Let us guess: you are reading this article because you’re planning on letting go of your nine-to-five job to pursue a career in freelancing. Or, you’re probably a freelancer on the hunt for hacks that will help you level up the skills. Perhaps you want to have more freelancing benefits? Well, whatever it is, we are here to help you.
Four years ago, there were approximately 53 million freelancers in the United States. As of writing, the numbers ballooned to 56.7 million, thanks to the digital world’s hyper connectivity. It broke down barriers in different industries, allowing people to work regardless of time and geographic location. It’s the fastest and most efficient way to trade skills for cash. One no longer has to wait long before receiving compensation for the services they provide. Successful freelancers also have more freedom to do things that they want since they’re not tied to their desks eight hours a day, five days a week.
People are also drawn to freelancing because they can do work while enjoying the comforts of home, in their pajamas, with a warm cup of coffee within reach. Tasks can easily be ticked off the list while lounging about in the beach or in a luxurious hotel outside the country. What matters is that outputs are delivered within deadlines and that you show up to meetings whether they be online or offline.
Given this shift, businesses now rely on digital marketing specialists to assist them in comping up with successful projects and campaigns. Working as a digital marketer or as a freelancer for one can be rewarding and profitable.
Here are some crucial things you need to know if you wish to become a digital marketing freelancer:
What Does A Digital Marketer Do?
Unlike traditional marketers, digital marketers promote brands or products through various forms of electronic and social media. They run a real-time analysis of marketing campaigns to asses which ones are being viewed (duration and frequency), which posts convert visits to purchases, and which content helps companies achieve their goals.
Digital marketers make use of radio channels, wireless text messaging, digital television, mobile instant messaging, electronic billboards, mobile apps, and podcasts to reach their target audience. It’s crucial that they use these channels so consumers can access information anytime, anywhere. Digital marketers help consumers find brands that are worthy of their trust, feel that companies understand them enough to know what their preferences are, and receive communications that are relevant and personalized.
Basically, they humanize digital campaigns well enough to make consumers feel that they are talking to an actual person; and not just a bot.
In the current era, digital marketing has become so vital that clients look for a digital marketer immediately after their site gets live. Even when projects pick up, digital marketing companies also hire freelancers to assist them with the tasks they need to accomplish.
It’s a flexible work setup that’s profitable and comes with rewards that’s why a growing number of people work as freelancers for digital marketers.
What Freelancing Is Like?
Freelancing for a digital marketer requires a lot of creativity since you’ll be helping them come up with marketing campaigns for specific platforms. You also need to have the ability to work fast and well under pressure because turnaround times are much shorter than usual.
Since the digital world is constantly evolving, you need to keep yourself posted on the latest apps and trends to come up with the strategies that suit them. Keeping yourself updated also includes looking into how your consumers behave given all these changes so you can come up with a personalized way of reaching out to them. Note that they get turned off when messages sent to them sound too monotonous or generic. You need to make them feel valued by adding a personal touch to the messages or even the products and services that you offer them.
Freelancing benefits for a digital marketer include working in a field that’s recession-proof. Digital marketing freelance is a business that drives demand, which is precisely what businesses rely on to stay alive in the industry. If at some point the client needs to cut back on marketing budgets, worry not because they will be cutting back from non-digital PR and advertising. They know how important digital marketing is and the last thing they would want to do is to get rid of it.
Advantages Of Freelancing For A Digital Marketer
Digital marketing freelancer allows you to build your portfolio. This is important especially if you’re just starting out. Pictures paint a thousand words and your portfolio can speak volumes about the quality of your skills. It’s a gallery of all your achievements that can give your future employer the extra nudge they need to hire you.
This allows you to practice your communication skills so you can take on your own projects in the future. Excellent interpersonal and technical skills play a huge role in a freelancer’s success. Pay attention to how meetings are conducted and note how your employer handles transactions. If you’re shy, use this opportunity to slowly come out of your shell and meet your people. A big network comes with big benefits especially if you intend to fly solo as a digital marketer in the future.
Working as a freelance digital marketer, your income has no ceiling or a holdup. You can earn as much as you want depending on your skills and the number of projects you take on from clients. You get to keep all your earnings too, unlike other jobs that come with a lot of deductions. As a freelancer, you’re paid depending on the size of the project that you complete which allows you to earn more within a short span of time.
Your freelancing career is not just about earning but it is more about learning and self-evolution. To stay with the digital trends, you need to follow the top marketing blogs and personalities. Blogs like Moz, Search Engine Journal, SE Land, Neil Patel will help you. Similarly designing images and graphics come handy for Digital Marketers and for that you can use free accessible tools like Piktochart, PicMonkey, Pablo or Canva for infographics.
Flexible working hours: Digital marketing freelancers have a lot of flexibility and freedom when it comes to working hours. There’s no set day-off or fixed time for a day off. Freelancers can work as much or as little as they want and take their time to relax and enjoy life.
Freelancers can choose a complete flex schedule with Monday-Friday, Monday-Thursday, or Monday-Sunday work days. They also have the option of just working during weekdays.
Freelancers who always keep their schedules open are likely to get more freelance work done in their career due to not being overly exhausted from long hours at the office.
Keeping with the trend will benefit your interview process while getting hired as a freelancer.
Disadvantages Of Digital Marketing Freelance
Digital marketing freelance also has its lows, and it’s important to know what these are so you know how to work your way around them. For starters, you have no fixed salary. You will go through lean times especially when you’re just starting. You also won’t get to enjoy company benefits like a paid gym membership, health insurance, etc. It comes with the package and the only way to work around this is to give your best in each project, stand out with the competition, and find more clients.
As mentioned earlier, digital marketing is so cutthroat that being good at it is not enough. You have to be exceptional and you need to know the game in order to stand out. Trends constantly change and you need to keep yourself updated because you lose your clients the moment you fall back. You don’t have a team that will be there to help you at the times of difficulties. You would need to find and research a solution by your own.
There is no one hat for digital marketing freelancers. You play the role of a writer, assistant, designer, editor, accountant, secretary, and digital marketer all at once. It can be overwhelming once you feel that loads of responsibilities are piled up on your shoulders. The worst part is, you won’t be paid additional compensation for the extra roles you take on.
There are workshops and seminars available for digital marketing freelancers who want to upgrade their skills. This is great, but you’ll be the one spending for these workshops. Fortunately, there are online tutorials and resources that you can help you level up your skills.
Conclusion
Freelancing for a digital marketer can be scary, but things are bound to improve for as long as you plough through. Treat each challenge as an opportunity to learn. Give yourself enough hours in a day to let your mind rest so you don’t get overwhelmed from all the tasks that you need to finish. Clear your head every now and then so you don’t run out of creative juices and so you can easily come up with fresh ideas. Write engaging and attracting content that please yours to read further. As people love to read topics that are in trend and cause curiosity among the pubic. So try to update on those topics too.