Freelancing involves being self-employed and providing various services to businesses for payment. The benefit is that you get to work at home on a flexible schedule, but you’ll need to put a lot of work in to land high-paying clients and improve.
Luckily, we’ve put together the following series of tips to get your freelance digital marketing journey off to a great start.
Continuous Professional Development
The digital marketing industry is changing all the time, and there are always new strategies and technologies to learn. Therefore, make sure you take time out to focus on skill development, as it will help you to continue landing clients.
Have Quality Equipment
You don’t need much to get started as a freelance digital marketer. However, you will need a decent computer, a comfy chair and desk, and a high-speed internet connection. When it comes to choosing a desk and chair, you can opt for cheaper options when you’re first getting started. However, as your entire job relies on the internet, it’s best to choose a quality fiber internet provider – you can read more about this here.
You Are a Business
You may be freelancing, but don’t let that distract you from the fact that you’re running a business. If it helps, consider separating the two worlds. For example, you can open a separate bank account dedicated to receiving business payments. As well as this, you need to consider optics and make sure you’re acting professionally at all times – you never know which companies communicate or how far news of poor behavior travels.
Take Regular Breaks
Digital marketing is a job that calls for creativity, but it’s difficult to draw on this when the cylinders are firing on empty. Therefore, to recharge the system, make sure you include regular breaks in your working day. A break can be as simple as going into a different room for fifteen minutes to take in different surroundings.
Increase Rates Regularly
When you’re freelancing, you need to set reasonable rates to attract and secure clients. However, you can’t slip into the habit of being underpaid and undervalued. Therefore, to demonstrate that you value the work you put out, raise your rates accordingly. After all, it’s impossible to grow a business if you’re charging the same rate forever.
Setting Boundaries
Having complete control of when you work and how you work is great, but it’s too easy to allow your working life to bleed into the rest of your life. Therefore, it’s important to set boundaries to avoid taking on too many clients and becoming overwhelmed. To do this, think about how much work you can reasonably complete in the average working week (40 hours) and say no to anything that takes you over. Having time for social activities and seeing loved ones is essential for your mental health and productivity.
Freelancing unlocks freedom that other employment doesn’t, but it also comes with a set of unique challenges that you need to prepare for. To manage workloads efficiently, take the above tips on board.
