I’m taking a quick break from the regularly scheduled content marketing strategies blogs to give some more context on who is behind the work. It’s easy to get swept up in the big stuff: promoting my work, providing resources for those looking to boost their brand through content marketing, and of course, writing for my clients. But I know that it’s important to offer a deeper look into my work as a freelance content writer, because to those who don’t know me, I’m just another website selling services. To those who do know me, that couldn’t be further from the truth. So here’s a closer look at my life as a Seattle freelance writer. 

How I became a Seattle freelance writer

I began my freelance writing career in 2018 (ah, a much simpler time). My first few gigs were from Upwork and allowed me to quickly garner a pool of testimonials and experience to leverage for future work. At this time, I was completely driven by the love of writing and the idea that I could help businesses find real results through the simple act of communicating better with their target audience. 

Here are some examples of the first content marketing pieces I completed for clients:

• 
  Shopping roundups
• How to find the best coffee makers, how to find the best watches, where to buy hair care products
• Supplement marketing blogs
• SEO pages for a dating advice website
• SEO and keyword heavy, location-based content for a guy who ran a dating advice website

And then I got a writing gig I never expected could turn into a career: a major publication was hiring a cannabis writer. Why not throw my name in the hat?

I got hired and wrote my first piece for them: “What is a gravity bong and how to use it?” I thought it might be a one-off, lucky situation where I got to write about something fun and unique. But instead, it kick-started a nearly decades long career in the field of cannabis writing. 

Then I discovered that the company that hired me as a freelance writer was actually based in Seattle. They invited me in to hang out at the office and pick up products to review. I was their only freelance writer in Seattle, so it was a beneficial experience for them to have a local writer who could stop by and write both local and broad-level content. 

Scaling to content marketing for brands

As I continued in my career, I started to scale my business to offer content marketing services for brands in the cannabis and wellness space. I found that many businesses were looking for web content writers, but they weren’t exactly sure how to go about the entire process. 

So I doubled down on the SEO knowledge and became well-versed in SEO best practices for content marketing. I began to pick up clients who were looking for a content writer to bring their brand to life through strategic communication. 

I picked up some clients who wanted a Seattle writer to take their content needs off their hands from a local perspective. These Seattle freelance writing jobs allowed me to dive even further into the world of content marketing because I could visit the businesses, talk to the staff, and even get original images to go along with the content. 

Where I’m at today as a Seattle freelance writer

Times have seriously changed since I first started a career as a content marketing writer. When I first started, the internet was run by SEO content and websites with high volumes of blog content–good or bad. Today, it looks a lot different. SEO still matters, but brands need to be extremely strategic about their content marketing. Plus, AI has made the need for real, human-written content even stronger, while eliminating a lot of roles those humans used to excel in. 

In between my freelance writing roles a few years back, I took on a remote job as an assistant editor of a cannabis trade publication. That strengthened my niche expertise and gave me a competitive edge in the world of cannabis content marketing. But like many great publications in today’s world, the magazine was a victim of the great de-valuing of journalism. I got laid off. 

But because I had built a robust client base and maintained good connections, I was able to hop back into some Seattle writing work as well as pick up a few extra roles as a content writer for wellness and CBD brands. 

Years later, I’ve decided to take a step back from the heavy focus on cannabis marketing and content writing. I still have a handful of clients who need a cannabis writer that I love writing for, but I’ve decided to once again scale up and look at ways I can help other businesses grow, particularly in the health and wellness sector. 

So here are some new titles I’ve gathered since broadening my focus:

• 
  Health and wellness writer
• Fitness writer
• Writer for highly regulated industries 
• Med spa writer
• Storyteller for brands 
• Business features writer 
• Content strategist 
• (And yes, I’m still a cannabis writer and content expert, too!) 

These aren’t all of my skills or interests, but it’s where my work has been centered lately. It’s also where I have deep knowledge and expertise when it comes to compliance, regulations, and writing that converts. 

Thanks for joining me on that trip down memory lane. And if you’re looking to hire a writer for your brand, you know where to find me. Send me a message today.