In today’s professional world, we need to be aware that there are sometimes things that get in the way of our success. Some of these obstacles occur because of actions by others or not observing a professional ‘code of conduct.’
Here are 13 online etiquette mistakes that will hurt your freelance career.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Proper online etiquette is crucial for freelance success. |
| Avoid using unprofessional language or engaging in online arguments. |
| Respond to clients and colleagues in a timely and respectful manner. |
| Double-check your emails and messages for grammar and spelling errors. |
| Be mindful of your tone and maintain a professional demeanor in all online interactions. |
| Use appropriate channels for communication and avoid spamming or excessive messaging. |
| Respect others’ time by being punctual for online meetings and deadlines. |
| Use proper netiquette when participating in online forums or communities. |
| Be cautious about sharing confidential or sensitive information online. |
| Acknowledge and apologize for mistakes or misunderstandings promptly. |
| Practice active listening and show empathy in online conversations. |
| Be mindful of cultural differences and adapt your communication style accordingly. |
| Continuously learn and stay updated on evolving online communication trends and practices. |
1. You Overshare On Facebook Or Twitter
Freelancers, be smart about keeping your personal life separate from your professional life. When you’re posting on Facebook or Twitter with a social media management platform like Hootsuite, consider whether you’re including the company name.
If not, do it anyway and make sure to include the context around your message (e.g., “I’m working from home today because I have an important client call tomorrow morning.”). By doing this, you’re preserving the integrity of your personal page while also helping to control the tone of how others perceive your company or brand.
And remember: if you start talking about work at home or mention that you’re going to be in a meeting at work when it’s not business-related, then there’s no need for further explanation and people will understand why and may even appreciate hearing about what could otherwise be considered boring office happenings for a public figure.
Effective communication is key to a successful freelance career. Check out our guide on 10 Communication Etiquette Tips for Freelancers to improve your professional communication skills and build strong client relationships.
2. You Don’t Read The Instructions
It’s common sense to follow instructions, but freelancers often don’t do it. Why? There are several reasons (some of which you’ll read about later), but frankly, we’re as guilty as anyone.
But failing to read the instructions is a big mistake. If you don’t follow directions, clients will think you’re unreliable and unprofessional. And if your error isn’t caught before the client reviews your work, it will likely have to be redone which means less money for you!
If you can’t read the instructions or aren’t sure what the project requires, ask questions right away. Don’t assume that you know what they want or continue working without guidance; this wastes their time and yours and can cost valuable points to potential future clients.
Give the client what they need instead of guessing at their requirements. If a job calls for editing eyes only, give ’em some editing eyes!
3. You Send A Generic Email
There are some things that you should observe when communicating with other people, no matter what kind of business you’re conducting.
A professional business person should always send an email to her clients or colleagues with a personal salutation. For example Dear Dr. Smith, Hi there, it’s so great to meet you! I’m so glad I got your message and look forward to having our meeting next week. Let me know if you have any further questions, and I’ll be waiting to hear back from you soon. Sincerely, Monica Ewers
When sending an email to someone out of the blue (i.e., someone who doesn’t know you very well), it’s important not to make it seem like a formality by using generic greetings such as “Hi” or “Hello.”
Instead, make sure that your message is more personal by including something unique about yourself such as “Hello my name is Monica Ewers and I am a stay-at-home mom in Brooklyn trying to save up for a house deposit” or “Hey there! My name is Nicole and I’m working on this cool project at my company called The Muse (which does amazing work for women entrepreneurs check it out!)” and then follow up with clear expectations for when the sender will want your answer:
Most importantly, do not send an email at an inconvenient time! This goes double for when you haven’t heard back from the person within two days of sending them your message especially if they live overseas or in another country where work hours may be different than those in America (or any country).
If you have concerns about how long it’s taking them to get back to you via email, call them instead on their phone number/fax number/email address provided in the original message:
Navigating social media as a freelancer requires proper etiquette and branding. Learn how to leverage social platforms effectively with our guide on Social Media Etiquette for Freelancers and enhance your online presence to attract clients and opportunities.
4. You Use The Old Job To Land The New One (And Not In A Good Way)
You don’t use the old job to land the new one (and not in a good way).
One of my biggest freelance pet peeves is someone who has left a client and is now using that same client’s employee as a reference. This is not to say that you can never work with someone you worked with before, but use tact and good timing. As soon as you leave an organization, let it be known, publicly online if necessary.
I have seen people get fired for using their current employer’s contacts to land another job. Additionally, don’t take proprietary information or products with you when you leave, and try your best not to send messages about how great your new team is compared to your old team or share inside jokes or secrets from your previous company.
5. You’re Late To Events
When it comes to online etiquette, being on time is just as important as it is offline. First things first: always show up on time. If you’re running late, call and let people know. If you can’t call, send a text saying that. As long as they know that you’re aware of your tardiness and are working on fixing it, they’re less likely to be upset with you.
Be on time for meetings, calls, and interviews you name it! There’s no excuse for showing up late when all the communication for the event happens online and through email. It’s easy to see when an event is scheduled or what time someone would like to talk over Skype so make sure you show up at those times!
6. You Send Follow-Up Emails Too Often (Or Not Often Enough)
We’ve all seen those emails that come in every few hours, day in and day out. They start off friendly enough, but the tone quickly turns into a barrage of messages and an endless stream of follow-up emails. It’s easy to see why this happens: typically, we get something back from our clients within 24 to 48 hours. So there’s the natural urge to put them out of their misery by sending that “final” email ever so soon.
But what if you’re not getting anything back? And should you be anyway?
Before you decide on your own follow-up policy for your work, it’s a good idea to run it by your client (or at least a couple of them). The best way to find out is through trial and error: send one or two quick follow-up emails, then wait and see whether they get back to you.
If they do, don’t send any more follow-ups until they say something; if they don’t respond within 12 hours, send another one and wait another 12 hours before following up again. Over time, you’ll get an idea of how many times per week (or even per day) is appropriate for sending these kinds of automated messages from your client base your mileage may vary greatly depending on whether or not you share a similar style with your clients as well!
Online chat support is a valuable skill for freelancers in the digital age. Dive into our comprehensive guide, The Complete Guide to Online Chat Support: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough, and master the techniques and tools needed to provide exceptional chat support services.
7. Your Email Signature Is Out Of Date Or Inappropriate
The email signature that you stick at the end of your emails is a small thing, but it can have a big impact on how people perceive you.
Your signature should include your full name (and title, if applicable), company name, website address (if you have one), and phone number. It’s also helpful to include your location, as this will help people better understand when they can expect responses from you it’s hard to keep track of what time zone different clients are in!
Try to keep the signature brief so that it doesn’t take up too much space at the end of your emails. The only exception is for freelancers who are also artists or writers: their portfolios may be an appropriate addition to their signatures.
In general, make sure that your signature is professional and consistent across all correspondence with clients and potential clients. One great idea is to set up a canned response in Gmail so that every email will automatically include all the relevant information about you and your business!
8. Your Email Lacks A Professional Greeting And Sign-Off
While it’s important to use proper grammar in your emails, you also need to consider how you choose to address the person on the receiving end of your email. In an era where casual emojis and casual Fridays are commonplace, it can be easy to forget how much a few simple words can affect the tone of your message.
First, start with your greeting. Let’s say you’re writing an email to a potential client, or even just a co-worker at a new company. “Hi” and “hey” are fine but if you’re not 100 percent sure that’s the greeting they prefer, err on the side of formality by using one of these greetings instead:
Dear (name)
Good morning / afternoon / evening (name)
Here’s why this matters: It puts you on equal footing with every other professional out there who takes their business correspondence seriously. And these days, that makes all the difference when it comes to making a good first impression.
Then there are your email sign-offs which is another area where things have gotten far too relaxed for our own good. “Best,” for example, may seem like a perfectly safe way to close off an email… but keep in mind that this could easily be confused with someone else’s “best offer.” Instead, try saying something like:
Sincerely
Regards (or Regards,)
9. Your Inbox Has No Organization
Make sure your inbox is organized.
Your inbox should be organized. It helps you to keep track of replies, upcoming deadlines, and the status of projects. When your freelance clients expect you to keep on top of things and respond in a timely manner, it’s important that you can quickly find what you need when you need it. This shows that you are professional and on top of things and having an organized inbox will certainly help with this!
There are many different ways to organize your inbox, so experiment and decide which method works best for you: do you prefer a folder-based or tag-based system? Should archiving emails be an option for certain messages? Whatever method(s) works best for keeping your inbox organized as long as it does just that is the right one for the job.
Maintaining professionalism and effective communication is essential when interacting with clients online. Discover our 12 New Rules for Chatting with a Client Online and enhance your client communication skills to foster positive and successful collaborations.
9. Your Posts Are Inappropriate For Your Business Page
It can be tempting to want to share your opinions and express yourself as a way of humanizing your business, especially on social media. However, doing this can have the opposite effect in circumstances when your target audience disagrees with you. In most cases, it’s best to avoid voicing controversial views on your public business page.
Additionally, there are certain topics that many people, in general, feel uncomfortable talking about at work: politics, religion, one’s personal life…you get the idea. So if these are things you’re interested in discussing on social media, consider creating a separate personal account away from the eyes of potential clients.
And while we’re on the topic of what not to post online: please don’t use your business page to share memes or videos of yourself or your friends and family (or videos of any kind). There is a time and place for memes but that time is usually not when you’re representing yourself professionally online.
10. You’re Not Sensitive To Cultural Norms
Avoid cultural faux pas.
If you’re working remotely, it’s likely that your team and colleagues are located in various parts of the world. As such, it’s important to be sensitive to cultural norms when communicating with people from different cultures. For example, a term that is perfectly acceptable in one country or region may be considered rude or offensive in another country or region.
In some countries and regions, people communicate differently and have different expectations of how they want to communicate with others. Before starting work on a new project or working with a new group of people, take the time to research their country or region, so you know what communication styles are most appropriate when interacting with them.
11. You Send Emails After Hours
These 15 mistakes are among the most common ones made by freelancers, who probably don’t realize that the art of time management is essential to mastering their careers.
Check your email after hours. It’s one thing to check your email at 11 p.m., and another for an email at 3 a.m. And, though it seems like a good idea to check it no matter what time it is, you shouldn’t feel guilty about abstaining from checking your inbox during regular business hours (if you’re not up for a lot of work).
After all, most professionals working for clients or otherwise don’t have time during the day to send emails or update their social media pages just because there’s a minuscule chance they’ll get an interesting job offer related to their past work experience.
If you’re not up for working on your website later in the evening when everyone else is doing so, take this as a cue that you shouldn’t be putting in any late-night hours with clients or other professional obligations if they don’t warrant them (or if they take away from regular sleep patterns).
Forgotten passwords and security questions. Some people think that being careless with passwords and security questions will help them save time when signing into client sites (and possibly accessing confidential information) later on in the night; unfortunately, this turns out not to be true.
As we mentioned earlier, many professionals do their job remotely without having any physical presence on-site; therefore, chances are slim of encountering anyone working in the office where new hires are receiving deliveries during normal business hours at night (that’s why some companies have early morning delivery stops).
The fact that they can log into their accounts while they’re asleep should make this less likely and considering how widely disseminated security questions and answers are these days via Twitter and Facebook posts by people who didn’t remember them even once upon initially setting up an account, forgetful professionals may want to think twice about sharing such details over those channels either
Remote work offers flexibility and opportunities, but it requires specific skills for success. Explore our guide on The 13 Skills You Need to Master If You Want to Work Remotely to develop the necessary competencies and thrive in a remote freelance career.
12. You Don’t Keep Up With Your Payment Receipts, Tax Documents, And Expense Records
There are a lot of things you need to know when you’re starting out as a freelancer, and one of the biggest mistakes you can make is not keeping track of receipts and expenses. When tax season comes around, you’ll be sorry if you don’t have all your records organized.
But let’s say that it’s April 14th and your taxes are due the next day. You open up your email to find this:
“Hi! Your 2015-2016 costs logs were in a document I opened called ‘yoga classes.’ I accidentally closed it without saving changes and then my laptop died. I’m so sorry can we just talk about what happened?”
No, no we cannot. So, here’s how to avoid this scenario:
Set up separate folders for each year on your computer, or keep hard copies in separate file folders or even binders by year.
Create subfolders for receipts, invoices sent/received, bills paid/unpaid, contracts signed/unsigned, training materials, etc. This way everything is organized and easy to find (and nothing will end up lost in the “yoga class” folder).
13. Presenting Yourself As An Expert Is Great; Acting Like One Isn’t
It’s good to be confident in your abilities, but you should never forget that you aren’t the only expert in your field. All freelancers present themselves as knowledgeable workers, and it’s important to show that you have a well-reasoned opinion.
Let others know what you know that’s what they’re hiring you for! but don’t come off as condescending or arrogant. Instead of “I know how to do this,” try something like “Here are some ways I’ve found work well.”
If there’s an assignment from a client that you’re not sure about, there’s no shame in asking questions until everything is clear. You can still maintain control over the situation by saying “Let me look into it and get back to you with concrete details” rather than pretending to be an expert when your knowledge is lacking.
If a client is asking for something very specific and outside of your wheelhouse, they may appreciate knowing that up front so they can go ahead and hire someone else who has more experience with those types of projects instead of waiting around (and getting frustrated) while the new person tries learning on their own time.
And if it turns out that this job isn’t right for you? Even better you’ll have saved yourself time on something which would have been difficult anyway!
Final Thought
When I quit my job, I had a ton of freelancing experience and just a dash of freelancing etiquette. For the former, I was better off than most; for the latter, it was pretty much the opposite. Since then, I’ve learned a few important lessons about how to conduct myself when I’m working as a freelance designer.
When you’re just getting started with freelance work or considering becoming a freelancer yourself there are a few things you should keep in mind to make sure you’re going about things properly. If you remember these tips, the business will be easier for you, and your clients will be happier as well.
Further Reading
What are the Most Common Mistakes Made by Online Freelancers?: Explore an in-depth analysis of the most common mistakes made by online freelancers and learn how to avoid them.
53 Freelancing Mistakes: Discover a comprehensive list of 53 common freelancing mistakes and gain insights on how to overcome them for a successful freelance career.
Starting a Website: Common Freelance Mistakes: Learn about the common mistakes freelancers make when starting a website and get valuable tips to ensure a smooth website launch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Difference Between A Freelance Writer And A Blog Writer?
A freelance writer is someone who writes on their own schedule, and blog writers write for blogs or websites on a regular basis. They may also be called contributing writers or guest writers.
What Are The Benefits Of Being A Freelance Writer?
You get to work from home, set your own schedule and make your own hours, and have full ownership over your work product. You’ll also never have to worry about getting laid off because you’re always in demand.
What are some essential skills for freelancers?
Freelancers need a combination of technical skills related to their field of expertise and essential soft skills such as communication, time management, and self-discipline.
How can freelancers set appropriate rates for their services?
Setting rates as a freelancer can be challenging. It’s essential to consider factors such as market demand, industry standards, your experience, and the value you bring to clients when determining your rates.
How can freelancers find clients and projects?
Freelancers can find clients and projects through various channels, including networking, online platforms, social media, industry-specific websites, referrals, and attending industry events.
How should freelancers manage their finances and taxes?
Freelancers should maintain a separate bank account for business expenses, keep track of income and expenses, set aside money for taxes, and consider consulting with a professional accountant or tax advisor to ensure compliance with tax regulations.
How can freelancers maintain a healthy work-life balance?
Maintaining work-life balance as a freelancer requires setting boundaries, managing time effectively, prioritizing self-care, and creating a dedicated workspace. Establishing a schedule and practicing self-discipline are also crucial for maintaining a healthy balance between work and personal life.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.