One of the most difficult aspects of being a freelancer is getting your name out there. Freelancers tend to spend a lot of time networking and finding clients, especially between jobs when they don’t have an active project to work on. It really highlights the “it’s who you know” mentality behind establishing a good career. If you can land a lucky break and work with some high-profile clients, then it could skyrocket your career as a freelancer. With no lucky break or help, you might end up struggling for longer than you’d like.
But with that said, there are plenty of ways for you to stand out from the crowd. One such strategy is to start using a personal portfolio or branding website. This might not be applicable to all freelancers, but it’s certainly a good place to start. Here are some tips on how to promote yourself using a personal website.
Ask yourself if you really need a personal website
Not everyone needs a personal website. Some people are perfectly fine with a LinkedIn profile or social media profiles. In fact, those are usually precursors to working with a new client. If you’re currently getting plenty of clients through your current networks and means, then you probably don’t need to invest money into building a personal website.
However, if you want to aim for more lucrative contracts and work with wealthier clients, then you may need to consider a personal website to improve your appearance and initial impressions. While it can be costly, a personal website is a fantastic tool for growing your network and gathering new leads. If this is what you want to achieve, then you should definitely invest in a personal website.
Choose the right platform for your personal website
There are many different platforms around that can be used for a personal website. There are tools such as Wix and WordPress, but you can also build a website from scratch. You could consider your social media pages as your personal website, but you still need something standalone with a memorable URL that you can link to in your social profiles.
There are a few things to consider when choosing a platform:
- How popular are they?
- Do they have any well-known customers?
- Does it offer simple-to-use tools to create websites and add content?
- Is your content easy to update on the website?
- Is it supported by ads unless I pay for it?
It’s vital that you choose a platform that works best for you. We suggest giving multiple different platforms a try so that you have a better idea of what’s available to you.
Showcase the work you’re most proud of
A personal website is a fantastic place to show off your proudest work. It could involve projects you did for well-known clients, or it could be work that you’re proud of doing regardless of the client or what they requested. Both of these types of projects are effective for clients, but it’s important to give them descriptions so the client has context and not just pictures.
To further highlight your work and expand your business, you may want to consider leaving testimonials from clients so that your newer leads have an idea of what you’re capable of. In short, it’s all about showcasing the work that you find represents your skills and expertise.
Make it easy for people to get in touch
Personal websites are great for showing off your work and informing potential clients what you do, but you have to make it easy for people to contact you. You can use features like the LinkedIn API to create custom actions that will automatically send messages to you, or it could be used to pull valuable information from your LinkedIn that should be used on your website.
However, the more traditional way to get in touch with potential customers is to just give them your email address. If you’ve obtained their email address, then it could be worth sending them personalized follow-up emails to keep them close as potential leads. You can also use social media to both help you get noticed and also for people to get in touch with you. Just make sure that these contact options are clearly stated on your website.
Some final thoughts
Advertising yourself as a freelancer is hard these days, especially when you consider just how many people there are out there that could do the same work as you. But with a strong personal profile, you’ll find it easier to attract potential clients from all over the world.
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