3 Powerful Ways to Boost Your Freelance Income [M&M #024]
Listen to the audio version
When I was starting out as a part-time marketing freelancer, I thought it would be simple to get a few clients… And it was!
But it wasn’t necessarily easy.
With the goal of quitting my job and working for myself, I quickly learned how much effort it would take to replace my income as a newbie freelancer.
I was desperate to leave my current job but with a hefty mortgage to pay and my newborn son Jack counting on me to provide…
I needed a plan.
A system.
A strategy that would damn near guarantee my success in this new venture.
Failure was not an option - and still isn’t.
Today, I’m going to share 3 valuable tips to boost your freelance income.
Whether you’re doing this on the side or are already a full-time freelancer, these tips will help you increase the likelihood of new opportunities.
It’s time to accelerate your earning potential.
Position
You have to position yourself to be seen as a competent individual who’s ready to help new clients. Proper positioning has been responsible for about 60% of the clients I’ve worked with up to this point. There are 3 places you can begin to show up online:
Online Marketplaces - Upwork, Fiverr, MarketerHire
These are the obvious places to show up online if you want to increase your earning potential. Platforms like these make it incredibly easy to be seen by businesses looking for skilled pro’s like you. Although they each have their own way of operating, this was my first major move when I got started as an email marketer. I created a freelancer profile on multiple marketplaces, set my prices, and started combing the job posting boards for opportunities to apply for.
Social Media - LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
I don’t need to explain what social media is in today’s modern tech-driven world. If you’re looking to boost your income then sharing your skills on social platforms is a great way to begin building connections which in turn opens up the door for more opportunities to come your way. Also, consider joining some groups or communities on these platforms to maximize your reach.
Website - like evanshank.com
Biggest advice I can give here is start small. Do not… I repeat do not get swallowed up by the fictitious need to have a pro-level 15-page website before you begin promoting yourself. Start small and build over time. Having your own site is crucial if you want to grow your freelance biz into something bigger eventually - this is a long-term play.
Don’t feel the need to be everywhere all at once! Do a little research to determine which platforms are best for you and commit to connecting with people there.
Promote
If you want to increase your rates quickly without losing out on opportunities, you better have content out there promoting you. Promotion alone has been responsible for about 40% of the clients I’ve worked with up to this point.
Don’t think that you need to have some elaborate content marketing strategy though. Just start posting with the intent of delivering valuable content to your target audience - future clients. What would they be impressed to see? What would stand out and validate you as a skilled professional?
Content comes in three primary forms → Text, Audio, and Video.
Content Ideas:
Unique industry insights/perspectives/ideas
Success stories from previous gigs
Tutorials within your niche
Interviews with past clients
Go look at what’s being shared and engaged with in your niche and emulate that. The next step is to post quality content consistently by creating a system that makes it easier to promote while not slipping in other areas of your biz.
Productize
If you want to truly boost your income as a freelancer, consider productizing. Once you’ve done the same type of job for a handful of clients, why not build something once that you can sell over and over again without any additional work?
For instance, create an online course. As an email marketing freelancer, I’d helped dozens of small businesses across a wide range of industries set up their email marketing system and begin sending emails on their behalf. I soon realized that there was no good course out there that taught the fundamentals of email marketing in a way that could help someone get started quickly if they didn’t have the budget to hire someone like me.
So I created it - Simple Email Marketing.
I took my knowledge and experience and made a product out of it. Now it’s something I sell and can do whatever I want with forever. If I need extra cash for something, it’s easy to run a promotion and quickly see some sales come through.
If your ultimate goal is to go beyond the job of a freelancer into solopreneurship, look for ways to productize what you know. Before long… you may stop taking on new clients altogether due to a booming business with multiple revenue streams.
These are 3 of my top tips for boosting your income as a freelancer.
Have a follow-up question? Don’t hesitate to reach out!
After all, I want to see you live your best life.
Until next time ✌️ 🙂
- Ev
