4 Ways New Freelancers Can Create a Strong Industry Presence
The daily 9-to-5 job with a set monthly salary was probably not for you. Yahoo! Finance notes that most American workers dislike their careers so much that half wouldn’t recommend their companies to anyone.
News reports suggest that the Great Resignation isn’t over yet and has slowly turned into a trend. That means most people leave their jobs to start a freelancing career. By 2027, the American gig economy will have 86.5 million freelancers, making up 50.9% of the workforce.
Have you recently started your freelancing journey? In that case, you’ll need to know some tips to help create a strong industry presence. In this blog post, we’ll discuss four things freelancers should consider to boost their online visibility.
#1. Create a Website to Showcase Your Portfolio
Industry leaders believe that websites can make your freelance business look professional. With this, your clients can easily find you online. Each web page can convey your branding and act as a portfolio that generates leads.
However, being new to the industry, you cannot possibly spend thousands to get it professionally built. That’s where an AI website builder comes in.
These tools only cost approximately USD 15 per month or USD 150 a year. Within this price range, you can access 600,000+ stock images, a free custom domain name, online payment options, and more. According to Hocoos, freelancers can enhance their industry presence using such tools because of the following things:
- You can build business-ready websites within seconds after answering a few brand-related questions.
- It allows you to generate unique designs and content tailored to your business needs.
- You won’t need skills to edit the generated logo, images, designs, and elements.
#2. Use Social Media to Promote Your Services
For new freelancers, social media could be the most appropriate arsenal. Most use this platform to foster better connections and market their services. You can utilize this as a dynamic tool to showcase your expertise in the following manner:
- Craft engaging visuals and content for social media to showcase your skills and expertise.
- Continuously engage with your target audience by offering solutions to common issues.
- Establish authority in your field by sharing valuable insights and industry updates.
- Connect with potential clients, engage with communities, and participate in relevant discussions.
You can leverage LinkedIn and Instagram for all this. Remember to be consistent if you want to establish a strong industry presence. Regular updates and prompt responses can also help expand your reach and elevate your professional profile.
#3. Create Valuable Content to Reach a Wider Audience
Did you know that 47% of workers in the world are self-employed? That means most of them will find unique ways to reach a wider audience in a competitive market. Since you’re in the same boat, it’s time you learned about a secret.
Creating compelling content will bring value to your personal brand. In turn, it’ll broaden your reach by deepening engagement. To get the best results, you must follow these tips:
- Identify the topics your target market will be interested in.
- Develop content that’s genuine, inspiring, and solution-oriented.
- Utilize formats such as videos, infographics, blog posts, etc.
- Encourage interactions through questions, feedback, and comments.
Remember to cater to your audience’s diverse preferences and optimize the content for search engines. All these will help enhance shareability and discoverability. Freelancers can also use AI-based tools to generate the content. However, you must ensure that it’s original, has high quality, and is accurate to deliver value to your audience.
#4. Network and Collaborate With Industry Experts
Networking allows you to collaborate with industry experts, find new clients, and build a strong brand presence. Protecting your trademark is crucial to maintaining your brand’s identity and reputation. For specialized legal support in safeguarding your intellectual property, consider consulting IP lawyers. You get to forge meaningful connections, expanding your opportunities. For this, you must do the following things:
- Attend conferences and events hosted by industry leaders and companies.
- Exchange ideas and initiate conversations whenever possible.
- Offer assistance to thought leaders and influencers to connect with them.
- Be part of webinars hosted by professionals to meet experts.
As a new freelancer, you must be genuine and proactively share your expertise and interests online. You can also leverage shared resources and co-create content. All these will help nurture relationships and allow you to collaborate with experts on various projects.
Networking and collaboration can eventually create a reputation for professionalism and reliability. Remember to build mutually beneficial relationships to access new opportunities and bring integrity to your interactions.
In summary, freelancers fail because they are unable to organize and cannot stand out in the crowd. Thankfully, the right strategies can help. As a freelancer, you hold immense potential to reshape your presence with strategic planning and actions.
Remember to generate a website using AI tools and leverage social media to create a personal brand. Moreover, you must create valuable content and use proper SEO to establish yourself as an industry expert. Networking can also help you navigate the competitive landscape by forging strong relationships.
With these strategies, you can propel your success. However, you must be open to adaptation and continuous learning to ensure relevance in a dynamic marketplace.