Freelancing Best Practices

I’ve been freelancing since October 2020. If all that experience disappeared and I had to start again from scratch, here's step-by-step what I'd do: Phase One: Knowledge Time to learn how to write. This is the number one thing you must do before anything else. Read... • “The Adweek Copywriters Handbook” by Joseph Sugarman • “The Boron Letters” by Gary C. Halbert • “Writing Tools” by Roy Peter Clark (Free PDF in the comments!) Next, you have to know what you’re selling. What is an article, exactly? How is it structured? What’s the difference between a case study, newsletter, landing page? Semrush has a solid article explaining it all (link in comments)! Post what you learn on a Twitter or LinkedIn account to start building your personal brand. 💡 Phase Two: Practice It’s time to put into practice what you’re learning. → Choose three topics you’re interested in writing about. → Create a Medium profile. → For one month (minimum) post one article a week on Medium. For ex: In my case, I was interested in digital marketing, remote work, and influencers. A few articles I wrote... • How Onlyfans is Ushering the Creator Economy into a Prosperous New Era • How Chloe Ting Became the Queen of Home Fitness • “Skinfluencers” Won’t Make it Easy for the Luxury Skincare Industry Phase Three: Pitch Let’s get some clients. Step 1) → How to Find Them: • TechCrunch’s “Recently Funded” • LinkedIn’s “People Also Applied To” • Newsletter Sponsors (Ex: If your target client is crypto, subscribe to Milk Road and pitch its sponsors as the audience demographic overlaps) Plus, subscribe to these newsletters dedicated to surfacing freelance gigs: • Kat Boogard’s Newsletter • Peak Freelance’s Newsletter • Sonia Weiser’s Opportunities of the Week Newsletter • Superpath Content Marketing Slack Community • Kaitlyn Arford’s Newsletter As you sift, create a list of clients that are in relevant to the topics you chose earlier. Step 2) → How to Pitch Them: The final step is to cold pitch. The rules: • The email is 80% about them, and 20% about you. • Bring a gift by pitching articles that are relevant to their target audience. • Link to your Medium articles to prove you can write. • Follow-up twice over the span of eight business days (roughly). Reminder: Stellar articles and personalized cold emails are *all* you need to start freelancing. I was earning ~$5,000 a month before I had a newsletter, website, Twitter, or LinkedIn. The next phase will be building the little parts: Contracts, website, etc (will explain in a future post 😌 ). Did I miss anything? Let me know! (Pictured: My setup working remotely for the first time ever in Paris 🌱 it felt v special :') ! )

90.99% of all my freelance work has come from referrals. Ok so that's not an exact figure, but it's close. I've landed one client from a cold email and another through Upwork. The rest: All high-quality referrals. Since many of you asked, I'll tell you how. Here are three things I consistently do to get referral business: 1. Give referrals. I stopped trying to be everything for everyone a while ago. I realized that if I do my best work and tap other people to do something I don't specialize in, it's a win for everyone. If we've worked together on a project or developed a relationship (and I know that you do good work), then you're on my list. I'm constantly giving referrals and pointing leads in the direction of folks who I know can get the job done well. More importantly: they're lovely to work with. This creates goodwill. It also keeps me top of mind with my referral network. When a job that matches my skillset comes across their world, who they gonna call? Not ghostbusters. 2. Maintain a system for building relationships. This "system" for me is nothing more than an AirTable spreadsheet, where I list my contact's name, what they specialize in, their ideal clients, and notes from our most recent conversation that'll help me deepen the relationship. That last column is the most important. During all of my relationship-building calls (a.k.a. networking), I take note of things that are top of mind for the person I'm speaking with. Maybe they just had a baby. Maybe they bought a house. Maybe they're about to launch a new product or service. Then, I put a date on the spreadsheet for when I want to reach back out and check in with how it's all going. I genuinely care, and having a check-in system ensures I'm following through on building the relationship over time. 3. Create strategic relationships. Beyond the relationships I naturally build with people I work on projects with or friends of friends in my network, I'm strategic about whom I spend my time talking to. By that, I mean connecting with people who provide adjacent services. For me, that means people who do PR, design work, paid ads, email marketing, social media management, etc. These are all folks who provide complimentary services to my content strategy work. We don't compete—we compliment. That's a beautiful referral ecosystem right there. There's more to this, but these things will get you started if you're not already strategically using your network to get ideal clients and projects. Was this helpful or should I go deeper here?

💡 Freelance tip comin' in hot! I keep track of leads and potential clients on a Trello board. Whenever I come across a brand or person that seems interesting and like a good fit—on Twitter, LinkedIn, or wherever else—I add a new card to the board (or, you know, screenshot it on my phone and hopefully *eventually* remember to create a card 😬). I have a template card that I copy for each new lead or potential client. There's space for me to leave some notes about what they do, where I found them, points of contact I could reach out to...you get the idea. The board also has columns for the different "stages" those leads move through: • Leads • Reached out • Actively talking with • Onboarding • Actively working with • Work has been sporadic • Not right now If and when I need to do some business development and reach out to potential clients, I have a super solid place to start. You can do the same thing with a spreadsheet, fancy freelance software, or even a whiteboard or random notebook. Whatever works for you. Regardless, it saves you a lot of head-scratching (and the dreaded panicky "There's nobody out there I can work for!" thoughts) when it's time to look for new work. 😊

Over the past 20 years in market research, many project issues I've seen stem from mismanaging client expectations. Whether you work for a research firm, an agency, a consultancy, or any other business that involves regular client discussions, here are 4 pointers. 1️⃣ Communication—Regularly communicate, candidly ask the client how often they want updates, and never let a week go by without touching base, regardless of the project stage. Anticipate questions and answer them before they ask. A client sending an email asking, "What's the status of...?" is a failure on your end - within reason. Lack of responsiveness leads to mistrust, even more micromanagement, skepticism, and other issues that can be snuffed out by communicating openly. 2️⃣ Be Realistic—We all want to say "yes" to clients, but there are often ways to showcase your experience and expertise by being honest about what can be achieved with a given timeline and budget. The expectation could be a lack of understanding about the process or industry norms. Underpromise and overdeliver versus overpromise and underdeliver. Those honest conversations may appear inflexible, but they're often more about setting expectations and setting up both parties for long-term sustainable success. Saying "no" to this project could be a better long-term decision for the account than saying "yes" and failing with no second chance. 3️⃣ Understand Perspective—Take the time to actively listen to your client's needs, goals, and priorities. It goes beyond listening and includes asking smart (and sometimes bolder) questions to get a complete understanding. What drove the need for research? Why is receiving results within 2 weeks crucial? What happens if you don't receive results in 2 weeks? Understanding what's pushing the decisions behind the scenes can be a game changer. 4️⃣ Solutions Over Problems—Never present a problem or an issue to a client without a path forward. "This happened, but here are 3 things we can do to fix it." You need to be more than someone who relays information, you need to be a true consultant. Be able to justify each recommendation and explain the pros and cons of each path. -------------------------------------- Need MR advice? Message me. 📩 Visit @Drive Research 💻  1400+ articles to help you. ✏️ --------------------------------------

2024 Goal #2: Work/Life Balance Goal *** This week (and early next) I'm sharing six goals each freelancer needs to check. If you missed the income goal yesterday, check it out for a different approach. **** The best part about freelancing is you are totally in control of your work schedule. The worst part is that you are totally in control of your schedule. You must actively take control of flexibility. No one is going to tell you to go home or turn off the lights. But I feel very strongly that one of the biggest keys to building a profitable freelance business that you love starts with making time for the people and things in our life that matter. And that starts with deciding what you need for yourself and then making it happen. I used to set goals based on the number of hours I would work, such as I will only work 30 hours a week. But that didn’t work because it was too nebulous in the moment. For me, I need small actions that I can take that add up to what I actually want to accomplish. I recommend coming up with six specific work life balance goals: Stop/Start work goal – Set some parameters around your work day. Do you need to get started earlier to have time for yourself later in the day. Or is turning off your computer at the end of the day your issue? Don’t Work goal – What are the days you won’t work. Think beyond just the weekend. Maybe you want Monday morning or Friday afternoon off. Maybe Wednesday is what appeals to you. Vacation goal – How much time off do you want to take goal? Even if you don’t know the dates, commit to the time. And if going somewhere this year isn’t in your budget, consider taking a week off as a staycation to recharge. Do something fun goal – What makes you happy and energized? Is it going to lunch once a week? Volunteering on Wednesday am? Taking a painting class? Working out? Commit to it and make it part of your 2024 goals. Exercise goal – Make a plan for moving. And put it in your business goals. Then you have to do it. A get off your plate goal – What tasks in your life drain your energy and suck your time? Which of those you simply not do. If they have to be done, then brainstorm other ways to get them done – hiring, technology, or trading? My work/life balance goals for 2024 are: -         Limit working after 7 pm (Stop/Start Goal) -         Take one weekend day totally off (Don’t Work Goal) -         Take at least 4 solid weeks totally off work (Vacation goal) -         Go for at least 1 hike each week (Do something fun Goal) -         Take a walk to the pool every day (Exercise goal) -         Use volunteers for dog transports as much as possible (Get off my plate goal) Yes, mine are probably a bit different than most people. And probably look a bit odd. But that’s the point. They work for me. My GoForth and Freelance Newsletter for all types of digital freelancers: Sign up for the freelance advice, stay for the Weenie (dog) stories  https://lnkd.in/gqaUPJ3i

Here’s the mistake that I made as a beginner that cost me more than $10,000 Getting clients, closing them, and getting them results. These are all essential pillars that freelancers & businesses know. But a key factor that is often missed: Communication. I lost a client worth $10k because of miscommunication. And here are 3 things, you should learn from it: 1- Connect your client at least 4 times a month Keeping that communication flow intact, helps you understand and relate to their pain points. 2- Reiterate your scope of work This is important because both of you need to be aligned on it. This sets the client’s expectations in a correct manner. 3- Communicate both your wins & mistakes to your client Wins are of course something that is shared, but your mistakes should also be discussed. So that you can show how you’re going to improve the next time. After we fixed these, we increased our retainership by 80%. Do you have similar learnings? Let’s talk👇🏻

The freelance world can feel uncertain and confusing, so in the spirit of paying it forward, I want to dive into how I find new work. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all formula, but this is what works for me. • Crafting and sharing a LinkedIn post that indicates that I’m looking for work and outlines what an ideal client or project would look like • Reaching out to existing contacts from previous full-time jobs — I use a Google Sheet to keep track of everyone — to see if they’re looking for freelance writers or know someone who is • Seeking out people who work for companies I admire and sending them a clear and direct email or LinkedIn message about working together • Reaching out to people in my personal life to see if they know anyone who is looking to hire freelancers • Asking previous clients I enjoyed working with if they have upcoming projects that require freelance work Yes, it’s vulnerable. But it works. Fellow freelancers, how do you go about finding new work?

The biggest mistake I've made with clients is not establishing proper communication channels. → Lack of communication results in lack of clarity. → Lack of clarity results in lack of speed. It’s akin to driving a car in the fog vs driving in clear daylight. In the fog you drive slow due to decreased vision. You’re less confident moving forward. Once the fog clears you speed up as visibility increases and with it your confidence. Removing project blockers is like escaping the fog. Project fog happens because of a lack of communication. — The most successful designer/client projects I’ve done had the strongest communication. I performed the best when: ✅ I joined their team slack ✅ I joined their team project management tool ✅ I joined their weekly planning The projects where I struggled the most: ❌ All communication happened via email ❌ No shared project management view ❌ There was no schedule for planning next steps As I’ve started to own this role as a freelancer since my layoff, I’ve had to learn a few things. I’ve made some mistakes and disappointed a few people. I feel badly about that. It’s been a challenging career adjustment. But I also now feel more confident moving forward. I am better equipped to handle the adjustment with my elevated awareness of the pitfalls. I hope sharing these tips helps other designers exploring the world of client work.

I booked 75 first meetings over three months last summer when I launched Inspirewell. 99% through outbound. My totally repeatable trick? Ask for a referral on Every. Single. Call. Prospect calls. Customer calls. Partner calls. Build the habit to not leave any commercial calls without asking for someone else to speak with. Here is a simple 4 step framework I follow: Toward the end of the call, ask for permission to ask one more question. “Hey, before we jump, okay if I ask one last thing?” Describe several characteristics about what kind of a referral you are looking for, e.g. company size, company sector, position, personality traits, etc. The idea is to help narrow their field of vision a bit and make the task seem more approachable. Use an open-ended question. Not “Do you know anyone?” but rather “Who do you know?” Make it a low-friction ask. Not “That would want to partner with us?” but rather “That may benefit from a quick call with us?” All summarized the ask may look like this: “Really great chatting with you today. Before we jump, would it be okay if I ask one more quick question?” “Thanks. Generally the right person for us to speak with is someone that is only 1-3 years into managing sales people. Who do you know in your network, maybe someone that you used to work with, that may benefit from a quick call with us?” And shut up. You won’t hit every time. But you’ll certainly get a lot more contacts than by not asking. Happy Selling. What other referral strategies work for you? P.S. - I keep this sticky note on my computer to always remind myself of this practice. Even after years of practicing this, I still find myself wanting to chicken-out sometimes!

Remote work isn’t for everyone. And, I know, that’s a tough pill to swallow. But to be a remote worker, and especially a freelancer, you have to have one crucial component: unwavering self-motivation. Yet keeping that motivation going is harder than it looks. To be a remote worker or full-time freelancer, you’ve got to: ✅ Be your own boss ✅ Make your own hours ✅ Drive your own marketing and advertising campaigns Sounds amazing, right? It is…as long as you don’t falter. No, I’m not saying you can never take time off. Just that you have to be diligent in keeping yourself on track, in chasing your goals, and, especially with your time management. Here are some ways I stayed on track with business goals after going full-time freelancing. 1️⃣ I kept my same daily routine. I’ve heard from a lot of people that they would love the flexibility to work whenever they wanted if they worked remotely. But, as it turns out, that’s not as great as it sounds, or not for me. Keeping a more traditional workday allows me to be present when my family (kids and husband) are home, and that is professional freedom. 2️⃣ I set boundaries with my clients and my team members. Many freelancers work outside of everyday business hours. They may be located in a different time zone, or simply prefer to work at night, on weekends, holidays, etc. I had to establish that I would not be available during these times. This has helped me avoid burnout and helped me keep a sense of work-life balance. 3️⃣ I set aside time each day and week to work on my business goals. It’s all too easy to let client work take up all of my hours each day — after all, it pays the bills! But I can’t learn and grow if I don’t make time for: 🟢 Marketing my business 🟢 Goal planning 🟢 Connecting with others in my network 🟢 Reading and research 4️⃣ I made more time than ever before for leisure time. Not having enough work-life balance is one of the biggest reasons I’d chased this freelance dream. Now, I take more time off, and I am diligent about being “off” when I’m not working. ✖️I don’t obsessively check work emails or Slack ✖️I don’t respond to work communications until I return to work ✖️I no longer feel guilty in prioritizing my mental health and need for rest The results of this last one have been far-reaching. I come back to work actually refreshed, restored, and more creatively tuned in than ever. How do you stay on track with motivation as a freelancer or remote worker? #freelancetips #businessgrowthtips #businessowner #remoteworktips _________________________ I work with industry leaders to help drive content strategy, solve production issues, and make impactful on-page changes for helpful content. Get more info at the link in my profile.