Top 5 effective ways to market yourself as a freelancer

As an increasing number of people are entering the gig economy, we cannot help but wonder how to ensure one`s success when competing with millions of freelancers.

Establishing a good marketing strategy will facilitate building a sustainable freelancing business. Like it or not, marketing and selling are essential components of any thriving business. While it may seem overwhelming to find clients and successfully market your business, it becomes an easy task, provided you find the right strategy.

Implementing these freelancer marketing strategies will help you succeed in today’s highly competitive market to achieve your goals and focus on the actions required to reach the right customers.

1. Set your goals

Many freelancers don't consider that they need objectives or that their freelancing goals are not important enough to follow up on. This is a huge mistake since you won't be able to advance your business. Your goals point you in the right direction and help you align your actions and behaviors as you move forward. You'll have a hard time succeeding unless you have established well-defined and measurable goals.

Here are 4 questions you should answer before becoming a freelancer:

• Do you have a portfolio in place?
• Can you achieve a perfect work-life balance?
• How much do you want to earn while freelancing?
• What are the limiting factors that hold you back from earning top income levels in your freelancing field?

Once you have answers to these questions, you can start building an online presence allowing you to look for customers.

2. Build a professional social media presence

Presenting a consistent image across all your social media platforms can be a starting point in building your online presence as a freelancer. Marketing yourself as a freelancer on the right social media platforms will help you find potential clients at a very low cost and with a reasonable investment of time.

Join social media freelance groups or professional membership organizations, be proactive in discussions, ask questions, and share pieces of advice with others. Determine your goals and research what tools you might need to facilitate their fulfillment. For example, if you intend to post frequently, a scheduling tool, such as Planable, may be beneficial

Be careful! If you are lagging on social media exposure, your efforts might take longer to produce results in the short term or worse, never materialize.

3. Learn how to pitch yourself as a freelancer

If you want to win a project, you should learn how to present yourself, and understand your key competencies and the benefits that you can bring to the customer. People are more likely to hire someone who’s transparent, knowing exactly the kind of work they will perform. Here are some important steps for writing a successful freelance proposal that attracts clients:

Do your research and learn how to anticipate your client`s needs

Managing client expectations is probably one of the most challenging things in freelancing. Your clients may require you to meet urgent deadlines, tackle multiple projects simultaneously, or even perform work outside your scope. Nevertheless, it’s up to you to set the tone of the business relationship in a way that mutually benefits all parties involved.

Moreover, it's a good idea to understand your audience's needs and expectations before you start formulating your pitch. Do proper research on the client  – what is their background and field of expertise? What are their expectations? Have they worked with freelancers before and how well do they fare in terms of reviews on popular freelancing platforms? Answering these questions will help you assess your status and position when approaching a client.

Make a powerful first impression with an elevator pitch email that demonstrates that you've done your homework

The best email pitches begin with a hook to draw the reader into your idea or angle, followed by a mini-synopsis and links to past examples of your work. Nevertheless, how do you write a good cold email that persuades clients? More importantly, how do you choose the right clients?

Answer the following questions when considering a prospect to ensure this is the right client for you:

•  What makes you uniquely qualified to help this particular client?

•  Have you done similar work in the past?

•  Does the prospect of working with this client excite you, or is it purely a financial motivation?

After you answer these questions, search for the ideal point of contact. Project Managers, HRs, and Operation Managers should be a good starting point, depending on your niche. Use LinkedIn to find your point of contact. Get their email address and don't forget, your goal is to provide value and show your worth!

Set up an online portfolio

Having an online portfolio of your best work is a great way for potential clients to see your work. Remember to only include your best work, but keep it varied to demonstrate your range of skills.

Your portfolio is your professional ID and should be included in your cold emailing strategy. Behance, Dribble, and Adobe Portfolio are great tools to build it.

4. Ask for referrals

Referrals and testimonials are two of the most effective marketing tools if you are looking to grow your freelance business. Think of referrals as a form of free advertising.

As soon as a project is completed, ask the client if they would be willing to leave a review on LinkedIn, Google, Facebook, or any other freelancing platform. All you need to do is send an email when the timing is right. Chances are they’ll be more than happy to help.

Building a strong referral network takes time, but it can provide so much value through clients that are a better fit for your freelance business. In addition, once you’ve built up a good client base and solid reputation, you can start charging more for your services and maximize your earnings.

5. Seize opportunities on decentralized freelancing platforms. Be present!

Why choose a decentralized freelancing platform to compare to traditional websites like Fiverr or Upwork? Well, you can find out more below!

Most importantly, you should know that by 2028 more than 90 million Americans, or roughly half of the entire workforce, are expected to be performing freelancing work. Now with the rise of blockchain technology, the workforce industry is slowly migrating to a new paradigm of bridging freelancers and recruiters.

Blockchain-based freelancing platforms aim to reduce or eliminate processing fees. This results in clients saving money and freelancers earning more, which is the main argument for their choice, especially for people who are just starting.

Nowadays there is an increasing number of decentralized freelancing worksites to choose from. HYVE is a blockchain-based, decentralized freelancing platform that has a bright vision for the future of work, by breaking the barriers between people and enabling peer-to-peer interactions between all parties involved. HYVE's mission is to remove the middlemen from the workforce industry and empower the community.

HYVE offers a marketplace for businesses to browse profiles of freelancer candidates based on type, level, and skills. Freelancers and companies alike can use the platform to either find or post jobs, tasks, competitions, or offers.

Besides the chance to quickly find clients, the main motivation for any freelancer to register on HYVE is getting paid on time for the job. The task or job will be registered on-chain, with the amount agreed upon between parties will be stored in an escrow on the blockchain. In addition, dispute resolution is done in a decentralized manner, effectively automating trust between clients and freelancers.

HYVE ecosystem provides job opportunities for professionals with a wide variety of skills. Freelancers can set up their profiles containing their basic information, including their skillset and the services they provide.

Another advantage of working as a freelancer is the fact that there is no limit to how much you can earn, it only depends on how much time you are willing to invest. Being a successful freelancer involves developing and continuously training a set of skills that can create value for your potential clients.

The HYVE environment is incredibly inclusive since there are no limitations when it comes to fulfilling different jobs. Every freelancer using the HYVE platform can showcase their skills and be adequately compensated for them. What are you waiting for - come join us!

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