Freelancing is one of the best side hustles around.
When you’re a freelancer, you work as a contractor. You get to set your own rates and have flexibility in the number of hours you want to put in. This can make freelancing great for a side hustle or a full-time gig.
As a freelancer, the number one priority is finding work and getting paid. Yet, getting freelance gigs can sometimes be confusing and hard.
No matter what capacity you’re freelancing in, you should treat it like a business. This means putting in the time and effort to make yourself known and continually prospecting for new clients.
If work is drying up and you aren’t getting any leads, take some time to consider your approach. Freelancing has its ups and downs. It can be easy to want to give up and move on to something else.
Before you get ready to throw in the towel, look at how you’re running your freelance business. Maybe there are things you’re not doing, but could, in order to get work.
Not sure what could be wrong? Here are seven reasons you’re not getting freelance gigs.
1) You Don’t Have a Niche
There are several skills that can lend themselves well to freelancing: graphic design, web design, digital marketing, admin tasks, and more.
A problem many new freelancers get themselves into is not having a niche. You have to do more than just saying you’re a “writer” or “designer”. Pick a specialty. Cater to a certain group of people.
You could choose to work with small businesses in the creative fields, big corporations in the fintech space, or lifestyle bloggers in the fashion niche.
Those are all varying examples, but you get my point. Find a group of people you want to work with and make yourself known within that space.
In addition to niching down on the group of people you work with, you should also hone in on what specific services you want to offer. Don’t market yourself as a jack of all trades and end up being a master at none.
Find out the skills you possess and figure out ways to become more knowledgeable in them. Prospective clients like it when they see freelancers who are really knowledgeable in certain areas versus trying to do a little bit of everything.
2) You Don’t Show Proof of Your Abilities
Clients want to know you can do a good job. While you don’t need tons of experience in order to freelance, it is good to showcase work you have done.
A portfolio is good for this. It allows prospective clients to get to know you and see some past work you’ve done.
Not having a portfolio to showcase can be detrimental. A client has no way of seeing what you’re capable of and you have no way of vouching for your services.
Most freelance writers I know, showcased their ability to write by having a blog. They would write regular content on their site, guest post for a few places, and build up their portfolio that way.
Photographers commonly use Flickr to show their arsenal of photos. Designers use their websites to showcase their different designs. Whatever freelance service you offer, make it easy for people to view past work you’ve done.
3) You Wait For Work to Come to You
When you freelance, you have to think outside of the box. A common problem new freelancers make is waiting for work to come to them.
They go about finding freelance gigs in the traditional way: applying to job boards and waiting for an answer. Don’t sit idle and apply to a few job postings every now and then.
To get freelance gigs, you have to be proactive. Network and become a resource to people.
Answer questions in Facebook groups, connect with other freelancers in your niche, join relevant Facebook groups, and if you’re able to, form a mastermind group filled with other freelancers.
Make yourself and your freelance services known to people. Be helpful and make connections.
4) Contacting You is Difficult
A complaint I often hear is how difficult it is getting in contact with a freelancer. People looking to hire for freelance services have a hard time getting a hold of a freelancer. Either the freelancer doesn’t respond in a timely manner or their contact information is difficult to find.
Don’t make it a pain for a client to get in contact with you. Have a website with a “contact me” page. Include your email address in addition to a contact form. Respond to work inquiries within 24 hours.
Nobody wants to have to hunt for your information. Make yourself easy to get a hold of.
5) Poor Time Management Skills
Many people freelance because it allows you to choose the hours you work.
This can be both good and bad. Being able to set your own hours means having good time management skills so you get your work done on time.
People often fall prey to distractions that prevent them from giving their full focus to a freelance business.
We’re all busy. You might still being working a 9 to 5 and have a two hour commute on top of an eight hour work day.
Whatever it is, you need to get crystal clear on how you’re spending your time. How often do you check your phone? How much time do you spend on social media every day? Track your habits for a few weeks and tally up the results.
You’re probably going to be very surprised by the results.
When you freelance, you don’t have the accountability that comes with a full-time job or some other structured environment. Good time management skills are essential. Practice to get better.
6) No Relationship Building
You’ve seen all of the freelancing posts touting the benefits of being able to work from home in your pajamas.
Not having to deal with traffic and office politics can feel great. However, just because you work for yourself doesn’t mean you should forgo relationship building. Talking with others in your field is just as important in freelancing as it is in the traditional work world.
The most common ways to get freelance gigs is via work of mouth and referrals. Connecting with other freelancers allows you to bounce ideas off one another and get referred to for new gigs.
7) You Don’t Have a Blog
So many of my freelance friends have had clients reach out to them after finding them through a Google search.
Clients were able to find them via Google because they had a blog on their website. A blog can be a fantastic way to get your name and message out, especially if you optimize for SEO.
Everything is done online these days. People have their phones on them constantly. A website that continually has fresh new content is ranked higher in Google. It makes your target customer routinely come back to your website.
A lot of freelance writers use their blog as portfolio to showcase their writing abilities. Designers and marketers use their blog to talk about topics their prospective client may be interested in.
Starting a blog allows you to practice content marketing, attract people to your website, and become more knowledgable about your area of expertise.
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If you’re a freelancer, what things have you done to get gigs? Do you think there are some best practices to keep in mind?
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really interesting post a lot of things to think:D
Great tips. I have a lot of difficulty networking (and its more friendly synonym socializing), so much that’s become my go-to answer for “what’s your greatest weakness” in interviews.
I have a small portfolio which mostly consists of two blogs. If I did freelancing, it probably would be some sort of web design or development, which is what those blogs are intended to showcase & develop.
Those are some great tips. You have to actively look for opportunities. They definitely don’t come to you. If they did, I’d have work everyday lol.
I think another one to add here is selling too high. You might be right in thinking the price you are charging is a fair one, but if you are unknown in the market, have a little portfolio or no experience, you need to price relatively cheaply. Undercut the competition, get people to give you a go and then raise the price as you start getting good feedback and reputation.