Marketing is just as important for freelance workers as it is for small businesses. Earning your living as a freelancer differs from being a business owner only in scale, not in terms of how to be successful. Freelancers still need to abide by legal requirements, keep accounts and make tax returns, and publicize themselves to bring in work. If you’re a freelancer, what you’re selling is yourself rather than a brand – in effect, you are the brand. Therefore, it makes sense to master the art of marketing yourself to ensure your freelance career is successful.
Marketing Yourself
Many people find it hard to promote themselves, as it can seem like a form of boasting to tell the world how wonderful you are at whatever it is you do. At the other end of the spectrum, confident individuals who have no problem self-promoting can concentrate their efforts wholly on themselves, failing to realize that the best way to secure a client is to tell them what problem you can solve for them. For instance, describing all your qualifications and achievements may be fine for the About Us page on your website, and establishing your good faith is important. However, what potential clients really want to know is why you are the best person to fulfill their requirements. They want to see examples of your work, hear from previous customers about their experiences, and feel that you will be the best fit for the job that needs doing.
Creating a Professional Image
For a freelancer, this is far more about having the appropriate level of professionalism in your chosen field, rather than presenting a physically professional appearance. That means knowing your subject matter intimately, being aware of developments in the sector, and having insight into the difficulties being faced by your clients. Having a professionally designed website with full functionality, plenty of high-quality content, and useful information will make a far better impression than a couple of boring pages that just say who you are and what you do. In technological sectors, in particular, you need to rise above the level that everyone else is occupying to demonstrate your superior expertise. For example, if you design printed circuit boards (PCBs), you may still be using an older software package, simply because you’re familiar with it. However, transitioning your data onto a cost-effective professional PCB software package will assure potential clients that you are up-to-date with the latest design technologies and that you are progressive in your work.
To be a successful freelancer, you need to be able to market yourself first and foremost. What qualities do you possess that set you apart from all the other freelancers offering the same service? Remember that you need to mark yourself out as having abilities others may lack, and that who you are as a person can often make the difference in securing a job. No-one wants to engage a freelancer who has no personality, so make sure yours shines out from your marketing and communications to secure the best clients.
Community manager at Visual Contenting. Jacqueline loves to talk about social media trends, new technology and how they help businesses accelerate their marketing efforts.
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