Ways to Create a Freelance Profile – Stand Out and Get Clients FAST:
Within the
next decade, freelancing is projected to become the primary means of employment
for over half of those living in the United States. Even now, over a third of all companies use
freelancers, and 48% of companies use remote flexible workers (which includes freelancers).
Top Freelancing Platforms:
There are a
number of freelancing platforms available online. It’s more or less a
territory-based market as many freelance marketplaces are popular in the
specific countries and a few have launched the local versions of different
countries which make them stand out from the competition. Take a look at a few
freelancing platforms that you might consider:
Freelancer:
Freelancer is a popular
freelancing site launched in 2009. Its headquarters is based in Sydney,
Australia. They have offices in Vancouver, London, Buenos Aires, Manila and
Jakarta as well.
Upwork:
Upwork came out as a result
of Elance-oDesk merger resulting the advent of the biggest freelancing platform
on the market. Elance-oDesk merger turned out as Upwork.
Guru:
Guru is yet another popular
freelance marketplace which was founded in 1998 in Pittsburgh as
eMoonlighter.com. Later on, in 2002, it was acquired by Unicru.
Fiverr:
Fiverr has
been quite a buzz around the freelancing arenas. The job costs $5 on average,
whereas different offering could make it to a couple of hundreds deal but do
not under-estimate Fiverr for
it’s $5 services because there are many ways through which you can get
a job just by having a good freelancing profile. Additionally, In
case if you are working on Fiverr,
then do checkout Ahmed’s 5 Quick Tips to be an Awesome Fiverr Seller.
PeoplePerHour:
PeoplePerHour is a London-based freelancing
platform. It was founded in 2005. It allows freelancers to post their jobs and
charge the money they want. The merger between (Elance-Odesk) – now Upwork has
created a place for another freelancing platform; PPH cashed the opportunity by
coming into the market at right place and right time. So far my own experience
with this platform is top notch.
Create a Freelance Profile – Stand Out and Get Clients:
The best way
to successfully build a client base as a freelancer is to craft a strong,
unique, and comprehensive profile. After all, when
starting out your profile is the only information that a prospective client
will have available to ascertain the quality of your work. Fortunately, there are some
proven methods to help you create a profile that sets you apart from the crowd
and gets you working in no time.
1: Highlight Past Work Samples:
You need to prove that you’re
capable in your field of work, and—in lieu of client feedback—examples are the
best way to go about doing this.
Choose examples that:
Demonstrate
your full range and skill set. Are you a
photographer and video editor? Show examples of each. Clearly state your role and responsibilities. Did you just do the packaging design, or were
you in charge of the full marketing plan?
Can
be quickly and easily understood. Will a
prospective client get the gist of the work in two minutes or less?
On top of portfolio samples,
if possible, you should also link to any examples of prior work that you have
available online. For example, include a link to a website you’ve created if
you’re a web designer, or an article that you’ve written if you’re a researcher.
2: Use an Engaging Headline:
The headline within your
profile is going to be one of the first things that any prospective client will
see. Regardless of how good
your actual profile is, a poorly crafted headline can keep you from even being
in someone’s consideration set.
Good headlines are specific, informative, and
professional. Your headline should give a sense of your expertise, and express
to the client that you will take their project seriously.
3: Choose the Right Photo:
The right photo for your
profile is more important than many people realize. Along with your headline, your profile picture will
often be the first impression any potential client will have of you.
Make sure that your picture
meets the following criteria:
Friendly: You
want to come across as someone that people enjoy working with. Smile 🙂
Clean: Your
general appearance reflects your work product. Do you want to be seen as
sloppy, or detail oriented?
Simple: Avoid
busy backgrounds or otherwise distracting objects.
Professional: You
aren’t getting hired to hang out on the beach. Take off the sunglasses, and
remember, there’s nothing professional about a selfie.
4: State Your Added Value:
One of the most important
steps to acquiring clients is to use your profile to show why it is that they
should want to work with you.
Chances are, there are a lot of people who can do the job well, but what is it
about you in particular that will take the project from good to great?
Consider
what makes you unique when compared to others who may be applying for the same
position; maybe it’s your experience working in and
understanding related fields, or an educational background that gives you a
refreshing perspective.
You want to give an honest appraisal of what
you do, why it’s better than others, and how this will benefit a working
relationship. That said, be careful not to exaggerate. Anything that you say in
your profile needs to be something you can actually deliver on when the time
comes.
5: Specialize vs. Generalize:
When it comes to making your
profile stand out, narrowing what you do down to as specific of a niche as
possible is a good idea. According to Upwork, the
fastest growing freelance niches are highly specialized; for example, SEO writer (vs. writer), MongoDB
developer (vs. developer) and UX designer (vs. designer) have all grown by up
to 125% year over year.
The more specific the niche, the more you’ll stick
out to those looking for that type of work. If
left broad your profile can easily get lost among the many other freelancers
with similar skill sets.
6: Build Up to Larger Accounts:
When starting out as a
freelancer, you want to do everything possible to make your profile stand out
so you can get that first gig.
At the beginning, you may need to set your
rates lower than you typically would. Think of it as an exchange: a new client gets a great deal on your work
and, in exchange, you get experience on the platform and a positive review.
7: Stay Active and
Up-to-Date:
Once you complete your
profile, that doesn’t mean that you’re finished for good. As you work on more
projects, your experience and the number of examples that you have to show will
increase. Continually
updating your profile helps ensure that it is always as strong as possible.
Some freelancer platforms—such as Upwork, Fiverr,
or Freelancer.com—will also deactivate or suspend your account due
to inactivity. So even if you aren’t consistently applying for jobs, it pays to
regularly log in and make sure that all of your information is current.
It’s also particularly important to stay active
after submitting proposals. Many clients will reach out to a couple of potential
workers with some additional questions before making their final hiring
decision. The worst thing you can do is write an amazing proposal and then lose
the job because you weren’t around to answer a simple question.
Freelancing is just like any
other job, you’re going to have to prove yourself before you’ll get paid the
rates that you deserve.
8: Make Sure It’s Polished:
Hopefully this goes without
saying: an incomplete
and/or unpolished profile may stand out, but not for the reasons you want it
to. That’s why any freelancer who
wishes to be successful should completely fill out each section of their
profile, giving as much relevant information as possible. Make sure to
proofread it, and have a respected friend or colleague look it over as well. You can’t arguably say you pay great attention to
detail, if you’ve misspelled “detail.”
Do not Settle for Good, Make Your Profile Best:
When completing your profile, regularly ask yourself what a prospective
client would want to see. These
factors will obviously vary depending on your specific area of expertise, but
regardless, this can be a helpful mental exercise to undertake when crafting a
perfect profile.
For anyone interested in joining the life of a
freelancer, now is a great time to get started. As time goes on, the
competition for work on platforms such as Upwork, Fiverr,
and Freelancer.com will only grow more fierce. By getting off to a good start now, and crafting
the perfect profile, you can beat the crowd to becoming a successful freelancer
before it becomes the norm—which won’t be long!
