With the rise of gig economy, more and more
people are aspired to gain freedom in choosing their own working arrangement.
While the idea of working as a freelancer or part-timer might sound fun and
easy, to actually becoming a successful one might not be as simple as it seems.
The most difficult part when you have decided to pursue this career could be
the first steps, those awkward days of trying to get your first clients and
earning that hallowed first paycheck. There are hard lessons to learn and a
long journey ahead of you if you want to gain the best results from a
freelancing career.
If you are working on your way to join the gig community, here are a few tips for making your first waves in the freelancing world and nabbing your first client.
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Create Your Own Website
In today’s highly digitised world, website is a serious commodity to exchange any kinds of information on the internet. Establishing a web page becomes especially important when it comes to business, as without one you might be at risk of putting yourself behind competitors and potentially cutting out a whole stream of your audiences. That being said, giving you and your freelancing efforts a visual, online, platform is entirely necessary.
A website can perform a number of functions. It can be a portfolio, a point of contact and ultimately ensure that you put your ‘best foot forward’ when it comes to gaining clients online.
Having an online presence is vital if you want to be a freelancer taken seriously. Don’t forego this step and ensure you create a freelance portfolio website!
Don’t Be Afraid to Network
The power of networking is vital, especially when you are just starting out a new career. Therefore, you should never underestimate people you meet and what they can do for you and your budding freelance career. Networking can come in many forms, but likely you will be doing this primarily either in person or via the internet (LinkedIn).
Learn How to Follow Up
Warm, cold or whatever lead you have; they will all turn out to be Antarctic if you fail to follow up.
Following up on your leads is a special talent in the modern world. At the very least, you need to learn to do so without annoying your leads. Being a pestering freelancer is awful and can bring you more enemies rather than clients, therefore, you should avoid that as much as possible.
Simple follow up methods include:
Keep a Fresh Social Media Presence
Social media can be a true goldmine when it comes to starting out on your freelancing journey. While many might consider it ‘overused’ or ‘dead’, social platforms can still be one of the most effective ways for you to gain a new client in 2019. Why? Because people are constantly on or using social media, which means putting yourself in front of them is never easier than when using platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Of course, it should be noted that not all social media are relevant to your needs. You should also remember the art of selling on social media: don’t ask, ask, ask. Rather, give value as many times as possible and eventually you can ask for something in return.
Try to Find Work Through People You Know
Your personal network is almost as much of a goldmine as anything else you have available to you. Your own friends and family might have plenty of freelance work opportunities for you to do, surprisingly, so don’t be afraid to ask
Author Bio:
Jamie Costello is a business/legal freelance writer from Manchester, United Kingdom. He uses his education and utilises his experience alongside dispute resolution solicitors Manchester based and several businesses to comprise his articles. When he’s not writing, he regularly listens to podcasts and plays hockey.
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