Here's how you can gain valuable experience by freelancing in product marketing.

Practice doesn’t make perfect, but it makes you better. Freelance offers an incredible opportunity to work across diverse industries and products, allowing you to learn and grow continuously. This experience enriches your skills and significantly enhances your future career prospects as a product marketer

"While these skills are necessary to get started in the sector, experience is critical here. Theoretical knowledge is a good start but far from what is needed for the job. You need to practically understand your customer group, your products, and how to market them. That you will not be able to achieve with just theoretical knowledge.

Not only this, but also position yourself as an expert and demonstrate your expertise and especially your learnings at congresses, keynotes, or events. If others agree with and appreciate the way you think, act, and reflect, they will approach you and get in contact. In this business, being qualified in your job is not enough; you also need to proactively demonstrate your competence.

Most freelancers target broad industries, but specializing in a niche market can make you invaluable. For instance, focus on eco-friendly products, indie tech startups, or local artisanal goods. This specificity not only differentiates you but also allows you to develop deep expertise and insights that generalists might miss.

The best thing about freelancing is being self-employed — you can choose to work on as many or as little number of projects as you can handle. Short-term gigs allow you to gauge your interest in a certain product, industry, company size, and more while building up a niche market you want your business to target. It’s also perfect if you want to strengthen your portfolio in prep for a career shift.

You not only need to be able to create value, but you also need to be able to measure and prove the value you bring. Additionally, it is crucial to show your own values as a person and a professional. You contribute not only with the work you do and your profession but especially with your personality. Are you someone who shares the same beliefs as the organization? Someone who inspires and motivates others? Someone who initiates and drives innovation and change? These are as critical as the competence you bring in.

Well, it depends on whether you want to build a company with its own strong brand or focus on a personal brand. If you want people to hire you specifically, you need to become a personal brand. However, this also means that your company and especially your income rely on you. You will not easily onboard new people to your organization who can contribute at the same level as you do. It also means that if you are not working, your organization is on hold. That is a risk factor that always needs to be considered. Building a brand takes time, so choose wisely the direction you want to go long-term.

Regularly publish articles, whitepapers, or blog posts on product marketing trends, case studies, and insights. Platforms like Medium, LinkedIn, and even niche industry forums can amplify your voice. Thought leadership establishes you as an expert and attracts higher-quality clients who value your expertise.

The most value a freelance can get in a gig is running an actual project. 1. You will test all hypotheses made in the early stages 2. Say that the project is a launch part of the overall GTM. You will see the results of the structured approach you used to create a Positioning/Messaging framework adapting it to the context of your customer. Since such a framework can be scaled and can become your customer's IP, you have a fantastic story to tell, backed by the client 3. You will be able to catch all mistakes and prescribe different approaches or a set of mitigating actions 4. You may learn new Project management tools, like Asana, Trello, Monday and the like 5. You work hard on something you love. That is passion. It's nourishing.

I would not wait until the end of a project to reflect and get feedback. Projects sometimes take a long time. If you wait until the end of a six-month project to collect feedback, you risk doing something wrong or unfavorable for others for six months. Make it a natural part of your job to exchange with stakeholders and peers, reflect on your ideas and approach, and fine-tune it along the way. You need to be sensitive and empathetic, sense the reactions of others, and follow up where necessary. That is at least what I personally want to deliver and also expect from other professionals.

Engage actively in online communities such as Product Hunt, GrowthHackers, and niche marketing groups on Reddit or LinkedIn. Sharing insights, answering questions, and participating in discussions can build your reputation and attract clients who see you as a knowledgeable resource.

While it might seem counterintuitive, offering your services for free or at a reduced rate to promising startups can pay off. These collaborations often lead to long-term relationships, referrals, and case studies that bolster your portfolio. Plus, startups tend to experiment with innovative ideas, giving you diverse experiences.