Tips To Market Your Skills On Online Freelance Marketplaces

Market your skills online

Marketing your skills is an essential part of keeping up with the growing world of freelancing. The number of freelancers looking for short-term projects and part-time gigs is multiplying at an exponential rate. 

Some predict that freelancers could represent around 80% of the global workforce by 2030. The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated this growth as the loss of regular jobs and home quarantines pushed people to take their skills online.

So, with this competition, how can you market your skills online to find some good gigs and projects? Read along to see some useful tips for using online freelance marketplaces and make the best of them.

Keep your profile on marketplaces up to date

The first step of marketing your skills online is to keep your profile up to date. This is because your profile is your chance to make a first impression. 

So focus on keeping your profile detailed and up to date. Your profile must show your dedication and zeal to work. The little thing to remember about your profile is to avoid errors and typos at all costs.

Don’t be afraid to act like an expert (if you are)

If you have a specialization or expertise, in particular, you can create your brand by extensively sharing your work. This can be done by adding a blog with details of your portfolio or sharing and promoting your own website that features your proficiency and experience. 

Tailor your portfolio

An unorganized portfolio will make clients skip your profile on to the next one. 

What you need to successfully market your skills is to provide them with a creatively built portfolio that highlights your best gigs and documents everything from your training certificates to your ongoing projects. 

Be available for queries

No one will hire a person who they can’t geld a hold of. You may be the best in your area of work, but if you lag behind in responding to queries, chances are your clients will move on to the next best option.

With the tough competition to bag part-time work online, your availability and prompt response can make all the difference.  

Harness the power of LinkedIn

As a freelancer, social media is the answer to all your marketing needs to promote your skillset. Big or small, everyone is utilizing social media websites to market their businesses. 

As a freelancer looking for gigs and small projects, LinkedIn is the place you would want to be. LinkedIn is the perfect social media platform for professionals where you can market your training experience and skills. 

There is a system of getting recommendations that can help you generate more traffic to your profile. Linking your LinkedIn to your marketplace profile can prove to be that game-changing edge that you would want with your potential clients.

Consider making a video testimonial

A study by Fiverr--one of the most common global websites used by people to hire for part-time jobs--shows that a video testimonial can increase your chances of landing a gig by around 200%.

This is because a personal video showcases your keenness for the work and lets your potential clients know you personally. This is an easy way to brew their confidence in your capabilities. 

Work hard for that good feedback from clients

Most freelance marketplaces provide feedback options where clients can share their feedback on your skills. This is a superb chance to increase your chances of bagging a gig. 

Feedback can be in the form of reviews and/or ratings. Good feedback gives you preference in search results and makes your profile more appealing. The buyers will tend to look at you as a reliable freelancer, and it goes a long way in upping your reputation in long term. 

Stand out of the crowd

To successfully market your skills on freelance marketplaces, you need to differentiate yourself from the sea of people eyeing the same job as you. While creating your profile, try to answer the most basic question Why should they hire you instead of XYZ? in the most creative way you can think of.

Conclusion

An important factor in finding the right gig is to start looking long before you actually want to start working. With the severe competition in the field, a little patience will take you a long way. 

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Frequently asked questions

1. What is a freelance marketplace?

• A freelance marketplace is an online platform that connects freelancers with potential clients. Employers in need of freelancers can browse through the vast listings of freelancers and engage their services.

2. Which freelancing site is best for beginners?

• As a beginner, you can use marketplaces like Fiverr, Toptal, Freelancer, Upwork, or Guru.

3. What is the best skill for freelancing?

Here are the skills that are high in demand for freelancing gigs, in no particular order:

• Web developers and designers
• Graphic designers and logo makers
• Tutoring and drafting course material
• Accounting
• Data entry and proof-reading
• Virtual assistant
• Content writers and creators
• Photographers
• Consultancy services
• Social media management

4. How do I write a freelancer bio?

Here is how you can make a good freelancer bio:

• Keep your profile short and to the point
• Include your experience and qualifications
• Include a professional headshot
• Use keywords in your bio
• Give it a personal touch

5. Does freelancing pay well?

• Freelancing is becoming increasingly popular due to good pay for flexible working hours. On average, any freelancer can earn 8 to 10 dollars per hour.