How to Upsell Your Services as a Freelance Writer
If you’ve ever wondered how to upsell your freelance writing services without feeling pushy, you’re not alone. It might feel awkward to suggest more work to a client, but upselling isn’t about being salesy. It’s about offering extra support where it’s genuinely useful. Done well, it can help you earn more from existing projects, reduce the need to chase new clients, and highlight skills your clients might not know you offer.
In this post, we’ll break down what upselling means for freelance writers, why it works, and how to do it in a way that makes sense for you and your clients.
What Is Upselling?
Upselling is the process of encouraging a client to purchase an upgraded or enhanced version of a service they’ve already committed to. The purpose of upselling is to increase the income you earn from an individual client while also increasing the value that the client receives.
Upselling can look like:
- Being offered a first-class seat on public transport for a slightly higher price
- Having the option to add extra toppings to your pizza at a restaurant
- Being recommended an item of clothing in a higher-quality fabric at a store
In the context of freelance writing, upselling usually involves offering a client a more comprehensive version of your original service, such as upgrading a single blog post into a full content strategy package.
Closely related to upselling is cross-selling, which involves recommending a complementary service (rather than a higher-tier version of the same one). For instance, suggesting social media captions alongside a blog post would be a cross-sell.
In this post, we’ll mainly focus on upselling strategies, but many of the examples, such as bundling or offering add-ons, technically involve cross-selling. The goal in either case is the same: to increase the value you provide and boost your income from each client.
What Are the Benefits of Upselling for Freelancers?
Upselling helps you earn more from the clients you already have. That means less time chasing new work and more time doing what you’re good at. It’s a practical way to build your freelance income without stretching your schedule.
But the benefits go beyond the financial. Upselling gives you the chance to increase your involvement in a project and show clients the added value you can provide. Maybe they came to you for a blog post, but you suggest turning it into a full content series or optimizing it for SEO to help it reach a wider audience. When you tailor these kinds of upgrades to the client’s goals, it shows that you understand their needs and positions you as someone worth investing in long term.
How to Upsell Your Services
Upselling can seem daunting, but once you understand your clients and how to pitch your services to them, you’ll find it’s not about being pushy – it’s about offering more of what your client actually needs.
Before anything else, take time to understand your client’s goals. There’s no point trying to upsell a service that doesn’t solve a problem for them. At best, they’ll say no. At worst, they may see it as a red flag and be reluctant to work with you again.
Start by asking smart, open-ended questions to learn more about:
- The scope of their current project
- Any challenges or worries they’ve shared
- Their future content plans
Once you’ve identified an opportunity, explain clearly how your service will add value. Be specific about what they’ll get and how it will help them achieve their aims, whether that’s reaching a wider audience, publishing more consistently, or improving the quality of their content. You’re not just letting them know what else you offer; you’re tailoring that suggestion to their situation.
Below are a few upselling strategies that often work well for freelance writers.
1. Offer a Faster Turnaround
As the saying goes, time is money. Some clients are happy to pay a premium to get their content sooner, especially if they’re working to tight deadlines.
If your workload allows, offer a rush delivery option for an extra fee. For example, if your standard turnaround is five business days, you might offer a 48-hour delivery for 30–50% more. Just make sure you’re confident you can deliver high-quality work to the new deadline.
This kind of upsell works well when timing is crucial (e.g., for a seasonal post, a trend-driven piece, or a last-minute brief).
2. Include Extra Revisions
Most freelance writers include one or two rounds of revisions in their base rate. But if a client thinks they’ll need more – maybe because they’re still shaping their ideas or want feedback from a few different team members – you can offer extra revisions for an added fee.
The key is to explain this clearly and supportively. For example:
The project includes up to two rounds of changes, but if you’d like more flexibility, I can add an extra round for [X amount].
You might also want to present it as part of a few simple pricing options so the client can choose what suits them best from the start. Being upfront about what’s included helps set expectations early and means you’re paid fairly for the extra time and input.
3. Package Your Services
If a client asks for a single piece of content, there may be a chance to upsell by expanding the scope of the project. For instance, if they’ve requested a stand-alone how-to guide, you could suggest developing it into a three-part series that covers the topic in more depth.
Because you’re already working on the topic, it’s often quicker to create related pieces at the same time. That gives you the option to offer a small discount for bundling the work, while still earning more overall and providing the client with better value.
When you pitch a package, explain how it can help them publish more consistently, plan ahead with less effort, and make better use of their existing content ideas.
4. Enhance Content with SEO
If your client’s goal is to grow their audience or drive more traffic to their website, offering SEO support can be a valuable upsell. This doesn’t mean becoming a technical SEO expert, but if you understand the basics, you can help improve how their content performs.
Depending on your skills and what the client needs, you could offer to:
- Write meta titles and meta descriptions tailored to their target keywords
- Conduct basic keyword research and suggest topic ideas or content angles
- Optimize older posts as part of a content refresh strategy
- Structure content to target featured snippets
- Review posts for on-page SEO improvements, such as internal linking or alt text usage
If you already build these things into your workflow, consider separating them out into a “with SEO” version of your standard offering. This can help clients understand what they’re paying for and why it’s worth more.
Just make sure you’re clear about what’s included, and only offer what you’re confident delivering. A focused upsell that you can execute well is better than an overpromise that risks underdelivering.
5. Suggest a Retainer Agreement
If a client needs content on a regular basis – such as weekly blog posts or monthly articles – a retainer agreement can be a smart upsell. It gives them a reliable writer they don’t need to brief from scratch each time, and gives you a steadier, more predictable workload.
You could offer to reserve space in your schedule for a set number of pieces each month, at a slightly reduced rate compared to booking them individually. This makes budgeting easier for the client and reduces admin for both sides. For example, you could say to your client:
If you’re planning to publish monthly, I can block out time in advance for three articles per month. I offer a reduced rate for ongoing projects like this, since it’s more efficient for us both.
It’s worth agreeing on a few key details upfront, for instance, how long the arrangement will last (e.g., a three-month minimum), what’s included each month, and how any changes or unused content will be handled.
Once a client sees the value in working with you long term, this kind of arrangement can turn one-off projects into ongoing work, helping you build a more stable freelance business.
Becoming A Freelance Writer
If you’re ready to take more control of your freelance work – and your income – learning how to upsell is just one part of the puzzle.
Our Becoming A Freelance Writer course will help you build the skills, confidence, and experience you need to succeed, whether you’re just starting out or looking to grow. Try some free lessons today!
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