Rennie Sanusi: Learn How You Can Edit Content Online to Earn Up to $1k/Month

“Can I really earn up to $1,000 a month from editing and proofreading online?” I’m sure that’s what came up on your mind when you read the title. It sounds unbelievable, and I can’t count the number of times people have asked me that question.

The answer is: Yes, it’s definitely possible when you have the right strategies in place. It’s not a get-rich-quick business, but it’s one that will bring results for you when you work hard at it over time.

There are three major steps you need to take to make money from editing and proofreading content online:

Establish your brand presence online
You’ve probably seen several posts on personal branding and how important it is. Building your personal brand online is crucial if you want a successful editing business that’ll bring you thousands of dollars every month. You won’t have to compete in an endless rat race on freelancing sites like Fiverr, Freelancer.com, etc.

Building your brand presence online doesn’t cost too much money. For starters, all you need is a website and an optimized LinkedIn profile. These two are pretty easy to do, and you won’t have to turn your bank account into a desert to do them. You can create a site using WordPress and host your site on an affordable web hosting platform like Namecheap.

You can also use free page builders like Elementor with free WordPress themes to create a professional-looking site. The most amazing part is you can do all this with less than $50.

Thankfully, LinkedIn is free to sign up on, and you can get so much out of the free plan. You need to revamp your LinkedIn profile. This means you need a clear profile picture and background cover image that has the name of your business and what you do. Also, don’t leave your cover photo (the blue space at the top of your profile) blank. You can easily create a simple design with tools like Canva. And gone are the days where you write your summary like you’re writing a resume; be yourself and avoid writing your bio in 3rd person. Avoid it at all costs.

Start getting clients
Before looking for clients, decide who your target clients are. A mistake many freelance editors make is that they try to do everything and don’t specialize. But niching down makes you more marketable, and you’re able to earn more this way.

One of the quickest ways to get clients is by cold pitching. Cold pitching is simply just emailing your target clients and pitching them your services. You have to look for them online through Google or whatever means and get their emails. You can get their emails from their websites (any serious person that’ll be willing to pay you should have a website). There are also tools you can use to easily find their emails. Your cold pitch has to be short, straight to the point, and compelling if you want success with this. Remember, cold emailing is the fastest way to start making money from editing for copywriters.

LinkedIn is another powerful platform you can use to get clients. Here, you don’t pitch. You simply connect with your target clients, post engaging and helpful content consistently, and engage with their posts. People need to see that you know what you’re talking about, so post tips about editing and writing regularly, and let your audience get to know you. You won’t see immediate results with LinkedIn, but eventually, the work you put in pays off in the long run and you’ll have clients coming after you.

Repeat step 2 over and over again
If you’re just starting out, clients won’t start coming come to you immediately. Give it time. Start marketing your editing business online, building your editing skills through practice, and you’ll find yourself making money consistently. Many Africans shy away from businesses like this because they think they’d have to lie about their nationality and use other illegitimate methods to get international clients, but that’s far from the truth. Why? Because your potential clients are more concerned with the value you’re providing them than your skin colour or nationality.

A lot of people have the editing gene and have been editing for friends and family for free (not knowing they can make money from it), and others just love writing and reading but haven’t discovered the editor in them. Have you ever thought of monetizing this skill? You have an amazing chance to start a business that can replace your day job and pay you better.