FAQs: Selling Content Strategy as a Freelancer

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Every month or so, I answer FAQs on offering, pitching, and selling content strategy services as a freelancer in my newsletter. Here is the running list.

You can also subscribe to my newsletter for weekly insights — including FAQs — on the topic.

Q: I'm just breaking into content strategy. How do I convince clients to buy my services?

The best way to learn is when you’re paid to do it. The right client will want YOUR brain for the project. Maybe they’ve worked with you before and already trust you. Maybe they really need your industry expertise. You already offer so much a client will pay for, even if you’re still learning specific elements of content strategy. Remember that!

**Gets off soapbox**

First, consider starting small. You could propose a project made up by just one of the deliverables in a full content strategy. In fact, you could pitch them a few options to follow the method of giving the client 3 options. 

Second, consider looking to existing writing clients first — or even past clients you had a positive experience working with.

Some examples of puting these two tips into action:

  • Content audit of their existing content. You could say something like "I've noticed you have a lot of really great content on these topics that is not being used in your marketing efforts. I'd like to audit your blog to identify the blog posts that we should revisit, revamp, and republish."

  • Content analysis of their existing content via Google Analytics. You could say something like “We’ve been working together for a while now, and it’s time to better understand what content is working best, and why. I can conduct an analysis and send you some learnings, so we can brainstorm what to capitalize on for future pieces.”

  • Editorial calendar, if they don't have one. You could say something like "We've done a great job of ramping up our content creation for the blog [or wherever]. Creating an editorial calendar will make the process easier and more scalable — what do you think about me taking a stab at that?"

Q: How do you get strategy clients without content strategy experience?


Remember you have more strategy experience than you might realize. Have you: 

  • Conducted interviews or research for a piece? 

  • Helped a client decide what to create next, and why?

  • Looked into how well a piece is performing, and why? 

All these things show strategic thinking.

It’s ok to start small and pitch projects you’re familiar with. Propose conducting some interviews to inform a new topic a client wants to expand into. Or bring up a piece that is performing well, but is old, and suggest a content audit to uncover other gems that are worth republishing. 

Q: What were your primary methods for acquiring content strategy clients early on?

This was such a great question, I thought the answer deserved its own blog post. Head here for my three early methods for acquiring content strategy clients.

Q: What do you do when a prospect comes to you but doesn't know what they want?

Understanding a writing scope is often about understanding detail:

  • How many words?

  • How much research?

  • How many rounds of revision?

And so on until I have the info I need to create a proposal.

With a content strategy project, I can’t nail down details ahead of time like:

  • What types of content we should create

  • What topics we should cover

  • What channels we should use to market content

Doing so would put the cart before the horse. I can’t answer those questions until I’ve done my research and created a strategy.

So if a prospective client doesn’t know what kind of content they need, it’s my job during the discovery call(s) to help them understand: 

  1. Why they want to create content (AKA what their goal is)

  2. Their biggest challenges in creating content

Then, I explain how I’ll uncover what types of content will solve their challenges to achieve their goal.

(Remember: I can’t make those recommendations until I’ve done research and created a strategy.)

Here’s an example. 

A growing startup hasn’t created any content to date. Because they’re new, no one recognizes their company name. So they come to me, thinking they need to start posting thought leadership on LinkedIn. 

Before I can tell them how I’d help, I need to understand:

  • Why do you think people aren’t recognizing your company name?

  • Why do you want to start creating content?

  • Why do you think thought leadership on LinkedIn will help?

Once I understand their goals and challenges, I can say:

“I need to research and validate what types of content will help you grow your name recognition. The answer may be LinkedIn posts, but it may not. It all depends on what your audience needs and where they live. A content strategy project will help us understand exactly what types of content to create.”

How do I articulate the value of content strategy?

First, reframe the question to: How do I articulate the value of content strategy with me?

Second, do a positioning exercise for yourself and your offerings. What is your:

  • Target audience

  • Description of who you are

  • Emotional offering

  • Functional offering

  • Promise to customers

  • Differentiator?

Sense a theme here? Only after you’ve done the above (position yourself, listen to and address their needs), then: 

Listen to what a prospective client’s needs and goals are, then use your positioning to explain how your strategy work can address those needs and achieve that goal. 

Q: In a discovery call, how do you present your strategy services clearly? How do you avoid rambling about ALL THE STUFF you could do together?

In a nutshell: Talk about your value, not your deliverables. 

Your deliverables are where it can get overwhelming. 

What deliverables should I talk about? 

Which would I include in a project for this prospect? 

How would we create them?

AH! 

It’s too early in the process to answer these questions. You don’t know enough about the client and how you’d work together. 

Instead, I talk about the value the prospect would get by working with me. 

I bucket my value into three groupings:

  • The value of conducting research

  • The value of defining the business’s strategic approach to content

  • The value of building an activation plan

To uncover your value for each of these stages, ask yourself these questions: 

Why does the client need research? 

Why does the client need a strategy?

Why does the client need an activation plan?

Those answers are what you present in your discovery call. 

In your discovery call, you need to show the prospect the end result you’ll achieve together. The road you’ll take to get there will come later.

Q: What do you put into your "quick roadmapping sprint" as the smallest of 3 options for prospects to choose from?

First off, here is a recap of my roadmapping proposal approach.

I mix and match my roadmapping sprints based on the client. Here are some variables that affect the scope (and price).

  • Budget. Sometimes the smallest option I propose is $2,000. Sometimes it’s $10,000. The scope will vary accordingly.

  • Timing. ASAP timing costs more *shrug*.

  • Existing work. Sometimes a client has done a lot of research and thinking regarding content. Sometimes, they haven’t.

Generally, my roadmapping sprints follow the basic formula of:

  • One research deliverable. I choose whichever would be most helpful for the client, whether that’s a competitive analysis, a content audit, a workshop, or something else. For my clients, that's usually the workshop.

  • One insights doc or “strategy lite” deliverable. For my clients, it’s usually an insights doc with the top learnings from the research, and some high-level ideas on how to implement those learnings.

  • An editorial calendar or roadmap. This is the primary output of the sprint. It outlines everything I recommend the client do and create over the next quarter (usually) in order to act on the insights doc.

Q: How often do you follow up if a prospect has ghosted after presenting your 3 options?

Q: How often do you follow up if a prospect has ghosted after presenting your 3 options?

Everyone’s comfort level is different here. I lean on the light side — sometimes too light, to be honest — and really only follow up once, maybe twice. 

But one tip that can help is adding urgency in your follow ups. Here’s my go-to line:

“My bandwidth is about to fill up, but I’d love to work with you on this. Can you let me know by [DATE] if you’d like to reserve my helping you with this?”

I was just on a panel with Erin Pennings, who helps freelance writers better nurture their prospects. Her blog is a wealth of resources on this topic — check out her lead gen checklist for more specific tips on nurturing and following up with leads.