The position of a freelancer in digital marketing is more interesting and in demand than ever in today’s fast-paced digital environment. Gaining control of digital marketing is essential whether you’re thinking about starting a freelancing business or want to advance your current one. This book is filled with all the useful tactics, resources, and advice you need to get started and be successful as a freelancer in digital marketing.
Consider this your one-stop shop for anything from honing your SEO and social media wizardry to maximizing email campaigns and getting creative with content marketing. Opportunities abound in the digital world, but being a freelancer requires more than just talent; you also need to have astute self-branding and marketing strategies.
As we walk you through the necessities to succeed in the realm of freelance digital marketing, be ready to plunge right in. Whether you’re drawn to freelancing in the busy field of digital marketing because it offers independence, flexibility, or the possibility of earning more money, this book is your road map to success.
What is digital marketing for freelancers?
In the realm of Internet marketing, freelance digital marketing refers to the provision of one or more professional services or tasks—typically for several clients—but as an independent business rather than an employee. A freelance digital marketer might concentrate on one or a small number of disciplines and specializations, or they can assist an organization’s wide range of digital marketing initiatives.
Put differently, some independent digital marketers will handle every aspect of the job, including content development, graphic design, video production, paid and organic search, social media marketing, and a half-dozen other tasks. Some will provide a limited range of services (content strategy, development, organic and paid search), or they will specialize in one area (graphic design).
What is the role of an independent digital marketer?
The tasks performed by a freelance digital marketer are varied, encompassing a variety of marketing platforms and techniques and needing a broad range of expertise.
- Content marketing and content creation: Creating educational and helpful blog entries (like the one you’re reading right now on content marketing), and scheduling the creation of new material.
- Paid advertising and search engine marketing (SEM): Content and planning for paid advertisements on digital platforms such as Google Ads and Paid Social Ads.
- Social media marketing: organizing, producing, and arranging natural social media content.
- Graphic design and video: Producing visual components to assist with all digital marketing initiatives.
- Affiliate and influencer marketing: Improving sales through two additional marketing channels.
- Search engine marketing (SEM) and paid advertising: Content and strategy for paid ads across digital channels, including Google ads, paid social ads, and others
Freelance digital marketers may be asked to perform various tasks depending on their offerings and client needs. Few solopreneurs are highly skilled in every area, so contracting out certain skills is common. For example, a skilled marketing strategist might need to use a freelance graphic designer to execute visuals for their strategy. The combinations of skills can be endless, such as being great with words but not strategy or having limited knowledge about social media.
How to become a freelance digital marketer
If you want to learn how to work as a freelance digital marketer, you need to do the following steps:
Step 1: Explore the areas of digital marketing
Digital marketers who work for themselves usually have a focus on one or more digital marketing areas. It pays to have some experience in each subject before you begin if you’re not sure yet.
Furthermore, most digital marketers must be somewhat knowledgeable about everything because it is 2024. Taking a digital marketing course or program is a wonderful way to gain experience in all areas. Here at CareerFoundry, we have an excellent one to offer.
- Content marketing, writing, and copywriting: Using written content, freelance content marketers raise brand recognition. Content strategy, long-form content authoring (such as this blog post you’re reading), and copywriting (such as webpage text) are all included in content marketing. Content marketing frequently collaborates with other digital marketing platforms, such as SEO and social media.
- Search engine optimization (SEO): For search engines (primarily Google) to regard a website as valuable and assign it a high ranking in search results, it must be structured and optimized. In most cases, whether working on content marketing campaigns or creating content, freelance digital marketers are required to possess a rudimentary understanding of SEO.
- Social media management: From being something “for the interns,” social media has developed into a whole business with specialized fields. Independent digital marketers oversee brand accounts, test out winning tactics, and keep an eye on platform expansion.
- Video marketing on YouTube, TikTok, and Reels: A whole business may be launched and sustained by a popular video series. A sizable and annually expanding segment of the business is video marketing. Video marketers working for themselves plan, write, and direct video creation.
Step 2: Select your area of expertise
Once you’ve selected your area of expertise, you might want to think about narrowing it even further to target markets, consumers, industries, tools, or roles.
Before making a decision, take the time to check out several jobs and sectors, and don’t be scared to later change your mind and go in a different direction.
For example: my area of expertise in digital marketing is content marketing. My area of expertise in content marketing is writing.
I’ve decided to publish long-form material for audiences who are mostly B2B (business to business). Given that, I’m open to exploring more industries, including digital marketing, cybersecurity, healthcare, and SaaS (software as a service).
Your niche should ideally sit at the meeting point of your skills, hobbies, and the demand for high-paying tasks.
For instance: If social media marketing interests you, you could find that Instagram strategy appeals to you more than Pinterest management.
Step 3: Build and showcase your portfolio
Whatever your field and area of expertise, you must have a website that highlights your marketing abilities. An excellent LinkedIn profile may also be useful.
Numerous affordable site hosting and easy-to-set-up solutions, such as Notion, are available.
First and foremost, your website demonstrates your proficiency with technology and your ability to promote yourself. Organize your abilities, and showcase your published work and testimonials in one location.
Not yet a portfolio or references? Be the first person you serve. Create a personal brand, increase your social media following, and write blog content. Recall that expertise is essential. Become your first satisfied customer, and watch the business grow.
Step 4. Find a network
Hiring managers and marketing leads rely on referrals from trusted contacts more than job postings. To build your network, participate in marketing conversations on LinkedIn and Twitter, join freelancing communities, attend meetups, and build relationships with other freelance digital marketers.
According to Peak Freelance, 42% of freelancers find high-paying gigs through word-of-mouth referrals. Networking with other freelancers helps determine how to set rates and helps in finding new clients. Be curious about other freelancers in your niche or industry on social media platforms and befriend them. Candor can help you find work.
Step 5. Promote your business
Sales abilities are necessary to succeed as a freelance digital marketing specialist. It’s a smart move when promoting the companies of others. When you first start in your job, don’t be scared to work for free or pitch companies and marketing leads.
Try these two successful marketing techniques to attract new customers:
Cold pitching is contacting company owners or marketing leads in your target markets and proposing your services. Many marketing leads require a freelance digital marketer, but they may not be aware of this or may not know where to look. Find out how your expertise may benefit them directly before proposing. Can you improve their website’s search engine ranking? Do you have a plan to assist them in expanding their social media following? Present them. Employ statistics from your website or social media profiles (hello, portfolio!).
Although it may not be popular, working for free is often the only way to advance in a sector. Each specialty has a different appearance as well. For instance, authors can pitch guest blogs to well-known companies in their fields. Future SEO specialists can trade their skills to another freelancer who can provide them with a service in exchange, and social media managers can offer themselves unpaid internships. Win-win!
Step 6. Make it legal
When your company begins to flourish—which it will—it’s time to get legal. Before it’s tax filing season, register your firm, obtain a tax ID if necessary in your nation, and begin keeping track of your earnings and outlays.
Learn essential business skills, such as submitting bills, even before registering your firm—yes, even for your first employment. Using a contract with payment conditions included for each business activity is another item to put into practice right away. If your customer doesn’t send one, you may send one yourself.
Benefits and drawbacks of freelance digital marketing
Though it’s not for everyone, becoming a freelancer might be the route to improved work/life balance and higher profits. If you need more clarification about applying your marketing expertise to the freelancing market, you should know these advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages
Setting your schedule
The flexibility to select when and how much work you do is one of the most alluring aspects of pursuing a freelance profession. Let’s face it: For many individuals these days, the traditional 9 to 5 job just isn’t ideal. Perhaps you’re a night owl or an early riser. Perhaps you’re juggling other obligations, like childcare or schooling, which call for flexibility in your schedule. You may make those decisions when you work for yourself. Perhaps all you want is the freedom to work from a tropical island, go on a walk, or eat fish sandwiches that smell bad without worrying about what your coworkers think.
Managing your workload
Would you like to work a standard full-time schedule? Or is sixty (or twenty, five, or twenty-nine) hours a week more your speed?
Each of us has a different response there, influenced by many things. You have discretion over how much work you take on as a freelancer in digital marketing. You still have control, even though there is a relation to how much you can make.
Selecting your collaborators
Independent contractors also enjoy the freedom to choose their collaborators. No matter how much you detest working on a certain account, as an internal employee you are obligated to complete it if your manager so directs.
Clients can end their relationship with freelancers at any time. You do have that power, even though there are many reasons (like getting paid) why you shouldn’t make it a habit.
Working directly with clients
The layers of bureaucracy at huge marketing agencies might be exasperating if you’ve worked there. Before the client sees your brilliant concept, it gets hacked up and molded six times, and you can be as far distant from their input as they are.
You may even be the only owner of the digital marketing plan as a freelancer, giving you access to clients on a more personal level. Even if you’re an expert in a certain field, like graphic design, you could still like working with agencies overtaking direct clients. However, you’re still streamlining your life by reducing the amount of variables.
Drawbacks
Building trust and credibility
An established degree of trust and name recognition has already been established for other freelancers and marketing businesses. It will take years to reach that similar level, and until that reputation is established, some freelancers can find it difficult to get clients or charge enough for their services.
Challenging to work for larger clients
You are unique, and you only have so much time to spare. Bigger businesses could want more marketing assistance than you can provide. You will be reduced to a pool of undifferentiated brilliance if you are not careful.
Lacking a fixed income
If you are an employee, you are not penalized for the occasional poor day. If you work as a freelancer, a poor day may result in earning precisely nothing. This also applies to sick days, vacations, and other occasions. Stress might arise from not having that reliable, fixed source of money.
Opportunities in freelance digital marketing are abundant for those who are prepared to work hard. You may develop a lucrative and fulfilling freelancing job by learning the necessary skills, honing your portfolio, obtaining clients, producing high-quality work, and never stopping learning. To succeed in the ever-changing world of digital marketing, never forget to maintain a work-life balance, cultivate enduring client connections, and be flexible.
To sum up, the path to becoming a prosperous independent digital marketer is demanding and fulfilling. You may have flexibility, liberty, and a rewarding profession with hard work, thoughtful preparation, and a drive to ongoing development.
