Your Roadmap to Freelancing: A Definitive Guide

 

With the rising awareness for independent working, the need, and expansion for freelancing is growing. A majority of young people are now stepping into their games in the freelance industry. The reason is the independence and freedom freelancing gives

1. PICKING UP A MONETIZABLE SKILL

The most vital thing in the freelance industry is picking what freelancing skill you want to invest in. These skills can include freelance content writer, graphic designer, content creator, copywriter, social media manager, digital marketer, web designer, animator, UX/UI designer, etc. One can freelance in more than one skill. However, one needs to invest time, effort, and dedication to kickstart the next high-paying gig. 

2. DECIDING ON FREELANCING NICHE

Say you want to work as a freelance content writer, you will have to choose particular niches to research and learn about. High-paying niches include cryptocurrency, finance, marketing, SEO, e-commerce, e-books, IT, film, etc. 

3. DEVELOPING A PORTFOLIO

Everyone needs a platform where they can showcase their work in order to find clients. Designing portfolios after choosing a freelancing area is a primary step. Portraying previous work, providing experience, or creating a mock portfolio is enough for initial leads. 

4. CREATING YOUR OWN OFFER

Offers are nothing but a group of services you will be providing to your prospect, which will get you paid. Here, you need to decide what kind of services you want to offer and how much you will be charging for them. Yes! The freelancing industry gives you the freedom to decide your own pay scale based on your experience and niche.

5. MONETARY PLANNING

Once you have created your offer, it's time for you to plan your prices well. Freelancing in the IT and Film industry often pays well. Planning finances include pricing based on per project or service. 

6. TARGETING AUDIENCE 

Determining an audience enables freelancers to decide which prospects they want to pitch their services to. Say you are a freelance IT writer, you will be looking to offer services to IT professionals and thus target platforms such as Linkedin. 

7. CREATING AN ONLINE PRESENCE

One of the most underrated freelance statistics in the industry is building a personal digital presence. Simple yet crucial, platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Reddit allow freelancers to find the most suitable and reliable leads for their offers. Moreover, building a digital presence builds reputation and image.

8. DEFINING WORK TERMS

With dedication comes self-time, and this means defining work terms. The freelance industry is popular because of its independence. Freelancers need to decide their own work timings and terms and need not work apart. 

9. REACHING OUT TO PROSPECTS DAILY

The most persuasive freelancing statistics in different freelancing industries such as IT and Film is reaching out to at least ten prospects regularly. This can be done through pitching, emails, LinkedIn, creating online offers and publishing, etc.

10. FOLLOWING UP AND CALL-BOOKING

Being consistent with prospect's emails and planning calls for services discussion turns them into leads. 

11. CHARGE IN ADVANCE!

No matter the settlements or connectivity, always charge in advance to avoid future disputes. 

12. PLANNING OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS

Most freelancers tend to neglect the importance of documentation while preparing for their first gig. This should include the offer, proposal contract, prices, work hours, signatures, number of edits provided, and invoices, of course. 

13. FREELANCING STATISTICS - NDA

A non-disclosure agreement or NDA refers to an agreement that states the confidentiality of data about the client or the company. This agreement should be signed and not disclosed by anyone. 

14. SOCIAL MEDIA STATISTICS IN THE FREELANCING INDUSTRY

There are a huge number of freelancers from India who get the most freelancing pitches from social media. Updating profiles, planning content strategy, creating content, and being consistent with digital platforms helps you enhance your cold outreach and inbound strategies. 

15. ONLINE AND OFFLINE NETWORKING

Freelancing does require networking inside and outside the social presence. Online events can include conducting seminars, live sessions, and interacting with digital audiences, whereas offline events may include workshops, summits, conferences, speakers events, etc.

16. CAMPAIGNS 

New freelancers can run ads to reach more audience profiles and gather a digital audience. 

17. ONBOARDING CLIENTS

This includes setting up an introductory call to clarify the task's timeline, following up with defining communication methods, etc. 

18. MAKING YOUR GIG STAND OUT FROM THE REST

From getting a detailed brief to adding resources and references for content, this is the basic key to ace your work. Moreover, discussing the outline of the task prior to executing it helps you and your client reach overall satisfaction. 

19. FREELANCING IN THE IT INDUSTRY

When it comes to high-paying tickets in the freelancing industry, IT is the one that tops the list. Freelancing in the IT industry is profitable and leaves scope for development, allowing one to learn skills that build the future of freelancing. Freelancing in the IT industry can include specific projects and services for various niches and clients. 

20. FREELANCING IN THE FILM INDUSTRY

Freelancing and production go hand in hand. When it comes to budget-friendly film industries, they tend to hire freelancers to operate and get their work done. For instance, freelancers in the film industry get paid more when compared to other industries. 

21. POPULAR FREELANCING SKILLS AROUND THE WORLD

Content writing, UI/UX designers, motion-graphic designers, video and production designers, web designing, and SEO are some of the most popular and monetizable freelancing skills people are adopting globally. 

22. GLOBAL FREELANCING MARKET

You must be surprised to know that about one-third of the total freelancers come from India itself, according to research done by Researchgate. 33% of freelancers from all around the world live in India, followed by Bangladesh Pakistan, the US, and the UK.

23. REVENUE GROWTH OF THE FREELANCE INDUSTRY

The covid pandemic resulted in a surprising increase in people adapting to freelancing, where the Philippines became the fastest-growing freelancing country. During the pandemic, people realized the importance and need for digital work and its exposure. 

24. FEMALE FREELANCERS

According to Payoneer, female freelancers earn about 84% more than males around the globe. Freelancing reduces gender wage inequality and provides everyone with an equal platform to share thoughts and portray skills. 

25. BEST FREELANCE MARKETPLACES - UPWORK - With more than 17 million users, Upwork tops the list and comes under the best freelance marketplaces in the freelancing industry. Upwork has made over $124 million in revenue in 2021. 

26. FIVERR - Fiverr works with 7 million registered users, providing the terms for both buying and selling services. On Fiverr, front-end developers can generate revenue of around $15 to $150. 

27. FREELANCER.COM - With over 31 million users, freelancer.com is one of the largest freelancing platforms and the best for young creators. The platform provides 18,00 different job categories for people with different talents. 

28. BALANCING THE WORK - LIFE BALANCE 

Balancing the psyche with work keeps creativity consistent and maintains the continuity of work progress. 

29. IMPORTANCE OF FREELANCING TODAY

Covid made people realize the importance and benefits of digital work, which can be done anywhere by anyone and at any time. 

30. FUTURE OF FREELANCING

Freelancing is for everyone and provides power. The future holds a strong position in the freelance industry, contributing largely to the economy.