Linsey Knerl

#general - January 29, 2025 at 06:32 PM

People's bias can be for gender, race, beauty, or even that you do or don't wear glasses. You can't please those people (nor would you want to.) Carry on!

#general - January 29, 2025 at 06:31 PM

Ignore. I took a course where the teacher said I needed to swap out my social media profile pic for something more "professional" but the guy used a Plato bust wearing sunglasses for his. Sooo......

#freelance-talk - January 27, 2025 at 07:04 PM

I’ll add SparkToro for some unique, audience-based insight. Love it.

#freelance-talk - January 14, 2025 at 10:31 PM

Oh, and I have a different website for each, so I can keep the marketing and inbound stuff separate.

#freelance-talk - January 14, 2025 at 10:30 PM

Sure, so for my freelance writing (70% of my income), I'm a single person. I only do the writing. But for marketing consulting for the homeschool market, I hire out for certain tasks such as WP development, technical SEO, graphic design, etc - with content strategy and outreach behind the core offering for my "agency" work. I don't do a lot of the agency type work because I only like to work with companies I'm really aligned with. Does that make sense?

#freelance-talk - January 13, 2025 at 06:03 PM

How big is your agency? I ask because I act as a smallish agency for select projects (team of 3-5), but I work directly with the clients, so I pitch myself and my skillset while using an agency name on billing, contracts, etc. I'm also a sole proprietor if that makes a difference.

#freelance-talk - January 09, 2025 at 05:30 AM

I find success in answering questions people may have, not necessarily SEO related terms, but questions that can be answered by your teams and any research you’ve done at the company. And agree with Reddit conversations as inspiration. You can also join FB groups around the subject and see what hot topics come up frequently there.

#freelance-talk - January 04, 2025 at 01:24 AM

I agree with @Joanna Kaminska. And are you interviewing people provided by the client? Or do you have to go out and source from your network, Quoted, or social media? If you’re doing all the sourcing I would charge more than if they bring you the subjects and you just have to coordinate schedules and to the interviews. Your talent network and time finding people is worth something. Good luck!

#general - December 19, 2024 at 05:29 AM

Cool project, Lee! Yes, share what your hoping to find, and Im sure some of us have tool recommendations.

#general - December 18, 2024 at 08:06 PM

I’m seeing some disturbing LI posts and articles from people who should know better announcing that not only is SEO dead, but content as a whole.

They have shut down courses, closed their paid communities, and even announced it was the right time to retire to their thousands of followers who relied on them for help with getting work and growing a career.

While it might be time to close up shop for some people, do you have any good reads I can share with my friends and colleagues who don’t have the luxury of retiring at 40, have families to support, and love what they do? I’m not seeing the sky falling yet (still getting leads in this economy) and I think this is a great opportunity to encourage the truly talented people who are in it for the long haul.

The market has changed, so what good reads can I share to help others push through? I’ve already shared the good podcast episodes from Content, Briefly. What else do you have for me?

#freelance-talk - December 16, 2024 at 04:49 PM

As far as finding clients, that's the million dollar question. I have my methods, but I still find inbound works from a website with the right keywords, as well as having a stand-out portfolio that helps legitimize your work. Samples speak louder than anything from my experience.

#freelance-talk - December 16, 2024 at 04:47 PM

I found that transitioning to full-time was honestly just doing more of what I was doing as a part-timer. Keeping a full bucket of different kinds of clients, so that when big changes happen (like the recent Google penalties), I could stand to lose one or two and not be devastated. I also found that leads were more open to working with me when they knew this was my only job and not something I was trying to get done in the evenings after another full-time career. Communicate your timelines, stress that you are available for XYZ work (and the timeline for getting that work done.) You'll want to hit up editors you've worked with in the past if you're on good terms and gently announce that you are going all in and can help them with jobs big or small. One of the biggest mistakes I see from those going full-time is that they eschew small gigs. I'd rather have 10 small jobs than 2 big ones where a client leaving means I can't pay my property taxes. Good luck!

#freelance-talk - November 27, 2024 at 05:16 PM

Cool! I think trying these sites would make an interesting experiment for sure. Most of my clients come inbound through my site.

#freelance-talk - November 27, 2024 at 04:52 PM

I went ahead and filled out my info, adding that for giggles. It's all publicly available, but I did find it interesting that it asked for client names. I have so many big ones in my portfolio, but almost all have NDAs, and that makes it hard to fill out the portfolio.

#freelance-talk - November 27, 2024 at 04:35 PM

Have not heard of it! Super interesting though.

#freelance-gigs - November 27, 2024 at 04:31 PM

I know just the person! Sending a DM now.

#freelance-talk - November 15, 2024 at 06:35 PM

AI is getting better while human content is getting worse. There will soon be no difference for most of the content that these AI checker use as a baseline. It sucks.

#freelance-gigs - November 13, 2024 at 02:39 AM

If you're interested in a traditionally published nonfiction writer, please consider me. I have also been a subject matter expert on traditionally published nonfiction books. Thanks!

#general - November 07, 2024 at 04:26 PM

I'd start by accessing some good resources. The SuperPath podcast is a really good place to get solid advice from people making a difference in marketing.

#freelance-talk - October 31, 2024 at 02:26 AM

I rent a private 10x10 office in a co-working space in my tiny town of 1800 people. It's super busy during the summer when kids are out of school, and the moms can't get anything done at home. But during the school year, it's crickets. I love that I have a place where I can keep my stuff, clear my mind, and work uninterrupted, plus take client meetings, film TikToks, and do podcast interviews. I find it a good investment even in the months when I barely find the time to go in.

#freelance-talk - October 31, 2024 at 02:23 AM

I"ll also add that when I did put "fractional" in my LinkedIn bio, I got spammed so bad. I took it out, and the spam messages really died down. So, there's a whole market of people trying to sell to fractional professionals. (Very annoying.)

#freelance-talk - October 31, 2024 at 02:23 AM

Jumping in to say that I've done work both under the "fractional" umbrella and also as a "consultant." Both had me doing very similar things. The main difference was that fractional had me feeling that I was at the client's beck and call and I couldn't easily plan around their workflows. I would have some months be much busier than others, and also the boundaries were harder to set. Could be client-specific, but I find that being a consultant with a retainer agreement puts the ball more in my court with more favorable terms. Fractional feels more like the client is setting the role, and I fit in however they wish. May be just my experience, though. Both paid the same. 😉

#general - October 03, 2024 at 11:55 PM

Thanks a bunch for your replies. They did hire a WP developer to create a landing page and also (eventually) clean up the site. These are pages, so no immediate plans to work at the post-level (hope I'm saying that right.) Guess it's something I can bring up at my next consultation. At least I know now before setting any expectations for traffic or discoverability on the content I've created for them. Cheers!

#freelance-talk - October 03, 2024 at 08:16 PM

So, I've been in content for 16 years. Every few years, an "expert" friend of mine tries to sell me on the next big marketing trend. First, it was spinning out Amazon self-published titles, then it was Pinterest self-promotional groups, then it was courses built on other people's Twitter threads.

The only common thread in this person's "success" was that they never made a single original thing. They only repackaged other people's work. Were they making money? Sure, but they had to continually pivot as their strategy caught on and thousands of other people started doing it. I imagine it's exhausting never having anything valuable to say of your own.

It sounds like this business (and other experts) may be similarly putting method over message. Let it be. You can't help them, and not all businesses are like this.

#general - October 03, 2024 at 08:00 PM

Where are my WP people at? Working with a small business to add new content, and they are super short staffed, as well as have none of the people who created their blog 3 years ago still on staff. I was hired to write and add content directly into WP, with the understanding it would be plug-and-play like most of my other clients are.

But getting in there, it's a mess. We have outdated Divi and All in One SEO making each post a nightmare, even though nothing new has been added to the site in years. I am not a WP pro, and I can work around it enough to have posts show up OKish in search. We mostly use these posts as a landing page for our social and other outreach efforts and have no delusions that we will rank high for some of the more competitive terms. My essential question is, if I skip using Divi or other tools and just enter in basic editor will it mess things up later? (It shows up fine in Google's tools.) I can't see the team ever going back to Divi or reupping their license since none of the existing teams even know what these things are. This is beyond my paygrade. Thanks.

(Adding that they have dozens of outdated posts created with Divi. Difficult to edit at this point, may delete the whole bunch.)

#general - May 21, 2024 at 08:07 PM

What are you hoping it will do? Ideation? Rough drafts? Fine tuning? Depending on where you want it to come into play, I think people will have different recommendations.

#general - May 15, 2024 at 03:53 PM

Thanks for the suggestions!

#general - May 15, 2024 at 03:48 AM

Who are your favorite thought leaders or instructors on doing original research? If there are some articles on how Superpath did their excellent freelance reports, that would be great, too!

#general - April 23, 2024 at 11:47 PM

The best thing you can do is pretend these course sellers don't exist. It's a distraction from building your unique business. Consider working with a mentor to get in the right mindset. I find that to be very helpful when I'm not finding enough work. It's always a mindset issue for me.

#freelance-talk - March 28, 2024 at 07:23 PM

It was an engineering error. They will address. Thanks for all of your feedback!

#freelance-talk - March 28, 2024 at 03:01 PM

Thank you both! I left on really good terms, so here's hoping its a glitch.

#freelance-talk - March 28, 2024 at 12:30 AM

Agreed with everyone here, except I would try to get the editor or someone else you have worked with to give you a recommendation on LinkedIn or a testimony for your website, if you haven't already. Most are happy to do that, especially if they had no choice in letting you go.

#freelance-talk - March 28, 2024 at 12:16 AM

So, I'm not sure what channel to post this on, but here's my dilemma. I did some SEO content a year or so back for some sites that focused on higher ed programs (think "Best RN to BSN programs in Kentucky" type posts. They were not published till quite a bit after I stopped the contract (work wasn't right for me), and I'm sure I had some bylines, but it kind of dropped off my radar. (I had provided them with a bio and headshot for the articles I wrote.) Fast-forward to today, and I'm doing my weekly Google search for writing clips and see a post I did not write, on a topic I know nothing about (how to manage ADHD). Not only is the article shown as "reviewed by Linsey Knerl" but there's a FAQ at the bottom clearly designed to capture Google juice that has me positioned in an "Ask the Expert" format, with my photo and name. None of the content is content I've ever seen before, so I would have never given advice on this topic. What can/should I do? I obviously will be contacting the former content manager about this, but I'm shocked they would think this is OK. Anything else I need to know/consider before I demand they take it down? (I am hoping they just plugged the wrong name into this CMS or something, and it's not malicious.)

#general - March 22, 2024 at 02:15 AM

@Michael Thomas Did you ever write this article? I would love to read it!

#general - March 22, 2024 at 01:58 AM

@Miljo Dragutinovic were you ever able to get an answer to this? I see it's been a few months. I am looking to do original research for anonymous, aggregate data points and didn't know what we needed to disclose before asking questions. The data may be used for a future paid market report. Thanks.

#freelance-talk - March 21, 2024 at 10:38 PM

Are you asking about technical SEO stuff? Have you looked into the big guides offered on sites like Semrush, Ahrefs, etc. specifically for technical SEO. They have good ideas of things you can do? Otherwise, I would focus on internal linking, and maybe creating a useful guide with some visuals. A lot of people don't understand what makes something Scandi/MCM (my husband actually sells vintage furniture, so we see a lot of confusion.) Some educational pieces so shoppers know what to look for can help build authority and rank well for Pinterest Pins and among Facebook groups where people are actively shopping for these items. Just a few ideas. Good luck!

#freelance-talk - March 21, 2024 at 03:11 PM

And obviously not mention the brand by name. It would be anonymous and a generalization for branding purposes.

#freelance-talk - March 21, 2024 at 03:10 PM

That's fair. I would break it down into two categories: general pain points that all businesses have (you can easily find these on blog posts or maybe from your own experience) and then specific pain points that you wouldn't know without talking to them. You can learn about the second bucket on a discovery call, so don't address those just yet. But maybe you could include a few very specific examples in your marketing to get the audience thinking about their own specific pain points. Scour LinkedIn to see what people have complained about - or on these threads. You could search for sentiment cues like "frustrating" "late" "pressure" "failure" or other terms along with "content" or "copy" to see examples of times content didn't go well for brands. Then use those in your internal story library for examples in your messaging.

#freelance-talk - March 20, 2024 at 05:32 PM

Their pain points aren't often when they think they are, which makes it tough to establish. I try to do regular discovery calls with potential clients even if I know they will likely go in another direction. It at least helps me learn and connect with others.

#freelance-talk - March 20, 2024 at 05:30 PM

My strategy now is to just do something, as opposed to being so self critical and doing nothing. I've also been working on connecting with people in LI that I had engaged with over 16 years on Twitter (since I'm not really using that platform as much.) That's been a chore in itself.

#freelance-talk - February 08, 2024 at 03:15 AM

Hi, Athan! I would say that you definitely need a public facing portfolio on a website you own with your name and at least one photo of you. I personally don't feel comfy sharing the highly stylized photos that my younger peers use. Just a headshot is fine. But I agree that going faceless will cause trust issues. A few of my most recent new clients insisted on seeing some owned assets like a website to both establish I'm a real human and also to help them avoid some of the independent contractor concerns that have come up lately. Establishing yourself as an IC vs. employee means having your own brand. I see that as being more important in the US particularly. We have had new labor rules that may come into play.

#freelance-talk - January 26, 2024 at 08:06 PM

Matt, I get that. I work in a lot of industries where KPI is king. But I do find quite a few companies are interested in story. Have you considered moving to work in creating founder or investor profiles or features that help tell the story behind the brand? It's not easy to get into but if you have really good profiles or human-first stories to showcase, that could get you some additional work. It's not everyone's forte. Brands are happy to work with people who can show passion behind the projects. I really miss that kind of work, but moved out of it due to all the interviews that were required at the time. I may revisit.

#freelance-talk - January 26, 2024 at 03:04 AM

Hey, Matt, I saw your post on Linkedin about the niche you're in. It could totally be that the niche is suffering from a slow time. Any way you can look at niches that have overlap there but that are hoppin' right now? AI/health/ecommerce/education? I know that each of these niches may have a sustainability subset. And I know you've written successfully on Digital Twins (which is a hopping topic, but just very, very niche.) You may also have to rewind to a completely different niche from years before to just stay working right now. For example, I thought I had left the world of finance behind me, but it's back! And I've found ways to combine it with my AI experience to make it profitable. I will say things are slower for me from a new client perspective, but regular clients are now slowing down. Hit me up on LI, if there's anything I can do!

#freelance-talk - November 22, 2023 at 06:05 PM

Thanks. It is annoying. But it's also incredibly eye-opening. Appreciate the tips!

#CJE3XC0H3-announcements - November 22, 2023 at 05:19 AM

That podcast episode was insane. I really wasn't expecting those results. Super useful insights, though.

#freelance-talk - November 22, 2023 at 03:52 AM

Hey, everyone! I have a branding issue. I write mostly for Ai-integrated B2B SaaS companies covering AI and ML, and those are the terms I've used to brand myself in the past quite nicely. With the sudden growth in genAI and writers who use it almost extensively to create content, companies searching for this new kind of writer are finding me. It's not a match. Conversely, I'm finding it hard to label my work appropriately without giving the impression that I'm using GenAI. "AI writer" in search brings the wrong client, but I still need to convey I cover the AI space. Any ideas? What search terms would be better? Thanks.

#freelance-gigs - November 01, 2023 at 04:44 PM

$.40 - $.80 a word is the range I'm seeing for that niche, with the lower end requiring minimal research (SEO piece defining terms, for example) and the higher end requiring interviews with SMEs (perhaps the writer has to attend the calls vs. listening to a recording for a technical piece.) I would also point out that some freelancers refuse to work with start-ups (not me!) and that, if you do bring on writers, it should be expected to be a 2-way interview process where you get to know each other and establish some trust. I can't count the number of startups I've worked for in the past 3 years that fired all their freelancers after just a few months of working with them. Considering that the economy is just the way it is, freelancers may be looking for longer-term contracts or at least some assurance that, if they learn the technology and brand style you need for the first few pieces, all that time spent isn't for nothing. For that reason, startups should ideally pay more, but they also seem to have less to pay in the beginning. It's a double-edge sword that may have you looking harder for talent. But it's out there, and if you're upfront with your freelancers about the nature of your industry and your goals for the future, you should have no problem finding the right team. Good luck!

#freelance-gigs - October 24, 2023 at 03:47 PM

I found this conversation interesting (valid, even), but there is no way I would turn in a rough draft as part of an application. I understand the reasoning, but how about asking for published writing samples for long-term clients or even a referral or two? One of the reasons I display client recommendations on my LI that specifically state "clean copy" is so this doesn't become an issue. And if a client keeps a writer on for 1, 2, 3, or more years? That's a sign that they are a delight to work with, IMO. While it takes more time to read between the lines on these things, it's the job of the hiring team to ask the right questions and use their discernment. I would be afraid of sending in a great "draft," having the hiring team try to compare it to the published version and make assumptions that it somehow wasn't right the first time. A lot can happen between that draft and the final, including changes in client direction, additional SEO optimizations, or even just rebranded language. Communication skills, thoughtfulness, and a willingness to learn outrank "good first draft" any day. Taking direction well is a superpower in content.

#freelance-gigs - October 04, 2023 at 02:29 AM

A simple thing that I can't believe more people don't do is to include at least one stat that's not used in EVERY OTHER ARTICLE on the same topic. I once spent over 20 minutes trying to track down the original source of a data-related quote used in just about every competing article for a keyword (posted on very reputable sites), only to find out it was from a journal article from 2009, and it was grossly taken out of context. I think if you can provide some unique insight/stat/data point that's not used elsewhere and can be verified, you are ahead of 80% of the stuff out there today. And have fun with it. I think my writing is better when I'm enjoying what I do. I feel the reader can sense that, too, even when you have to follow a very formal brand voice.

#freelance-gigs - September 29, 2023 at 04:38 PM

I use a Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon strategy with every outreach. There has to be some way I'm connected to the person, even if it's that my cousin's cousin used to work with their cousin. (Kidding, but you get the idea.) People in content move around a lot and over time, there's usually someone you know in common or an event you both attended (even virtually) or similar. This doesn't always work, but it does help you stand out. And do make sure you have those LinkedIn recommendations updated. You may have a connection in common just from that, and this lends instant legitimacy. Ask for more referrals from people you know whenever you can.