With almost every business now online and competing for traffic, there is a huge demand for fresh, quality content. That puts freelance writers in a good position. Crafting interesting, informative articles and blog posts for business clients is definitely one of the most reliable ways of making money via the internet.

If you are keen to get paid for writing then it's worth using some of the content brokers and freelancing sites out there. The advantage here is that you don't have to do your own hustling, so to speak. You can focus on the writing itself.

The downside is that they set the price. And they're in it to make a profit, so market forces mean that you'll often be paid little for your efforts. If you're okay with that and can crank out enough content to make it worth your while, great.

Get writing clients directly

But you are definitely in a better position if you deal with clients directly. If they respect you and genuinely want your services you can often set your own fee. Obviously you don't want to charge too highly and price yourself out of the market. But you can certainly ask for, and often get, much more per word than if you were given the writing assignment through a massive content mill.

Obviously this is good for your bank balance. It's also psychologically beneficial, because you are being valued for your work, and not taken for granted.

The other advantage: You can say no if you don't like the offer, think the client is unreasonable or have too many other commitments. That's another way to reduce your stress levels.

Blogging builds authority

So, how do you get writing clients directly? There are many ways but one of the best is to maintain a blog and get active on social media, Twitter in particular.

As well as showing that you are an expert in your chosen field, your blog doubles as an online resume. By reading a few posts potential clients can quickly ascertain that you can write clearly and succinctly.

You can use your blog as a kind of fishing line by including a link to a page outlining your writing services at the end of each post. You could say something like: “Would you like an article on this subject for your site? Learn more here.”

Make connections on Twitter

Needless to say you should tweet and retweet these posts. And make it clear in your Twitter profile description that you offer freelance writing services, including a link to that particular page. You may have already used the URL field to link to your home or about page. But you can still include a clickable link in the description. You can also highlight that page with a pinned tweet.

As any seasoned tweep knows, the more active you are on the platform the more people see your profile. So, follow and engage with lots of users in your niche, particularly those who own businesses, with links to their websites in their profiles.

Odds are that many will be on the lookout for good quality, fresh content. If they get to know you by your replies and retweets many will follow back and some will eventually click on those profile links and have a good look at what you offer in this regard.

Keep at it, build momentum and freelance writing gigs are sure to come your way. You will have acquired them independently of any intermediary, and can therefore offer a tailored service, charging a decent fee as a result.

As you get increasingly involved in sites like Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus, it's important to monitor your emotions and not let them get out of hand. This is particularly important if you are using these platforms for marketing purposes. Of course this is easier said than done. After all, the whole reason you're using social media is to connect with others; to forge new online friendships with people who share your interests.


Be friendly but detached

But you really want to maintain a bit of detachment while doing this. If you don't, you could easily end up feeling hurt and upset. That's unpleasant in itself, but it could also result in you doing things that negatively impact your reputation.

And I'm not just talking about avoiding romantic infatuations, or stalker-like obsessions with celebrities you've been conversing with on Twitter -- needless to say such pitfalls are to be avoided like the plague! I mean that you should be careful of taking the actions of those with whom you've built a friendly rapport too personally.

For example, occasionally people you've been happily engaging with for a while end up unfollowing you. It can be quite a shock when you discover this. But rather than being angry with them -- or wondering what you yourself have done to deserve this -- you should take a step back and look at the big picture.

Be understanding

It may be that they don't even know they've done this -- particularly if they're very popular and active on the site. If you're following heaps of people you'll probably decide to do a follower "cull" from time to time. If you do, it's quite easy to simply not recall the interactions you've had with some of those you ultimately decide to unfollow.

Also, while executing such a cull, some users may well know who you are and still decide to call it a day. While they have appreciated their contact with you, they may have simply decided to drastically scale back to a small "A-list" of followers they rate above all others. In such a scenario they probably regret doing this but just decide to bite the bullet anyway. They can't send out apologies to everyone individually. That would take too much time.

Another thing that can be upsetting is when people who usually respond to your questions and comments stop doing so. Again, it's unlikely that this is due to them not valuing their connection with you. It's probably because they are just flat out.

I have several blogs running, along with Facebook pages and Twitter accounts for them all. I try to respond to, or at least acknowledge, all comments and questions that they attract. But there's only so much time in the day! And compared to many bloggers, I have small readerships. The big dogs must be responding to just a tiny fraction of interactions.

Just as you shouldn't be put out if you don't always get feedback, don't beat yourself up if you can't supply it when asked. You can only do so much, and most readers understand that -- or at least come to know it in time.

Don't feed the trolls

You might also attract one or more trolls. This is highly unusual in a niche like the one this blog's in. But in a more emotive field of interest such as politics, it happens a lot. Actually, in this genre it would be unusual if you didn't have a few trolls after a while.

Whatever happens, just don't let them get to you. The expression "don't feed the trolls" is well worth remembering. Your outrage is like oxygen to them. So the best policy is to not respond to them at all. But if you really have to, fire back defiantly and assertively, making sure to convey a position of emotional strength. If that's not enough to stop the harassment then block and report them.

Whatever you do, try not to respond with the same level of vile personal abuse that they hurl at you. You could end up regretting this -- and not just because they've brought you down to their level. If they're really vicious, and some are, they could report you for abusing them! Now that Twitter is trying to make itself a warmer, friendlier place this is definitely something to be mindful of.

Blogging regularly is vital if you want to establish authority in your niche. Sure, you don't have to do it every day, or even every week. But if you only write new posts once in a blue moon it's very difficult to build momentum with your blog.

So there is substantial pressure to come up with new ideas regularly. If I am finding it hard to do so there are some "tricks" I use to beat writer's block and get the words flowing again. One of the most effective is to simply get up and go for a walk.

A change is as good as a rest

I think the reason this works so well is simply that having a break from an activity is a great way to refocus the mind generally. A change is as good as a rest, as the saying goes.

Then there's the invigorating effect of exercize out in the fresh air.

But there's a less obvious benefit that I think is still powerful. Specifically, this has to do with a change of scenery. As you walk along a path you may not be consciously focusing on your surroundings. But your brain is still recording them.

While you may be mulling over ideas consciously, perhaps even talking to yourself (I know that sounds a little weird, but I do it sometimes!) another part of your brain is dealing with the visual input. It's a very different combination than when you were just sitting in front of a blank screen trying to force yourself to write. I think this is what helps “kick-start” creativity.

Walk a different route each time

With this in mind I believe it's best to vary the route you take when you do go for walks. Not only does this spark creativity on a subliminal level but you often see things you've never noticed before such as landmarks, interesting buildings and evocative scenes and events.

Some of these may be so visually interesting that they actually provoke ideas for blog posts in themselves. That's why taking your camera with you is a good idea. Actually photographing some striking scene or object is worthwhile because you can reflect upon it later. And needless to say, you'll have the perfect image to include in the blog post that results from this process.

If you want to succeed with your blog, posting regularly is crucial. Obviously, it helps if a lot of your posts are unique and contain good quality "evergreen" content. But after a while, it can be a real challenge to generate ideas for this type of post.

It's certainly much more difficult than writing, say, commentary on topical events. In that genre, you only have to read the news to get ideas. Sometimes you can turn this kind of content into more enduring stuff – perhaps by saying a specific news item illustrates a wider, recurring phenomenon. But it's usually the case that while you might be able to score a flood of traffic and some shares with a topical post, the effect is temporary.

Wisdom quotes can inspire you to write

So, it's definitely worthwhile to have many blog posts that will remain interesting to readers for a long while. When you are keen to create this kind of content, but the ideas aren't flowing, here's an approach that I've found helps a lot:

Find quotes by famous authors, philosophers, or leaders about the subject you want to blog about. You can include one or more of them in your post. And because they are so insightful and memorable, they will often provoke your own observations on the subject, which you can write down.

Say you are writing about the need for forgiveness. There are many brilliant, famous quotes about this. Select one that really resonates with you, and tell the reader how you applied it (or wish you had!) in your own life.

I've long found that writing becomes easy when you're describing your own experiences. What citing one or more quotes does is give you a clear focus on what to write about. Not only do the words flow freely; structuring the post is less of a challenge as well.

Twitter is a good source

So, where do you find these famous quotes? Well, you can Google them, of course. But I think searching on Twitter is a better way to go.

That social network in particular is absolutely jam packed with accounts that tweet almost nothing but these nuggets of wisdom. And no wonder. They are very popular and often get retweeted.

They are also highly conducive to visual interpretation. You'll often see them attached to appealing images of sunsets, trees, eagles soaring and babies laughing, among other things.

As well as helping you generate ideas, using wisdom quotes is beneficial when it comes to promoting blogs on social media. Once you have written a post on, say, forgiveness that cites a famous quote about it, you can search Twitter for relevant tweets. There are sure to be many of them. You can reply to some of these including a link to your post on that exact subject.

Obviously you don't want to overdo this tactic. And you must tailor each reply to the original tweet. But as long as it's relevant and adds value somehow, it's not spam. I know from experience that tweeps respond positively, and they will often click on that link to see what you have to say on the subject.

When it comes to choosing a blogging platform, almost everyone says go for Wordpress. I understand why. It's very customizable, with many plug-ins among other things ... But you need to be a bit "geeky" to get the most out of it. And a custom design can be pricey. Getting reliable hosting for it is tricky too. That's more time taken to find it, along with the cost.

Weebly is so easy to use

According to my current situation and needs, Wordpress is too much hassle. That's why I like Weebly as a blogging platform. I have several blogs with it and I couldn't be happier.

Now you can use Weebly for free. But I would recommend getting the Pro option, which is only 50 bucks a year or thereabouts. There are many advantages from doing this including better customer service. I know from personal experience that they are definitely responsive and helpful.

You also have more template options. Of course you can get a custom design if you wish. But frankly I think the ones you already have access to look absolutely fine.

Weebly is a website builder and (very reliable) host all in one. The drag and drop interface is just so user-friendly. And the blogging tool is a seamless part of it. So, if you've set up your custom domain with them (a straightforward process) the blog comes off the main domain automatically, like with this site.

The dashboard is very easy to navigate and use. It's a doddle to add social media buttons, maps, slide shows, "read more" breaks, video, audio and other content.

Image library included

One feature that I particularly like is related to images. Of course you can upload these from your hard drive, but you can also search for, then publish them directly within the Weebly interface. They've set it up with access to a free and paid image library.

Now the pictures aren't all brilliant. And you often need to tweak your search terms to get something appropriate.

Still, you can usually find a picture to go with your post that complements it quite well. And you didn't have to fork out money and spend time looking through stock images on other sites.

This isn't a huge thing. But it certainly saves time and money.

Ecommerce options available

There are also ecommerce tools you can use within the platform itself. That's great if you want to offer products or services either through your blog or the other pages of a niche website.

I haven't yet utilized this option. But I may well do in future. The fact that it is already there in front of me and sure to be pretty straightforward is a real bonus.

So, Weebly definitely meets my blogging needs and will do for a while. If, like me, you love blogging but aren't into the more technical aspects of web design and building -- yet still want to promote and sell stuff then it's an excellent, reliable and affordable option.

Sure, it's not Wordpress. But there's still heaps you can do with it that's quick and easy. And this range of options will surely keep expanding over time.