Freelance marketing is a competitive and rewarding field, but it also requires a lot of creativity, skills, and strategy to stand out from the crowd. Whether you are new to freelancing or looking to grow your client base, here are some tips to help you showcase your value and attract more opportunities.
One of the first steps to stand out as a freelance marketer is to define your niche and specialize in a specific area of marketing. This will help you narrow down your target market, position yourself as an expert, and differentiate yourself from other generalists. For example, you could focus on content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, or SEO. You can also choose a niche based on your industry, audience, or goals.
MSA | Marketer
First to inspire others with your mission/why. Here is my example - I'm on a mission to create more wealth in society by helping organisations and individuals to realise their potential with tailored marketing support to supercharge their business. Coming from a background of working in a world famous ads agency and tech firm, I'm the ideal person to offer insight and subject matter expertise on a wide range of topics. But ultimately, I'm here to grow the business with the client, to align marketing objectives closely with their business goals.
Standing out in a crowded market as a freelancer can be difficult if you're first starting out. Here are a few ways that can help you stand out: 1. Client Education - Educate your clients on the value and expertise you bring to the table in your chosen niche. 2. Clear Branding - Create a clear and compelling brand message that aligns with you audience. 3. Differentiation - Make yourself more appealing to clients by offering in-depth expertise as opposed to generalists. 4. Portfolio and Case Studies - Highlight your winnings as well as your losses in order to showcase continuous learning and improvement. 5. Networking - Networking in your niche can bring you referrals and collaborative opportunities.
Niche down. If you did work for a specific type of client that was a big success, then FOCUS THERE. How: 1. Create a case study with the data or results. Use Canva and save as PDF 2. Only apply or do outreach to members of the case study niche. Your job application or outreach email will now be hyper relevant to the hiring manager. 3. Relevancy = value. If it’s perceived you provide this highest relevancy and value you win the business. Repeat.
When I started freelance writing, I was a generalist mainly because I had no idea I needed to niche down. I was a good writer, but I was trained in academic writing. I struggled to find somewhere to "fit." I stumbled onto a particular niche, realized I was good at it and tried to find a way to be better than others at it.
Another essential step to stand out as a freelance marketer is to build a portfolio that showcases your best work and results. Your portfolio should include samples of your previous projects, testimonials from your clients, and metrics that demonstrate your impact. You can create a website, a blog, a LinkedIn profile, or a PDF document to display your portfolio. Make sure to update it regularly and highlight your relevant skills and achievements.
Build a website, instead of a PDF allows you to expand your reach and can help building your personal brand within the marketing circle. Only reserve the PDF for the gated contents, to collect high relevant leads.
Having a portfolio is the best way to show clients your work, but let me give you some insight as someone who now hires freelance writers - it's a good plan to have topics focused on the niche you want to write for in your portfolio. I want to see examples from writers who have written the content I need. It saves me some training time. Additionally, your work better back up the quality of your portfolio. If the work you submit is sub-par, then I know your portfolio isn't a reflection of your skill.
A third step to stand out as a freelance marketer is to network and pitch your services to potential clients. You can use various channels to reach out to your prospects, such as social media, email, referrals, or events. You should also craft a compelling pitch that explains how you can help them solve their problems, achieve their goals, and add value to their business. You can use case studies, testimonials, or proposals to support your pitch and show your credibility.
Freelancers - your network is your lifeline! One thing most freelancers don't think about early in their freelance career is the importance of collaborating with and networking with people you'd consider your 'competition.' I regularly talk to and work directly with people in the industry who do exactly what I do. They've made me better and I can turn to them when I have referrals. In turn, I've gotten plenty of referrals back.
Pour moi, le réseautage et le pitch en tant que spécialiste du marketing indépendant sont des arts subtils. J'aborde chaque interaction comme une chance de tisser des liens authentiques, en privilégiant l'écoute active pour vraiment comprendre les défis uniques de chaque prospect. Mon pitch est taillé sur mesure, illustrant non seulement comment mes services résolvent des problèmes spécifiques, mais aussi comment ils apportent une valeur ajoutée tangible. Je m'appuie sur des histoires de réussite vivantes et des données convaincantes pour peindre un tableau clair de ce que je peux réaliser. Chaque conversation est une porte ouverte vers une collaboration fructueuse, ancrée dans la confiance et l'expertise partagée.
A fourth step to stand out as a freelance marketer is to learn and improve your skills and knowledge. Marketing is a dynamic and evolving field, so you need to keep up with the latest trends, tools, and best practices. You can use online courses, podcasts, blogs, books, or webinars to learn new skills and techniques. You can also ask for feedback from your clients, peers, or mentors and use it to improve your performance and quality.
I was asked in an interview once, "Everyone has prejudices, what are some of yours?" That's a heck of a question, and I was on the spot. There were at least 9 people in the panel interview. The answer I gave works here: I'm prejudiced against people who think they're done improving. There's always something to improve on, especially when it comes to your freelance life. Ask for feedback, and don't get upset if it's negative. Use every bit of feedback you get to improve and adapt. Also, adapt quickly to changing technology that can help (or hurt) your particular freelance field. If you don't at least learn the tech, you're at a disadvantage.
Feedback from clients or peers can sometime focus on the good parts. Make sure you build a mutual trust relationship with them so they can share room for improvement with you easily and timely.
A fifth step to stand out as a freelance marketer is to be professional and reliable in your work and communication. You should always deliver your work on time, within budget, and according to the expectations. You should also communicate clearly, respectfully, and regularly with your clients and update them on the progress and status of your projects. You should also follow up with them after the completion and ask for referrals or testimonials.
A sixth step to stand out as a freelance marketer is to add value and creativity to your work and clients. You should always look for ways to exceed your clients' expectations, solve their challenges, and generate results. You should also use your creativity and innovation to come up with new ideas, strategies, or solutions that can help your clients stand out from their competitors. You should also showcase your personality and style in your work and branding.
Align the creativity closely with client's goal and objective. Learn from their competitors and the market, use hard data as the backbone of your creativity.
Be sure you & prospective customers agree on exactly what the word ‘marketing’ means, the tools + methodology that will be used, and how to measure results/effect of it through the work you do for them. Use specific concepts + language to reach this common ground & manage mutual expectations.
Simple steps which I follow - Highlight your unique strengths - Deliver exceptional results - Build strong relationships - Showcase your expertise through content - Get Testimonials to stand out as a freelance marketer. Try this you will notice some changes