan’t be hiring a writer today.”

If you don’t want this totally realistic scenario to happen to you, you need to get really good at writing author bios.

Why?

Because someone who’s made it to your author bio is primed. They’ve read your work and want to learn about the attractive, intelligent individual who wrote it.

Maybe they want to check out your website so they can read more of your work. Maybe they want to find you on social media so they can follow you.

Or maybe they want your contact info so they can hire you.

Further Reading: How to Write a Bio Like a Superhero (Easy 3-Part Process) will show you how to craft bylines that’ll make rich people want to give you suitcases full of money.

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Pound the Pavement: Hacks for Finding Under-the-Radar Opportunities

Anyone can find a job board and search for online writing jobs. But that’s both a good and bad thing — anyone can do it.

That awesome job you found? The one you’d be perfect for? Fifty other “perfect” people found it too.

We’ll go over some great job board options in a moment (because they do have lots to offer freelance writers), but first we’ll take a trip down the road less traveled.

For example, did you know you could…

5. Use Twitter to Reverse-Engineer Writing Jobs

Want an outside-the-box way to find writing opportunities?

Try Twitter’s advanced search.

In the example below, I searched for tweets that included the phrase “writer wanted”:

I kept the search simple, but I could’ve also searched by language, hashtags, date range, and more. The more options you choose, the more refined your search results.

Click “Search” and you’ll see a list of tweets with various job postings for writers:

Scroll through the list and tweak your job search, as needed.

Some of the results will be scams, but most will be legitimate. Many will be for remote jobs, but some will be location specific (usually New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and other major cities in the United States). Just skip over the ones that don’t apply to you.

If you look at “Top” tweets, as shown in the screenshot above, you’ll find brand-new jobs mixed with older ones. Click “Latest” if you want to see recent tweets first.

Tip: When you find a tweet for a job that shows promise, click Twitter’s like/heart icon. That way you’ll be able to easily find your shortlisted tweets later.

The nice thing about Twitter’s advanced search feature is it’s only limited by your imagination.

Want to find guest blogging opportunities (since many websites these days pay for guest posts)? Enter “guest post” into the “this exact phrase” option and you’ll see every tweet written by someone looking to promote their latest guest blogging masterpiece.

That’ll give you a list of websites that accept guest posts, which you can later whittle down (after you’ve done a little more research) into a list of sites that pay guest writers.

Wash, rinse, and repeat.

6. Follow Leads on Social Media

When you use Twitter’s advanced search feature to find freelance writing jobs, you’ll discover certain Twitter handles pop up fairly frequently.

One example is @write_jobs:

When you find a good lead, follow them. That way you can cut through the noise of Twitter and go straight to your best sources.

Even better?

Add them to a private Twitter list so that tweets from all your leads can be found in one handy repository.

Here’s how you do it:

Here are a few more handles to get your Twitter list started:

• @FreelanceWJ
• @WhoPaysWriters
• @jjobs_tweets

7. Check Out Agency Job Postings

Everyone likes to talk about job boards (which, again, we’ll discuss in a moment). But you know what resource most freelance writers ignore?

Agencies.

Per Jon:

One of the best potential clients is agencies, because they usually have an ongoing need for writers. Instead of only getting paid once, you can develop a relationship with a few and get new gigs for months or even years into the future.
How to Become a Freelance Writer, Starting from Scratch

So how can you get work from agencies? Well, you could contact them directly and ask if they have any freelance work (Jon calls this a “gutsy but effective approach”).

The other way is to keep checking their “career” page:

The Content Marketing Institute maintains a detailed database of agencies. Click here to check it out.

8. Find (and Woo) Clients on Their Turf

Most articles that tout social media as a good place to find leads will point you to Facebook Groups.

And it makes sense. After all, search Facebook for “writing jobs”, click the “Groups” tab, and you’ll see dozens and dozens of options that are open to the public:

If you’re looking for a safe space where like minded individuals offer tips, advice, and writing war stories; such groups are great.

But if you’re looking to find paying gigs, you’ll likely be left wanting.

Most members of these groups are looking to be hired, not looking to hire someone. And when someone wanting to hire a writer does come along, the person who raises their hand first is usually the one who gets the job.

That’s not to say Facebook Groups can’t lead to writing jobs that pay. The trick is you need to find groups where the buyers, not the sellers, hang out.

Think “masterminds”, “think tanks”, etc.

Of course, that’s easier said than done. Such groups are usually private. So, what’s a writer to do?

Skip the Facebook Groups. Go Straight to the Sources.

One of the amazing things about technology is the way it allows us to connect and interact with people with whom we’d otherwise never have the opportunity.

In 2014, I didn’t know Adam Connell of Blogging Wizard. But I joined his mailing list and, lo and behold, a “welcome” email with his address arrived in my inbox. I responded, he wrote me back, and a friendship was born.

I first connected with Henneke Duistermaat of Enchanting Marketing through a humble blog comment. The same was true with Syed Balkhi. I connected with Pamela Wilson via Twitter. For Jon Morrow, the man who would one day hire me at Smart Blogger, I got on his radar by becoming a student in one of his courses.

Want to write for a mover and shaker in your industry? Want to befriend an influencer who can open doors for you (the kind of doors that lead to paying jobs)?

Make a connection. Be generous. Give without asking or expecting anything in return.

That means following them on Twitter, sharing their content, and interacting with them. It means subscribing to their email list.

And, yes, it may mean buying one of their products. Because here’s the thing:

When you’re their student, an influencer is invested in your future. Your success is their success. You’re a walking, talking testimonial. So many — not all, but many — will do everything they can to help you succeed.

And that includes pointing leads in your direction.

9. Pitch to Software Company Blogs

More from Jon:

You want to work with businesses who have money to spend on marketing. Chances are, those companies are subscribed to various apps for email marketing, analytics, and so on. Most software companies in the marketing space (like Hubspot, Sumo, Ahrefs, etc.) also publish a great deal of content. So, who better to write for? You’re instantly getting in front of thousands of the right clients. Many of these blogs will also pay you to write for them, so in many cases you can get your first client while also prospecting for clients.

Software companies with blogs tend to publish a lot of content. After all, every article they publish tends to pay for itself (and then some) thanks to the traffic it brings to the website — traffic that often leads to sales of their product.

As with agencies, you can either cold pitch the software companies (which sometimes works), or you can keep an eye out for open positions:

10. Don’t Be Scared of Ghostwriting

A lot of writers don’t like the idea of ghostwriting.

I get it. You’re letting someone else put their name on and take credit for your hard work.

You mean I get to spend weeks pouring my heart and soul into a piece of content, infusing every syllable with my very essence to the point I no longer know where I begin and my words end, and no one will ever know I wrote it?

Yes, that’s ghosting in a nutshell. But here’s the thing:

• Ghostwriting pays better than regular freelance writing. When you ghostwrite, it’s not unheard of to increase your fee by 15%-20% (or more).
• You can make great business relationships by ghostwriting. People who pay for ghostwriters tend to have money (and connections). Oftentimes, these clients can refer you to others.

If your primary goal is to build up a strong list of writing samples, ghostwriting isn’t for you.

But if your goal is making money and building potentially-profitable business relationships, it’s something to consider.

And here’s the best part:

Because so many freelance writers loathe ghostwriting, there isn’t as much competition.

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Job Boards: The Low-Hanging Fruit (Packed with Opportunities)

Next up, let’s look at some popular (and some under-the-radar) job boards used by freelance writers all over the world.

If you’re new to freelancing, job boards will likely be your easiest entry point. Once you have some writing samples under your belt and you begin getting good referrals from clients, more opportunities will become available to you.

Let’s start with possibly the biggest one:

11. LinkedIn

If you’re a professional, there’s a good chance you already have a LinkedIn account (even if, like me, you tend to forget about it for months at a time).

Its job board, as you would expect from a site that specializes in professional networking, is huge.

How huge?

Well, at the time of this writing, there are over 32,000 job postings for “writer” alone:

Thankfully, LinkedIn offers lots of filters. Search by date, the job’s industry, the job type (full-time, part-time, etc.), experience level, and more.

If you’re already on LinkedIn, it’s a good place to start.

12. ProBlogger

As its name would suggest, ProBlogger’s Job Board is a popular one amongst bloggers in search of freelance writing work.

However, with a $70 starting price for posting a job, you tend to find smaller companies (and lower rates) on ProBlogger. There are exceptions, of course.

One neat feature offered by ProBlogger is a Candidate Database employers can search to find writers. It’s free for writers to join, and you can use it as an online resume and sales page.

13. Upwork

Depending on who you talk to, Upwork is either awful or amazing. And the funny thing is, the reasons for its awfulness and amazingness are one and the same: low rates.

Employers love Upwork because you can typically find qualified applicants who live in areas with lower cost of living. As a result, they can get great work at reduced costs.

Those who hate Upwork do so because they’re competing with the aforementioned applicants who can comfortably live on less money.

So what does this mean for freelance writers?

Unless you’re content with low rates (because you need the practice, you want to build up your portfolio, you need all the work you can get, etc.), you’re better off with one of the other job boards mentioned.

14. BloggingPro

BloggingPro requires clients to publish job ads that pay a minimum of $15 an hour (or have at least 500 words).

Job categories are blogging, content writing, copywriting, and journalism. And types of work include contract, freelance, full-time, part-time, internship, and temporary.

As job boards not named LinkedIn or Indeed go, it’s pretty detailed.

15. FlexJobs

FlexJobs specializes in all types of remote work. It isn’t free, but you get a lot for your money.

For starters, you’re safe from scams — each job posting is vetted by an actual human. You also don’t have to hunt for jobs that’ll allow you to work from home while wearing your pajamas — all job ads are for remote work. It’s kind of their thing.

Plans start at $14.95 per month. There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee, which means you can try it out, see if there are any promising writing jobs, and cancel if you don’t like what you see.

16. Freelance Writers Den

Founded by Carol Tice, the Freelance Writers Den is a paid membership site with a long track record.

Unlike most job boards, you also get bonuses. There are over 300 hours of training material, pitch examples, templates, and monthly live events.

Membership is $25 per month with no contract. You can cancel anytime and not pay the next month’s dues. There’s also a 7-day money-back guarantee when you first join.

17. Who Pays Writers?

According to its website, Who Pays Writers? is “an anonymous, crowd-sourced list of which publications pay freelance writers — and how much.”

Translation: Once you’re ready to write for a high-profile publication that’ll look amazing on your portfolio, Who Pays Writers? will be a helpful resource you can use to discover which publications accept applications (and how much they tend to pay per word).

It’s definitely one you should bookmark.

18. FreelanceWriting.com

Curating the best writing jobs that Indeed, Craigslist, BloggingPro, and others have to offer (as well as their own, exclusive writing opportunities); freelancewriting.com is a one-step resource for freelancers.

Not all job posts are for remote work, but you can filter the ads to fit your needs. Categories include blogging (WordPress, SEO, etc.), writing (copywriter, staff writer, short stories, etc.), proofreading (copy editor, proofreader, etc.), journalism, copywriting, social media (marketing manager, social media manager, etc.), and technical writer.

If you’d like to keep your list of job boards short, freelancewriting.com is a good one to keep on it.

19. Freelance Writing Jobs

Freelance Writing Jobs curates writing jobs from Craigslist, Indeed, Journalism Jobs, and others.

Every week day, Monday through Friday, they publish a short list of hand-picked job ads. So, if you prefer quality over quantity, it’s worth a bookmark.

20. Be a Freelance Blogger

Sophie Lizard’s job board keeps things pretty simple: if you want to publish a job ad on Be a Freelance Blogger, it has to pay at least $0.10 per word or $50 per post.

If you’re just starting out, it’s definitely worth looking into.

21. Journalism Jobs

If you want to target magazines and newspapers, Journalism Jobs is a great resource. With close to 3 million page views each month, it’s the largest resource for journalism jobs on the web.

So, if publications are your focus, it should be on your short list.

Free Class: Want to make real, tangible money as a freelance writer? Check out Smart Blogger’s Six-Figure Freelance Writing Class. You’ll get instant access to the first video when you sign up.

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Ready to Become a Successful Freelance Writer?

There may be lots of writing jobs out there, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy out there.

Landing your first writing job is difficult. But, it does get easier the more you do it. I promise.

Like a Nicolas Cage movie marathon, once you survive the first few, you can handle pretty much anything.

With the tips and resources in this post, you’re now armed with knowledge. You know what steps you need to take in order to be prepared, you know under-the-radar places to look for opportunities, and you have a sizable list of job boards from which to choose.

All that’s left is for you to take action.

Are you ready to get started? Ready to find that first (or hundredth) paying assignment?

Then let’s do this thing.

About the Author: When he’s not busy telling waitresses, baristas, and anyone else who crosses his path that Jon Morrow once said he was in the top 1% of bloggers, Kevin J. Duncan is Smart Blogger’s Editor in Chief.

The post 21 Beginner-Friendly Tips for Landing Freelance Writing Jobs appeared first on Smart Blogger.

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A Detailed LinkedIn Guide for Small Businesses [Infographic]

With its 645 million users, LinkedIn is a powerful business social media platform, but many of today's small businesses never get around to signing up. This infographic provides tips on how to set up, optimize, and manage your small business account on LinkedIn. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

from
https://www.marketingprofs.com/chirp/2019/42167/a-detailed-linkedin-guide-for-small-businesses-infographic

The Most Annoying Types of People on the Internet [Infographic]

Internet users say multi-level marketers are the third-most annoying type of people online, after trolls and racists, according to research from WhoIsHostingThis.com. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

from
https://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2019/42101/the-most-annoying-types-of-people-on-the-internet-infographic

Brand Posts on Instagram: Engagement and Frequency Trends

The average engagement rate on Instagram posts published by brands has been steadily declining since November 2018, according to recent research from Socialinsider. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

from
https://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2019/42093/instagram-brand-posts-engagement-and-frequency-trends

TikTok: The Next Big Thing in Video Marketing? [Infographic]

One of the fastest-growing social media platforms in 2019, TikTok surpassed Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat in monthly installs. Can marketers can use this rising video-based social network as an innovative way to promote brands and products? Read the full article at MarketingProfs

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https://www.marketingprofs.com/chirp/2019/42145/tiktok-the-next-big-thing-in-video-marketing-infographic

Three Marketing Mistakes That Are Costing E-Commerce Companies Revenue

These days, e-commerce businesses have more marketing options at their fingertips than ever before. It can be easy to choose the wrong ones. As a result, many e-commerce companies are losing out on some seriously lucrative revenue streams. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

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https://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2019/42131/three-marketing-mistakes-that-are-costing-e-commerce-companies-revenue

Integrating Search and Social: Best-Practices for Cross-Channel Marketing

Paid search and social are both performance channels with particular strengths and weaknesses. Used intelligently together, these two channels combine for a powerhouse multichannel campaign. Here's what you need to know to successfully integrate your search and social campaigns. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

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https://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2019/42125/integrating-search-and-social-best-practices-for-cross-channel-marketing

Less Facebook, More Snapchat: How Social Media Habits Vary Among Generations

Americans of all ages tend to now use social media daily, but platform preferences vary significantly among the various generations, according to recent research from The Manifest. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

from
https://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2019/42072/how-social-media-habits-vary-among-generations

How to Use Live Video to Market Your Business [Infographic]

Fully 80% of people say they would rather watch a live video than read a social media or blog post, yet relatively few businesses are using live video. This infographic highlights the benefits of live video and outlines how to get started. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

from
https://www.marketingprofs.com/chirp/2019/42111/how-to-use-live-video-to-market-your-business-infographic

The Next Decade of E-Commerce: A Shift From Intent to Discovery

For 20+ years, shoppers have bought stuff online. But people don't just buy, they also like to shop--reveling in the experience of discovery. And they have now begun to extend that shopping behavior online. Brands need to capitalize on this shift--because it's the inevitable future of e-commerce. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

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https://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2019/42094/the-next-decade-of-e-commerce-a-shift-from-intent-to-discovery

Eight Practical Yet Powerful KPIs for Measuring Influencer Performance

We know that serious social media influencers can create an "unfair advantage" for you because they are trusted and their audiences listen to them daily. The big question for marketers isn't whether influencers create value for brands. It's what that value is--or, more specifically, how do we measure it. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

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https://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2019/42062/eight-practical-yet-powerful-kpis-for-measuring-influencer-performance

How to Create a Writing Portfolio That’ll Wow Potential Clients

Your writing portfolio is a critical tool in your marketing arsenal.

After all, it’s the first thing a potential client will want to see. And a kick-butt writer portfolio can do most of the selling for you.

As a freelance writer, you know this, but where do you start?

Well, there are three things you need to know to create an online writing portfolio that wins clients:

• What online portfolio sites will showcase your writing samples?
• Tips for a writing portfolio published on your own website.
• Ideas for building a catalog of writing samples.

Let me walk you through these. Ready?

8 Portfolio Sites to Showcase Your Writing Samples

Online portfolio sites allow you to create attractive and professional-looking portfolios while handling the technology and design concerns for you.

Using these sites for your freelance writing portfolio frees you to focus on creating more samples. This is especially crucial for newbies.

As a bonus, two of these sites may even help you find writing jobs.

Free Class: Want to supercharge your writing income? Check out our Six-Figure Freelance Writing Class. It’s the new way to make real, tangible money as a freelance writer (working from home whenever it suits your schedule).

1. Clippings.me

Creating your online writing portfolio with Clippings.me is fast and easy. During the account setup process, you can even connect to your Twitter account to import your bio and avatar.

You can customize the look and feel of your portfolio by choosing one of the provided theme pictures or by using your own picture. Your portfolio will show your name, title, bio, and will display up to 10 clips (free version).

Here’s one of the writing portfolio examples from Clippings.me:

Pros of Clippings.me

• An easy and quick way to show off your portfolio pieces. Paste in the URL of your clip, and the date, publication, title, and image populate automatically.
• Support promises to answer most questions within 24 hours.
• You can showcase your portfolio in their journalist directory.

Cons of Clippings.me

• The free version is limited to 10 articles.
• A spam-protected contact form is only available as a premium member. (The site warns against spam if you provide your email in your bio.)

Cost of Clippings.me

• Free for up to 10 articles. The premium package costs $9.99/month. Included features are unlimited samples, custom domain name, portfolio privacy (spam-protected contact form), and Google Analytics integration to measure views.

Clippings.me is a solid option for freelancers with less than 10 samples.

2. Pressfolios

Pressfolios states that it’s “the easiest way for journalists, writers, reporters, bloggers, public relations and other media professionals to backup their news stories, design a beautiful online portfolio website, and showcase their personal brand — no coding required.”

There is no free version, but there is a 14-day trial.

Pros of Pressfolios

• A clean page design containing three sections — a header, stories (your samples), and an About section.
• You can organize your stories by section (aka niche).
• Full-text backup of your stories (as part of the paid service).

Cons of Pressfolios

• Free for a 14-day trial only.
• You can only upload PDFs with the Pro version at $14.99/month.

Cost of Pressfolios

• 14-day free trial. The Lite version costs $9.99/month for up to 250 stories. The Pro version is $14.99/month and includes unlimited stories, privacy options, custom domain name, and allows you to upload PDFs.

This option is best for journalists and reporters as the concept of “stories” may not fit for other writers, especially copywriters.

3. Journo Portfolio

Journo Portfolio provides an impressive amount of options to design your writing portfolio. They boast of “hundreds of ways to customize your online portfolio.” Multiple themes, background images, colors, and fonts are available to choose from.

The site allows you to display a bio, social media links, PDFs, or any kind of multimedia files. You can also publish articles directly on the site.

Pros of Journo Portfolio

• Adding samples is easy —enter the URL and Journo Portfolio will autofill the date, publication, title, and image.
• You can have multiple pages in your portfolio, including Contact and About pages.
• You can sort samples into different niches either by using content blocks or by putting them on separate pages.

Cons of Journo Portfolio

• The number of customization options could be overwhelming.
• Your portfolio isn’t password-protected unless you select the Pro version.

Cost of Journo Portfolio

• The free version allows up to 10 articles. The Plus version is $5/month for unlimited pages and articles. The Pro version is $10/month and includes your custom domain name, article backups, a password-protected portfolio, and an HTTPS certificate.

The Pro version of Journo Portfolio is the closest thing to having your own WordPress website without worrying about hosting, security, or backup.

4. Contently

Contently calls itself, “The complete content marketing solution.” Not only is it an online portfolio site for writers, but it’s also an online content agency.

Contently provides a single-page interface where you can display unlimited projects. You can display your picture, bio, links to social profiles, skills, niches, and even the URL of your writer website (if you have one).

Pros of Contently

• No limit on the projects you can upload.
• A rates database that allows you to see what clients are paying for various projects (information is uploaded by freelancers who work for the platform).
• The potential for writing work. It’s an active marketplace with reasonable pay, and clients include larger companies such as Google, Dell, and Walmart.

Cons of Contently

• You need at least 7 projects to be considered for brand work.
• LOTS of competition on the platform, so it will take time to be “discovered” for freelance writing gigs.

Cost of Contently

• Free

Once you set up your profile, you will have a professional-looking and free writing portfolio. Plus, you have the potential for writing gigs in the future.

5. Quiet.ly

Quiet.ly is an online content marketing agency that allows you to create a profile potentially leading to writing gigs.

Pros of Quiet.ly

• Potential for writing job leads.
• Active marketplace with clients such as Adobe, Slack, and Dell listed.

Cons of Quiet.ly

• No guarantee that you will be matched with clients. It depends on your skills, niche, and the businesses searching for potential freelancers.
• You’ll be in direct competition with other freelancers.

Cost of Quiet.ly

• Free

Fill out your profile in detail, add relevant writing samples, and the Quiet.ly editors could match you with writing opportunities that match your interests and skill set.

Note: The option to create a public portfolio isn’t currently available. Unless you have very specific needs, you should probably look elsewhere to meet your writing portfolio needs.

6. LinkedIn

Your LinkedIn profile is your freelance writing online resume. A link to your profile is often requested by potential clients (especially larger companies).

LinkedIn isn’t designed to be a writing portfolio, but you can use it as one.

Highlight your best samples by placing them in your Summary section, using the Upload File or Add Link options.

You can use the Experience section to list clients and provide links to the  work you’ve done for them.

Pros of LinkedIn

• LinkedIn builds your visibility online. More than 30 million companies are on LinkedIn, and companies run searches to look for freelance writers whose skills and interests match their needs.
• You connect with people at companies you are interested in writing for and build relationships with them.
• You can use LinkedIn Publisher to publish (or repost) your work to prove your writing skills in a particular niche, and perhaps capture the attention of those in your network.

Cons of LinkedIn

• With LinkedIn, you don’t own your profile. You could lose all the work you put into building your connections if your account was blocked or banned.
• You need a niche prominently stated in your profile to help companies find you, or it will be hard to stand out.

Cost of LinkedIn

• It’s free to set up a profile.

Creating an enticing LinkedIn profile is an excellent way to connect with both prospects and clients, as well as other freelance writers.

7. Pinterest

Pinterest is a visual discovery engine. To design a writing portfolio, you’ll want to create a Pinterest business account complete with bio and a professional picture.

To use Pinterest, you first create or source images to represent your posts. Then use those images to create “pins,” which link to your post and can include your headline, author name, and post description.

These pins can be organized on boards, which act as containers for groups of pins. Using the right keywords or keyphrases is essential if you want your pins or boards to be discovered.

Pros of Pinterest

• It’s another way to expand your online presence (and help potential clients find you), and it’s free.
• You can create boards for each niche or keyword to make it easier for bloggers and other business owners to find you.
• A fun form of marketing if you enjoy creating or sourcing images.

Cons of Pinterest

• It’s not relevant for all niches. Look at popular boards to confirm whether or not your niche does well on Pinterest before you begin.
• Creating and/or finding images is the entire point of this platform, so if that doesn’t appeal to you, you may want to pass.

Cost of Pinterest

• Free to use.

Creating a writing portfolio using Pinterest can be fun if you enjoy working with images. At a minimum, enable the “Pin It” button for images on your writer website so your posts can be shared on Pinterest.

8. Muck Rack

Muck Rack is a PR software platform designed for journalists and PR pros. The platform is open to any writer; however, only verified journalists get a green badge to signify that they meet Muck Rack’s criteria.

This platform is dedicated to the profession of journalism. Since it is integrated with Twitter, it tracks what journalists are Tweeting about.

Pros of Muck Rack

• Automatically compiles articles and social media profiles, making set up easy.
• It provides full-text backups for your writing portfolio.
• You can track the impact of your work by using the “Who Shared My Link” tool to see social shares for your article, and the journalist who shared it.

Cons of Muck Rack

• Designed primarily for journalists.
• You’ll be signing up to receive PR pitches (although you can edit this in the settings).

Cost of Muck Rack

• Free for journalists.

This is a fantastic option for journalists. A benefit of using this site as a freelance writer is you could sign up and then use the platform to find journalists to interview for your articles.

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12 Tips for Portfolio Pages Hosted on Your Own Writer Website

The writing portfolio sites we just discussed can get you started, but eventually, you’ll want to create your own writer website.

Why?

Because with portfolio sites, you are only a renter, not an owner. Policies and pricing can change overnight. An ideal situation is to use these sites in addition to a writer website, which you own and control.

So how do you optimize a writing portfolio hosted on your own website? Follow these 12 tips:

1. Know Your Target Client and Desired Niche(s)

Select your writing portfolio samples with your target client and niche(s) in mind. Choose relevant samples that would appeal to potential clients and are in niches that you want to write in.

And in you include testimonials in your writing portfolio, be sure they come from reputable sources who represent your ideal target.

2. Limit Your Freelance Writing Portfolio Samples

Avoid overwhelming potential clients with too many choices. Provide enough samples to demonstrate your writing ability and to give a selection of options, up to three per niche. This is your writing portfolio, not a blog, right?

3. Choose Quality Over Quantity

Include only your best work, not every example of your work. And not only your best pieces, but your most recent writing samples.

4. Confirm That Your Writing Portfolio (And Website) Is Easy To Navigate

Make it super-simple to find everything. To test this, ask a friend to open your website, and then find one specific piece of information on your portfolio page. Make any necessary changes based on their feedback.

5. Organize Samples By Type, By Niche, and Use Clear Descriptions

Make it easy to find samples by organizing them by type (posts, white papers, landing page copy, etc.) and by niche. Also, provide brief descriptions of your samples (and put on your copywriter hat where possible). For ghostwritten clips that lack your byline, add “ghostwritten” in the description to prevent confusion.

6. Keep Your Writing Portfolio Design Clean and Simple

Keep your design uncluttered, with no distractions, so your samples stand out. Use clear, easy to read fonts at least 14pt in size.

7. Don’t Display Entire Articles on Your Portfolio Page

Instead, provide links to the samples, and have the samples open in their own distraction-free pages.

8. Use Thumbnail Images For Each Writing Sample

Text-only links are okay but aren’t as compelling as images. Images help your samples visually pop on the page.

9. Use Plug-ins or Page Builders to Help You Design

These tech tools help you design a professional-looking portfolio. However, before you install a plug-in or page builder, confirm it has been recently updated. Also, check that it is compatible with both the latest version of WordPress and your theme.

As an example, the page builder Elementor (affiliate link) has an Image Box widget with impressive capabilities (and it’s free!).

10. Check It On Mobile And Tablets

Your writing portfolio may look beautiful on your desktop, but always double-check how it looks on tablets and phones. Confirm that text and images don’t get cut-off or distorted.

11. Keep Your Writing Portfolio Fresh and Up-to-Date

Check your links often, at least once a month. Also, replace older samples as you create new and improved ones — Google loves and rewards fresh content on your website.

12. Have a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA) On Your Portfolio Page

The whole purpose of your writing portfolio is to motivate potential clients to contact you. Make that next step easy. Either display your email address or a clickable button leading to a “Contact me” page.

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How to Build Writing Samples for Your Freelance Writing Portfolio

So…

What if you complete the steps above, and your writing portfolio looks a bit, well, sparse? Solution: Build a list of strong writing samples.

Start with a spreadsheet and a strategy. This answers the questions of “what do you have, and what do you need?”

A spreadsheet (or simple Google Doc) provides an organized list of all of your published samples — one central location to track your work. Not only will this save you time, but it will show you at a glance what holes you may have in your strategy and what you need to create.

Here’s an example:

As a freelance writer, you need to prove that you can write the type of content your target clients are willing to pay for. Your writing samples provide this proof.

So let’s cover how to do this.

1. No Barriers To Entry: Publish Posts on Your Own Website

For newbies, this is the easiest way to get started. Plus, creating posts provides a benefit beyond proving your writing ability to clients. You also prove to yourself that you would enjoy writing in a particular niche.

If you want to break into new types of writing, you can create samples to demonstrate your skill. For example, if you want to add case studies to your writing services, create a fictional case study to show that you understand the form.

2. Money Well Spent: Hire a Copyeditor

The downside of creating samples on your own is that you don’t get the feedback you need to improve. Friends and family are helpful, but typically far too generous.

By hiring a copyeditor, you can learn where you make mistakes and improve your samples.

3. Smash Down the Wall: Take a Class

If you’ve been procrastinating or don’t know where to start, a course can be an excellent way to move forward. The best courses do more than provide information — they encourage you to implement what you’ve learned, and provide feedback.

Taking a course costs money, but it’s an investment in yourself as a writer.

Editor’s Note: Smart Blogger has a free Six-Figure Freelance Writing Class. If you don’t know where to start, start here.

4. Friendly Practice: Publish Posts on Medium

By posting on Medium, you can practice your writing skills in a friendly environment. Practice publishing regularly so you get used to your words being out in public.

SEO tip — publish your posts on your own website first, wait for at least two weeks, and then re-publish it on Medium. This way, the search engines index your site first.

5. Byline Power: Write Guest Posts

Write guest posts that allow you to include your author bio with a link to your writing portfolio. This is an excellent method to get published posts with your byline on it, critical for social proof and credibility.

Guest posting is typically unpaid, although there are exceptions. The focus here is on getting your first byline, and on creating samples for your portfolio.

Choose a blog that has a high level of credibility, is respected in your niche, or is where your target clients are likely to hang out.

If you aren’t sure where to begin, try Google:

Search for a niche or topic (in the screenshot example above, we used “blogging”) along with a relevant phrase (“write for us”).

Google will return a list of search results containing both terms/phrases.

If you find a good target, add it to your spreadsheet. Next, try a few different variations in Google:

• “blogging” + “guest post”
• “blogging” + “contribute”
• “writing tips” + “write for us”
• Etc.

Replace “blogging” and “writing tips” with your own niche/topic.

When you have a solid list of potential blogs to pitch, look at their popular posts, and the topics they cover. You need to know what kind of content they want, so do your research.

Read their guest posting guidelines and follow them when preparing your pitch.

Once one of your pitches is accepted, celebrate! Then be prepared to do your best work. After all, this post will be one of the building blocks in your writing portfolio.

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Start Building Your Rockstar Writing Portfolio Today

Your writing portfolio is your main sales tool, the one that follows the adage, “Show, don’t tell.”

Imagine how you will feel with a strong writing portfolio backing you up as a freelance writer. No more blending into the crowd — you’ll be a confident freelance writer, with proof of your writing skills.

Creating and maintaining a writing portfolio signals to both the world and yourself that freelancing isn’t merely a hobby — you are a professional who is serious about your freelance writing business.

So take one step, one tip, or one action from this post, and go implement it right now. Yes, right now. Your future self will thank you.

About the Author: Karen MacKenzie is a freelance writer and Smart Blogger Certified Content Marketer specializing in digital marketing and personal finance. She blends her business and financial experience with a desire to connect with readers in a warm and friendly manner. Go to kmackenziewriter.com if you’d like to hire her for your next project.

The post How to Create a Writing Portfolio That’ll Wow Potential Clients appeared first on Smart Blogger.

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Politics, Social Media, and Work: How Attitudes Vary Among Generations

Younger employees are more likely to oppose to companies regulating how they discuss politics on social media while at work, according to recent research from Clutch. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

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https://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2019/42017/politics-social-media-and-work-how-attitudes-vary-among-generations

11 Free WordPress Hosting Services That Don’t Suck (2019)

If you want to launch your very own self-hosted WordPress blog, but you’re not quite ready (or able) to dip your toes into the premium web hosting waters, a free WordPress hosting service could be just what you need.

These free services won’t match the performance and flexibility of a quality paid WordPress host, but they will help you set up a working WordPress site for free.

This post will break down the 11 best options, show you what they do well, and what they don’t do so well.

After reading, you’ll have a solid idea which free WordPress hosting option is best for you and your needs.

Let’s jump right in.

The Best Free WordPress Hosting Services of 2019

1. WordPress.com
2. 000webhost
3. AccuWeb Hosting
4. Byet.host
5. AwardSpace
6. x10Hosting
7. Free Hosting No Ads
8. Free Hosting
9. InfinityFree
10. Freehostia
11. 100WebSpace

Editor’s Note: WPNode, a “free” hosting provider that boasts some great features — unlimited data transfer, free global CDN by Cloudflare and a built-in caching plugin to speed up your site (so Google will love you), etc. — isn’t included in this roundup because we couldn’t determine if it’s actually free. Clicking their “Host My Website” button takes you to a third party with WordPress hosting plans that start at $2.50 per month, which, by our calculations, is $2.50 more than “free.”

1. WordPress.com

WordPress.com, often confused with the open source WordPress software, is a for-profit implementation of the open source software that you find at WordPress.org.

WordPress.com simplifies the process of creating a WordPress site, letting you launch your site by simply registering for a WordPress.com account. However, it also doesn’t give you access to the full WordPress software, which means you’re limited in what you can do.

Standout Features of WordPress.com

• Easy, user-friendly setup process
• Custom WordPress.com dashboard
• Unlimited bandwidth
• 3 GB of storage space
• Choose from hundreds of free WordPress themes, which makes it easy to create a custom web design
• Free SSL certificate

Pros of WordPress.com

• The easiest setup process of any free host on this list. All you do is register for an account — no WordPress installation required.
• High-powered infrastructure means your website will load quickly and reliably.
• You get access to a custom WordPress dashboard for managing your website.

Cons of WordPress.com

• You cannot install your own plugins or themes on the free plan.
• You’re only allowed to use a WordPress.com subdomain — you need to pay to use your own custom domain name.
• No direct server access — you cannot connect via FTP or manage your database.

Who Should Use WordPress.com?

WordPress.com is a great option for non-technical users who don’t need the ability to install their own themes and plugins.

It’s an especially good choice if you’re looking for a free host to launch a blog. You can still use it to launch a static site — you just won’t have many options for customizing how your static site works.

However, it’s not a good option for technical users because you don’t get server access and it’s a stripped-down version of WordPress that doesn’t give you much flexibility.

Final Word on WordPress.com

WordPress.com is a great free option if you don’t need the full WordPress experience. You’re sacrificing the ability to install your own extensions and access your server, but you’re gaining a simple experience powered by world-class infrastructure.

If that tradeoff sounds fine to you, go for WordPress.com’s free hosting plan.

Check Out WordPress.com

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2. 000webhost

000webhost is the free WordPress hosting platform from Hostinger, a popular budget host.

While 000webhost is largely just a marketing strategy to drive you towards Hostinger’s premium hosting offerings, it still offers a solid platform that you can use to run a functional WordPress site — as long as you don’t get too much traffic.

Standout Features of 000webhost

• Lets you host up to two websites for free
• Custom-built hosting dashboard to manage your sites
• 1-click WordPress installer tool via Softaculous
• Full database and FTP access
• 1 GB of storage
• 10 GB of bandwidth
• No ads
• Free website builder

Pros of 000webhost

• You can use your own custom domain name (or a free 000webhost subdomain).
• The custom hosting dashboard makes it easy to perform key actions, like installing WordPress.
• You get full access to the underlying server and database.
• You can host two websites for free.

Cons of 000webhost

• Your website will be suspended if you exceed the free plan limits (you only get one warning and then your site is gone for good — no recovering your data).
• The hosting dashboard is filled with prompts to upgrade to Hostinger, the paid service.
• No support for email hosting.

Who Should Use 000webhost?

000webhost is a great option for users who want a full-service hosting experience for free.

You’ll still be able to install your own apps, access your server and database, and use a custom domain name…you just won’t have to pay for it.

Final Word on 000webhost

000webhost is an attractive option because it gives you fully functioning hosting for free.

The only things to pay attention to are the storage and bandwidth limits. While they’re fine for a low-traffic site, a high-traffic site will quickly hit those limits and 000webhost is aggressive about cutting off sites that exceed its limits.

Check Out 000webhost

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3. AccuWeb Hosting

AccuWeb is a US-based web host that offers both free and premium hosting plans. It’s been around since 2003, so AccuWeb is one of the older web hosts out there.

AccuWeb has one of the more generous free WordPress hosting plans when it comes to storage, bandwidth, and email limits. You also get access to cPanel, the latest versions of PHP, and a guarantee of no ads ever.

Standout Features of AccuWeb Hosting

• cPanel hosting dashboard
• 2 GB SSD storage
• 30 GB bandwidth
• Full server access, including database access
• 1-click WordPress installer
• Email accounts
• Supports custom domain names
• Basic backup support
• No ads

Pros of AccuWeb Hosting

• Has a generous bandwidth limit — you can have up to ~5,000 monthly visitors.
• Lets you have up to 25 free email accounts, which most free site hosts don’t allow.
• You get full cPanel and database access.
• You can use your own domain name.

Cons of AccuWeb Hosting

• Only lets you host one website per account. AccuWeb enforces this by requiring you to submit a government-issued ID when you register.
• The only server location is in Montreal, Canada.
• No free subdomain — you must purchase and use your own domain name.

Who Should Use AccuWeb Hosting?

AccuWeb is a good option for users who need to host a single WordPress site with high traffic while maintaining the flexibility of the full WordPress platform. While it can’t power a truly high-traffic website, it does offer one of the more generous plans when compared to other full-featured free WordPress hosts.

Just remember that AccuWeb is strict about the one website rule — you’ll need to submit your government-issued ID to access your free hosting.

Final Word on AccuWeb Hosting

There’s no single standout feature with AccuWeb — it’s just a really solid free offering. The limits give you enough room to create a functional WordPress site and you still get access to the latest technologies like cPanel and PHP 7+.

Check Out AccuWeb

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4. Byet.host

Byet has been around for over ten years now and is a subsidiary of a parent company, iFastNet (which also runs another free web hosting on this list).

Byet offers some of the most generous free hosting plans around when it comes to storage and bandwidth limits.

Standout Features of Byet

• Unlimited storage (but 10 MB max file size for individual files)
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Free subdomain or use your own custom domain
• 1-click WordPress auto-installer
• VistaPanel hosting dashboard
• Email hosting (up to 5 email addresses)
• Full server access via FTP
• Unlimited MySQL databases
• No ads

Pros of Byet

• Unlimited storage and bandwidth is quite generous.
• You can use a free subdomain or your own custom domain name.
• You can create your own email address.
• Unlimited MySQL databases means you can technically host unlimited sites.

Cons of Byet

• While you get unlimited storage, individual files cannot exceed 10 MB.
• The VistaPanel hosting dashboard looks quite dated.

Who Should Use Byet?

Byet is a great option for users who need full server access for lots of WordPress sites and/or high-traffic WordPress sites.

Byet is one of the few free WordPress hosts to let you create unlimited websites and it also offers unlimited bandwidth, which makes it a good choice for high-traffic sites.

Final Word on Byet

Byet packs the word “unlimited” into its plans quite a bit, making it one of the most generous free WordPress hosts out there.

Just remember the 10 MB limit on individual files, as that might cause issues if you need to host large files.

Check Out Byet

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5. AwardSpace

AwardSpace is a budget web host from Germany that’s been around since 2003.

With AwardSpace, you’ll get a free WordPress hosting plan that’s suitable for up to 5,000 visits per month, as well as an easy upgrade path as your site grows, with premium hosting plans starting at just $0.19 (USD) per month.

Standout Features of AwardSpace

• Host up to 4 websites
• 1-click WordPress installer
• Use your own domain or choose from a free dx.am domain
• Custom hosting control panel
• Web-based file manager
• Full MySQL database support
• Email hosting
• 1 GB storage
• 5 GB bandwidth
• No ads
• Also offers free Joomla hosting

Pros of AwardSpace

• Lets you host up to four websites.
• You can have your own email account (e.g. you@yoursite.com).
• You get full access to the server files and database.

Cons of AwardSpace

• Low bandwidth in comparison to other hosts’ free plans — you only get 5 GB.
• While you can have four websites, only one of them can be a top-level domain. The other three websites must be subdomains.

Who Should Use AwardSpace?

AwardSpace is a good option for those who want to have multiple low-traffic sites and need full server access. The bandwidth and storage limits will limit how many visitors you can have, but you’ll be able to have four websites (though three must be on subdomains).

Final Word on AwardSpace

AwardSpace doesn’t have a very generous bandwidth allocation, but it does let you host up to four websites, includes email hosting, and gives you full server access.

If you can work within those storage and bandwidth limits, it can be a good free option.

Check Out AwardSpace

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6. x10Hosting

x10Hosting is a cloud-based host that’s been offering free web hosting since back in 2004. Cloud-based means that, rather than your content “living” on a single server, it’s stored in the cloud.

You’ll get unlimited bandwidth, full cPanel access, and a one-click WordPress auto-installer to help you get up and running.

Standout Features of x10Hosting

• Cloud-based hosting infrastructure
• Unlimited bandwidth
• 512 MB storage (potentially more)
• Use subdomain or your own custom domain
• 2 different hosting dashboards — cPanel or a custom hosting dashboard
• Full server access
• 1-click WordPress installer

Pros of x10Hosting

• You can use your own custom domain name or choose from five free subdomains.
• x10Hosting caps your storage limit at 512 MB to start, but they’ll give you more space for certain uses if you ask.
• Unlimited bandwidth means x10Hosting works for high-traffic sites.
• You get full cPanel access.

Cons of x10Hosting

• Limited signup locations. X10Hosting would not let me sign up from Vietnam or using a VPN, so not everyone can use the service.

Who Should Use x10Hosting?

x10Hosting is good for those with higher-traffic websites because it offers unlimited bandwidth. It’s also great if you want a powerful hosting dashboard, as it’s one of the few free web hosts to give you access to cPanel.

Final Word on x10Hosting

x10Hosting is a great free option if you can use it. I wasn’t able to get around the geolocation block to create a free hosting account — so YMMV when trying to sign up for this free service.

Check Out x10Hosting

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7. Free Hosting No Ads

Free Hosting No Ads certainly won’t win any points for the creativity of its name, but the name does do a pretty great job of describing what you get with this one.

Free Hosting No Ads has been offering free hosting since 2010 — you can even join their Facebook group for a chance to win a free domain name to pair with your free hosting.

Standout Features of Free Hosting No Ads

• 1 GB storage space
• 5 GB bandwidth
• 1-click WordPress installer
• Use your own custom domain name or a free subdomain
• Email accounts
• No ads

Pros of Free Hosting No Ads

• The 1 GB storage limit gives you a good amount of space to work with.
• You can create your own custom email account.
• You can choose between a free subdomain or you own custom domain name.

Cons of Free Hosting No Ads

• Does not support the latest versions of PHP. Its most recent version is PHP 5.4, which is beyond outdated at this point. You might run into compatibility problems with some WordPress plugins.
• The bandwidth limit won’t work for a high-traffic site.

Who Should Use Free Hosting No Ads?

Free Hosting No Ads is good for people who are just looking for a free playground to test things, but the lack of support for the most recent versions of PHP will cause a lot of compatibility problems with WordPress plugins.

So if you’re looking to harness the power of WordPress plugins, this one isn’t a good option.

Final Word on Free Hosting No Ads

Free Hosting No Ads is generous with its features and limitations, but the outdated PHP version support means you’re probably better off with a different host for any serious WordPress project.

Check Out Free Hosting No Ads

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8. Free Hosting

If you thought Free Hosting No Ads’ name was creative, then you’re going to absolutely love the creativity and brevity of Free Hosting.

By saving time and energy on brainstorming a name, Free Hosting is able to offer generous free cPanel web hosting with unlimited bandwidth.

Standout Features of Free Hosting

• cPanel hosting dashboard
• 1-click WordPress auto-installer
• 10 GB storage space
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Use your own domain name
• 1 MySQL database

Pros of Free Hosting

• You get access to cPanel, which most free website hosts don’t offer.
• Unlimited bandwidth means you can host a high-traffic site.
• The 10 GB storage limit is quite generous and should be enough for most WordPress sites.
• You can have your own email account (but only one).

Cons of Free Hosting

• You can only host a single WordPress site because you’re only allowed one MySQL database.
• There’s no free subdomain option — you have to purchase and use your own custom domain name.
• While you can have one free email account, you can’t send email from your site (though this is an available add-on for a one-time fee).

Who Should Use Free Hosting?

Free Hosting is a great option for people who only need to host a single WordPress site.

While you’re only able to host one WordPress site, the unlimited bandwidth and generous 10 GB storage limit mean that you won’t run into limits as your site grows.

Final Word on Free Hosting

If you want to use your own domain name and only need a single website, Free Hosting is a great option that gives you access to the industry-standard cPanel hosting dashboard and generous storage and bandwidth.

Check Out Free Hosting

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9. InfinityFree

InfinityFree is another free web hosting service using infrastructure from iFastNet (the same parent company of the Byet service detailed above).

Like Byet, it gives you generous limits when it comes to disk space and bandwidth, which is why over 300,000 people use InfinityFree, according to the landing page.

Standout Features of InfinityFree

• Unlimited storage (but individual files cannot exceed 10 MB)
• Unlimited bandwidth (but limited to 50,000 daily hits)
• 1-click WordPress installer, plus a script installer for 400+ other tools
• Use your own custom domain name or choose from 25 free subdomains
• 10 email accounts
• 400 MySQL databases
• PHP 7.3 support
• Cloudflare CDN
• SSL certificate
• Ad free

Pros of InfinityFree

• Unlimited bandwidth and storage means you can host large, high-traffic WordPress sites. You can have up to 50,000 daily hits per day, which is enough for thousands of daily visitors.
• You can have up to 10 custom email accounts.
• Being able to use 400 MySQL databases means you can host multiple WordPress sites.

Cons of InfinityFree

• While you get unlimited storage, individual files cannot exceed 10 MB.
• The VistaPanel hosting dashboard looks quite dated.

Who Should Use InfinityFree?

Just like Byet…

InfinityFree is a great option for users who need full server access for lots of WordPress sites and/or high-traffic WordPress sites.

InfinityFree is one of the few free WordPress hosts to let you create unlimited websites and it also offers unlimited bandwidth, which makes it a good choice for high-traffic sites.

Final Word on InfinityFree

InfinityFree is from the same parent company as Byet, so it’s really just up to your preference which one you want to use.

There are some minor differences — like the number of email accounts you can have. But generally, you get the same service — so just go with whichever name you like better!

Check Out InfinityFree

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10. Freehostia

Despite the name, Freehostia offers both free and premium WordPress hosting.

Freehostia uses load-balanced clusters to host your site and gives you generous access to your server.

Standout Features of Freehostia

• Host up to five websites
• SSL certificates via Let’s Encrypt
• 250 MB storage
• 6 GB bandwidth
• 1-click WordPress installer
• 3 email accounts
• 1 MySQL database
• Technical support with 1-hour ticket response times

Pros of Freehostia

• You can have up to three personal email accounts.
• You get full server access, including nice features like free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates.

Cons of Freehostia

• The storage limit is quite small — 250 MB is only enough for a very small site.
• While you can host up to five websites, you can only have one MySQL database, which means you can only have one WordPress install (the other sites would need to be static sites).

Who Should Use Freehostia?

Freehostia is great for users who want to host a simple site that’s mostly static. For example, a portfolio site.

However, the low storage limits means it’s not a good option for large sites. For example, if you had a blog where you upload images, you’d hit the storage limit pretty quickly.

Final Word on Freehostia

From a feature perspective, Freehostia is quite generous for a free WordPress host, with full server access, SSL certificates, and more.

The main thing holding Freehostia back is its low storage limits.

Check Out Freehostia

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11. 100WebSpace

100WebSpace is a budget web hosting service that offers affordable premium plans alongside its free hosting service.

While its free service is fairly limited, you can upgrade to premium plans for as little as 99 cents per month, so you can affordably grow if needed.

Standout Features of 100WebSpace

• Support for 1 domain name
• 100 MB storage space
• 3 GB monthly traffic
• 1 database and 5 MB of storage
• one-click WordPress installer
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• SSL certificates via Let’s Encrypt
• Customer support — 1-hour technical support ticket response time
• No ads

Pros of 100WebSpace

• Your own email address (up to three).
• You still get access to human support if you need it.
• You get full server access, including FTP accounts, SSL certificates, and more.

Cons of 100WebSpace

• It has very limited storage space — 100 MB doesn’t give you much space beyond the WordPress software.
• You can only have one WordPress install because of the MySQL database limit (though the storage limit kind of makes that a moot point).

Who Should Use 100WebSpace?

100WebSpace is really only good for a simple static WordPress site. For example, if you just want to host a portfolio, it can be a great option. But if you’re a blogger who is planning on… well, blogging, you’ll quickly hit the storage limit.

Final Word on 100WebSpace

100WebSpace is fine for basic uses, but its low storage limit will get in the way of dynamic WordPress sites. However, you can always upgrade to a premium hosting plan for less than a dollar a month, so it won’t break the bank if you have to upgrade.

Check Out 100WebSpace

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Editor’s Note:

How to Upgrade to a Premium, Managed WordPress Host (When You’re Ready)

If you keep your expectations in check and pick the right hosting company, you can have a solid experience using one of the services we’ve outlined above.

But eventually — because your site starts bringing in real traffic, you decide to add an e-commerce store, you want better customer support, etc. — the day may come when you’ll want to upgrade to a premium WordPress host.

We recommend SiteGround (affiliate link) to our students. We believe it’s the best WordPress host for most bloggers.

Hosting plans start at $3.95 per month, and for that bargain price you get some nice features:

• A technical support team knowledgeable in all things WordPress
• A Content Delivery Network (CDN) to speed up your site (which helps with SEO)
• Free SSL certificates (so Google will know your site can be trusted)
• Daily backups (so you never lose your data)
• The ability to add parked domains
• A 30-day money back guarantee

When you’re ready, here are the step-by-step instructions for purchasing SiteGround (and updating your domain’s nameservers to point to it).

Which Free WordPress Hosting Service Will You Choose?

Thanks to the hosting services in this post, you don’t need to spend big bucks just to launch your own website.

Now that you know your options for the best free WordPress hosting, there’s only one question left to answer:

Which free WordPress host is right for you?

Pick the service that best matches your needs and go make something awesome.

About the author: Colin Newcomer is a freelance writer for hire with a background in SEO and affiliate marketing. He helps clients grow their web visibility by writing primarily about digital marketing and WordPress. In his spare time, he travels and curates graphic t-shirts.

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