Freelance marketplaces like Upwork and Fiverr are excellent resources for freelancers looking for jobs. They offer you the opportunity to set up shop with a profile, and then bid on creative projects posted by prospective clients.
However, a lot of people invest significant time searching for and going after freelance jobs, only to get ignored or rejected time and again. With a few subtle improvements in your personal branding and project-search approach, you can improve your ability to get a healthy amount of work through freelance marketplaces.
You can invest a lot of time and energy on a thorough, detailed profile, but fail because you didn’t optimize your execution on a few key elements that matter.
First, include a professional profile picture that speaks to your credibility and instills confidence in your ability to get the job done. Your profile title is equally important in landing gigs. The title is a big part of your first impression; it quickly conveys to the onlooker what your personal brand is about. Don’t use the title as a listing of all your talents. Instead, offer a concise, impactful message about what you do best.
To succeed in getting jobs, and effectively completing them, you need to go after projects that match your skill-set. Build up your portfolio with tasks you feel confident you can complete successfully and thoroughly, and only then consider branching out a little to diversify your workload. Clients will ask for examples of completed work, and you want to make sure you have a selection of past projects you’re proud to put your name behind.
A key part of getting jobs is selling yourself and your abilities to a client in need, and you do that best with an appropriately-matched opportunity.
The content of your project proposal is your sales pitch to a potential client. Unfortunately, you can spend a lot of time writing an eloquent message that only gets about a three-second scan. You have to concentrate maximum effort into the opening few sentences.
In the opening, quickly tell the prospect how your core talents match well with the problem or critical need. Remember that people posting projects have a business problem and want a solution. However, they are also limited on time and need to get your point right away before moving on to another provider.
Every time a client hires someone to complete a project, there is a risk of poor performance or a missed deadline. Because of these risks, a client satisfied with the quality of your work more often wants to invest in a sure thing.
Thus, one of the best ways to grow your business is be creating a snowball effect. Deliver high-quality results each and every time, and win back business from satisfied clients as you gain new project opportunities as well.
These strategies outline the importance of aligning a great profile with the right opportunity, and delivering a compelling sales pitch. Freelancers who employ these strategies most effectively typically get more offers than they can handle.
Freelancers, sign up to Payoneer and get paid easily by sites like Upwork and Fiverr.