HOW TOSTART YOUR

FREELANCEMARKETING

CAREER

The notion of what defines a traditional workplacestructure is evolving as the freelance economy

continues to grow and as more employers need theirservices. No longer are independent/freelance

workers confined to working remotely and jugglingmany projects for various companies.

You can now find freelance workers in corporate offices,marketing agencies, and other 9-5 businesses working alongsidefull-time employees. In fact, independent workers currently make

up 34% of the American workforce and experts expect thatnumber to increase to 50% of the private workforce by 2020.

Even as freelancing becomes more prevalent andemployer hiring behaviors are changing, it can still be

nerve racking to make the jump from a full-timemarketing employee to joining the freelance workforce.

But in reality, you may have more job security andbenefits as a contractor than you do as a salaried

employee. Discover 5 ways you can start preparing tobecome a freelance marketer now to ensure you will havesuccess if you decide to make the transition in the future.

BUILD YOUR NETWORK

Start networking and letting people know that you’relooking to transition into contract marketing. Tell former

colleagues, friends, and even family know about yourplans and your expertise. You never know who might

have a need for your services. Also, it takes time to buildup a client base so you don’t want to wait until you’ve

quit your job to let people know about your plans.

Don’t just reserve your networking to your existing groupof contacts. Make sure you’re active on social media,

especially LinkedIn, and reaching out to newprofessionals. Go to networking groups, become a

regular at industry events, and even frequent local coffeeshops and coworking spaces. The more people who

know about your services and skills, the better chanceyou have of finding work when the time comes.

SHOWCASE YOURPERSONAL BRAND

A huge part of finding new clients and gigs for freelancemarketers is done online and through social media. Since

someone is not meeting you face to face, their firstimpression of you is going to be from your LinkedIn profileor personal website. Even though you’re selling your skills,

you’re also selling yourself. And if people don’t like you,then they’re not going to buy your services.

Make sure all of your social media profiles are accurate andpositively reflect the skills you’re trying to showcase. Get activeon Twitter and LinkedIn, participate in industry conversations,

and position yourself as an expert in your field. This won’thappen overnight and is something you can start building today.

CREATE A PORTFOLIO

You can tell potential clients about your skills and expertise,but oftentimes it comes down to them seeing actual work

samples to really make a decision on whether or not to useyour services. One way you can showcase your talent is by

creating a personal website or an online portfolio.

For example, if you’re looking tobecome a freelance graphic designer,

make sure you have a personalwebsite or work samples that show offyour skills and creativity. If you have asloppy or unfinished personal website,it reflects poorly on your work and may

discourage a potential client fromusing your services. Also, make surethe samples your provide accuratelyrepresent your work and the services

you’re offering.

FIND A MENTOR

There are many different tips and articles on the internet aboutworking as a freelancer, but some of the best advice will come from

someone who actually has experience working as a contractor. Thereare many forums and Meetups dedicated to freelancers, but you caneven meet other freelancers at coffee shops or coworking spaces.

APPLY FOR FREELANCEOPPORTUNITIES

When you’re just starting out as a freelancer, it may bedifficult to find steady work and contracts on your own, but

you there are many sites dedicated to helping placefreelancers in contract roles with top companies. Accordingto research from Randstad, 72 percent of HR professionals

consider finding workers a challenge because the talentpool is lacking, and a separate study found that 70 percent

of companies had hired a freelancer.

This research shows that there are companieslooking to hire freelancers for their specialized skills.Sites like Guru or marketing staffing companies helpfreelancers connect with current open contracts. Youcan either apply to specific open marketing positions

or submit your resume for recruiters to review.

The transition from full-time employee to freelancer mayseem scary at first, but with the right preparation, you canhave a more successful career as a freelance marketer. If

you're interested in freelance opportunities, visitnavigarecruiting.com or call 866-487-4156.