by David R. Chase

Created on: April 10, 2010   Last Updated: April 12, 2010

There are dozens of different writing services clients might require from a freelance writer - from press releases to web content to articles.  Your job as a freelance writer depends on knowing what they need and delivering a well-written product quickly and efficiently.

To do that, you need to know the difference between the types of services you're capable of offering.

Here's the breakdown on a few types of freelance writing services, followed by a quick description of what they are:

Articles
Press Releases
Blogs
Brochures
Web copy/web content
Professional Biographies
Newsletters
Fliers
E-mail copy

ARTICLES are informative, non-fiction pieces which enable the reader to learn about a product, service or anything else.  Consumers read articles so they can gain knowledge or insight.

PRESS RELEASES are news stories.  When we freelance writers write press releases, we know they're not always "hard news," but we write them like they are.  (They usually are, though.)  When someone reads a press release, they need to feel as if they're reading front-page content on the New York Times.  Press releases are very formal documents.

BLOGS are usually informative - but more informal than articles.  You can rant and rave, you can provide information or generally do whatever the client would like to see on a blog.  (Well, you provide whatever a client would like to see in any kind of freelance writing... but within certain parameters.)

BROCHURES are informative take-aways that consumers read to get more information about a company, service or product.  There are five sub-types of brochures:

• Leave-behind (a parting “gift” for a potential client or customer)
• Response to Inquiry (answers questions about a product or service someone has asked about; easily mailed)
• Point-of-sale (offers products and services and encourages potential clients to contact you)
• Direct mail (provides information similar to point-of-sale brochure)
• Sales Support (highlights benefits, selling points and technical information of products and services and is used during conversation with potential client or customer)

WEB COPY/WEB CONTENT - these two are so similar that it really doesn't matter what you call them.  According to Google, more people search for "web content," so that's what we'll call it here.  Web copy/web content is what you see when you visit

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