If you have been trying to launch a freelance career in any genre, you have probably felt the sting of an oversaturated market
more than once. There are so many people out there vying for jobs, many
of them lacking skill but snatched up because of their ridiculously low
price. While the buyers who try this route often have to learn the hard
way that this is the wrong road, it doesn’t help you in the meantime.
But being heard over the noise and standing out doesn’t have to mean
you shout louder than the rest; that just adds to the clutter. Instead,
you should take a minimalist approach, stripping the layers of bulk away
and following a more simple blueprint toward success. We guarantee that
if you make it a little easier, you will be better off.
You may be wondering how you can apply minimalist ideals to a
freelance career. It is all about getting back to basics and ignoring
the call of more complicated promotion and activity. This will reduce
your legwork and let you focus on your real career.
Don’t Branch Out on Services
Every freelancer seems to be trying to provide a multifaceted service
list straight out of the gate. They claim to be able to write
everything from ghost-written novels to press releases, and they hatch
together a sales ad that gives the price to each one like a shopping
list.
But going this route will actually hurt more than help. If you focus
on a single service for a time, you will be able to establish yourself
as an expert while gaining important experience. Not to mention, you
will be more able to take referrals, which is the easiest way of scoring
work.
Start with a niche, then work your way up to offering more. You will
also sometimes find clients who want other types of work done, which you
can take when you are ready and start asserting yourself as an expert
in that category as well.
Don’t Splurge on the Site
What
is with the sudden increase in overcomplicated and flashy freelance
sites? This seems to be a trend, but it actually detracts from rather
than adds to your appeal. That is because most clients are looking for a
quick peek into your abilities, not a full rundown of everything you
have ever done, set with special effects and a light show. They have too
many people to interview to be interested in all of that.
You need a simple, clean and efficient site that shows off what you
can do. It should be fast loading, be easy to navigate and feature the
best work you have done. It should also be updated on a regular basis,
which won’t be easy if you have a difficult-to-use website unless you
moonlight as a graphic designer.
We usually suggest to people that they create a simple and stylish
blog or else a bare bones website with a couple of pages. We have even
seen some amazing freelancer sites that were a single page, with a cool
layout that gave everything in different, bordered sections and scroll
menus.
Focus Your Web
One of the biggest mistakes of any kind of marketing is casting too wide
of a web. When you do this, you will be able to bring in many different
types of people as your audience, but without a target the results will
be mixed and weak. You will have more eyes on you, but fewer quality
customers to select from because only a slim number will be interested
in what you have to offer. That means less work, not more.
Instead, you should be specific in how you approach your marketing.
Use language intended to draw people with a specific niche, making it
clear what you are offering. That will provide a platform to attract
your target audience, a much smaller catch of potential clients that
will improve your chances of getting quality work.
Plus, it will help to push the reputation you have for your area of expertise.
Keep Things Simple
As you can see, freelancing isn’t rocket science. If you keep things
simple, you will be able to present yourself efficiently while focusing
on your actual work. This will work much better than if you were running
around, overextending yourself and shouting at the top of your lungs to
be heard above all the others. This will be a lot less stressful, too,
which will keep you on top of your game better than if you were hassled
and strained.
So apply minimalism to your freelancing approach and see for yourself what the simpler way can do for you.
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