Starting out as a freelancer, your journey might look sloppy.
There’s just too much to do:
-Learning & upskilling
-Managing invoices
-Creating content
-Outreach
-Cater to inbound leads
-Networking
And then some.
It gets too much too soon.
Here’s how to approach it better…๐๐ป
๐ Pick a niche that excites you.
Like genuinely makes you feel like work is fun.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ป: A niche doesn’t bind you. It makes you more focused.
You can immediately start understanding the nuances of an industry and then pinpoint business goals.
It’s easier to target Food & Beverage DTC Brands in the Health & Wellness niche than to approach DTC & E-comm brands.
๐ Learn a skill you feel naturally gravitated towards
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ป: Popularity wears out.
Just because everyone is a media buyer, copywriter, or content strategist doesn’t mean you have to be too.
Focus on your strengths. And then head down for 1 hour every day to learn for the next 2-3 months.
๐ Study how it’s used in a professional setting
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ป: Being an artist won’t cut it.
You might naturally gravitate towards writing but need to understand its use in the industry.
Do you want to write long-form, journalistic-style education pieces or psychology-heavy, attention-grabbing copies that drive sales?
Everything is slightly, if not vastly different, when you do it only for fun & not work, so choose wisely.
๐ Create mock samples or work on testimonial-friendly projects
There’s no need for a CV in freelancing, but you might not get anywhere without proof of work.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ป: You need to SHOW some proof of concept to your potential clients
Instead of waiting for someone to give you a chance, create work you wish you’d have done.
If you don’t mind working for free, serve someone whose name, fame & testimonial is enough for you to not care about money immediately.
๐ Create Content
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ป: If you’re in the game, tell the world.
This will not only help you learn more because you document your journey with an audience but will help you get inbound leads, paid opportunities, and a supportive network.
๐ Network & Outreach
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ป: Freelance is a lonely journey, and you can’t wait for dream clients to knock on your door.
Collaborate or share the best & worst of your freelancing journey with fellow freelancers & creators.
Not only will it feel less lonely, but there will be accountability and multiple perspectives.
Once you have:
-๐ ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฏ๐ช๐ค๐ฉ๐ฆ & ๐ด๐ฌ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ,
-๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ด/๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฌ
– ๐๐ถ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ด ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐ต๐ฐ
Try messaging 5-10 people every day.
Mind you, none of this is simple.
But it’s more actionable than starting at the dream of making a 6 fig income by the end of 2022.