Every business requires successful marketing efforts and a strong strategy to develop and grow, but majority of them face multiple problems related to the same. Either they don’t have skilled in-house marketing expertise or they have the workforce but lack a professional expertise required in particular domain. All this and more offers an amazing opportunity for those who want to start a career as a Freelance marketer. Work profile of a freelance marketing consultant can be as challenging as that of a regular employee. Individuals are required to work for several clients at the same time and may need to self-promote themselves so as to bag the offers. Apart from that, the most important ingredient to become a successful freelancer online  is to have a correct balance of skills, educational qualifications, domain related knowledge,moral values and a positive attitude.

Freelance marketers provide consultancy on the independent basis for the clients whom they search by their own. This work is easily done from home or at the client’s office, till the time he / she requires your service for a particular project. If you have the  skill and expertise which someone is ready to pay for, freelance work online can turn up to become a great professional prospect with an immense financial satisfaction. If you’re doing well, the money is really good and the career is lucrative and rewarding…it’s a great gig--if you can hold on to it.

But having a fulfilling freelance marketing job is one thing and getting started is quite another!

When you are starting out with the Freelancing work, things are different and continuing it feels close to impossible. It can be very discouraging.

In this post, I’m going to share essential ways in different phases to help you start a freelance marketing career.

The Startup Phase

The Startup Phase can be revered as the foundation stone of your Freelance career. A rock solid foundation is essential for successful Freelance Consultant career.  

• Evaluate your interest and skills: It is essential to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses before offering your services to the client. Freelancing is flexible, choose the field that suits your skills, background, interest and education.

• Know the industry inside out: Before you begin, you have to know your industry well. It’s really a prerequisite. You would be amazed to know how majority of people get into Freelance business without having a slight .idea about basic Freelance marketing principles. If you don’t know about branding, communication, engagement, advertising, developing content, sales, promotion, etc. you’ll have a tough time surviving the Freelancing industry.

• Introducing your service: A well designed business card and a bio sheet are considered as the best resource which you can offer to your prospective client. A bio sheet is a document similar to your resume and includes a brief information about your interests, skills, education, past work experiences and contact details.

The Growth Phase

So you have the foundation ready! It’s time to nurture it with blood, sweat and tears. Without proper fostering, your freelance marketer career will wither like a dried plant.

• Improve your freelance skills: Freelancing career is full of options. By now, you must have decided upon the area of domain you’ll be targeting. In order to get new clients, you must keep improving your skills. Research and upgrade yourself with industry specific information. Keep yourself updated with modern trends, marketing opportunities and software updates.

• Self-promote and market: Self branding and marketing on the social media is very essential. As a freelancer, you must understand the importance of promoting yourselves on the social media channels. Any and everything you create, share it across various Social Media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, Quora, Twitter, etc. Start building the follower base. Let everyone in the family and relations know that you are starting your freelance career, they might fetch you some amazing clients.  

• Avoid single-client trap: Generally a freelance work is job based and no contracts are signed (However, my suggestion to you would be to get some kind of paperwork done either in the form of invoices or contract forms). It is essential to work for multiple clientele rather that sticking to one single client. By doing this, you will not only add on to the experience but also build a strong client base.

• Creating profiles a online portals: Never underestimate the power of Freelance online portals like FindNerd.com, Elance.com, etc. for bringing the freelance opportunities. Create the profiles and fill in the complete information about your interests and work experiences. Then, you can send across the proposals to the clients or the SMB’s to crack the freelance opportunities.

• Taking criticism positively: Any brickbats, comments, criticism from the client should be taken positively. Always be open for the suggestion and the ideas. Analyze the information and use as the guidelines for future projects.

The Maturity Phase

By this time, your freelancing career is at it’s new heights. You have undertaken couple of assignments and are bubbling with self confidence. Don’t get carried away! You still require to keep pushing in the hard work.

• Keep calm and carry on: Consistency is the key to strategic success and your long term existence. It is seen that people consider Freelancing as a secondary income source and are not serious about it. However, success of your freelancing career will depends upon pillars of  consistency and perseverance.

• Do not forget old Clients: Relationship building is the key to successful freelancing career. Market is already flooded with a number of freelancers which can be easily contacted, thanks to digitization of communication mediums. If your old client is giving you first preference, consider yourself a good relationship manager.

If you are freelancer, feel positive about your choice. You are not just building your brand but also offering the value for money expertise at an unrivaled level of personal service. Freelancing is more than a second career option. It is a highly responsible entity that requires long term persistence and consistent efforts. It requires intense hard work and passion to get yourself registered as an outstanding freelance marketer. Once you follow these elements in place, you can enhance your skill and win over the client’s heart and soul. Good Luck!