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There’s a reason millions of people go into marketing. It comes with fantastic career prospects, but you can also learn a plethora of transferable skills, like mastering the art of communication and time management.
While many people thrive working in a marketing firm, others prefer the idea of going it alone and becoming a freelancer. This route enables you to work for yourself, find your clients, and reap all the benefits and profits. However, it is not going to be an easy ride. With the right knowledge and advice, you can soon be on the path to success as a freelance marketer. Read our ultimate guide below to get you off to a good start.
The Ultimate Guide for Freelance Marketers
Work Out Your Niche
Marketing is a huge field that spans a wide range of roles. From SEO to email marketing, social media marketing, to the paid acquisition, you need to work out your niche and focus on a role that you’re passionate about. You do not want to spread yourself too thin. While you may think being involved in many areas of marketing is a good thing, businesses want an expert who knows their field inside out.
Most businesses face particular challenges. That’s why a freelance marketer comes into the equation. A freelance marketer can help companies gain more traffic, boost conversions, and improve open rates. Make sure you pick a speciality that excites you and keeps you focused; otherwise, you’ll have difficulty standing out from other freelancers.
Freelance Outside of Your Current Role
After establishing your niche, it’s time to start freelancing. One significant worry freelancers have is how they will deal with securing clients and having a sustainable income. Therefore, it’s wise to look for roles you can take on outside of your current role. Doing this will help you gain experience, build a client base, and once you’re ready to freelance full time, there won’t be any financial worries.
Of course, you need to find the right balance between holding down a full-time job, freelancing, and having a life outside of marketing. Don’t take on too much at once. You may become overwhelmed and find it difficult to keep up if you do.
Seek Work
The question on every freelance marketer’s lips is – how do you seek freelance work? The biggest obstacle you’ll face is finding work opportunities. If you have always been employed, knowing how to land independent work can be difficult. However, once you know where to look, you’ll open doors and find it easier to secure clients.
One great platform to use is LinkedIn. When using their job search feature, you can narrow down the list to find roles that are suited to you. Don’t be put off by how many applicants there are for a position. If you feel confident in your abilities and know you have what it takes, you’ll soon find suitable client work.
Protect Your Work
As a freelance marketer, a large chunk of your time will engage with clients and do work for them. Even if you’ve got years and years of experience in this field, we all make the odd mistake. Unfortunately, some are more costly than others. Should a client launch a lawsuit due to your mistakes, you need to have cover behind you, which is where small business insurance comes into play.
You can seek business insurance from Suited. They provide professional indemnity insurance for the self-employed, professional indemnity insurance for sole traders, and professional indemnity insurance for freelancers. This policy provides you with legal defence should you be accused of making a mistake, saying the wrong thing, or there’s a breach of confidentiality. You can get a quote in as little as 60 seconds and pay their monthly insurance premium without policy or APR fees.
Establish Your Rates
Another question you’re bound to have is how much do you charge for your marketing services? Your rates will vary between clients and how much work you take on. If you’re serious about becoming a freelance marketer, it’s time to research your competition. This will give you a good idea of what rates they charge and what you should be putting as your own.
Numerous factors come into what rates to set. These include how much experience you have, what area you specialise in, and the types of transferable skills you offer. There’s a fine line between setting the bar too low or high, so it pays off to see the going rate from other freelance marketers.
Create a Website and Blog
For clients to find, research, and contact you, it’s time to create a professional website and blog. These platforms can be used to outline the marketing services you provide and how your expertise and knowledge rank on top over other freelance marketers. If you’ve got previous marketing experience, include it on your website and blog. Also, feature any certifications you’ve attained and relevant education.
Your website and blog should include links to previous work and easy ways to get in touch. Many clients reach out via email. Therefore, you must have yours displayed in your ‘contact us’ section. You can use your blog to cement your marketing expertise. Ensure you have marketing posts, tutorials, and guides that clients and customers can check out.
Build a Portfolio
When engaging with any client, they’ll want to see your previous marketing work portfolio. If you’ve got many years in the marketing game, it can be difficult to know what to send off and keep behind closed doors. Your samples should include any marketing skills and services you provide to break things down. Whether it’s SEO, digital ads, or website design, your digital portfolio needs to demonstrate how you’re the best person for the job.
Creating blog posts is your best bet for those who haven’t got previous marketing experience. If you have prior experience, you may find that some of your past work is strictly confidential. The last thing you want is a lawsuit on your hands from a previous employer, so be sure to ask for permission before using any of it.
Learn How to Network
We can’t stress this enough – you need to network, network, and network some more! Because freelance marketers obtain their own clients, you’ll need to put yourself out there and use the right networking strategies to get people on board.
Firstly, take advantage of the world wide web. There are tons of online forums, social media channels, and groups relevant to your target audience. Next, visit digital marketing websites and email to ask whether they outsource any work. You can also attend networking events in person, which can be a brilliant way to see clients face-to-face and do business.
The freelancing world can be tough. Freelance marketers have a lot of rivals to compete against. In a nutshell, you’re all trying to secure the same clients. To stand out from the crowd and get clients to take notice, doing all the above will solidify your place in marketing and help you become an expert in your field. Once you are more established, you will find it easier to gain contracts and clients and build your portfolio. Of course, you will also earn more money too.