How to Work From Home as a SEO Copywriter

My business is providing SEO copywriting services to fitness, health and wellness brands. I launched it 3 years ago to create a job that fitted around getting kids to school and kinder. I’ve always loved writing and studied it many years ago, so I wanted my work to be something that brought a sense of fulfilment. I’ve got three kids, aged five, seven and ten.

How to Market SEO Copywriting Services

As a marketer, I promote myself where my audience spends the most time, which is Instagram and LinkedIn. I also have a weekly newsletter I send to my email subscribers. Whenever I write a blog post, I share it on my socials and in my newsletter. I’ve also been a guest on a couple of podcasts and for my local council’s blog.

My 5 Tips for Working From Home as a SEO Copywriter

Juggling motherhood, business and life, in general, can be tricky. Here are my tips.

Answer Their Questions Quickly

I’ve found that asking them to wait often makes my kids whine or hang out impatiently at my shoulder, so it’s easier to quickly respond and shoo them out of the study.

Explain Your Work to Them

When I first started my business, my kids thought I was just getting extra screen time. So I explained to them what my job is and how it helps people. I show them my work on my client’s websites.

My eldest daughter is keen to be involved but at this stage, there’s not much she can help with, so I let her watch me create graphics for my social media posts in Canva and she helps choose the colours and images.

Create Some Structure in Your Day

I wrote up meal times on a whiteboard because I was sick of hearing “When is it lunchtime?” My eldest two can tell the time and we’re teaching my youngest to read a digital clock, so they know morning tea is around 9.30am and lunch around 12.30pm. This has been super handy during lockdown’s when they’re homeschooling.

Get Them Involved Around the House

All three kids have washing buckets where they throw their dirty washing. When I’m putting a load through the machine, I get them to bring their buckets to the laundry and sort their piles into light and dark.

They also have pocket money jobs such as taking out the recycling or compost, folding and sorting the dry washing, cleaning toilets and basins, etc. Every night my 10-year-old sweeps the floor around the kitchen and dining table and my 7-year-old wipes the bench and table as part of their unpaid contribution to the family.

All of these little jobs add up to give me more time in my day.

Take Your Work Seriously From the Start to get Extended Family on Board Early

I never treated my job as a hobby, so my parents and in-laws knew straight up that my husband and I were both working. They’ve been very generous in taking the kids sometimes for a day or a sleepover when they can because they understand it’s difficult to work with kids around.

It also means that when family or friends call me, they ask “Is this a good time?” instead of expecting me to be free for a chat just because I’m at home.

I think the most important thing to set up is boundaries. I try to avoid working between 4-6 pm because that’s when my kids need me most. My husband and kids come first, business second and that will never change.

How to Contact Kara Stokes

You can check out the Kara Stokes Copywriter website, follow on Instagram or connect on LinkedIn.