You want to work in content strategy. What's the best way to find contract work?

1 Build your portfolio

One of the first steps to finding contract work in content strategy is to showcase your skills and experience in a portfolio. A portfolio is a collection of projects that demonstrate your ability to plan, create, and optimize content for different platforms and audiences. Your portfolio should include samples of your work, such as web pages, blog posts, social media posts, newsletters, reports, case studies, or wireframes. You should also provide some context and explanation for each project, such as the goals, challenges, results, and tools you used. A portfolio can be a website, a PDF, or a slide deck, as long as it is easy to access and navigate.

3 Update your resume and LinkedIn profile

A third step to finding contract work in content strategy is to update your resume and LinkedIn profile. Your resume and LinkedIn profile are essential tools to market yourself and attract clients. Your resume should highlight your skills, achievements, and education in content strategy, using relevant keywords and metrics. Your LinkedIn profile should complement your resume, but also showcase your personality, values, and interests. You should also optimize your LinkedIn profile for visibility and engagement, by using a professional photo, writing a catchy headline and summary, adding relevant skills and endorsements, requesting recommendations, and posting or sharing relevant content.

4 Search for opportunities online

A fourth step to finding contract work in content strategy is to search for opportunities online. There are many websites and platforms where you can find and apply for content strategy projects, such as Upwork, Freelancer, Fiverr, Toptal, or Contently. These platforms allow you to create a profile, browse through available projects, bid on them, and communicate with clients. You can also search for opportunities on job boards, such as Indeed, Glassdoor, or FlexJobs, where you can filter by location, industry, or type of work. You can also use Google Alerts or Twitter to monitor keywords related to content strategy and find relevant leads.

5 Pitch your services

A fifth step to finding contract work in content strategy is to pitch your services. A pitch is a proposal that explains how you can help a client solve a problem or achieve a goal with your content strategy skills. A pitch should be clear, concise, and customized to the client's needs and expectations. You should also include your portfolio, your rates, and your availability. You can pitch your services to clients who have posted a project online, or to clients who have not yet expressed a need for content strategy, but might benefit from it. You can find potential clients by researching their websites, social media accounts, or competitors, and identifying gaps or opportunities in their content.

6 Negotiate the terms

A final step to finding contract work in content strategy is to negotiate the terms. Once you have found a client who is interested in your services, you need to agree on the scope, timeline, deliverables, and payment of the project. You should also discuss the communication, feedback, and revision process, and any other expectations or requirements. You should document the terms in a contract, which is a legal agreement that protects both you and the client. A contract should include the details of the project, the responsibilities of each party, the payment schedule and method, the ownership and usage rights of the content, and the dispute resolution process.