Okay, reality check time. There are SO many freelancers out there. In fact, there are more and more every day as we move into a time where contract work is favoured over hiring employees. 

What does this mean for you? Well, you might be thinking “what’s the point of going freelance if it’s already oversaturated out there?” Instead, you should be thinking “how can I make myself stand out from everyone else.”

It’s difficult if you’re just starting out, but learning from the best can be a great way to grow your business and your talents as a freelancer. And, ergo, land better quality, higher-paying clients.

When I first started freelancing I was pretty much treading water. I didn’t have a plan, I just accepted work when I was offered it and hoped I’d be offered some more work next month.

Then I got wise and realised that I couldn’t carry on this way. If I did, I’d be in the same position this time next year, this time in five years, and even this time in ten years. Is that what I wanted? Hell to the no. 

So what did I do? I researched freelancers who were at the top of their game and watched them closely to see how they operated and what made them different to every other freelancer out there. What I found was eye-opening, and imma gonna go right ahead and share it with you.

Do you want to take your freelance business to the next level and join the very best freelancers out there? My upcoming ecourse, Kickstart Your Freelance Writing Career in One Month will help you do exactly that! It’s launching in January, ready for you to get going in the New Year, and will give you actionable tips, tricks, and tools for getting ahead as a freelance writer. Enter your deets below to keep up to date!

The Very Best Freelancers….

1. Know who their ideal client is

Having an ideal client in mind is SO important for both your business (and streamlining your portfolio) and for your marketing efforts. I mean, how will you market yourself if you don’t know who you’re marketing yourself to? Exactly.

The very best freelancers keep their ideal client in mind all the time, and everything they do is an ode to them. Their website speaks directly to this ideal client, their portfolio shows this ideal client how they can solve their problems, and their marketing efforts are laser-focused.

It also makes it easier to accept and decline work.

When I first started out, I literally accepted everything that came my way, regardless of what niche it was in and who it was for. Then I started honing down my ideal client and it made it so much easier to turn away work that wasn’t a good fit. This immediately makes your business stronger because you have a solid client base that you can create expert work for, and who, in theory, will refer you on to other awesome clients in your niche (because, y’know, business owners talk).

2. Have goals and a plan to reach them 

If you’re goal is “quit my job and go freelance,” then great for you! But what happens when you smash that goal? Where do you go after that? 

Having a goal is so important when you’re freelancing, otherwise you have no idea what you’re working towards. But it’s no good having a goal if you don’t have a plan for how you’re going to reach it. Everyone has goals (#lifegoals), right? But how are you going to make it a reality?

The very best freelancers have a strategy in place to hit their goals and keep improving. Whether you want to write for a big-name publication or get your foot in the door of a New York design agency, having a plan to get there will make it reachable and a lot less scary than flailing around in the wind (we’ve all been there).

3. Know the value they can provide

Oh value, value, value. Seriously, I’m pretty sure this word crops up in every single post I write. Why? Because it’s damn important! The very best freelancers know their value and how they can implement this value to solve their client’s problems.

Sure, you’re a great blog writer, but how will that help your client? Will it help them reach more followers, get their posts shared more, or help them become an expert in their niche?

As soon as you can start showing your value to potential clients, the sooner you’ll see your business shoot up. Clients want answers to questions they can’t solve themselves, so give them that answer!

4. Know their limits but are prepared to learn

When you’re starting out it’s easy to take on every job that comes your way, even if you have no idea how to go about it or no experience in that niche.

Sure, it’s great to challenge yourself and try out new things, but if you struggle to align with the brief you’re ultimately going to put your business in jeopardy – think of the testimonials!

The very best freelancers know exactly what they are and aren’t capable of and can demonstrate this well to potential clients. They have no shame in saying they don’t have any experience in an area, but will always be willing to give it a go providing the client is well aware of their inadequacies.

This works the same for pricing. The very best freelancers know their lower pricing limit like the back of their hand, and they have no qualms telling potential clients it.

They know how much money they want to make each month and how much per hour/per piece/per project they need to make to get there and they don’t deviate from this.

But even though the very best freelancers know their limits, they’re always, always willing to learn more about a particular area and grow their expertise to encompass niches they weren’t familiar with before. Freelancing is fluid and requires constant education to stay on the ball and, therefore, at the top of your game.

5. Turn rejection into a lesson

As freelancers we get rejected all the time. Maybe even every day.

When I first started out I was so scared of rejection that I didn’t put myself out there. Which meant I didn’t network or get nearly as much work as I could have done.

What’s worse? Getting rejected or never knowing if you were good enough for a job because you didn’t try?

As soon as I started to separate rejection of my work from rejection of me as a person, I realised how vital it was to growing my business. The very best freelancers (and, can I just say, I’m in no way including myself in this group!) know how to turn rejection into a lesson and improve the next time. They use it as a stepping stone to keep hopping upwards.

6. Have a strong brand

Contrary to popular belief, branding isn’t just about having a pretty logo and a matching colour scheme. It goes a whole lot deeper than this. Branding is all about the message you’re putting out and the underlying purpose of your business.

This ties in with knowing your target audience, their pain points, and how to solve their problems. Having a strong brand is about having a strong message that’s easy to understand – who are you going to help and how are you going to help them? 

It also includes your ethics as a freelancer and the kinds of companies you choose to work (and, maybe more importantly, those you don’t choose to work with). 

But on top of all that, there is an element of visual aesthetics because you want to be remembered right? When you’re marketing yourself out there on the interwebs or in person, you want people to recognise your brand and immediately link it to you (an awesome freelancer!).

7. Know their niche inside out

Becoming an expert on a particular topic is no easy journey, but that’s what makes the very best freelancers so valuable. They know their niche inside out and stay on top of trends and news.

Just like they’re constantly educating themselves on their craft, they’re always hunting down new knowledge in their niche and thinking about ways they can position themselves in an ever-evolving world.

Becoming an excellent freelancer isn’t an easy journey, but it’s certainly do-able if you have a solid idea of who you and your business are and who you want to help.

It’s worth spending some time writing out your own plan for the points above, just so you can start to get a better idea of what you want to get out of freelancing and how you can start doing that (and, trust me, once you know that you’re on to a winner!).

Your turn!

What do you think makes the very best freelancers stand out? I’d love it if you shared your thoughts in the comments below!

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