Freelancing used to be one of those things that some considered radical, especially if you planned on making the majority of your income this way. But today, most of us begin freelancing out of necessity and fall in love with the freedom that it provides.

To start freelancing successfully, there are ten steps that we suggest following below. We hope that you find inspiration through this. Post and take charge of your life by becoming a professional freelancer. No matter your talent or craft, there is a way to monetize your passions, and I’d like to show you how.

So, here’s 10 easy steps to become a successful freelancer:

 

1.  Identify your services

This could be anything - there are hundreds of things you could do, so avoid limiting yourself because you can always learn new skills. Figure out what you do well already and start there. What did you enjoy doing in school? How is that skill used in the professional world?

Some examples of services that someone could offer online:

• Research
• Editing
• Virtual Assisting
• Tutoring
• Career Building
• Photography 
• Web Kit Design
• Voiceovers
• Beat Development
• Merchandise Design
• Sales Funnel Setup
• Life Coaching
• Data Entry
• Design
• Website Development
• Customer Service
• Ghost writing
• Copywriting
• Copyediting
• Graphic design
• Business coaching
• Brand development

There is value in the skills that you have - you can freelance anything and can always learn more. Think about what you like doing and go from there.

2. Research

This step is crucial because it helps with pricing, marketing, finding clients, and setting realistic expectations. More importantly, research will also show you what to and not to do. See what’s being done by freelancers in whatever niche or industry you’re interested in.

Consider using search engines, blogs, articles, and talking to other freelancers. Meeting other people that do what you do will be important for a number of reasons.

Freelancing is pretty straightforward, so as long as your prices are right and you’ve established the value in your service or product, you can build a consistent clientele and work from anywhere.

Side Offer: Consider taking our 1 minute quiz to  learn more about how we can help you get started today! 

3. Identify your Target Client

This process can take some time, but isn’t hard. Figure out how much money you want to make because that’ll point you in the direction of your target clients. Who can spend the kind of money you’ll want to make for your services?

What do you need to do to attract that level of clientele? Figure out how much money you want to make and that’ll show you who to aim for. No matter where you start, it’ll give you a sense of direction.

Protip: Target established businesses with a revenue of $500,000+ because they can afford your services at a higher rate.

4. Create Social Presence

Once you’ve identified your target audience, you’ll know what platforms to find them on. It’s important to understand this because you could be doing everything right, but on the wrong platform.

Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, you need to go where your people are. What content are you creating and who’s engaging with it? 

Pro Tip: Identifying your audience includes knowing their age, geography, education level, and income. Look for what platforms different communities gather on.

Facebook, for example, generally attracts an older crowd. Twitter, on the other hand, is home to a younger and more diverse user base. Instagram is used mainly for visual content but attracts all types of people as well.

5. Sign up on freelance sites

My first five clients came from freelance websites while I built my social media presence. I suggest using Upwork and Fiverr - of course whether or not you use them is up to you, but it doesn’t hurt to get started.

Find the freelance websites people generally go to for the type of work that you do and sign up for them. This may take some time and research, and you may end up just having to advertise yourself across multiple platforms to see what sticks.

If you don’t see other people doing what you want to do, don’t let that stop you from putting it out there anyway.

Side Offer: Consider taking our 1 minute quiz to  learn more about how we can help you get started today! 

 

6. Creating content

No matter the craft or service, the content you put out on your social media feeds needs to give out the right information that will make people want to talk to you. Share with them and get them curious. Vulnerability attracts - show them what you’re doing, what you’re working on, and they’ll pay attention and want more. Who is the person behind the service or product? Share content from behind the scenes that pertains to your freelance work.

Build value in your presence by showing just enough to draw in your audience. What they see for free will let them know what they’re investing in. You can do this through blogging, videos, infographics & data sharing, and other forms of research archival. 

7. Developing Calls to Action (CTA)

If you’re giving away free content you need calls to action to pick up clients and make sales and weave them into your presentation. Give out gentle reminders of what you do. Create opportunities for people to give you their money, you never know who might stumble across your pages.

My CTA in the original Twitter thread was the second tweet where I shared what I do and how I appreciate support in exchange for the knowledge shared.

8. Creating a Sales Funnel

When people respond to your action calls, you’re either asking them to purchase or to sign up for a newsletter. The newsletter itself would then lead them to a sales opportunity. Every interaction with your content should lead them closer to making a sale.

All of your call to actions will either lead them to a sales opportunity or a request for information for marketing campaigns. If they’re not ready to make a purchase with you now then don’t let them go, continue giving them reasons to be curious about investing in you.

Side Offer: Consider taking our 1 minute quiz to  learn more about how we can help you get started today! 

9. Email Marketing

If you use website building platforms like Shopify, Wordpress and Wix, they will already come with apps and plugins that will allow for you to collect the information necessary to put on marketing campaigns.

Search email marketing and implement it into your systems. Automate everything from the pop-up to a 3-point email series that coaxes people into buying your services and you’ll see sales come in as you build your list. Please remember, this is not an overnight solution for seeing 1 million dollars in sales. But overtime, you could grow  a powerful and engaged email list.

 10. Referrals

Don’t hesitate to ask for referrals, even from people who don’t buy from you. Never underestimate the power of networking - you never know who knows who.

What may not work for them could work for a friend. When you connect with them, let them know “if you know anyone who could benefit from my services let me know.” 

 

Side Offer: Consider taking our 1 minute quiz to  learn more about how we can help you get started today!

If you would like more information or some hands on activities, claim 4 free Digital downloads here.