You’re a freelancer in a crowded market. How can you make yourself heard?

To define your niche, you need to Discover Yourself. Reflect on your values, strengths, and passions. Understand what sets you apart and what you want to be known for. Identify your unique selling proposition (USP) aka differentiators–the value you bring to the table. Put everything in a Word or Excel sheet and keep updating as you gain new or unlock new competencies. Developing your personal brand is essential for establishing credibility, building trust, and connecting with your audience.

Identify your skills and be honest about what you're really, really good at. Freelancing is more than just copywriting, SEO, graphic design, and web dev. Have you done something successfully that others want to learn? My old mentor used "apple farming" as an example, and he isn't wrong—if you're an expert apple farmer, you can coach others on getting their orchards started on the right path. You have to think outside the box to avoid boxing yourself into one of 3 or 4 career paths. That's the first way to stand out.

First, be clear on your unique selling proposition and what areas you can be seen as an expert. Then niche down to the most specific and highly targeted target audience you can for your skills; the people that would desperately need your services. Then craft your message and create content tailored for that specific niche. They will relate and see you as an expert in the field.

Aunque no sea intuitivo, cuanto más te focalices en un nicho muy concreto, más posibilidades de éxito. Dirígete a aquel cliente al que tienes algo verdaderamente diferencial que ofrecer.

Go where your customers hang out. You don't have to be on LinkedIn if your customers are primarily in Facebook groups or subreddits, and you don't need profiles on every site. Put your energy into the platform that gets the best results and forget about the others until you have the luxury of time to play around with new client-getting sources.

Tienes que estar donde están tus clientes. Da igual si lo dominas o si te gusta. Tu opinión es irrelevante. El cliente manda. Recuerda que cada canal, cada red es diferente. Profundiza en entender sus claves.

Be careful here, as many freelancers think they have to post content constantly and end up attracting others who offer the same services instead of actual clients. The loudest LinkedIn influencers aren't always landing as many clients as it would appear. Share what you want to share—not what you think you're supposed to share, but either way, your time is better spent prospecting for new clients than posting on social media.

Debes generar confianza, credibilidad, convertirte en referente, pero sin regalar tanto contenido que acostumbres al cliente a lo gratis y nunca se decida a pagar.

Engaging with prospects is good, but do you know what people prefer? Having their problems solved. Small talk doesn't close deals, but showcasing results does. I've said this a thousand times now, but as Jim Rohn once said, "if you want people to believe you can help them, help them."

In the busy freelance market, building solid relationships is crucial for getting noticed. Prioritize nurturing existing clients, colleagues, and industry professionals by staying in touch, attending networking events, and engaging in meaningful conversations. Showcasing your skills, dependability, and value through these interactions will help you develop a loyal client base that will continue to hire you and recommend you to others. Utilize social media and online forums to display your work, connect with potential clients, and establish yourself as a go-to expert in your field.

Je gr??er die Konkurrenz, umso glasklarer sollte das eigene Angebot für eine bestimmte Zielgruppe formuliert sein. Ein Generalist ist kein Experte für XYZ. Und genau darum geht es in der Abgrenzung liegt das Potenzial. Ein weiterer Punkt ist einfach aber auch ernüchternd. Ich muss einfach mehr unternehmen als meine Wettbewerber um mich durchzusetzen.

The best way I know to make yourself stand out is to do what very few can or will...be reliable. The freelance world is filled with unreliable people who make excuses. Be the opposite of that—someone who always does exactly what they say they're going to do—and you'll be successful.

Find a specific problem that you can solve with your skills. Even if you are multi-skilled you don't have to offer it all at once, you can offer one thing and do it really, really well. Package it up in a way that helps your client, make it super easy for them to start with you and also to pay. Remove the friction. Also listen to entrepreneur podcasts - you never know what nuggets of wisdom will launch you into growth.