Freelancing is a great way to support yourself while you’re abroad. Being a freelancer comes with a lot of freedom. You can work when you need it, and decide how many gigs/clients you want to handle.
If freelancing sounds complicated to you, let’s try to sum it up!
What’s a freelancer?
A freelancer is basically a self-employed person who doesn’t have to be committed long-term to any client. Of course, depending on your clients, you might end up working on long-term projects, but you are basically an independent service provider.
How to get started as a freelancer?
If you want to become a freelancer, you need to have some skills!
- What are services can you provide?
- What skills can you sell?
If in your digital nomad journey, you decided to develop your skills, you might have learned everything yourself, or perhaps, you decided to invest money in some online courses. In the end, it doesn’t really matter as long as you are an expert in what you’re doing.
Once you have your skills ready to market, a portfolio, a website to showcase your services, or a brilliant pitch, you’re going to be ready to get into the freelancing world and start your client hunting session!
Alternatively, you can pick one of the easiest jobs for freelancers that don’t require tons of experience.
Real-life example
When I started blogging, I had to learn everything related to social media as building an online presence is an important factor in the blogging industry. Of course, I was writing a lot of content but I was also becoming my own social media manager.
When I decided to break into the freelancing world, I decided to sell my skills related to social media. I helped other bloggers growing their Instagram accounts and I managed a lot of Twitter and Facebook accounts in the meantime.
Later on, I decided to become a virtual assistant for other bloggers, and finally, a ghostwriter as I enjoy writing better than social media.
I was only doing these gigs so I can support myself until I can make a decent amount of money with my website. (It did happen… like three years later!)
While I was doing these jobs, I wasn’t working on the blog full-time which means that my website wasn’t my main priority anymore. If I had focussed more on the blog earlier, maybe I would have managed to monetize it faster, but I couldn’t wait and I had a lot of bills to pay.
Does that make sense?
How to land your first client as a freelancer?
The days were Upwork or Fiverr were great and fun are over! With so much competition and very low rates, it’s now really hard to find a gig on those platforms. My first two clients were found on Upwork, but with their current enormous fees, I gave up on Upwork a long time ago. Although, it’s a starting point if you’re starting out. Make sure to include their fees within your own rates. You can learn more about this in our article about the things every freelancer should know.
My next clients were found via networking and Facebook groups. Facebook is actually one of my favorite platforms to advertise my skills and to find clients. I’ve been so active in some groups over the years that Facebook only shows me content and opportunities from these groups on my feed.
I started with a simple discussion in one of those groups like what I wanted to start as a virtual assistant or social media manager explaining I was ready to start at a lower rate until I get more experience. Quickly, I landed my first gig. I was lucky enough to have met this blogger on a press trip in the past, and as she already knew my blog and my social media channels, she knew I was taking my job seriously.
There are SO MANY great opportunities in those groups, so be active and be known for what an awesome person you are. You could become a reference in some groups and once you land a client, if you’re doing a good job, they will likely recommend you to other people.
Another great way to find clients is with real-life networking. Co-working spaces normally organize events and talks, so going to these events is a great way to spread the word about what you do, but also meeting potential customers or collaborators.
How to master your first pitch as a freelancer?
When I first started pitching, I had no clue what I was really doing. Another blogger showed me her “pitch template”, and I created something similar without having much success from it.
I decided to play around it and test different versions including different titles. Titles are so IMPORTANT. You want to make people excited about your email. You want them to open your email straight away because it looks like an awesome proposal. (And yes, my titles often include words like “awesome proposal”.)
Over the years, I also received some pitches and from the other perspective, I understood better what I like VS what I hate. Now, that I have an excellent open rate when I send a pitch, I’ve been revising other’s pitches too.
Here are the steps to keep in mind:
- Who the hell are you?
- Why the hell are you writing to them?
- Make them feel AWESOME.
- How can you provide something AWESOME for them?
- Make a quick proposal including stats or AWESOME facts.
- Keep it short, because they won’t even read all of it.
Pitching Tips for Freelancers
Be personal and stand out
With freelancing becoming a more normalized career path, one of the hardest things to do is stand out. Keep your professionalism but don’t be scared to be personal in your pitch. Convince them to want to know more about what you do!
The best way to do this in a more casual setting (ie. responding to postings on Facebook or Instagram to those who ask for direct/private messages) is to send them a voice memo or even a video. Go ahead! Be bold! They will more likely listen to your video before sorting through a bunch of other messages.
Know your client and how you can help them
The most important part of your pitch is knowing your client and what you are going to do for them. Make sure your services and offers are in line with what they are actually looking for. Talk about the transformation that you can create for your client and how YOU are the one who is going to make their lives easier.
Never mention how “new” you are
I totally get this feeling of “imposter syndrome” and wanting to be fully upfront and honest with your potential client, but you do not have to tell them you are new because they most likely will already know. What I mean is that your portfolio, or maybe lack of, will show them your experience. Stating that you are new in your pitch, even if turned into a positive (ie. I’m new but I’m so eager to learn ….) will implant that tiny bit of doubt in your client’s mind.
With all this being said, don’t ever lie if they ask you.
Understand your client’s business
I’m not suggesting you try to suck up to your client but, doing a bit of research on their business and mentioning something that you liked or resonated with you makes a great impression. This shows your potential client that you are not only interested in their mission but you also understand what they are about and their niche.
Don’t oversell
Keep your pitch short and sweet. You haven’t really earned the time of your potential client yet so rambling on for paragraphs about why you are the best fit usually won’t bode well. This also is a sign of lack of confidence in your services which can prompt your prospecting client to question your abilities.
Confidence is key
Finally, deliver your pitch with confidence. It is so much easier said than done but if you take all the other tips in mind, your confidence will shine through naturally. As cheesy as bringing up the idea of confidence while pitching is, it really is the make or breaks factor to whether you land the job or not.
A huge way to accomplish this when writing your pitch is your tone. Instead of saying, “I think I can do ….” you should write (and believe) “I can do ….” which will be a lot more reassuring to your new client.
It is a simple little change to how you present your skills which might seem intimidating, especially when trying to land your first client as a freelancer. However, if you have gotten the attention of this possible client, then they already believe in you!
Final Thoughts On Freelancing Jobs
Want to find a long-term remote job instead? Take a look at the best websites to find a remote position.
Want to learn more about freelancing? Check the following blog posts:
