Freelancing is the fastest-growing way to work in the United States, but it can still be a challenge to get a steady flow of work and find the best ways to achieve that.
You have to consider various strategies when you’re looking for new gigs, starting with how to connect with employers.
You should also consider how you look for work and what sort of strategies you use to make sure that you’re getting paid on time and retaining good relationships with clients.
In this article, we take a look at some of the most common strategies out there and which ones are actually working.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. The freelance economy is experiencing significant transformations, reshaping how people work and businesses operate. |
| 2. Technological advancements and digital platforms have played a crucial role in facilitating the growth of the freelance workforce. |
| 3. Freelancers need to adapt to the changing demands of the market and continuously upgrade their skills to remain competitive. |
| 4. Businesses can leverage the freelance economy for flexible and specialized talent, allowing them to scale up or down based on project needs. |
| 5. Embracing the gig economy requires effective time management and communication to ensure successful collaboration between freelancers and clients. |
| 6. Understanding the challenges and benefits of the freelance economy can help individuals and companies make informed decisions about their work choices. |
1. Use Past Relationships
You can use past relationships to find work, especially if you have built a reputation for delivering quality results.
If you are struggling to find the right opportunities, don’t hesitate to reach out to your network and ask for help.
You will be surprised by how many people are willing to give it. Asking others for referrals is also an effective way of getting clients, but only if you have built strong ties with them.
For this tip to work effectively, you need a strong network that consists of people who trust each other and are capable of referring clients back and forth between themselves.
That’s why it’s so important that freelancers build their networks as much as possible before entering the freelance market the more contacts they have in their database, the greater the chances they’ll get referred by someone else!
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2. Networking With A Group
In this day and age, working as a freelance business owner is only possible if you’re able to build and maintain strong relationships with clients, partners, and other professionals.
While you can use tools like LinkedIn to help you connect with others in your industry, there is no substitute for building real relationships face-to-face that will grow over time.
This is where groups come in handy! Groups are online communities made up of people who share similar interests or goals within an area of expertise (or simply want to make new connections).
They provide opportunities for collaboration on projects like sharing resources or brainstorming ideas, and they give freelancers a chance to meet others who might become great friends or collaborators down the road.
3. Becoming An Influencer
You know that you want to be an influencer and build your brand, but how do you get started?
To become an influencer, start by building a personal website or blog. Then create content for it. This could be in any medium: video, audio, or written text.
The key is to keep your content relevant and interesting to your target audience so they’ll be interested in following what you have to say. You can also share this content on social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter.
If people find value in the information that you provide whether directly related to the area of expertise they are interested in or not they will share it with others through word-of-mouth advertising on social media channels.
Like Facebook and Instagram as well as through email marketing campaigns where they are likely already subscribed if they followed along with whatever link brought them there originally!
It may seem like a lot at first glance but once everything starts coming together than before long all those little bits add up into something great!
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4. Create Your Website
Create your website. You’re going to need one if you want to be taken seriously as a freelancer, so it’s time to pull out that domain name and get started on building a website.
Choose an easy-to-remember domain name. If you don’t have one yet, do some research on what people are using for their websites these days and see what’s available (if anything).
Then brainstorm some options that are memorable and straightforward like [your name] + [freelance services].
Make sure it’s professional and attractive. This is where you will be representing yourself as a freelance writer don’t skimp here!
Make sure your page looks great with its color scheme, design elements, images/videos (if any), etc., but also make sure it tells visitors exactly who they’ll be working with by including the following information:
Your contact information (name/phone number)
5. Keep Your Old Job
You’re going to have a lot of free time, but you still need to stay busy. Why not use that time to do something productive and make your old job work for you?
Here are some ways in which you can use your day-to-day job to build up the skills, portfolio, and network that will help propel your freelance career:
Use it as a safety net. When I first started my freelance career, I was afraid of not having enough work and worried about how I would pay all my bills.
Luckily, I had an employer who gave me plenty of flexibility with taking time off for projects or interviewing for new jobs.
But even if they hadn’t been so accommodating with their policies (or if there weren’t any policies at all), it didn’t matter because this technique is perfect for filling any gaps between clients without interrupting their income stream!
Build up your portfolio by working on personal projects at work. If you’re lucky enough to have a few hours during the day where no one needs anything from you and there aren’t any deadlines approaching quickly either way (or even better: if there are!).
Then consider spending that time building up your projects instead of doing busy work or answering emails from coworkers who won’t stop asking questions until they get an answer (even though they already know what the answer is).
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6. Build Credibility Through Reviews And Referrals
According to the Harvard Business Review, “reputation is the new currency” of the modern economy. As a result, it’s more important than ever that you build a strong reputation both with clients and potential employers.
Here are some ways you can do so:
Get reviews. This is one of the most effective ways to build trust with potential clients who might not know much about your work or how reliable and trustworthy you are.
Make sure to check out other freelancers’ reviews on freelance sites before hiring them for projects to get an idea of what their work ethic is like and whether they’re trustworthy themselves.
Get referrals from satisfied clients or colleagues if possible (this person may be able to recommend another potential client for you).
Try using social media as well (LinkedIn, Twitter), which has become an integral part of many industries’ work lives nowadays!
7. Share The Good News
This is a simple one, but it’s so important to share your good news with people you know. They’ll be happy for you and may even want to do the same!
You don’t have to post about it on social media, but if there’s something impactful for your career or business that could help other freelancers out in some way (like starting a new job), then definitely consider putting this out there.
And don’t forget about sharing with your current employer when they do something great good bosses love seeing their employees be recognized outside of the office walls!
8. Keep Yourself Accessible On Social Media, But Know What Not To Post
If you’re working in the freelance economy, you need to be accessible. That means keeping your social media profiles up-to-date, so clients can get a sense of who you are and how their project will go. But it also means knowing what not to post:
Don’t post anything that would make an HR rep question whether or not they should hire you. Even if it’s true, don’t say anything negative about your company or job on Facebook or Twitter (unless it’s something funny and relatable).
Don’t post anything that would make a client wonder what kind of person they’re working with. If your friends are making fun of someone in the office, for example, don’t join in on the jokes by adding comments like “Yeah!
That guy sucks!” It might seem harmless at first glance and maybe even funny but what happens if one day down the road that guy is sitting across from you negotiating terms?
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9. Advertise Yourself Where People Will See You
As a freelancer, you will be your brand. You should take the time to create a website and social media presence that reflects what you do best.
For example, if you’re a freelance writer, make sure to include samples of your work and testimonials on your website.
Social media is another great way to show off what you can do while connecting with potential clients outside of LinkedIn or direct messaging them directly via email or text message with examples of your work (but don’t overdo it).
The most important part about promoting yourself as a freelancer is making sure people see you!
It may seem counterintuitive but yes it does matter where someone finds out about me as an expert in my industry because this shows them how much effort I am putting into promoting myself as an expert in my field.
This makes me more credible than other experts who are always trying hard but never seem to get any attention from anyone out there except for those who already know about their expertise anyway so it doesn’t matter tbh…
10. Offer To Work For Cheap, Within Reason
You can’t expect to get paid a ton of money for a project unless you’ve done one or two similar projects before.
As previously mentioned, the more experience you have in a particular industry, the higher your level of expertise and market value will be.
Also, offering to work for cheap is not always bad since it can be seen as an investment in your career.
The client might even see how great your work is and offer more work or recommend you to their friends who are also looking for freelancers.
With all that said, there is no harm in asking clients if they would be willing to pay you less than what’s being quoted on Upwork or Fiverr (you should never ask them for free work).
Explain why it would be worth it for them: “I’m new at this but I’d love an opportunity to learn from someone like yourself.”
You may find that people will give discounts if they like working with passionate and eager professionals who are eager to learn from them as well!
11. Adjust How You Look For Work Frequently To Cast A Wider Net Over Time
You should be constantly on the lookout for new ways to find freelance work. If you’re not getting any results, try something new and keep at it until you get the results you want. Don’t get stuck in a rut!
Don’t be afraid to try something new if it might give you better results than what you’re doing now. You never know what could happen if you just take that leap of faith!
12. Demonstrate To Employers That You’ll Be More Productive Than Anyone Else
In the last section, we talked about how hard it can be for freelancers to find good work.
But for those who are successful in finding clients and landing jobs, there is another challenge: proving their value as contractors or freelancers.
Here’s how:
Demonstrate your skills by showing off some of your best work. If possible, post examples on your website or portfolio site so that potential employers can see what kind of quality.
They should expect from you if they hire you and what sort of results they could get from your services.
Demonstrate your ability to work well with others by building relationships with other freelance professionals (as well as people at companies you want to work with).
This way, when an opportunity arises where they need someone like yourself around, they’ll have an idea of who would do well on their team and might even recommend you!
Demonstrate your ability to communicate well through both written and verbal means including emails, phone calls, and face-to-face interactions (if necessary).
Employers will want someone who can clearly explain why something isn’t working out yet still offer helpful suggestions on how it could improve in future iterations rather than just giving up after one try fails miserably.”
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13. Use The Same Strategies Being Used By Companies To Hire Freelancers, Namely A/B Testing And Gamification
The freelance economy is being transformed by the same strategies that companies use to hire freelancers. This includes A/B testing, gamification, machine learning, data, and AI.
Additionally, social media can be used for recruiting freelancers or hosting competitions for freelance work.
Virtual reality and augmented reality can also be used to provide a more immersive experience for those looking for a job or seeking new clients in their field of expertise.
Chatbots are another tool that can be used in this way; they’re growing in popularity because they allow users to carry out complex tasks without having to interact with an actual human being if they don’t want to (or find it too inconvenient).
Voice assistants like Siri and Alexa have made it easier than ever before for consumers who aren’t tech-savvy enough to know where they need help finding answers online without having any idea what those answers might be themselves!
They might even offer some suggestions based on previous purchases made through Amazon Prime Pantry which could come up during conversations between friends without them even realizing how much time has passed since our first meeting face-to-face…
14. Don’t Stop Doing Your Due Diligence When It Comes Time To Collect Payment Or Communicate With Clients
If you’re not careful, this can be a minefield. If you do your due diligence before agreeing to work for someone (and I mean do your due diligence).
Then the chances of this happening are slim.
But if you don’t take the time to check references and ensure that everything is above board, there’s no guarantee that things will go smoothly once it comes time for them to pay up.
There are plenty of ways to protect yourself from getting ripped off:
Make sure that you’re talking to who they say they are. A common scam involves impersonating an employer or potential client to get freelancers overworked and/or underpaid.
Do a search on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook as well as Google before accepting any job offer to verify their identity; if possible, meet them in person before agreeing on anything official this is especially true when working with overseas clients.
Make sure they will pay on time (ideally by collecting progress payments beforehand).
Unfortunately, many employers have been known not only to miss deadlines but also to delay payment altogether!
In some cases like these, try negotiating terms such as discounts or payment plans instead of taking immediate action against someone who has failed so miserably at basic courtesy.
Check out how much money should be coming into your account by viewing recent transactions this way there won’t be any surprises later down the line when bills start piling up because someone forgot about sending checks out ahead of schedule.
Know exactly what currency type will be used during transactions (USD vs EURO vs JPY etc).
Some currencies may incur foreign exchange fees so make sure both parties agree upon which currency type will work best for everyone involved before signing any contracts or agreements together!”
Conclusion
Just as the freelance economy is transforming and changing, so too are the skills that freelancers need to stay competitive.
We recommend all freelancers use a tool like Upwork to help them build their brand, find jobs more easily, and keep themselves on track.
With that in mind, we encourage you to use your freelance income wisely because saving money is just as important as making it when you’re living without a steady salary.
How The Freelance Economy Is Being Transformed
Further Reading
The Gig Economy Is Changing Business: Explore the profound impact of the gig economy on modern businesses and how they adapt to the changing workforce landscape.
Freelance Economy: The Lowdown for Businesses: Get valuable insights into the freelance economy and its implications for businesses, helping you harness the potential of freelancers.
The Freelancer Economy: 3 Ways Full-Time Work Is Being Transformed in the Modern World: Discover how the freelancer economy is reshaping traditional full-time work and the evolving dynamics in the modern world.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Freelance Economy?
The freelance economy is a new way of working that gives people more freedom and flexibility than traditional jobs.
It includes all kinds of workers, from freelancers, contractors, and gig workers to remote workers, independent consultants, entrepreneurs, and solopreneurs and it’s growing every year!
How Do I Get Started With Freelancing?
The first step is deciding on what kind of work you want to do. Do you have a skill you’d like to share with others?
Are there some things you know how to do that would be helpful for other people? Once you’ve decided what kind of work interests you most, start researching the types of projects that could help build your skills and reputation as a freelancer.
Then find clients who need those services!
How Can I Find Clients?
There are many ways to find clients online these days from social media platforms like LinkedIn or Twitter (where freelancers can meet potential employers) to freelance marketplaces like Upwork or PeoplePerHour (where employers can post jobs).
What Is The Freelance Economy?
The freelance economy is the term used to describe the growing number of people who work as independent contractors, or freelancers. According to Upwork, there are currently 57 million freelancers in America alone.
How Does The Freelance Economy Work?
The freelance economy works by matching people who have skills with companies that need those skills. People can work as freelancers full-time, part-time, or even on an as-needed basis.
Why Is The Freelance Economy Growing So Rapidly?
There are several reasons why the freelance economy is growing so rapidly, including the fact that it’s easier than ever before for companies to hire freelancers and not have to worry about benefits or other costs associated with having employees.
In addition, many people prefer working for themselves over being tied down by traditional employment contracts and schedules.
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.