Module 4, lesson 1

Freelance 101: Marketing Yourself as a Freelancer

Freelance can be challenging because it is “every man for himself.” But once you build a strong foundation for yourself as a freelancer, your clients will keep coming in and trusting your visions. This lesson will focus on how to market yourself as a reliable freelancer and service provider.

objectives

  • Understand the importance and benefits of freelancing in the CMP industry
  • Identify what makes a good freelance brand and portfolio
  • Learn how to navigate and find opportunities on freelance platforms

Freelancing in the CMP Industry

Freelancing is a form of self-employment wherein the practitioner offers their own services to different clients. Freelancers usually work on a project basis, sometimes taking on multiple projects at once. It is very common in the CMP industry, because many practitioners prefer to keep their personal styles and formats when producing media. 

While the nature of freelance work may seem scary because of the lack of leadership and ground rules, there are many great benefits to it.

  • Creative Freedom: Your creativity is what makes you unique as a person. As a freelancer, you get to embrace this freedom and explore your creative expression through your different projects!
  • Flexibility: Whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, with freelancing, you can work at your own pace. Your hours are flexible because you are your own boss. You can accept projects based on your schedule, which is really good for students who want to begin freelancing early on.
  • Reasonable Rates: The only person who can truly determine the worth of your projects is yourself. A benefit of freelancing is that you get to set your own rates, which you will learn more about in the upcoming lessons of this module.

“I’m in freelance now, where people don’t tell me what to do. If anything, if people reach out to me, it’s because they want my style.” – Luis Danao

Marketing Yourself as a Freelancer

When doing freelance work, the most important thing is to have a strong personal branding, because people pay for services that align with their styles, values, and beliefs. Before proceeding with this part of the lesson, we recommend reviewing Module 1: Building Your Personal Brand.

For freelancing specifically, a good brand includes the following aspects:

  • About / brand persona and voice: Introduce yourself as the main character of your brand. Clients are drawn to practitioners who present themselves as approachable and easy to work with. Include important work experience and skills that you’ve developed over time.
  • A portfolio: Of course, you must be able to showcase works that best represent you as a creative. Look into different platforms that fit your portfolio needs, such as social media platforms, websites, or applications.
  • A rate card: You must be prepared to price your services, because clients often want speedy responses to their inquiries. Most freelancers like to keep their rates private, so have it on hand in case anyone asks, but it is not recommended to post about them online.
  • (Bonus) Client testimonials: If you’ve worked with any clients in the past, it would be helpful to ask them for simple testimonials about their experience with your freelance work. This helps build trustworthiness and credibility for your brand.

To give you some examples, below are some of the portfolios of some freelancers that Creatives In Progress has interviewed:

Navigating Freelancing Platforms

Now that you’ve prepared your freelancer brand and your portfolio, it’s time to showcase it to the world! Let’s take a look at some platforms that can assist you in finding freelance opportunities and getting in touch with potential clients. 

  1. LinkedIn and Jobstreet – On these websites, you can showcase all of your work experience, skills, and certifications. Based on the information on your profile, you can easily find recommendations and opportunities that align with you. These websites, however, are not specifically made for freelancers, rather anyone looking for job opportunities. While there are a lot of full-time contracts and internships, there are still contractual opportunities that might be a great fit for freelancers.
  1. Fiverr and Upwork – These websites are online marketplaces specifically made for freelancers and clients to connect. Freelancers can upload their services for the clients to browse through and purchase. This streamlines the process as opposed to clients having to directly contact freelancers or vice versa.

You may be wondering which platforms you should use at the beginning of your career, but we recommend joining all! It may seem time-consuming to set up all of your accounts and fix your portfolios, but in the end, you will benefit from widening your network.

Tips for posting services on freelance platforms

  • Do not overpost offers. Keep your services simple and accessible.
  • Use key words, including your mediums, style, and location.
    • For example: Event Photographer, Flash Photography, Metro Manila
  • Join communities or groups to build your network further. Some fellow freelancers may also share your services if they take interest in your work.

Activities

Activity 1: Create Your Freelance Profile

To sell your services effectively, you must know them wholeheartedly. This activity will prompt you to write about the different aspects of yourself that would be useful in building your freelance portfolio. You may access the activity below.

Activity 2: Studying Different Freelancing Platforms


Like every business, it’s important to conduct market analysis. For this activity, you must do research on existing freelance services in your industry and reflect on how you can stand out. You may access the activity below.

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