Many people who pursue freelancing are attracted to the freedom and flexibility of choosing the work opportunities they want.
No one, however, builds up a client base overnight. Earning the perfect gigs requires you to market your skills and personality and convince clients or companies to hire you.
Making solid efforts to build yourself up connects you to potential clients and develops growth opportunities. These tips can help you in your journey to becoming a better marketer and secure more gigs.
1. Define Your Niche
Freelancers must learn to be flexible with project specifications and take on various assignments. While being a jack-of-all-trades can benefit your career, it may make it harder to market yourself to specific audiences.
Focus on a niche while retaining versatility.
What Is a Niche in Freelancing?
A niche is a valuable skill or specialization that attracts clients looking for experts. For example, all freelance writers can handle general topics about the tech industry. A client looking for a person with in-depth knowledge about coding and automation will likely skip those less experienced in the field.
Defining your niche as part of your brand doesn’t have to be based on trends. It’s more important that you’re comfortable and interested in the field you’re writing about. Marketing needs to be authentic.
The more you build up your profile and promote your niche, the better your reputation will be. You’ll be able to write faster and more confidently, building your reputation and prompting more potential clients to approach you.
2. Create a Digital Presence
Building a digital presence is paramount today, as most people now source and communicate with their clients online. The internet is all-encompassing, so you can find people from every state or country seeking independent workers. All that’s left is to showcase your services and availability.
One of the most straightforward ways to optimize your digital marketing is through renowned social media networks for job seekers and hunters. LinkedIn is one of the more popular sites, but you can also use more freelancer-focused sites like Upwork and Fiverr.
Speaking of sites, don’t hesitate to create your own. A webpage dedicated to your freelancing career is a great way to rise through the ranks in Google. Remember to employ other digital marketing strategies, like boosting your SEO and sharing content.
3. Keep Your Resume Simple
A resume is an essential document for marketing yourself. You must ensure it stands out and attracts the attention of busy employers. Format it so the information is easy to read and digestible. Times New Roman and 12 points are ideal.
There’s no need to write your life story. Instead, include your highest educational attainment and previous work experience. If you’re only starting, focus on the hard skills that you’ve developed. Remember to back it up with events you’ve attended and certifications you’ve earned when applicable.
Highlight your soft skills, as well. This extra information can give more insight into your personality, which helps companies prioritize people who fit the company culture.
Today’s workplace values collaboration, with members working worldwide to bring innovative ideas to life. Employers want to know that you’ve developed the soft skills required to collaborate and communicate effectively.
4. Be Conversational
You want to be as professional as possible in emails, chats and other correspondence with potential clients. Being too matter-of-fact, however, can come off a little standoffish in text.
Avoid that by adopting a more conversational tone when appropriate. Add some personality to your emails.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and use contractions like in a regular chat with a friend. A relaxed personality can make you seem more personable than robotic, which is all the more important in the AI world.
5. Practice Talking About Your Work
Interviews are one of the best avenues to market yourself, whether one-on-one or in a panel session, so you must practice speaking. Rehearse answering questions about your strengths and weaknesses as a freelancer.
Above all else, you must learn to talk about yourself and your work. Every person needs to find the sweet spot between overselling and undermining themselves.
Be proud of the accomplishments that got you where you are today, but also be humble about the bumps that have helped you learn and grow.
6. Build Confidence Through Self-Improvement
One of the biggest factors holding you back from effective marketing may be yourself. About 15 million Americans have social anxiety, which can distort how they view themselves and minimize their confidence. Overcome this by focusing on self-improvement.
For example, if you don’t think you’re the best in your field, read books and listen to podcasts. Take a course on your niche to increase your understanding. Once you have the prowess, you gain more power to shut down the negative self-talk and market yourself better to others.
7. Make Time for Connections
Another challenge with marketing yourself as a freelancer is building connections. Digital networking is ideal since you can connect with people from all walks of life.
You can’t say, however, that followers and the people you’re following are acquaintances, as you’ve never even had a conversation. Start a chat and get to know other professionals in the field.
Join and host real-life networking events. Find partners and clients to give your information to. Social interactions may be overwhelming, but this leap can help you establish your presence in the industry.
8. Promote Your Work Samples
Your work is your best marketing material. Employers seeking freelancers will browse portfolios to see who’s a good match for them. You must display your work online to showcase your talents and attract attention.
Secure your samples to prevent them from being stolen. Watermarking documents or images lets you display your work while discouraging people from stealing it. Add your name or website address so the material can be traced back to you.
9. Encourage Referrals
Word of mouth is the best form of marketing. About 52 percent of U.S. adults trust reviews from other service users.
After working with clients, encourage them to give public and honest feedback about your services. You can also ask them to refer you as well.
Add an incentive for referrals, such as a discount on their next commission or a free revision when needed. This can drive up client retention rates. Quality services alone, however, still warrant a recommendation and return business.
10. Seek Mentorship to Keep Growing
Seek a mentor if you feel you’ve reached the end of your growth path. A coach can give you plenty of professional advice on how to get your name out there and gain more clients effectively.
Remember to be selective about who you choose, as not all mentors are the same. It should be someone you’re comfortable with who has the right experience. That way, you can set marketing benchmarks and work toward your goals together.
Marketing yourself as a freelancer is vital for earning new opportunities. Whether you’re sending cold emails or doing interviews, you need to know how to display both your work experience and your personality. Use these tips to create a personal brand that’s sure to attract new clients.
