Step1
Research
When you’re a freelance writer, you’re in business for yourself. This is why so many fail at this profession; they fail to think like a business person. Part of any business involves research. The internet makes it easy to spot and take advantage of freelance writing trends.
Step2
Pay Attention to Job Ads
Piggybacking off the above point, one way to easily spot and take advantage of freelance writing trends is to pay attention to job ads.
For example, take my foray into SEO writing. I first became aware of this via freelance job boards. Then, I ran across blog postings from freelance writers talking about how they were making good money writing SEO articles almost immediately. Immediate money in freelance writing is practically unheard of. Many freelance writers struggle for a few years. This prompted me to dig further into this. As I started digging, I noticed a lot of freelance job ads looking for article writers, SEO content providers, web content writers and SEO article providers, for example. After learning enough to surmise that this was a growing niche with not much competition, I put up a website dedicated to this type of writing and started marketing for work. Within the first week, I landed a client. This one client gives me enough work on a monthly basis to cover a lot of my monthly expenses.
Step3
Listen to Your Clients
Sometimes, clients are best at helping you to spot and take advantage of freelance writing trends. For example, take blog posting jobs.
When I first put up my SEO writing sites, I didn’t offer job posting as a service. However, after getting the request a few times, I looked around at the services that other freelance SEO writers were offering and realized, “I’m missing the boat here.” Blog posting was a service that most were offering. So I added it to my service listings as well.
Step4
Think
As in, think strategically. Many freelance writers underestimate their strategic thinking abilities. Strategic thinking is just another phrase for use common sense. For example, take forum posting. It’s a natural complement to social media advertising. While it’s not commonly advertised, I have seen job postings for it. Like blog posting jobs, forum posting jobs will one day be commonplace.
Step5
Become a Leader
When I spotted the trend of SEO writing, I immediately built a website and started blogging about the niche. This immediately gave me credence as a leader in the field. It set me apart from a lot of freelancers who don’t even know what SEO it is. [It’s search engine optimization by the way]. Getting SEO writing jobs has been like shooting fish in a barrel because the competition is not there yet. I even wrote an ebook telling others how to do it, and it is my fastest selling one to date. To take advantage of freelance writing trends means that you have to take action. Build a website, get some samples together, write articles and submit them to article directories and distribute press releases on free PR distribution sites. These are just a few of the free online marketing tactics you can use to spot—and take advantage of—freelance writing trends.
Novice 
