“When are you going to get a real job?” Every independent business professional has been asked this question. Maybe it was asked by your prospective love interest… or your in-laws… or maybe you were asking yourself. It might have been after you failed to land a client, or lost one, or just had a bad quarter. A steady paycheck looks good at such times.

I know that feeling. I’ve had a real job. Several. My most recent job was the best one I’ve ever had, and it still had its, well, limitations. I was way too vulnerable to other people telling me what work to do, and whether I’d be able to go on doing it.

The time is right for the skilled independent professional to spread his/her wings.This post talks about why this is the time to seize the day, and gives you some ideas on how to do that.

Does your content focus on what you want to say – or on what your prospective client wants to hear? The best topics for blogs are those that show your ability to meet the most pressing issues that your clients want to solve.

That is your objective, right? You DO want to make sure that what you’re selling, in terms of services, is what the market wants to buy? Anything else, and you’ll get lonely, with an empty bank account.

Here’s how one particular kind of content can help keep you on the straight and narrow – aligning your services with the market’s needs. It’s called “newsjacking,” which is a term from the world of content marketing.

Have you been developing thought leadership content that does a good job of showcasing your skills, but it’s not working? It’s not showing up in topic searches on Google, and it’s not effective at convincing clients to get in touch?

Some people think that solving this is all about the right keywords and other forms of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). And I agree, it’s important to have those elements in place. But go deeper to genuinely serve the needs of the people you want as clients.