Tag Archives: freelance copywriter

Docking stations – every freelancer’s best friend

Any freelancer, entrepreneur or small business owner needs a computer to run their fledgling empire. And while some choose a laptop for its portability and simplicity, many will favour the increased performance and durability of a desktop computer. These are available in many guises (from affordable home workstations to high-end gaming machines) and usually at affordable prices. They offer more processing power and far greater support for peripherals like monitors and external speakers.

Ideally, entrepreneurs and creatives would be able to have the best of both worlds – a computer which can act as the centrepiece of a productive workstation during the working day, yet slip into a rucksack for easy transportation and use on the move. In fact, there is a way to combine laptop flexibility with desktop technology – by installing a docking station.

Plug in baby

A docking station is basically a giant plug adaptor, into which various computing peripherals are plugged. Different docks have varying numbers of ports, but these are some of the devices they typically accept inputs from:

  1. DisplayPort and/or HDMI and/or VGA ports, enabling you to output your laptop’s visual display to a larger external monitor (or two, if you’d like a multi-screen display).
  2. USB-A and/or USB-C ports, ideal for wired peripherals like keyboards and printers.
  3. A 3.5mm audio jack, supporting external speakers.
  4. A power input, ensuring a laptop battery can charge while connected.
  5. An Ethernet port, creating a hardwired broadband link to either a WiFi router or a Powerline adaptor.

A laptop can be connected to the docking station via a single USB cable, at which point every peripheral wired into the station will automatically connect to the laptop. External keyboards will spring into life, monitors will begin displaying visual output, the battery can recharge and sound output is displaced from the weedy speakers found on almost every laptop to external ones – though you may need to adjust your sound settings before this last change takes effect.

Why doesn’t everyone use a docking station?

One barrier to widespread adoption is the issue of technical complexity. Although docking stations aren’t complicated, the profusion of wires sprouting from them may confuse less tech-savvy entrepreneurs. Some docking stations prove to be simpler to set up than others, while it isn’t always desirable to have a box with loads of wires on display (especially if you can’t hide it in a cupboard).

Docking stations occasionally fail or become temperamental, and they don’t increase the performance or processing power of a laptop, which is typically inferior to a comparably priced desktop computer due to the limitations of space and the cost of building a compact machine. No docking station can add multiple fans, water cooling or a second graphics processor unit card to a desktop PC. Meanwhile, Apple users may need a specific type of dock to handle advanced features like multiple monitor displays.

What are the advantages of fitting a docking station?

If you’ve already got – or plan to buy – a laptop, docking stations may be transformative. In daily use, they bring all the benefits of a desktop computer, with the ability to bypass features like fiddly trackpads and small screens in favour of whatever accompanying hardware you want or need. You can hardwire printers and scanners into your computer instead of relying on wireless connections, and if a keyboard or mouse gives up the ghost, it’s easy to replace.

Durability is another factor to consider. Unlike the integrated components in a sealed-unit laptop, freestanding peripherals can be replaced on demand. Also, not using your laptop’s screen/keyboard on a daily basis should ensure these components operate perfectly whenever you’re working on a train or in a conference centre.

Sitting on the dock of the bay

At G75 Media, we’re big fans of docking stations, having used them for many years. Get in touch with us to discuss the award-winning marketing, journalism, proofreading and editing services produced through a docking station every day.

How Microsoft Copilot can help small business owners

Microsoft’s track record of new technologies and product launches has been patchy over the last four decades. For every Windows XP or 11, there’s been a Vista or Windows 8. For every successful Word and Edge browser it’s developed, Microsoft has produced a HoloLens or Windows Phone. And while Microsoft has shrewdly acquired some very influential companies – LinkedIn and Activision to name just two – it has also sunk huge sums into the likes of the Invoke smart speaker, Nokia Lumia smartphones and the Yammer social network tool.

When Microsoft unveiled Bing Chat two years ago, there was a muted response to this new generative AI chatbot, especially since Bing has always been a poor relation to the all-conquering Google search engine. However, having rebranded Chat as Microsoft Copilot, the software has evolved to be far more powerful and effective. It now offers genuine benefits to small business owners and entrepreneurs, so if you’re don’t yet appreciate Microsoft Copilot’s talents, it’s worth reading on…

Flying high

Microsoft Copilot is essentially an automated solutions platform which aims to resolve user queries. For instance, the 365 Copilot is integrated into other Microsoft 365 applications and utilities. If you want to find out how many fields in an Excel spreadsheet incorporate a particular term, you could type in “How many fields have Open status in column D”. Within a few seconds, Copilot will create a formula which resolves this query, before displaying an Insert Cell button. Clicking it inserts the formula and instantly displays the number of fields marked as Open across that particular column. Equally, it can also adjust formatting, create graphs, identify trends and summarise data.

Copilot performs other tasks which are more commonly associated with generative AI, such as image creation. Log into Microsoft Designer, ask it to create an image and then type in a particular search string – a faulty broadband router in a domestic home, for instance. After around fifteen seconds of processing time, four broadly similar images will be displayed of a router covered in red warning lights. These images can then be edited or downloaded as the user wishes.

Growth and costs

The real breakthrough for Microsoft Copilot was the company’s decision to incorporate it into Windows 11, positioning it on the Taskbar and ensuring a Copilot icon is displayed in iconic Microsoft packages like Word and PowerPoint. By constructing it using the pre-existing GPT-4 large language model developed by OpenAI (a company Microsoft has invested heavily in), Copilot was able to hit the ground running and gain advocates at a startling rate.

Like many software packages, Copilot operates a freemium model. It’s possible to access basic features free of charge or pay to unlock a Pro subscription which offers the latest features and the ability to create a custom chatbot. There are chatbots dedicated to travel, cooking and personal fitness, while Copilot can discuss websites as you browse them. It can serve as a translator, source information from the internet, or even check product inventory and shipping data when you grant Copilot database access.

Should I be concerned about Microsoft Copilot?

There are legitimate concerns about the removal of human involvement in automated processes, especially when Copilot drafts up an email on your behalf by scanning previous emails, giving you the option to vary the tone of the new email depending on how assertive (i.e. angry) you want to sound. It’s one thing letting AI summarise a Teams call, but it’s quite another letting it produce corporate communications. Microsoft is unlikely to accept responsibility if your company issues a statement/email/report/spreadsheet with Copilot-generated inaccuracies in it. Clients will also take a dim view of receiving AI-generated content, especially if it contains mistakes.

Hallucinations remain a problem for AI models, while their attempts at political correctness have hitherto resulted in images of black Vikings, or seen foodbanks listed as tourist destinations. Some might dismiss these errors as teething troubles, but there is a very real issue of incorrect AI-generated results being fed back into the source material for these AI engines, creating a negative loop of increasingly wayward output. This is going to become more problematic as the large language models powering AI engines run out of existing internet content to plagiarise, and as publishers add anti-scraping tools to their websites to prevent new material being pillaged in the same way. Some believe generative AI will improve its quality in the coming months and years, whereas others argue it’s already peaked.

Don’t approach Microsoft Copilot thinking it can do your job while you do something else – such attitudes could land you in a great deal of trouble. But if you’ve ever found yourself thinking “there must be an easier way to do this” while using a Microsoft package or utility, Copilot may be the answer to your frustrations. And if you don’t like the idea of generative AI speaking on behalf of your brand or business, you could always use the traditional method of employing a freelance writer to handle your content, editorial and journalism needs. Get in touch with G75 Media to see why even the best generative AI platforms will never match the nuance, humour and lived experience imbued into our award-winning copywriting services.

* No generative AI was used in the making of this blog.

Five things your home office needs (and three it doesn’t)

In February 2010, a decade before many of my contemporaries, I said goodbye to office life and started working from home full-time. It was a decision inspired by ten years of frustrating and time-consuming commutes to unpleasant industrial estates, which in turn followed six years of equally lengthy journeys to and from college/uni. Sixteen years of traffic jams, toilet cubicles and cafeterias came to an end, and fifteen years of WFH began at a time when homeworking was still considered exotic.

A great deal has changed since then, not least in terms of technology. Countless articles, reports and studies have been published about the benefits and drawbacks of working from home. We all have a vague idea about concepts like zoning and the delineation of work life from home life, yet millions of people are still working in home offices which are unsuitable in any number of ways.

If you’re reading this perched at a dining table, or about to start a conference call from the edge of your bed, there are some things your home office needs to function effectively – and a few things it doesn’t. Let’s take a look at the essentials first.

Five things your home office needs…

  • 1. A large desk.

This might seem like an odd place to start a list of things your home office needs, but the chunky oak desk you can see in the photograph above has been my workstation since 2012. It’s still going strong today. In fact, it’ll outlast me. Not only has it swallowed everything from tower PCs and stacks of paperwork to DVDs (remember them?), but it remains an attractive and tactile piece of multifunctional furniture. Without it, there’d be papers everywhere – and I’d be a less efficient freelancer.

  • 2. A laptop docking station.

In 2019, I stopped using desktop computers and switched to laptops. I can now attend meetings with my entire work history on one device, rather than porting things onto a tablet or printing out papers. I can work from Costa, the beach or a jury service waiting room with equal efficiency. Yet when I come home, plugging in one USB-C lead connects my laptop to a full-size keyboard, two 27-inch monitors, Bose speakers, a printer and hardwired broadband. Laptops are a WFH game-changer.

  • 3. An ergonomic chair.

As a middle-aged man, it’s perhaps inevitable that I have a bad back. The chair I’m sitting in while writing this blog has adjustable lumbar controls, neck support and armrests. It’s also heated and massaging, which help to reduce the aches and pains often stemming from long periods being seated. Standing desks aren’t always practical long-term solutions, stools and benches don’t support your back, and cheap or poorly padded chairs quickly become uncomfortable.

  • 4. Shelving.

To match my desk, I purchased an oak bookshelf with drawers underneath. Then I bought another one. Both are now groaning with proof that the paperless office was never going to become a reality. From lever arch box files filled with old invoices and bank paperwork to client brochures, booklets and manuals, shelves are a vital resource. You’ll need lots of it, too – paperwork is unavoidable, and some careers require extensive ancillary storage.

  • 5. Effective lighting.

Since adolescence, I’ve suffered from Seasonal Affective Disorder – a common condition brought about by the lack of sunlight in winter. A crucial element of my annual battle with SAD is full spectrum lighting, which stimulates serotonin production in the body as well as casting a clean white light ideal for working or reading in. Eye strain, headaches, low mood and an increased risk of accidents can all result from inadequate office lighting. All are best avoided.

…And three things it doesn’t

  • 1. Gadgets.

Look closely at the photo above, and you might spot a label writer. In theory, this was a great addition to my canon of home tech. In reality, it was a pain. It jammed, smudged, failed to launch when I opened the software app and cost a fortune in labels. In general, gadgets are distracting and cluttering, causing compatibility issues with other hardware or software. They’re rarely things your home office needs, but they’re often an unnecessary cost – and hard to justify on the balance sheet.   

  • 2. A landline.

Go back to the photo, and what do you see nestled up against the label writer? Yes, a house phone. This business expense added bloat to my telecommunications bill, yet the only time it really came into its own was when conducting phone interviews, so my mobile could run a voice-to-text transcription app. The absence of a landline doesn’t seem unprofessional any more, and it’s increasingly superfluous in terms of broadband. Plus, you’ll get fewer spam calls without one.

  • 3. Clutter.

This is something I’ve never been guilty of, but clutter is the enemy of productivity. I once visited a solicitor’s office, where his desk groaned under three teetering piles of paperwork marked Urgent, Very Urgent and NOW. How he slept at night was a mystery, let alone how he worked during the day. The desk and shelving mentioned above should provide sufficient storage for anything from keys and lanyards to printers and peripherals. When everything’s neatly filed, it’s easy to find.

Much of my expertise in this area has evolved out of personal experience and trial and error, although 22 years spent working as a property writer has also offered up many valuable insights. If you’re looking for property journalism, G75 Media should be your first port of call.

How to make freelance applications stand out   

Freelancers and creatives work in a constant state of volatility. You’re only ever one phone call or email away from gaining a new project – or losing an established client. I lost five clients last year to a combination of Google algorithm changes, cancelled projects and financial hardship. As a result, I found myself submitting more freelance applications than I had done in previous years.

For anyone used to working in the public sector, or a steady salaried role, the cut-throat freelance industry can be truly shocking. Almost every copywriting, editing, proofreading or communications role advertised on LinkedIn will have over 100 applications within days – sometimes hours – of going live. Employers no longer have the resources to reply to the hordes of people applying for every role they advertise. When I undertook recruitment for G75 Media, I received hundreds of freelance applications every time, yet most of them were purely speculative. Many candidates exhibited poor knowledge of the English language, lacked relevant experience or simply hadn’t read the job description.

With this in mind, and to help people who are still at a formative stage of their freelancing career, I’ve compiled five recommendations on how to make freelance applications stand out.

Tip #1: Research and incorporate keywords into your freelance applications.

Swamped by a tidal wave of (often unrealistic) enquiries, employers and recruitment agencies are increasingly resorting to algorithms to weed out opportunists. Applicant Tracking Systems scan covering letters and CVs for keywords and phrases, sifting out weaker applicants; in the public sector, sifting is often a key stage of the recruitment process. You need to tailor a covering letter to each vacancy, studying the job description and crafting a response which touches on as many themes as possible. Without this crucial step, your application may never be seen by a human.

Tip #2: Give your CV some love.

Back in the 1990s, my CV contained Clipart. Hey, it was a different time. Today, my CV has been endlessly fettled and revised, focusing on soft skills and achievements rather than dates and qualifications. Your CV may also benefit from revision if any of the following apply: it’s over two pages long, it contains your school qualifications, there are unexplained gaps in your employment history, it lists references (these are usually requested later in the recruitment process), or it starts with a word-salad introduction full of meaningless buzzwords. Or it features Clipart.

Tip #3: Ensure your social media accounts aren’t contradictory.

If you’re looking to diversify into non-executive roles, does your LinkedIn profile still suggest you’re a photographer first and foremost? If you claim to be empathic and considerate, have you recently gone on social media rants about Audi drivers, politicians, Just Stop Oil or other enemies of the state? If you puff yourself up as a talented editor with a forensic eye for detail, did you drunkenly update your status in a message containing typos, and inappropriate use of the Oxford comma? Employers and agencies won’t be shy about studying your socials, especially if you link to them in freelance applications. Look through each registered account and ask yourself what a stranger might deduce from these snapshots. If the conclusions aren’t flattering, start deleting.

Tip #4: Don’t be overly ambitious.

Employers usually have a certain calibre or type of candidate in mind, and it’s rare that someone changes their mind. Few job offers start with the phrase “you weren’t what we were initially looking for, but…”If you’re starting out as a freelancer, you’re incredibly unlikely to get a commission from a Royal Academy or a national newspaper until you have a portfolio of quality work. Bogging down the recruitment process with speculative freelance applications wastes your time and theirs. Some recruiters have long memories, so you might be damaging your career prospects further down the line.

Tip #5: Explain why this job appeals to you.

People want to earn money – that goes without saying. What does need to be said – and emphasised throughout freelance applications – is why each role caught your eye. Expressing passion and enthusiasm for a vacancy could elevate you above more highly qualified applicants with a less committed attitude. Perhaps you’ve volunteered in this industry, or the job contains elements you feel strongly about. Nobody will know if you don’t explain these points, but don’t get immersed in granular detail; one sentence per point should be enough to convey your commitment.

Taste the difference

If you’re an employer reading this and wondering why it’s so difficult to find high calibre writers and editors whenever you publish freelance applications, get in touch with G75 Media to discover the difference a quality copywriting agency and content production can make to your own organisation.

Ten things any freelancer’s home office needs   

Every self-employed person goes on a journey, and one of the less heralded aspects of the freelancing journey involves the organic development of a more professional workspace. I started out with an antiquated old PC balanced on a glass display unit in my living room, with no storage or space for paperwork. It’s a far cry from today’s dedicated home office, where a six-foot oak desk packed with drawers and cupboards supports a high-end laptop and twin 27-inch monitors through a docking station.

I’ll come back to some of these efficiency-bolstering elements in a moment. First, let’s consider some of the benefits afforded by an appropriate and well-configured working environment:

  • – It’s ergonomic. Freelancing from a laptop at a dining table or on the sofa can induce numerous physical ailments, from RSI and tendonitis through to tech neck and eyestrain-related headaches.
  • – It’s professional. When a client calls, you need pads and pens, Dictaphones and documents to hand. Running around the house trying to find a Biro is tiring, unprofessional and unduly stressful.
  • – It’s distinct. The boundaries between work and home life are blurry for most freelancers. They’ll disappear entirely if you work where you eat or socialise – making it harder to switch off at night.
  • – It’s private. A dedicated workspace avoids unrelated clutter building up. It means children coming home from school don’t suddenly appear in video calls. It ensures you can work in relative peace.

Gone are the days when you could eke out a skinny latte in the local coffee emporium for an entire day while exploiting their free WiFi. Also gone are the days when employers or clients accepted people answering Zoom calls in onesies, with piles of laundry in the background or accompanied by unscheduled interruptions from other household members. In today’s ruthlessly competitive freelancing market, battered by generative AI and budgetary constraints, only the most professional freelancers will flourish. Doing so requires a dedicated place to work (even if that’s just a corner of a room) with the following ten essential attributes:

  1. Full spectrum lighting. These lamps cast a clear white light that’s easy to read by, great for designing in and capable of minimising the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder in the GMT seasons.
  2. An ergonomic chair. It may involve trial and error to find a chair deep enough to support your thighs and bolstered enough to offer lumbar support, but it’s a vital investment to avoid back or neck pain.
  3. A storage-equipped desk. Don’t try and work from a breakfast bar – you need drawers/cupboards/shelves for documents, brochures and post. Solid wooden furniture will last forever.
  4. Sound-cancelling microphone-equipped headphones. This ensures you can work in peace when the house is noisy, be clearly heard on video calls and listen to webinars without anyone eavesdropping.
  5. A docking station and laptop. Laptops are ideal for taking to meetings, pitches and presentations. Plugged into a docking station with hardwired peripherals, they’re also as practical as a desktop PC.
  6. An attractive backdrop. Blurring your background inevitably distracts with flickering, suggesting you’re hiding something. A nice picture is fine, as is a garden view; avoid clutter, clothes or mirrors.
  7. Full fibre broadband. Most UK households now have access to full fibre. ADSL lines of 10Mbps aren’t enough in today’s OneDrive and Zoom age – they’ll slow you up and result in stuttering streams.
  8. Privacy. It’s lovely freelancing from home with pets mooching around, but not during interviews or meetings. A door you can close (or a screen you can put up) is vital for appearing professional.
  9. Proximity to a window. A glance at trees or sunshine can provide inspiration, while daylight boosts our mood and simplifies reading. Position workstations beside or below windows wherever possible.
  10. Space to pace. A surprising addition, perhaps, but many people find it easier to talk on the phone or think while moving. A hallway will suffice, providing there’s nothing to bump into while you muse.

A professional approach

Having been founded back in the mid-Noughties, G75 Media is a paragon of professionalism, elevating freelancing to a fine art from a dedicated home office which ensures we’re able to deliver optimal work to every client. Get in touch to see how we can collaborate with working partnerships, marketing copy and content production for businesses in any industry.

How to manage the work-life balance as a freelancer

I hadn’t realised how burnt out I’d become until I drove into the back of a parked car at the traffic lights, one cold December evening. It was only later, pacing around the living room on the phone to my insurance company, that I realised I was partway through my fiftieth consecutive week of work. Apart from taking three days off to move house (even relocating to Carlisle couldn’t justify a full week off), I hadn’t had a break from the pressures of running a small business and freelancing for clients since the New Year.

The year was 2021, and it represented a turning point in my attitude to the work-life balance. Until then, I’d been a workaholic – always saying yes to clients, always meeting my deadlines, always afraid to ask for an extension or put back a proposed deadline in case it somehow caused offence. No wonder I was too tired to stop at the lights.

Striking a balance

The work-life balance is something many freelancers struggle with. When you’re a salaried employee, there’s usually a clear delineation between working hours and personal time, but company directors and the self-employed can’t draw that line as easily. Matters are compounded when you (a) work from home and (b) have your works phone number plastered all over the internet. In the past, I’ve had 3am phone calls from people wanting me to research state-led cover-ups, and 6am emails from people thinking I’d already be at my desk rather than asleep. Yes, you can put your phone on silent or Airplane mode, but then what if a friend or relative has an emergency and can’t contact you?

Based on 25 years as a professional, 17 years as the founder and chief copywriter of G75 Media, and almost 15 years working as a full-time freelancer, these are my recommendations on how to manage the work-life balance as a freelancer…

1. Have a dedicated home office.

I’ve previously written about how to create an optimal home office, which also brings benefits in terms of the work-life balance. If your ‘office’ is the sofa, it’s much harder to switch off at five o’clock. A home office is a distinct space, used for a specific purpose; when you close the door, it mentally segregates the working day. Your office doesn’t need to be spacious, or well-appointed, but it’ll feel more professional than using the dining table. It’ll also be quieter, more private for video calls, and better for storing paperwork, peripherals and a proper ergonomic desk/chair setup. 

2. Plan your annual holidays well in advance.

I now take two full weeks off each year – the minimum required to maintain my mental health, and the maximum I feel able to impose on my year-round clients. These breaks are organised before the start of each new year, which means scheduling time off many months in advance. However, I can then inform existing clients in the New Year about my forthcoming plans, and having those weeks blocked out in my diary ensures I’m aware of impending absences before entering into new contracts. And booking a trip away a year in advance tends to unlock bigger discounts…

3. Clear your desk before going on holiday.

Most freelance clients will respect you taking time off. It won’t materially affect their business if you aren’t around to submit content on weeks 23 and 44. Giving them plenty of notice also gives you time to prepare for your departure – stockpiling work if you want to hit the ground running on your return, for instance. Set Out Of Office autoreplies covering the weekends before and after any absences, promising to respond on your return, and record a similar voicemail message on your works mobile or landline. Holidays are vital for recharging, so don’t spend them working.

4. Keep weekends clear.

When your smartphone has push email notifications and your laptop is on the worktop, it’s very tempting to let your business encroach into personal time. Resist that temptation at weekends wherever possible, working on weekday evenings instead. A couple of mental rest days will reinvigorate you for the following week, whereas working 11 or 12 days out of 12 will result in fatigue, an increased likelihood of mistakes and an inevitable sense of resentment. Burnout – and car crashes – may ultimately ensue if you don’t get the work-life balance right.

5. Leave things until tomorrow.

Expanding on the last point, there’s always a temptation to deal with after-hours emails. They’ll keep. I have several clients in America, whose working day starts as mine draws to a close, but they’ve all accepted my GMT working hours with good grace. If I need to video call them, I schedule meetings in the morning Stateside time. If they email me towards the end of their working day, I don’t feel duty bound to respond, and neither should you. A next-day response to evening emails or calls is normally fine, unless your business provides crisis management or PR services.

If you’re struggling to achieve an optimal work-life balance,  outsourcing part of your (or your company’s) workload may be advisable. Contact us for more information on how G75 Media can assist you with anything from content production to bid writing, and from social media posts to company reports.

The importance of regular website updates

The last year has been a difficult one for many businesses reliant on search engines. Google is still the dominant force in UK search, despite a growing number of lawsuits and court rulings against it. Yet after years of relative stability, the mysterious algorithm which determines a website’s overall ranking in response to particular search terms has become volatile and unpredictable.

When it comes to creating and publishing original online content, a perfect storm is raging across cyberspace. Twice in the last year, Google arbitrarily downranked highly rated websites, usually with no warning or explanation for its actions. Consumers are increasingly rejecting cookies – the foundation stone of the business model which sustains many websites financially. Brands are struggling with subdued demand, spiralling costs and the inevitable consequences of economic stagnation. As a result, many are embracing generative AI content production to power their regular website updates, even though the results are sometimes inaccurate and always inferior to the output of professional writers.

Search and destroyed

The results of these interconnected phenomena have had a profound effect on content producers like G75 Media. Several well-established clients of ours have paused or cancelled work on their websites this year, in an attempt to save money and stave off closure. However, these decisions lead to an unwelcome knock-on effect – the absence of regular website updates. Over 80 per cent of all live websites are dormant and inactive. Creating a site is relatively easy – regularly updating it is much harder.

From social media posts and blogs through to news stories and the creation of new pages, regular website updates are vital to a site’s SEO performance. Search engines consider a variety of factors when deciding which websites to list on the first results page, including the domain’s history, traffic levels and inbound links from other reputable websites. Yet according to a report published in June 2024, the consistent publication of engaging content is the single most important factor in Google ranking – more valuable than keywords, backlinks, user engagement or page loading times.

Key takeaway: Over 20 per cent of the Google algorithm value is based on regular website updates, with a further six per cent dependent on a site’s content being fresh and topical.

Isn’t content production expensive?

Employing a freelance copywriter to create new content and regular website updates is certainly costlier than using generative AI, though the latter has too many drawbacks to be a serious alternative to employing a professional writer with industry experience. Generative tools which ‘borrow’ and regurgitate existing website data will incorporate all the inaccuracies and bias of the source material into their output, as a recent news story about ChatGPT inventing fake court cases demonstrates. AI could also generate near-identical data for your competitors (if it hasn’t already), and audiences are surprisingly adept at identifying text produced by an algorithm. Simply put, bots don’t produce compelling copy.

Key takeaway: Search engines hate plagiarism and low-quality content, and generative AI affords you no control over either of these metrics.

The cost of generating new content for your blog may not even extend to three figures, depending on its length and complexity. A simple blog or news story shows that the site remains active, even on a monthly publication rota, although weekly updates are optimal in terms of achieving superior ranking results. Your competitors won’t necessarily be able to manage regular website updates, but if they are, you need to keep up with them. If they aren’t, your brand or business will have a major advantage when search results are next recategorized and reordered – and when audiences next conduct a relevant search…

G75 Media is here to help

In the 17 years since G75 Media was founded, we’ve produced numerous pieces of website content for clients across the public, private and third sectors. We’ve written blogs and news articles, social media posts and infographics, opinion pieces and market commentary. White label copywriting comprises a large percentage of the regular website updates we supply, where our clients put their names to our work.

Key takeaway: Modesty prevents us from naming the clients we work with across the UK and America, but with around 11,000 items in our content archives, you’ve almost certainly read something we’ve written!

If your website isn’t appearing at the top of search results pages, regular website updates might be a vital weapon in boosting its SEO performance and bringing new visitors to your site. Contact us for more information on how G75 Media can suggest, create and even publish new content on your behalf, elevating your brand above its competitors.

How to price freelance copywriting jobs

One of the most challenging aspects of any job interview has always been the moment when the interviewer looks across the desk and blandly asks what your salary expectations are. Presented in such a deliberately open-ended format, there’s rarely a perfect answer. Set your self-determined value too low, and you’re potentially agreeing to be underpaid for the foreseeable future. Set it too high, and you could come across as arrogant, or simply price yourself out of contention.

Many freelance copywriting jobs are advertised with set fees, based on what the employer is able (or feels willing) to pay. Yet some companies don’t really know what it costs to hire a freelance copywriter, or how much they should pay for professional freelance writing services. On the other side of the coin, it’s hard for an inexperienced freelancer to price freelance copywriting jobs accurately, especially when every vacancy (and project) requires differing skillsets. Some assignments are research-intensive, while others are more creative and freeform. Some require interviews and Zoom/Teams calls, while a few necessitate field-based research.

Having been a freelancer for over 20 years, I’ve become astute at valuing my own expertise and accurately gauging the potential complexity of assignments. These are my recommendations for any up-and-coming freelance marketing writers or freelance copywriters wanting to set competitive rates while ensuring they’re reasonably remunerated for potentially technical and time-consuming work.

Weigh up your existing knowledge

If a client asked me to write an article about a specific town or city, I could produce pages of copy almost instinctively, drawing on two decades as a property journalist. Yet if a client asked me to write about yachts, my limited knowledge of this specialist field would necessitate market research and competitor analysis. Topics you’re passionate about or familiar with are easier to write about authoritatively – reducing the time needed to complete assignments and enabling lower fees.

Add a ‘pest premium’

Some clients are engaging and accommodating, but others…aren’t. Although I’ve cultivated a roster of helpful and proactive clients, every freelance writer will encounter chaotic or unreasonable customers. You can usually tell from a first encounter whether they’re likely to want multiple rewrites or leave you chasing unpaid invoices. When it’s time to price freelance copywriting, a ten per cent premium on normal rates is a reasonable insurance policy, with a written contract formalising who’ll do what, and when.

Check what’s included

Building on the last point, submission processes vary enormously. Some clients are happy to receive a Word document, while others expect you to upload content through a CMS like WordPress. The latter is further complicated if you have to provide keywords, captions and copyright-free images. Are rewrites likely to be needed, and will they be demanded at no extra cost? Multiple people reviewing your work can hugely increase total editing time, so establish a chain of command at the outset.

Ask how they’d rather pay

Some clients price freelance copywriting projects with a lump sum on completion. The majority are advertised with a flat per-word fee, while a few involve an hourly rate. At an interview, it’s often advisable to let the client express a preference. If they want a per-word rate, you’ll need to factor in research and travel time; if there’s a fixed project fee, will the quoted sum justify the hours required to complete it? Also confirm whether they’ll be paying by BACS, Wise, etc – and when payments will be made.

Price freelance copywriting on a scale

Returning to our opening paragraph, if you’re pinned down mid-interview by a question about rates, provide your prospective new client/employer with a scale. Be honest and say you don’t know enough about the role to quote an exact fee, but you’d normally charge somewhere between X and Y for work of this nature, leaving a healthy gap between the two. That gives them room to negotiate, while providing you with scope to vary your fees once you know exactly what’s involved…

Finally, if you’re a small business owner reading this and wondering how to price freelance copywriting contracts, make life easier for yourself and contact G75 Media. We’ll sit down with you and discuss what’s needed before agreeing on a mutually satisfactory rate. Life’s easier when it’s kept simple.

Life as a freelance property journalist

When I tell people I’m a freelance property journalist, the reaction generally combines interest and a tinge of envy. ‘Wow, what a great job’, people tend to say, before adding ‘you must see some amazing houses.’ For a few seconds, they think wistfully of old Grand Designs episodes, or their cousin’s friend who had a £600,000 budget to buy a retirement cottage in the countryside.

However, being a freelance property journalist isn’t all about photographing swimming pools and exploring landscaped gardens. Many of the houses I’ve visited over the years have been empty, dirty or even unsafe to be in, with wasp infestations and crumbling floorboards. I’ve seen homeowners collapse into chairs, overcome with grief because their beloved home is being sold due to divorce or death. My visit to one flat in Glasgow’s west end was complicated by a ramraid on the shop downstairs the night before. At another property, I will never forget a child telling me she didn’t want to move, while I stared over her head at the broken glass her parents had cemented onto the top of their brick boundary wall in an attempt to deter any more burglaries.

Completing the cycle

Property experts often talk about an 18-year property cycle, where the market goes from boom to bust and back again. As Governments try to cushion the blow of economic downturns, interest rates are slashed and mortgage lending is encouraged, leading to an unsustainable property bubble which then triggers another economic downturn. An important attribute for any freelance property journalist is to recognise these effects on the housing market, depending which part of the cycle we’re currently experiencing.

When I started working as a full-time property journalist in 2003, investors were paying students to camp outside construction sites for several days before sales suites opened their doors, holding a place in the inevitable queues so they could swoop in at the last minute and reserve their favoured plots. Six years later, with prices in freefall, I saw good homes being sold at silly prices, as speculative companies specialising in distress sales presented an easy way out to people desperate to escape unsustainable mortgage debt. Six years after that, we were back to multiple sealed-bid offers, as families fought over homes in affluent commuter towns.

Flat out?

Today, the property market has finally slowed down after three years of post-pandemic growth. Prices have been falling in inverse proportion to interest rates, which have hopefully peaked after 14 consecutive monthly increases by the Bank of England, with inflation figures finally dwindling. We’ve rapidly switched from a seller’s market to a buyer’s market – not that too many people are looking to buy right now, with concerns over the Chinese and American economies allied to ongoing strikes and a cost-of-living crisis at home. Forecasts for 2024 suggest a broadly flat market nationwide, encompassing the odd local hotspot.

It’s become obvious that flats are less popular nowadays, with pre-existing concerns over cladding compounded by the memories of social distancing in communal areas and the echoes of families forced to endure months of lockdown without any outside space. Help to Buy schemes have already enabled a generation of first-time buyers to skip the starter-flat stage of the property ladder and move straight into a house, and this flight to the suburbs may continue even as these controversial state-backed schemes end. Only commercial-to-residential conversions and increased urban populations can seemingly stem the decline – there’s only so many coffee shops any city centre can support.

Whatever happens to the property market, I’ll be writing about it in my role as one of the UK’s leading freelance property journalists. Where the market leads, I will follow – experiencing the literal and metaphorical highs and lows of life as a freelance property journalist. Click here for more details on my property writing services, or view some of my recently published freelance property journalism articles here.

Why freelance limited company status is preferable to being a freelance sole trader

Why freelancers should be limited companies

It’s exactly sixteen years since I founded G75 Media as a limited company. It’s also exactly twenty years since I started freelancing as a copywriter. In late autumn 2003, I was approached by a former employer to quote for completing a key element of the job I’d recently left on a freelance basis. I did so gladly, using my Yahoo email address and submitting an invoice in my own name.

It didn’t take me long to realise that companies would rather deal with another company than with a private individual. That’s especially true when it comes to something as nebulous as copywriting, where the quality of work can vary hugely between one contributor and the next. Companies often have to trust a hired freelancer to be professional, and that’s much easier to do if they have a recorded trading history and a proprietary email address. Who’s to say greatwriter101@gmail.com won’t simply take a paid deposit and vanish into the ether, or deliver a load of ChatGPT-penned nonsense?

How does a freelance limited company operate?

By setting up a company, you are making a series of pledges:

  • To maintain an accurate list of directors, secretaries and employees with Companies House.
  • To prepare end-of-year accounts, ensuring that any incurred taxes are paid timeously.
  • To ensure all debts are paid off before the company is closed down.

Each of these actions reassures a potential customer that they’re not dealing with some fly-by-night scammer, especially as limited companies need a registered head office address to which correspondence can be directed. Companies usually have a website and a proprietary email address, alongside business reviews by past and present customers.

CASE STUDY: Imagine you’re a prospective employer, advertising a freelance job vacancy. You receive two responses – one from info@g75media.co.uk, with company details and a registered head office address at the bottom. The other is from g75media@mail.com, complete with a Sent From My Mail.com Account footer. Which one would you regard as being more plausible and promising?

Some people opt to be sole traders because it’s easier – no annual statements to be filed, and no VAT returns if your annual turnover exceeds £85,000. However, ‘easier’ does not necessarily equal ‘better’. It certainly won’t impress a prospective client as much as a registered business, even if that business is effectively a one-man band. G75 Media has always been a trading vehicle for my own freelance services, and despite a few unsuccessful attempts at employing other freelancers, it remains my own business. People who contact G75 Media speak to me directly; people who engage our services benefit from my award-winning writing; people who receive invoices do so alongside a friendly message I’ve penned specifically for them. Being a limited company doesn’t make you seem impersonal or distant.

Taking care of business

If you’re concerned that setting up a freelance limited company sounds intimidating, it really isn’t. Companies House do most of the legwork for you, registering the business with temporary personnel who immediately step aside and appoint you as the director. All you need to do is find a company name not already in use, select a legally permissible head office address, and appoint an accountant to handle financial affairs. From there on, the development of the business is entirely in your hands, including decisions about websites, social media activity and marketing. Because a freelance limited company will be more appealing to clients than a sole trader, you’ll have the best chance of growing rapidly and establishing a name for yourself.