
While many assume that a writer only needs writing skills, this couldn’t be further from the truth. As a budding writer, you may find that some of your most valuable freelance writing skills are not writing-related. There are a few other skills that can help you.
Handling multiple projects and understanding your client’s project scope are just a few skills that come in handy. You also need to have practical experience in selecting and editing photos. Most importantly, a basic understanding of search engine optimization and HTML code will set you apart from other writers.
One of my earliest blog posts talks about the essential skills you need to be a successful freelance writer. Let’s take this further by looking into six other vital skills to learn for your freelance writing career to thrive.
Digital skills

Digital skills are needed to use digital devices, communication applications, and networks to access and manage information. According to Salesforce, they’re the foundation of the future of work. Here are a few questions to answer: Can you enter data accurately? Do you know how to use a social media platform from a business perspective? Are you comfortable with using different types of productivity tools?
Digital technology is changing rapidly, so freelancers must constantly adapt to using any software application. With more and more clients requiring a certain level of proficiency in online tools, it’s paramount to have at least an understanding, if not hands-on experience. Remember: what you need is the ability to learn quickly and independently.
Design eye

One of the most underrated skills a freelance writer needs is an eye for good design. Appreciating the importance of design is critical. It’s not just about your words but how they are arranged visually on the page. For example, an article with lots of white space in between paragraphs is more likely to get read.
Photo editing

Working with photos and images is a skill you can’t live without. It’s the ability to take a picture and improve it according to your needs. You need to be a master graphic artist, but knowing how to crop and adjust the lighting in images is essential. Learning to tweak color tones, saturation, and more may initially seem daunting. However, with enough practice, you should efficiently work with images.
Project management

Project management is a valuable skill often overlooked. Freelance writers need to be able to juggle multiple projects at once. You’ll have deadlines for content from clients, you’ll be working on blog posts for your blogs, and you may be hustling for new gigs.
Managing these responsibilities at once will make you stand out from other writers. For example, breaking down projects into doable tasks and identifying your most critical to-dos d helps you prioritize your work.
HTML code

HyperText Markup Language (HTML) is a programming language that defines web pages’ text, images, and other aspects. With most websites powered by content management systems, you may not need to know how to program in HTML code.
However, it’s vital to have a basic understanding of HTML tags to edit your content better. For example, if you make a mistake in formatting your text and want to fix it before publishing your post, knowing how to edit these tags will make the process easier.
Search engine optimization

Search engine optimization (SEO) is vital to learn to help your content and online portfolio rank higher. The higher your ranking, the more your site will be seen by other people looking for what you provide.
It would help if you learned how to create search-engine-friendly titles, meta descriptions, and content. This means that you need to know how to write in a way that will allow search engines like Google to scan your content and find what you’re offering readily.