No matter what industry you’re in, it always feels good when you’re recognized as one of the best. I’ve been freelance writing for a little over four years, and I’ve been able to write for some of the most popular sites on the internet. One of my well-known clients is LendingTree, which is an online lending marketplace that has several brands under its umbrella. I typically write a couple of articles for them every month about credit cards, loyalty programs, and other personal finance topics. It was amazing to receive the news that I was chosen as the Freelance Writer of the Month for August 2022. Here’s a little about LendingTree and how I was chosen for this month’s award.
What is LendingTree?
LendingTree was founded in 1997 by Doug Lebda, who wanted to “create a place that made comparison shopping loans easier.” Now, LendingTree is the nation’s largest lending marketplace, covering hundreds of lenders and dozens of products. Through its 26 years in business, there have been over 3 million loans approved for over $260 billion.
Its brands include some of the most popular personal finance websites:
August 2022 Freelance Writer of the Month
Each month, the lead editor sends out an email with the latest tips and comments for freelancers. In that email, Jackie also highlights one freelancer of the month and explains why they were nominated by one of the staff writers or editors. For August 2022, I was nominated by Pearly Huang, the copy chief that I work with. This is what she said:
“Lee is really meticulous with his sourcing. He takes the time and attention to not only include screenshots but also to mark/highlight the exact area on a website/PDF where editors can FC a claim/statement. Much appreciated especially when it comes to the VP credit card “Best of” refresh posts where there’s a lot of cards with updates on APRs, bonuses, fees, etc.“
Big thanks to Pearly and Jackie for the recognition. And I get to buy something cool for my family from Amazon with the gift card that I received as this month’s winner.
CloudApp: The sourcing tool that I live by
The tool that I use to include sources in my articles is CloudApp. There is a free version that works fine if you don’t use it that often. However, if you’re a freelance writer who has clients that want you to source facts, you’re going to be a power user that should upgrade to the paid version. The pricing isn’t too bad a $9.95 per month. However, you can save 20% if you get two friends to go in on it with you for a “team” membership.
This is what a CloudApp sourcing image looks like. You can annotate images with circles, squares, arrows, and other items to direct attention to specific text. The app also records videos if you need that functionality. I use it to record errors or when I have to scroll down a page to show sourcing info.
CloudApp sourcing example
When sourcing for my articles, I also ensure to include in my screen what the URL is of the page where the facts came from. This way, if the editor wants to see the site for themselves, they can easily find the original website. And highlighting specific details is always important because many pages have so much information on them that the facts you are referencing can be lost in the shuffle.
Articles for LendingTree
Here are a few of the most recent articles that I’ve written for LendingTree and its network of websites:
- How To Get Cash From a Credit Card
- Citi ThankYou Transfer Partners: Best and Worst Transfer Options
- Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Card Review: A Great Card for Dining Out
- 5 Best Credit Cards for Car Rental of 2022
You can see all the LendingTree and ValuePenguin articles I’ve written on my author pages for those sites. And my portfolio page highlights articles that I’ve written for all of my other clients.
The Bald Thoughts
Although the monetary reward is small, recognition by a client is a huge win in the freelance world. And that this email went out to all of the other freelance writers and staff helps to build my reputation within the community. My approach is to treat every client article as if it were going on my own site. This helps to reduce edits and builds your reputation when others read your articles.
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