While it’s good that it’s flexible because being a freelancer gives you the option to choose your work at your convenience, you have to learn how to market yourself and get clients on board. It does not matter whether you have extensive experience as a freelancer or you are trying your hand at freelancing for the first time. If you lack this, it might become quite difficult for you to get clients and make your career in freelancing.
In this guide post, we will explain 9 tips (powerful ways) on how to market your freelance services and stand out in a crowded marketplace.
1. Build a Professional Website
Your website is your digital storefront and your single most powerful tool in marketing. Essentially a professional website will do your portfolio, services, and testimonials for you making it easier for potential clients to get a feel for what you have to offer. This is an area where you list all of your skills, experiences, and accomplishments.
Tips for an Effective Website:
- Clean design with easy navigation.
- Your About page, which establishes credibility with customers
- Keep your portfolio easily accessible to show off the best of your work
- List contact information or a form for questions.
Also, a professionally designed website will assist in establishing credibility and may even generate clients on its own via SEO.
2. Optimize Your Website for SEO
Optimizing your website for search engines (SEO). This will help you optimize your website for search engines such as Google and get more organic traffic from people who are searching for the services you offer. The higher up in search results you are for certain freelance keywords, the more inquiries and projects you’ll attract.
SEO Tips:
- Keyword research– think of a set of keywords for the services you offer (like “freelance web designer” or “freelance content writer”).
- These keywords should be in your headlines and meta-descriptions from this stage to your piece of writing.
- One last tip, use internal linking so that search engines can find their way around your site.
- Unfortunately, this was due to a lack of time and effort (probably upsetting you), but it is true; most valuable blog posts around specific keywords on your site regularly.
Although SEO is not instant, you can build a solid foundation to rank your site and drive organic traffic consistently long-term.
3. Leverage Social Media
One of the best ways to land new clients and advertise your freelance services is on social media. Not to mention, platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram are free tools for you to promote your work as well as interact with other professionals in the field.
Social Media Tips:
- Regular postings will keep you in mind for the customers.
- Post informative content about your industry (tips, advice, recent projects).
- Always use relevant hashtags to get yourself noticed
- Engage with other people’s content and gain potential clients or collaborators.
To create a brand on social media, consistency, and engagement are the two main things keepers that you must keep always by your side.
4. Build a Strong Portfolio
Judging — Your portfolio is usually the first thing that a client evaluates when they are considering employing you. Your best work should always be in your portfolio and as current as possible! If you are fresh in the job industry and have low projects under your belt, do personal projects or offer lower rates to get a few pieces in your portfolio_PACK
Tips for a Great Portfolio:
- Naturally, ONLY your very best work must be included – quality over quantity.
- Please feel free to display a few projects that prove you are well-rounded.
- Case studies or explanations of the problems you have solved for your client
- This helps in building faith on your client’s part.
A good enough portfolio shows your skills and lets clients know they won a goddam wizard.
5. Request Referrals and Testimonials
Freelancers benefit from one of the oldest tools in the painter’s kit, word of mouth. Your best promoters will be those clients who are just plain satisfied. Ask for a testimonial or referral from a client that you have worked with after the end of a project/case. Those endorsements are exactly the kind of social proof you will need to convince prospective clients that they can (and should) trust you.
How to Get Referrals:
- Ask clients who have had success with your project If they know other people who need your service.
- Provide an incentive (discount, free service) for any new clients they refer to you as well.
- Testimonials ⇒ Put testimonials on your website or LinkedIn profile.
To put it plainly: Referrals are referrals and they will help you in your business if you know how to get into new customer networks.
6. Make contacts with other freelancers
Partnering with others in your niche can help you find a lot of work. If one is overbooked or gets something that does not fit their skill set, they can always refer the client to another freelancer. These people may very well become future collaborators, or referral sources as they ascend their freelance path.
Networking Tips:
- Be part of online communities such as Facebook groups or freelancers’ forums.
- Going to industry events or webinars where you can participate with other professionals.
- Collaborate with other service providers (web developers, copywriters), who are freelancers themselves.
Networking creates awareness of you within your industry and opens up career opportunities
7. Use Freelance Job Platforms
Sites like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer. Com are excellent for getting the ball rolling from scratch. Such platforms enable freelancers to bid for projects and enter relationships with clients across the globe.
Tips for Freelance Platforms:
- Build an optimized profile including a professional bio, services, and portfolio.
- Usually, respond to job posts shortly after they are posted (in about 30 minutes or less) and personalize your proposal so you look special.
- We recommend focusing on developing a solid base of reviews — the more positive reviews we have, the more clients we get.
Sure, you are competing with others on these platforms to land jobs, but this is the perfect way to get a little experience and build up your client list.
8. Create a Blog / Youtube Channel
For example, a CTO would write articles or create a YouTube channel to showcase their expertise in whatever field they are in. When done correctly, content marketing can be one of the best ways to increase traffic to your website, establish a personal brand, and prove your worth. Whether it is writing about industry tips or recording tutorial videos, valuable content always builds trust with prospects.
Content Creation Tips:
- Pick Topics That Are Related to Your Niche.
- Create SEO-rich blog posts to avail natural traffic.
- Respond to questions, and comments from your audience.
- Post your blog posts, and videos on social media to get more exposure.
A blog or YouTube channel can illustrate your chops and make an overflow of inbound inquiries a possibility.
9. Cold Pitching
However, also feel free to ask potential clients directly. Cold pitching involves sending a personalized email or message to a business you think can use your service. Cold pitching takes some research and a little bit of bravery but it can work.
Cold Pitching Tips:
- Do your research and make sure your pitch is customized to their requirements.
- Limit your message to the most essential.
- Focus on who you can value and why they need you.
- Reminder: Follow up one week later, if you do not receive a response.
Even if cold pitching can seem scary, it works to get you paying clients, as long as you keep at it!
Conclusion
The work of marketing your freelance services is never done, but it pays off. From creating a portfolio-friendly website to using social media, to connecting with other freelancers, 9 tips to draw attention and clients into your freelance business.
By following these strategies, you can establish a PROFESSIONAL FREELANCER BRAND and ensure that your business has sufficient jobs to keep it moving forward.