Hey Hivers!
I actually got some requests to share more about Freelancing and how to get clients. If you've read my introduction, I've shared there that I am a Freelancer after quitting my corporate job. One of the best things in freelancing is time freedom. Unlike in corporate that demands more than half your time, Freelance work is the other way. You are in control of your time. You create your own routine, and your income depends on how much work you do or how many clients you work with.
If you want to get into this field but don't know where to start? Then, this blog will help you. I wanted to share the 6 Effective Steps on How to Start Freelancing even without experience. Hope this helps, and have fun reading.
If you go search on the internet about Freelancing, most of the results say that you need to have gadgets prepared, build your portfolio, and other basic things to do. However, I am not gonna sharing the same thing.
It's okay to not have your own gadgets like a laptop, or cellphone because you can always find a way. You can borrow from a friend or someone you know, or go to an internet cafe. Now, what about a portfolio or resume?
I had this worry too when I first started but actually, you can get clients even without all these things. You don't believe it, do you?
I am currently enrolled in a course that teaches the proper way to get into Freelance. Although I already have the experience, I realized that I still do it the wrong way. But the 30-day challenge course that I am part of, helped me get a clearer direction into my freelance journey.
When we say "Freelance", it means working for yourself rather than working for the company. While Freelancers work for firms and organizations on a contract basis, they are ultimately self-employed.
Freelancers are in charge of a variety of tasks that regular workers are not, including scheduling their own work hours, keeping track of time spent on various projects, billing their clients, and paying their own employment and business taxes. Companies that hire freelancers refer to them as "contractors," rather than "workers."
Most Freelancers who came from corporate are seeking time freedom. It is because, in freelancing, they take control of their time, and do not get stuck with 8 am - 5 pm day jobs.
In my case, time freedom was also my motivation to take such a big decision in my career - quitting the corporate. After getting burnt out from working more than 12 hours a day, I suddenly just wanted to quit and become my own boss.
So this time, I wanted to share with you how it should be done especially when you just get started in Freelancing. So now, if you are interested to get into this field, then these steps that I am about to share with you might be the most effective way.
1. Choose Your Market
Market refers to the industry of business you want to serve - be that a Real Estate, eCommerce, Beauty, Fashion, Coaching Business, Entertainment, IT Services, etc.
Your capacity to be compensated depends on whether you're serving a market with a significant problem to solve. Now, I understand most freelancers at the start of their career don't do it this way.
In fact, it's more common for them to do it the opposite way around. They try learning a skill and then finding a client they could apply it for. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing. What occurs is that they make things more difficult for themselves by trying to fit their skills into a market that doesn't require them.
Does it make sense? Therefore, before worrying about the skills you want, focus first on finding your market that has problems that need to be solved. Because freelance skills are used to solve a problem, and without a market, you'll find yourself being lost in the long run.
2 . Know the Problems of Your Market
Once you've chosen your market, try to research what are the common problems most businesses in your market usually have. Your goal is to determine whether the market you selected is worth pursuing by learning about its problems.
If you don't know what your market's greatest and most reoccurring issue is, you limit your capacity to demand higher prices and serve more people.
To search, you may go to Google. Research about your market's problems such as:
"What are the challenges of Real Estate Companies?"
"What are the challenges of online businesses?"
"What are the problems of having a restaurant?"
When you've found what you're looking for, read the articles and make a list of the reasons for marketing and the obstacles that come with it. This will give you an indication of the type of assistance or need that your sector or market would be willing to pay for.
3 . Choose Your Service
After choosing your market and knowing its problems, then your next step will be choosing your service or the type of skill you want to provide to give solutions to the issues you uncovered.
For example, you chose the E-commerce Beauty Market. One of the problems they often have is how to generate sales online. Some of the skills you can offer are Brand Strategy and Social Media Marketing.
But, first and foremost, let me emphasize that you do not need to be an expert. You don't need that million-dollar ability. You also don't require a portfolio. Everyone has a service they can provide. And I believe they can scale their businesses to six figures a month and beyond if they know how to price it, package it, and have a step-by-step approach for attracting clients.
You can Learn by Doing. One of the common ways most newbies in Freelancing do is to offer free service in a limited time in exchange for a testimonial. The work they have done for the client/s became their portfolio. Even though others started with probono work, some of them get to turn their probono clients into paid clients.Amazing, isn't it?
Take note that you need to come from a place of help. When you offer your service, remember that you are there to help, and not just for money. If you keep this in mind, you'll gain a stronger mindset to pursue your Freelance career or business even when you encounter several rejections along the way.
4 . Offer Clarity
You've chosen a market, known its problems, and chosen your service, what's next? It's now time to put everything together and create an Irresistible Offer that answers the inquiry, "What do you do?"
Because contrary to popular belief...
"Learn a high-paying skill to increase your service rate"
How much you can charge has little to do with your skill or service. Some people earn $200 while others earn $1000 despite offering the same service. Same skill but different fees. How did that happen?
If your fees are determined by your skills, what is the cause of such a large disparity? That's because it's not all about the skill. It's all about how you POSITION your service in such a way that clients are drawn to you and avail the service at your ideal fee or price.
For example:
Resume writers describe their service as "I write resumes."
Although nothing bad about it, do you think it helps them get more clients? Now compare it to this kind of description.
"I help Engineering professionals land their next job"
Which of the two sounds more engaging and attracts clients? The latter, right? That's exactly the importance of Offering Clarity. The clients or customers know what exactly you are offering through the clarity you have written in the description of your service.
5 . Optimize Your Profile
“Selling is all about putting the right offer in front of the right market”
Now that you know the first four steps, it's time to get your profile optimized. When I say profile, this means the platforms you will use to get clients such as social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) and freelance platforms (Upwork, Onlinejobs.ph, etc).
If you created an account in these platforms, make sure to get it optimized by putting your chosen skill, and what you offer. Use the terms you believe your prospects are searching for in your bio or title. It is, after all, a search engine. And search engines operate by identifying keywords.
Here is an example of my optimized Instagram business profile. If you noticed it, I have my name Raine and beside it is the service I am offering - branding and marketing.
Now, as you read my bio, I also put who my market is (e-Commerce Beauty and Fashion), and my clarity offer which is helping these businesses scale up. Also, I've put a Call to Action (CTA) which says to book a brand clarity call with me, and below that is my calendly for them to book a schedule.
In this way, my followers, audience and even potential clients will know who am I and what I can offer for them. If you're still confused about profile optimization, don't worry, I'll create another article mainly discussing on how to optimize your profile effectively.
If you really want to get your ideal clients, profile optimization is very effective. But if you are hesitant to do so, afraid others might tease you, remember that a quick glance at your profile will reveal WHO you serve and WHAT you can do to help them. Who knows, your first client will be some of your friends on Facebook or followers on Instagram!
6 . Network Reachout
We're finally down to the last, and most important steps to get clients - the Network Reachout!
There are primarily two ways to get clients. Either you track them down or you persuade them to come to you. Outbound marketing is the first, and inbound marketing is the second.
Before you start earning money from freelancing, most freelancing gurus recommend that you construct a brand, create a website, and build a portfolio. But here's the terrible truth, while inbound marketing, or bringing clients to you, is fantastic, your freelance career will be shaky if you focus solely on it.
Getting clients to come to you isn't always easy. You don't have any control over the outcome. Compare that to reaching out to potential clients. You're the one who's in charge. You get to choose how many clients you want to contact and how frequently you want to contact them. That is what makes a company predictable.
So, how do you reach out? You may ask your family, friends, business owners, colleagues, and other connections if they know someone who could use your help. You can also join Facebook groups or other communities where your market is and engage with them. Once you built rapport with them, then you can ask them and see if there is something you can do to help them.
Actually, this step is very critical in your freelance journey so I would want to discuss it further in my next articles to somewhat guide you of the proper reach out.
There you go! These 6 steps are the not so common steps you'll see on google or any other guru recommendations. I am happy to share this especially for those who wanted to stared but seemed lost in the field.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments. See more #FreelanceTips in my upcoming articles!
Hi! Welcome to Raine's safe haven in Hive. She is an Industrial Engineer turned Freelancer. She is currently a Brand Designer and Social Media Manager. Follow her Hive journey as she writes about various topics such as freelancing, play-to-earn games, life, and some inspiring stories. She loves to interact with new people so she's looking forward to getting to connect with you.
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