Digital marketing is growing and gaining traction from the endless career opportunities and the ability to Freelance. Freelance has always been of interest to people; the thought of working from anywhere but still making money can attract anyone. Imagining creating your own schedule and not needing to work at a set time. It’s a dream come true. Freelancing empowers people to take back their freedom in this fast-paced world.
Is freelance digital marketing a profitable career?
Yes! Everyone needs marketing to be successful freelancers and businesses alike. If a business does not market to its customers, it can not be successful. So, now ask yourself, is marketing a profitable field? Digital marketing is just moving your marketing platforms online to drive business instead of hitting the pavement.
Freelance digital markets can make an average of $66,000 per year. In terms of hourly pay, a non-experienced digital marketer can get paid $15-50 dollars per hour, while an experienced, immediate level experience can get paid $50-$100 per hour. In comparison, an experienced digital marketer can make up to 120 dollars per hour.
How can we market to customers?
First, Since the demand for freelancers is rising, multiple platforms have been created to make it easier to connect freelancers with work, so they no longer have to struggle to look for work, and work can come to them instead. Thanks to the rise of the internet, the days of hitting the pavement are over, and we embrace the change. Here are some commonly used platforms:
This platform is a one-stop shop for consumers to connect with freelancers in a safe digital space. Fivver even offers you an e-learning course on how to successfully market on their website to get projects(their version of a gig) and even has a very straightforward process to set up your project. Fivver is continually growing and gaining an international fanbase.
Business professionals use this platform to get projects done. This website is geared towards busy professionals and ranks #1. This website allows you to set your own pay structure
Upwork is another platform that has been around for some time. You can set your own pay structure. This platform makes for easy contact with users and sellers. This site has a long-standing history; many sellers have used these sites for over 10 years as freelancers.
What skill do you need to be successful in this career field?
Skills will vary depending on what you’re pressuring in this career field, But here is some general advice that can help anyone.
1st piece of advice: Have confidence in your ability to do this job, so you can successfully navigate this job
2nd piece of advice: Set a designated time to work to help avoid distractions
Remember, freelancing allows you to live anywhere you want in the world without needing to report to a boss or be bound by a particular location. Embrace the road of freedom.
3rd piece of advice: Another good tip for freelancers is identifying good skills that you have or can learn.
Secondly, I would also advise you to find some passion in what you are doing. For example, If you’re good at math, but despite the subject being a tutor wouldn’t work out. So find that balance between profitability and skills.
Target audience
Now that you know what you want or sell let’s find your target audience. How, you might ask? I advise you to create a brand for yourself that will help you build up your credibility(which we will talk about later).
The second step is to learn what your customers want and need. This step teaches you how you can help your consumers. Afterward, research your competitors, see what they are doing that works, learn what doesn’t work, and start building your branding.
The fourth step is picking the proper channels to communicate with the audience you want. For example, if you are looking for mid-career professionals as a target, going onto Twitter would not be your best choice; you would like to go with LinkedIn for this audience type.
The fifth piece of advice I would advise you to learn how to sell. How to turn those maybe’s into yeses.
Last piece of advice: Set Goals! Remember you are getting paid by the number of hours you work or for delivered goods, depending on how you structure your prices. According to many studies done, we do better when we set goals ourselves. I would advise setting S.M.AR.T goals to track your process and see areas for improvement.
What are S.M.A.R.T goals?
S.M.A.RT stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound
Here are the definitions for each Letter for S.M.A.R.T
- Specific-make your goal specific and narrow for effective planning
- Measurable-define what evidence will prove you’re making progress and reevaluating when necessary
- Attainable- make sure you can reasonably accomplish your goal within a specific timeframe
- Relevant- your plan should align with your values and long-term objectives
- Time-based – set a realistic, ambitious end-date for task prioritization and motivation
Building Credibility
Now that you have gotten this far let’s talk about ways to build up your credibility. While building a portfolio is always the #1 way to attract customers: It takes time to build. I advise you to make use of the things available to you to build confidence in your consumers. Now, I will also say you can work pro bono at some point with a consumer and let them get a taste of what you can do. However, this has its pros and con’s that we will not be getting into in this blog maybe another time.
Currently, building credibility has never been more accessible in today’s generation, will the resources and tools available. I have listed common ways many freelancers use to help build up their credibility:
- Write blog posts
- Create social media calendars
- Create PDFs, eBooks, presentations, or any other promotional materials
- Design case studies
- Start a podcast (here’s a list for inspiration)
- Design an infographic
- Copywriting for the website
- Learn marketing concepts
- Design a website (monetize it)
- Stay active in relevant online communities
- Make Facebook or Google Ads
- Search Engine Optimisation
- Join an in-house affiliate program
Conclusion
In conclusion, to be a successful freelancer, you need to implement a complete action plan that helps you acquire customers in your target zone. Action plans help you to continuously grow as an expert in your desired field and can be implemented in any part of your life.
About the Author
Currently, I am a Global Business and Marketing student, interning as a digital marketing analyst. I currently run the Dallas Formula Racing social media accounts and have training in business startups and hoping to spread my knowledge to the world. I also often volunteer my time for humanities causes.