5 Freelancing Skills That Will Set You Up For Success
Getting started with Freelancing
If you’re looking to jump into the freelancing game and you want to get off on the right foot, it’s important to have certain skills under your belt before you start hitting up clients and taking on work. While not everyone has all of these skills, those who do find themselves in high demand from both clients and peers alike. Let’s take a look at the top 5 freelancing skills that will set you up for success!
Skill #1: Researching
Before you begin any project, it’s always a good idea to learn as much as you can about your client and their industry. What do they do? How long have they been in business? Are they growing? If so, why?
Getting answers to these questions helps not only with understanding your client’s needs and culture but also with gaining valuable insight into future opportunities for growth or change within their organization. It will also help you tailor your approach to align with theirs, which will likely lead to more successful projects down the road.
Skill #2: Writing For the Web
When you’re freelancing, it’s easy to lose track of what makes you valuable. Sure, your unique expertise and excellent work are important, but there’s more to it than that. Websites like Google only want to show content that visitors will find useful and if your website doesn’t deliver on that promise, you’ll get passed over in favor of someone who does.
This means that content marketing is one of your most powerful tools as a freelancer.
Writing engaging copy is a skill every newbie needs to learn fast!
Skill #3: Design
Most beginners gravitate toward design because it’s easy to see if you can draw or paint at all. But design is only one skill in a huge field. A design portfolio can help with finding freelance clients, but if that’s all you do, you’ll soon find yourself looking for other things to occupy your time.
Finding freelance clients as a designer requires connections and self-promotion. If you don’t have any of those skills already, now is not a good time to learn them. Designers also need to be able to manage deadlines and handle criticism while maintaining professionalism.
If none of that sounds like something you would enjoy doing day after day, consider spending some time honing other skills instead of diving into a design portfolio right away.
Skill #4: Copywriting
The quality of your writing is crucial to your success as a freelancer. If you’re just starting, brush up on some copywriting basics and try your hand at a few freelance projects. There are many services available that will let you post projects for free or cheap so you can get some experience under your belt.
Try a small project for a local business that doesn’t require an in-depth knowledge of any particular industry; it will allow you to practice professional writing skills. Posting on an hourly job site like Fiverr, where clients can choose from writers with varying levels of experience, is another great way to get copywriting experience and learn more about what makes good content and what doesn’t.
Skill #5: Virtual Assistant Tasks
The freelance economy is booming, and whether you want to pick up a little extra income or jump into full-time work, creating your own virtual assistant business could be an excellent side hustle. It’s common for a VA (virtual assistant) to get paid anywhere from $10-$25/hour. If you can commit to doing at least 20 hours of work a week, making your VA gig just one of your gigs might make sense.
It’s also helpful if you’re extremely organized so that scheduling clients and keeping them happy is relatively easy for you. If you have all that covered, start accepting clients and building up your side income! If you don’t know where to start, check out sites like Fiverr.com
Which Is the Highest Paying Freelancing Skill?
If you’re a freelance writer, odds are you know what it’s like to be inundated with projects that don’t pay much or at all. But it doesn’t have to be that way, it is possible to get well-paid assignments as a freelancer, especially if you develop some special skills. Copywriting is one of those skills.
If you can write advertising copy for the website and landing pages, other firms will compete for your services and pay top dollar. Top dollar clients also tend to give great feedback and provide extra resources so they become more than just an employer, they become valuable writing mentors.
Why Freelancing Is the Future
The freelance workforce is expected to grow from 53 million to 99 million by 2022, which means that finding and working with freelancers will be an essential part of many companies’ operations in just a few years. But, it isn’t just big businesses that can benefit from using freelancers; small startups can also make use of them.
There are several situations in which hiring a full-time employee might not be ideal, but you still need some sort of help or extra pair of hands. Maybe you don’t have enough money to hire somebody full-time or maybe you need specific skills for only a short period. A freelancer may be able to do what you need without taking up an entire salary slot.
How Do I Know If Freelancing Is For Me?
Are you afraid that you don’t have what it takes to be a freelancer? The truth is, not everyone is cut out for freelance work. This type of career choice requires self-motivation and determination to succeed.
If you’re wondering if your skillset fits, consider these questions:
Can I operate independently?
Do I believe in my abilities?
Am I patient enough to go through with my goals over time?
Do I want control over my future as much as possible?
If the answer is yes to all of these questions, then freelancing may be right for you!
What Freelancing Skills Are In Demand?
If you want to start freelancing, a good place to start is by looking at which skills are in demand. StartUpLift makes it easy to determine how much you can charge for your services based on several factors including industry, location, and experience level. It also allows users to track their income and expenses, as well as plan future invoices and billable time.
In addition, they offer hundreds of templates for contracts, proposals, and invoices that can help save time when it comes to getting your business off the ground. All in all, it’s an excellent resource for both new and experienced freelancers alike.
Final Thoughts
A successful freelancer needs to learn a variety of skills to run a profitable business. From communication and programming to marketing and accounting, a freelancer has much to master. However, there are 5 important skills that any freelancer can benefit from right off the bat.
Now that you know what they are, you can decide if freelancing is right for you. Improve on your weaknesses so that you’re ready for success in freelance writing and other types of freelance work!
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