Ways to Keep Productive

6 Ways to Keep Productive in 2021 When You Have No Clients

Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank

As a freelance writer, keeping a constant flow of clients makes sure your bills are paid. But what should you do when the client pool is a bit dry at the moment? Instead of turning to Netflix, I’m going to show you several ways to keep productive.

Because not everything centers around an immediate paycheck.

There are a lot of things you can do right now that will work to your benefit as a professional. And some will have more of an impact on how you perform than you might realize.

6 Effective Methods to Keep Yourself Productive

There are probably far more things you can do to keep yourself busy. But, not all are going to benefit you as a freelancing professional.

This list comprises of things that have helped me go from writing one or two posts per day on Textbroker to the Content Marketing Team Lead of GreenGeeks Web Hosting.

I can’t promise that you’ll have the same success as me. However, these methods will undoubtedly help you grow as a professional.

1. Set Up a Personal Blog

Every freelancer should have a professional blog available for clients to browse. But what about a personal one?

The truth is, every moment you spend blogging and putting your skills to use helps hone your talents for when a client does come your way. A personal blog lets you write pretty much anything you want while separating the professional content.

For instance, I maintain WriterSanctuary.com. However, I have a blog under my name that is centered around everything I do online. It’s far more opinionated and relaxed as opposed to the others.

Besides, if you develop a well-received blog, it could help generate residual income through ad revenue or other sales.

2. Use Paying Blog Platforms

Clients, personal blogs, and content mills are not the only way to make money online. You could use blog platforms that pay creators for simply adding content.

A few of these systems to keep productive include:

The downside to these platforms is that you are less likely to make a serious amount of money. However, they do offer a way to get a bit of income while practicing your writing skills.

And, you can write as much as you want on these platforms.

3. Identify Your Weakness and Research the Fixes

One of the things that helped me become the professional I am today is by researching my weaknesses in Google.

Editors from Textbroker and Constant Content would point out my faults in an article. Then, I would research how to fix those issues and put them into practice on my blog.

For example, I spent a lot of time learning how to handle AP Style English and comma usage. I also spent a lot of time learning to write for SEO and readability.

My point is that there is always something for you to work on as a professional. No one is perfect, and honing your skills only makes you that much more valuable.

4. Get Working On Your eBook

This is one that I intend to do in the very near future. And I’m not just talking about finishing my novel.

Putting together an eBook of your talents and expertise can help focus your skills while giving a product to sell to your audience. This is on top of a way to keep yourself productive.

Every freelancer has a unique perspective on success. And there are many out there who would love to know what you know. Cranking out an eBook while in between clients can boost your reputation as well as give you practice.

This is especially helpful for those who are niche writers. This means your expertise is in a specific market or industry. Writing about something in your niche solidifies you as an expert.

5. Exercise (Yes, I’m Serious)

Exercise? Absolutely.

The most important organ for any writer is the brain. And the better it performs, the better you perform overall. Everything from cognitive function to processing information is highly valuable to a freelance writer.

Exercise helps boost the power of the brain in a variety of ways. For instance, your moods will affect productivity. A healthy mind influences moods for the better.

How you handle stress, memory, and much more can be addressed by getting more exercise.

I know I feel much better while being more productive on the days that I exercise into a sweaty mess.

6. Start a YouTube Channel

I love the idea of using YouTube as a marketing platform. As millions of people scour the video site, it’s easy to build up an audience for specific niches.

As a freelance writer, I use it as a way to help people become better writers, bloggers, and creative inspiration. In fact, I know a lot of freelancers who use YouTube in a similar fashion.

The best part is that it doesn’t take much to get a channel started today. I’ve seen plenty of successful creators start with nothing more than their phones for video content.

At any rate, you can set up a great-looking channel, draw in clients, or simply provide assistance to those who need help. With any luck, you’ll then be able to monetize the content and make a bit of money on the side.

Another aspect of being a YouTube creator is the potential for paid sponsorships and free tools. In 2020 alone, I’ve received between $500 and $600 worth of freebies from brands thanks to the reviews I’ve created.

The bottom line is that I believe all freelancers should have some kind of a YouTube presence, whether it’s a marketing tool for clients or to help bring in a few extra dollars each month.

Practice Makes Perfect

As I said, not all methods to keep productive need to bring in a ton of cash. Starting this website back in 2012 helped me make profound leaps and bounds as a writer.

And at the time, I wasn’t making a single cent from the content.

Essentially, it was a way for me to keep a log of my experiences while also providing a platform to practice what I learn. I’ve also dabbled in a few of the above blogging platforms to help hone my skill.

When you put what you learn into practice, it starts to become integrated into your style. Pretty soon, things like comma usage, proper capitalizations, and other grammatical nuances all become second nature.

The end result is the ability to whip out content much faster for paying clients. This increases the likelihood of getting more gigs while justifying raising your prices.

Eventually, you’ll get to a point where you can literally pick and choose with whom you want to work with.

But in the meantime, you need to stay productive to keep your skills in check while developing yourself as a professional.

How Do You Keep Productive?

These are simply a few methods I use to keep myself productive throughout any given day. And if you can stay productive, it starts to become a habit.

Not to mention that it gives you a chance to improve your abilities for the next client you get. This will lead to making more money as you become more of an asset.

So, yes, even maintaining a simple blog can unlock a variety of doors later on down the road.

Michael Brockbank
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