So, you’ve decided that you want to build a career as an influential freelancer? The good news is that there has never been a better time to work for yourself, and the digital nomad movement is gaining momentum. If you have a skill that you can put to use, it’s absolutely possible to get into freelancing and to become totally independent.
But how do you become an influential freelancer? How do you become someone who delivers exceptional content and keeps customers coming back for more? Here are ten top tips that are sure to help you become an influential freelancer and will help you earn a living by engaging and pleasing your clients time and time again.
Build an enviable portfolio.
It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; if you want to become an influential freelancer, you need to put together an enviable portfolio. Whether you’re a website builder or an Instagram guru, you need to show clients how you can transform their brand and make it clear why they should work with you. If you put together a killer portfolio, you will prove irresistible to your clients, and you will begin making money in no time.
Be clear about what your skills are.
To be an influential freelancer, you don’t have to be good at everything. In fact, most freelancers understand what their core skills are, and they maximize them and ensure they deliver an exceptional product or service to their clients. Maybe you’re an incredible nature photographer and can help boost a fledgling company’s social media presence. If so, make sure you articulate this and create an exceptional portfolio to match.
Ask for feedback.
When you’re a freelancer, you don’t have a boss to monitor your performance. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t hold yourself to account or look to improve. Far from it, actually. When you’re self-employed, you need to ask your customers for feedback to ensure you’re constantly improving your offer and delivering the best possible content. Although you don’t have to take on board all feedback you receive, the more you ask, the more aware you become of your flaws, which enables you to change for the better.
Develop your network.
Just because you work alone, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have to network with other professionals. In fact, the best way to become an influential freelancer is to connect with fellow professionals and look for potential collaborations. You can connect via social media and share their work or use a professional networking site like LinkedIn. Developing your network is so vital, as the more people you know, the more opportunities present themselves.
Publish testimonials.
The best way to convince clients that you’re worthy of their business is to let other people do the talking for you. Collecting and publishing testimonials from your clients is an excellent way to grow your influence, and you will have the opportunity to work on bigger projects for new clients. It’s helpful to grow your personal or professional website by publishing testimonials, as this builds trust with your clients and shows that you’re someone who can be trusted to deliver quality work.
In the present day, the most effective way of growing your influence as a freelancer is to utilize social media and gain a decent number of followers. By sharing quality content with your followers, you will be able to expand your influence and connect with so many people online, many of which will look up to you for inspiration and will recognize your contribution to your field of work.
Start a blog or vlog.
Starting a blog or vlog is the perfect way to communicate your thoughts and opinions to your followers. It’s also an ideal way to attract people to your personal website, as they will navigate there from your social media pages. You should think carefully about the content of your blog or vlog and make sure you produce high-quality content that can benefit your readers or viewers. If you become well-known as an excellent resource for quality content on a certain topic, you will begin to grow your following and increase your influence.
Optimize your profile.
When you’re a freelancer, your profile is like your CV and is the way that you attract new clients. As such, you need to make sure it is optimized and tells people what they need to know about you and the services that you offer. If your profile is lacking or inaccurate, it will be difficult for you to grow your influence as a freelancer, as people will look elsewhere for their work. Spend some time curating your profile, so it looks appealing and friendly, and make sure you take care of your clients when they get in touch.
Be generous with your praise.
To become an influential freelancer, you should be generous with your praise when working with other professionals. You could share people’s work that you admire on social media and praise them for their contribution to a particular field. If you ensure your praise is sincere and well thought out, you will make friends with people online and increase your following. They are also likely to reciprocate the praise, which will, in turn, help to grow your influence.
Work on your skills.
When you begin your journey as a freelancer, the chances are that you will be maximizing one or two core skills in order to earn money. However, as you expand your client base, you should work on your skills by completing courses, attending training, and generally improving the way that you carry out your work. As your skill set grows, so does your ability to deliver high-quality work. As such, you will gain credibility as a freelancer and become more influential in your field.
Conclusion.
So, there you have it! These ten handy tips will help make you influential in freelancing and will enable you to become successful in your chosen field. On top of these tips, just remember to keep an open mind, communicate efficiently, and be adaptable to change. If you remember these key tips, you will be well on your way to a successful freelancing career and have the opportunity to live your dream as an independent worker.
