How to market yourself as a freelancer

If you're hoping to launch a successful freelancing career, you'll need to think about everything from your portfolio website to your social media presence. But before you can get started on any of that, it's critical that you know who your audience is and how best to reach them. There are several ways for freelancers to market themselves online—and some are better than others for reaching the right people. Learn more about the most effective ways for newbies to market themselves as a freelancer and then choose what works best!

Choose the right platform for your skills

The first step to marketing yourself as a freelancer is choosing the right platform for your skills. You want to find a platform that matches your skills and the type of work you want to do.

The next step is finding a platform that pays you what you deserve. There are different types of platforms out there, so be sure to pick one that pays fairly or has good reputations among other freelancers.

Finally, make sure any prospective clients see how much potential you have before hiring them!

Build a solid profile on your chosen platform

A solid profile is one of the most important things you can do to market yourself as a freelancer. Your profile should be professional and clear, with your name or business name, an image of you or your product, and links to other places where people can find out more about your work.

Here are some tips for creating a good profile:

- Use a good picture. A selfie taken in the bathroom mirror won’t cut it—you want a flattering photo that shows off what makes you unique (that could be your dog!). If no one knows who you are when they see an ad for your services on Facebook, then why would they hire you?

- Put links in both places where people might find them (a link back to this blog!). Also put keywords in both places where people might find them; it will help potential clients search for those keywords on Google when looking for someone like me!

Make a killer portfolio website

Your portfolio website is the biggest and most important selling point of your business. It should showcase your best projects, clearly communicate what you do, and be easy to navigate.

Let’s start with how to make it look professional. First, make sure that all of the pages are responsive so they work on mobile devices as well as desktops.

Second, add a contact form or email address at the bottom of each page so people can get in touch with you quickly if they have any questions about their project or want more information about your services. Thirdly, include a link to your resume (or LinkedIn profile) in case someone wants more details about who you are before hiring you for their project. Fourthly, make sure that there’s always one clear call-to-action (CTA) on every page—for example “Hire me!” or “Contact us today!” The CTA should appear above any content so there aren't any distractions from it when people visit and read through everything else on those pages too!

Use testimonials and reviews to boost your credibility

You should be looking for testimonials on your website that you can use to convey your credibility. Search for quotes from happy customers and include them in your about page, or even just a “testimonials” section on the homepage where you’re offering work.

Also, don't forget about reviews! If you have any positive reviews from clients on platforms like Facebook and Google+, make sure they're clearly visible on your site. You could even ask for testimonials from past customers (although this is not recommended if it's against their privacy policy).

Here are some tips for getting testimonials:

- Ask people directly if they would mind giving a quote or review of your work/services

- Make sure they know what they'll get in return (free products/services) before asking them to write something nice about you

- Don't expect people who aren't satisfied with their experience to give negative comments; instead focus on getting positive reviews

Bid or apply only when you're ready

If you want to market yourself as a successful freelancer, it's important that you approach the process with confidence. To do this, you should make sure that your skills are up to par, that your experience is relevant and impressive, and that your equipment is high quality. Beyond those basics, though, there are also other factors to consider before bidding or applying for work. Do prospective clients need references? Are they likely to be impressed by how well-spoken you are? Are they looking for someone who has a positive attitude or who comes across as professional and reliable?

It's important not only to have all of these things together but also—and perhaps most importantly—to be ready at each stage of the process in which they come into play: when bidding on jobs; when interviewing; when accepting projects; during project meetings between client and freelancer; etcetera.

Stay organized

To keep your freelancing business organized, you need to be able to see all of the work that you have on your plate at any given time. This can be a very daunting task if you don't have the right tools, but with some simple organization and planning, it will become second nature in no time.

To start off with, I recommend using a task manager to keep track of all of the tasks that need to be completed for each client or project. A task manager allows you to prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency so that nothing falls through the cracks—which is especially important when working from home or remotely as an independent contractor! Another helpful tool is a calendar where you can schedule appointments with clients as needed throughout the week or month.* The third tool I recommend using is a project management tool like Trello (or Asana) which allows workers from different fields or teams within an organization coordinate their efforts toward achieving common goals. This type of software makes sure everyone stays informed about what's going on in other teams and keeps things organized across multiple areas at once.*

You need to take care of every aspect of marketing yourself as a freelancer

You need to take care of every aspect of marketing yourself as a freelancer. This means being organized, professional and patient. You also have to be creative in how you market your services because you are the best person to know what you can offer that will appeal to customers.

Conclusion

You don’t have to be a marketing expert or spend huge amounts of money to market yourself as a freelancer, but you do need to put in some effort. It takes time and patience, but if you want your business to grow and thrive, then it’s worth investing some energy into finding clients.