Are you thinking of raising your rates in 2023? Consider Exploring These Niches

Between the aftershocks of a global pandemic, record levels of inflation, and the relentless development of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) tools, it seems as if creative freelancers are being financially attacked from all directions. In the absence of a guaranteed paycheque, freelancers may be tempted to hedge against financial uncertainty by competing for every slice of a seemingly shrinking pie.?

However, while there’s definitely merit to being open to new projects, the reality is that spreading yourself thin may not be the most effective or sustainable way to land high-paying projects in the long run. In fact, for freelancers who know where to look, the proverbial pie may not necessarily be shrinking. We’ve already explored how NFTs can potentially correct the longstanding problem of copyright, as well as how creatives can work with AI to produce better work. With the right tactics up one’s sleeve, it’s still entirely possible to bag high-value projects and charge a premium in this economy.

So get ready to take some notes and get paid what you’re worth!

Zoom on on a niche service offering

If you market yourself as a generic freelance graphic designer, copywriter, or video editor, you’re effectively pitting yourself directly against in-house staff members who likely understand their company’s branding and workflow far better than you ever will.?

To pull ahead of the competition, you’ll want to zoom in on specific sub-services that you know you can excel in. For example, if you’re already a video editor, you may wish to consider zooming in on the following types of niches:

• Editing Tiktok/YouTube videos for relevance and brand consistency
• Editing shorts on LinkedIn to help corporate influencers gain traction
• “Last mile” video editing where you transform clips that were poorly shot or edited into entertaining videos
• Remastering old videos for quality and site performance

After all, most companies may already have dedicated staff members working on content pipelines. However, few will have the resources or expertise necessary to elevate the content that they’ve lined up or give pieces that have been sitting in their archives for several years a new lease on life. That’s where you come in. By pinpointing exactly how you can plug content gaps in your clients’ strategy, you’re effectively proving your expertise and the value of your services. Giving them that much more reason to entrust their work with you.

Double down on a clientele niche

For those who don’t fancy dealing with such narrow scopes of work, consider zooming in on your target audience instead. Dedicating time and effort to create content for disadvantaged or marginalised communities (e.g. women or minority owned businesses, nonprofits for the disabled or the LGBTQ+ community) doesn’t just show that you care, but also gives you the time required to get acquainted with nuances of their stories and their struggles.

There are, in fact, more companies that require such services than you might think. Studies show that companies with more diverse workforces tend to produce greater results. The corporate world is waking up to this, with businesses in the United States being willing to pay close to $80,000 a year for diversity consultants . It’s not just a Western social trend, either. A Meta survey revealed that nearly 3 in 5 customers prefer to spend money on brands that embrace diversity and inclusivit y in their online ads.

Building up a clientele niche may be difficult, but it definitely pays off in the long run. Between a generalist photographer with six years of experience and a photographer with three years experience in taking pictures for specific genres of profiles, we’re willing to bet that hospitals, nonprofits, and companies that are looking to promote an inclusive workspace will be more likely to go with the latter individual 9 times out of 10. In other words, zooming in on a niche might help you leapfrog more experienced individuals with portfolios that lean towards the generalist end of the spectrum.

Learn how to use new tools

Just as we emphasised in our article on creative AI tools, freelancers should not shy away from adding new technology to their creative repertoire. For example, did you know that there are no-code, low-code tools that make it possible for people with little to no experience with coding to build an app? That’s right, you can become an app or web developer in your own right!

This is perhaps where you might ask, why would a business owner hire a freelancer to build an app if it’s that simple? The short answer is that entrepreneurs are busy people who may not always have the headspace or time to build an app that is user friendly.?

But the more accurate answer (and one that can help you market yourself and land the gig) is that creative freelancers are usually already experienced with UX design, UX copywriting, visualisation, and graphics. So rather than getting someone with little design and aesthetic experience to a clunky app, it makes a lot more sense to leave it to the experts who understand user behaviour and app interactivity.?

Securing your first gig will definitely be difficult, but you can still sell yourself by showing how your past projects have helped to attract and retain customers, boost purchases, or both. Once you’ve bagged your first gig, simply work your creative magic and the rest will be history. Don’t worry about rushing, either. Time is on your side when it comes to low-code app building. The industry is projected to reach a valuation of? $191 billion by 2030 !

The freelancer world is all about creating opportunities for yourself, even in the most unlikely places. Follow my page for more tips and tricks on how to market yourself as a freelancer, or join our curated CAW freelance network where we’ll give you personalised tips on how you can market yourself to your clients!?

Wishing you a great festive celebration and may 2023 be the year for you to grow and thrive!