How to Run a Profitable Freelance Business Through Your Blog
I’m extremely excited to finally be able to share with you my first book, The Blog Business Funnel. Written and refined over 6 months (since June 2009), it’s an outpouring of knowledge on everything I know and have learned about how to run a thriving freelance business supported only by your blog.
In July 2008 I was studying full-time and freelancing part-time as a writer, copywriter and consultant. In that month, I earned more than $8,000 through my own Blog Business Funnel. Every single cent was earned through jobs that came through my blog.
Was I a veteran freelancer? Nope. I took my first ever client in September 2007, only eleven months earlier—a freelance blogging job. I figured I would start with what I knew!
When I added up my earnings and stared in shock at the final figure, I knew I had stumbled across something incredible.
If I’d known then what I know now, I’m confident I could have cracked the $10,000 mark that month.
The book was borne out of the question: Why do bloggers struggle so much with advertising and affiliate programs, when there is clearly a better way?
While others have written brief articles on the topic of using blogging as the foundation for a freelance business, nobody else has outlined a complete blueprint in book form, sharing everything there is to know. If you don’t have a freelance business yet, you’ll learn how to create one.
Whether you’re a blogger, freelancer, or neither, you’ll learn everything you need to create a Blog Business Funnel system.
See Inside
The Blog Business Funnel is a beautifully designed 93 page eBook with 8 substantial chapters. Click the thumbnails to see a one-page excerpt from the beginning of each chapter.
Introduction: Why Aren’t Bloggers Filthy Rich?
For years we’ve been told that blogging has the power to make you rich. Why have so few of us made it? Instead of endlessly tweaking ads for other people’s products, start your own freelance business and begin to make a living doing work you love.
Chapter 1: Setting Yourself Up For Business
This chapter outlines the foundations of a strong freelance business, while also discussing the many different services you can sell as a freelancer.
Chapter 2: The Blog Business Funnel Explained
Here you’ll learn how to create a popular, thriving blog that is specially designed to appeal to the target market for your services. You’ll learn how the model works and how to adapt the model to your blog.
Chapter 3: Trust and Targeted Traffic
Learn methods and formulas for creating incredible content designed to draw your target market deeper into your blog. Also, learn how to build trust and a rock-solid reputation.
Chapter 4: Turning Readers Into Clients
When you have a healthy and thriving blog, the next step is to start funneling readers into your business. You’ll learn how to properly promote your services to your readership.
Chapter 5: Using Business Launch and Re-Launch Formulas
People are always talking about the importance of product launches, but what about a proper launch for your freelance business? This chapter shows you how to create exciting launches that will fill your client list for months to come.
Chapter 6: Advanced Blog Business Strategies
Get a measurable and profitable return on investment with online advertising for your services. Clever tips that some of the world’s biggest companies still don’t know.
Chapter 7: Scaling Up!
The book finishes with three strategies that your competition simply don’t know about: 1. How to charge your dream rates 2. How to create low-maintenance partnerships you can profit from (without actually doing any work) 3. Productizing your business to sell in your sleep.
It’s More Affordable Than You Think
Most eBooks that teach you ways to run a business online require a serious investment. $97 for one eBook is considered cheap. And for other products, the price keeps climbing. $199. $247. $499!
This product is different - I want it to be accessible to as many people as possible, so that the book isn’t out of reach of anyone. If you walked down the aisles of any bookstore you’d never pay $100 or more for a single book. Why should an eBook be different?
The Blog Business Funnel is $29 USD if you buy it now.
If you do one single hour of billable work as a result of reading this book, it has paid for itself.
Of course, it’s my hope that the book will help you land thousands of dollars worth of clients, all while doing what you love.
This book shows you how to do work that makes you happy, and earn a great, independent living in the process.
The Blog Business Funnel (eBook), 93 Pages
By Skellie
Written and perfected over six months, this book outlines an easy to follow process for funneling clients into your freelance business through your blog.
You’ll learn how to create a thriving popular blog your target market loves, how to sell your services to your target market and how to optimize your business and charge dream rates. Filled with Skellie’s clever tips on blogging, freelancing and personal branding, you’ll learn dozens of things you never knew and will be landing clients on autopilot in no time.
It’s time to earn a living online doing something that makes you happy.
I’m so excited to see this ebook come out. It’s one of my favourites.
I got an advance copy of this book and have been applying it to my current freelance business. It works.
We created the business a month ago. We are still very much in prelaunch phase. We have so many leads and people supporting us and we haven’t even launched yet. I was already having a lot of success with my blog and this guide took it to the next level. Seriously.
:) I’ll save the rest of my rave for the problogger review but congrats. I’m so proud.
Just saw the eMail that this is out. I remember reading the prepack you sent with enthusiasm (the one with the first page from each chapter).
I hope it’s worth it (most likely will). And I’ll even write a blog review on it once I finish reading it.
Time to read.
How exciting! Can’t wait to read the whole thing. I’ve downloaded my copy already. I’m launching a new blog and will be able to apply the lessons there.
@ Jade: So glad to hear the book has helped your business in the pre-launch phase. Sounds like the launch will be a huge success :) Good luck!
@ Arsene: I really hope you like it. Also, if you want to write a review make sure to join the affiliate program so you can get 55% commission on any sales that result from the review: The Blog Business Funnel affiliate program
@ Sharon: I hope you love it and that the book helps with the new blog launch. Make sure to tweet or email me about the new blog as I’d love to spread the word!
One of the more difficult things I’ve faced so far is a format. I have so many ideas that it becomes hard to execute them the way I want.
There seems to be so much information in your ebook and it’s reasonable priced. I’ll have to check it out.
Congrats, Skellie! Sitting down to enjoy it now.
Let me know if you want a little 3D book thumbnail to go with it. :)
I’m excited that you got this ebook out there. You’ve been working on this project for a long time. After reading your blog for over a year, I know this book will be awesome. I love how you break the concepts down so we can apply them to our blogs. So simple and easy, just the way all step by step reading should be.
I just bought The Blog Business Funnel and can’t wait to read it. I’ve been following your blog for a while now and have been eagerly awaiting the release of your first ebook. I bought it this morning without even reading the entire sales page. You’ve done such a great job of building trust with your site–simply the fact that you wrote the ebook was enough for me to buy it.
Thanks, Skellie!
Congratulations on the book Skellie. The business promotion versus advertising model debate is an interesting one. I’ve never made client recruitment a focus of my blog, and I have wondered how things would be different if I did. I have no real complaints about the money the blog makes, but it doesn’t compare to 10,000 a month.
Hey Skellie,
congrats on publishing the new book. I guess I’m one of your 1000 true fans by now. I just had to buy it.
Hope the sales go well.
Sincerely, tad
I can’t wait to get this ebook. Any chance there will be a Nook version? :) The first page of chapter 7 caught my attention.
Congratulations, Skellie! That’s awesome…. It’s so much more work than you think it will be. :)
Hey Skellie,
I found your site & book through Collis & Jeff Way from Envato - their combined tweets gave me reason to click their links and come on over to check it out.
I must say I am excited and encouraged by the overview of your book, and am looking at getting it right now :) It’s something I’m sure will help, esp. as you’ve used your own experience and insight to have written the book.
Bravo on writing your first book, and the very best of luck for your future endeavours!
Regards,
Laneth Sffarlenn
This is going to be good information to have. Freelancing is only going to grow in the future due to the changing nature of our economy. I just wrote about this in a recent blog post: http://www.jasongriffin.net/2010/03/freelance-and-work-from-home-economy.html
I will definitely be letting my readers know about this. I just got it and whizzed through it. Really good job, Skellie! You managed to put a lot in there without making it overwhelming.
@ Adrienne: If you ever need some help or feedback, please shoot me an email - I’d love to try to help.
@ Kelly: Thanks Kelley, hope you enjoy it! I think I’m going to go old-school and stick with the flat cover, but those 3D mockups are pretty impressive. Very kind of you to offer :)
@ Karl: Supportive and awesome as always, Karl - you’re too kind.
@ Beth: Hope you love it Beth - thank you for trusting in me :)
@ John: I think the model is at its most exciting when applied to a blog that is already high quality and successful, like yours.
@ Tad: I’d be glad to welcome you into that fold :) It’s been awesome to see our blogs grow together over the last few years.
@ Jack: I had to Google Nook to find out what it was! haha. Not sure I’d know how, but I do hope the humble eBook format is workable for you :)
@ Jeffrey: Absolutely - but there’s nothing quite like being able to say you’ve written a book, is there? I’m just looking forward to your next 3 books… ;)
@ Laneth: Welcome to Skelliewag! My experience managing the Tuts+ Network has definitely taught me many lessons that influenced the book. If you do end up getting it, I hope you enjoy it and find it super-useful :)
@ Jason: Cool blog post Jason, and an astute argument. I agree that the number of people earning a living online as freelancers will continue to climb.
@ Michael: That means a lot coming from you Michael, thank you :)
@Skellie - Thanks for the welcome. What do you mean if? I was basically waiting till I got home to get it so I could double-check with my wife ;) Best part about it is that the book will help her as well as me cos she’s recently had an awesome idea. (Gimme 5 minutes, and I’ll have it!)
@ Laneth: That’s awesome. Tell your wife that I’m sending out good luck vibes for her idea :) And lots of good vibes for your biz too!
We both send our thanks, and our good vibes for hot sales of this book :) Just had a quick flick through it and am really looking forward to devouring it! Talk soon!
Congratulations, Skellie! I’ve been a reader (and a fan) of yours since 2007 when I was starting to get interested in blogging.
I’m looking forward to getting my copy and possibly being an affiliate for it. I’ll let you know when I publish a review.
Very tempted by the book Skellie! And if it’s great, I’d love to share it with my readers! :D
Just a quick question first though; do you have any plans on releasing a hardcopy version through Lulu.com or anything like that?
Way to go Skellie. I’m gonna grab the cc right after I press “Submit Comment”. Thanks for all the help… past, present and future! Can’t wait to read through the whole thing and apply.
@ Lexi: Hey Lexi, so cool to have had you interested in my work since 2007, that means a lot to me!
@ Michael: Isn’t it the worst when you buy the eBook version of something, only to have it released as a hard-copy book - which you would have preferred - some weeks later? I’ve decided to stick with eBook only format for this one, to deliberately keep things as simple as possible. If I were to do a hard-copy version of a product in future, I’d have to release them at the same time to avoid any disappointment.
I think you’d find the book really useful Michael - anyhow, if you do decide to get it, make sure to join the affiliate program and earn back the cost and a ‘lil extra :)
@ Maggie Mae: Thanks for the kind words Maggie, and thank you for your support! I really hope the book is useful for you, with some tips you can start applying straight away.
Thanks for sharing this. I can’t wait to get a hold of this book. I would love to get those tips and use it in my blogging.
@Skellie - Haha, yes, glad you agree there! It’s the only thing I didn’t like about The Unlimited Freelancer. They didn’t even offer a discount if you wanted to repurchase it to get the hardcopy. Launching both at the start like you said definitely seems the fairest method to me.
Bought your book now though!
Can’t wait to read it. No doubt it’s going to be great! :D
So much goodness consolidated — I like that!
> how to run a thriving freelance business supported only by your blog.
Great focus and precision.
> start your own freelance business and begin to make a living doing work you love
I think you connect the dots right there … use the Web to connect yourself to the opportunities that match what you want to do in life … business + passion.
I’ve just purchased your ebook. So far it’s cost makes up about 1/3 of the amount I’ve spent on my business. Michael Martine convinced me.
I’m willing to be a case study, take a look at my website and let me know if you think you’re interested.
I bought your book and I’m loving it so far, but thought I’d point out a typo on page 28, “50 Fresh and Inspirational Portfolios With a Twist” should read “30 Fresh…” Might want to correct that.
Looking forward to reading the rest of it!
Found another typo on page 30, it should read “How to Code a Sign-up Form…”
Sorry, I am trying to be helpful. ;)
I liked your book as well. I thing freelancing is necessary in order to save time when running a blog or business.
Thanks for sharing this information… I’ll definitely read this book….
Great way to give an overview of the book. I have not seen it done this way before but I am sure it is boosting your sales.
All the best with it.
I’m quite excited about your book Skellie. I have been blogging for the past 2 years with zero income. I would like to purchase your book so that I would be able to make first buck in blogging.
Just downloaded it - I’ve just recently launched a new blog so I can’t wait to read your book. :)
Hi Skellie,
I know it’s been said many times already in the comments but I just wanted to thank you for your wonderful, affordable book. I bought it yesterday afternoon (after reading Jade’s review on ProBlogger) and a little over 24 hours later, I’ve finished it for the first time.
I’m meant to be focussing on my writing for the charity blog that I run but you inspired me to tinker with my personal blog so as to start building that into something that can go on to support my work for Give A Brick (the charity).
Thank you so much,
Eleanor