Making a career switch to be a freelancer is like treading into uncharted territories. In the past, work is assigned to you. Now, you have to source clients for work. In the past, you receive a fixed salary. Now, every penny you earn depends on the number of projects and budget agreed with the client. As a budding freelancer, how do you get yourself out there and receive more projects? Here are some tips to help you get started!
Ask yourself first!
Before you even think of marketing yourself, ensure you have clearly identified what you want out of every project. What is your niche? What is your target market? How do you want to charge your clients?
If you are able to specialize in a specific industry, you will be more sought after than a generalist. For instance, if you are a freelance copywriter who has work experience in the pharmaceutical industry, you want to highlight your ability to understand scientific jargon and write accurate content. However, this doesn’t mean you have to restrict yourself to a particular industry; you simply have a wider target market than generalists.
Next, decide how you would like to charge your clients. Depending on the nature of work, you may like to charge per project or per hour. If it is an urgent request, would you like to impose surcharges? Also, consider how you would like to charge differently for the complexity of projects. If your work involves traveling, think about charges for different times of the day and days of the week. At CaregiverAsia, freelance home nurses charge different rates for weekdays, weekends, office hours, non-office hours, urgent request and location of service.
Establish your online presence
In the digital era, simply relying on word-of-mouth to market your business hardly gets you far. With abundant social media and online platforms for marketing, you can find a few that suit your needs.
Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter are important social media networks for marketing. On your social media accounts, share your past work and encourage clients to give you reviews, so that prospective clients have more confidence in your capability, and you can also identify what your clients appreciate in your work. Be active by posting content regularly, and replying frequently to messages to avoid clients leaving an impression that customer service is poor or your business has folded.
You are advised to have your own website for clients to conveniently browse all related information about your business. Thanks to the programmers, there are sites like Wix.com and WordPress Site Building for you to create a professional-looking website without knowledge of programming or web design required. Ensure your website is mobile-optimized, as people depend heavily on mobile devices on-the-go. Be sure to include your website’s URL in your social media accounts!
To further market your business, you may want to consider having blog microsites. Blogging improves your web traffic if you include proper keywords, links and alternate text for images. Share your blog post on social media as well! Visitors from Google search and social media will be streaming to your blog and website.
Should you become an expert in your craft, record video tutorials! You can earn a side income by posting your tutorials on learning sites like LinkedIn Learning and Udemy.
Sharing is caring!
How to get your clients coming back for more? Rewarding them is a good option! Consider offering lower rates to repeat clients or even give them tokens of appreciation during festive occasions! To keep yourself on clients’ mind, catch up with their hiring needs and take the initiative to work with them again.
At the end of each project, approach your client to give you a review. If the review is not visible to the public e.g. on WhatsApp, have your client’s permission to post it on the website.
Lastly, helping your non-direct competitors is a good way to build your client database. If there’s a client who requires a freelancer to write a piece of legal content and you happen to know of a suitable freelancer, make a recommendation! Who knows, this freelancer may encounter clients whom you’re suitable to work with and recommend you in return!
Are you a healthcare professional looking for freelancing opportunities? Consider CaregiverAsia! We offer indemnity insurance and training courses for freelancers! Call +65 6258 6683 to enquire!
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Freelancing and Illness: What Can You Do?
Your Do's and Don'ts Checklist to Get Started as a Freelancer
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