Having a child changes the way your career pans out, and one of the great ways to remain busy is to go freelance. When you’ve got a newborn to deal with, there’s nothing quite like being able to pick and choose the work you undertake. Not only can you choose what interests you and will make the most money, but you can fit it around your newly busy schedule! Still, going freelance isn’t an easy route. It’s going to take a lot of hard work to not only complete paid tasks but find them in the first place, too. To do that, you’re going to need to know the basics of marketing, particularly from an online standpoint.
If you take just one thing away from this article today, I want it to be the importance of branding yourself. You need to stop thinking like a regular employee. There’s no-one above you to blame things on. Everything is now under your control, and it isn’t going to be such an easy ride. That means that you’ve got to put yourself out there. If you don’t, how will anyone ever find you to offer you work? This is what I mean by branding. Having an active presence online will make it more likely that the job offers will come rolling in.
So, how do you do this? Firstly, I suggest you get started on social media. Whether social media will have a big impact on your marketing strategy depends on the type of work you’re looking to obtain. It’s still beneficial in any case, though, so start making a basic page. Form a Facebook and Twitter account, and feel free to keep them separate from any personal pages you may have. The whole point of these accounts is to showcase your talents and try to obtain work. You need to maintain a professional approach and come across as someone who would be a great fit for budding employers.
Another important consideration is to have a portfolio that can be accessed easily. Using a template like carbonmade.com, you can upload your work to be seen by others. This gives you a clean and clear layout, and you can refer employers with a simple click of a link. If you want to go one step further, you could forward your portfolio to a tailored website of your own. Create a domain of your choice that looks particularly professional. SEO services from FireflySearch.co.nz will also help to increase your exposure.
Don’t be afraid to go the extra mile, either. Your competitors are all looking to obtain the same work that you’re after. What separates you from them is the amount of searching you’re willing to do to find opportunities. Upload your CV to a variety of websites that specialize in freelance work. Search Twitter for employers who want freelancers to carry out some work for them. You need to be willing to use search techniques to delve into the deepest corners of the internet. Sometimes, you’ll find high paying gigs that haven’t been discovered by many people.
We wish you the best of luck with your freelance career!