When I started freelancing on Fiverr in late 2017, I didn’t know what to expect. I was a complete newbie and I wasn’t sure if my skills were good enough.
Anyways, I was eager to get started and I did just that.
Now, after freelancing for over 7 years, I have a few lessons I learned and wish other creators and freelancers can learn as well.
In this post, I talk about my own experience, the industry, and how freelancing could have evolved over the years.
Let’s get right to it.
Carving a Niche
Carving a niche, more than ever, is now important for creators and freelancers looking to work and collaborate with others.
For freelancers, carving a niche might help you stand out like an authority and help you convey your marketing message more clearly.
I think this was one of the first things I learned from freelancing. I just didn’t want to be a content creator or a writer. Rather, I want to be a Web3 content creator or a technical writer.
Niching down this way just seemed better.
Starting Small
As a newbie, you could get too excited and want to start big by taking on too many projects at once.
I struggled with this a lot until I learned to start small and avoid over-working myself, which often leads to burnout.
By starting small, you are able to start within your area of expertise and competence, and then expand from there.
I found that this is more often than not, the better way to work as a freelancer.
Balancing Multiple Projects
As a freelancer, it is normal to sometimes get overwhelmed with work. So, what do you do in that case?
Do you cancel all projects and just take the needed break? Or do you avoid taking on multiple projects in the first place?
Well, I found that it was better to know how to balance multiple projects. Simply use task-tracking and project management tools to your advantage and to optimize your productivity.
For example, you could toggle on your availability when you are free and toggle off when you’re not.
It’s as simple as that.
Importance of Clear Communication
Clear communication is one of the many skills you should learn as a freelancer.
I actually struggled with this because before freelancing, I was used to working alone and didn’t have the need for back and forth communication.
However, with freelancing, you have to work with others and will have the need to constantly communicate.
So, if you want to work better with others as a freelancer, you have to learn to communicate clearly.
Managing Time and Deadlines
One of the biggest shocks I had with freelancing is that most clients are big on time management and deadlines.
In fact, most projects you’ll undertake will have a deadline and you’ll be mandated to deliver on or before that deadline.
So, it is important to employ proper time management if you want to achieve productivity and client satisfaction.
You could use tools like Trello and Google Calendar to organize your tasks and set realistic timelines to avoid missing deadlines.
Workflow Optimization
I doubt anyone would survive as a freelancer without optimizing their workflow.
In fact, your work efficiency and quality as a freelancer will likely depend on how you leverage available tools to streamline your work.
This could include using templates, automating repetitive tasks, and deploying auto responders and FAQs for standard inquiries.
This way, you save time and maintain a standard quality without burning out.
Client Relationship Management
One thing I learned early from freelancing is that many clients are looking to build a long-term relationship with freelancers, but the responsibility is on you to manage them and foster that relationship.
Research has shown that maintaining a strong relationship with clients could increase the chances of a repeat project.
So, you have to create a balance of being professional, approachable, and staying responsive to client needs, so as to build a strong relationship with them and improve the chances of repeat collaboration.
Adaptability and Learning New Skills
Few people know that the global freelance space is quite fast paced. Your knowledge and skills could quickly get obsolete and you wouldn’t even notice.
Ok, maybe you’ll only start to get lesser enquiries, and that’s a sign that you need to adapt again.
The responsibility is then on you to upskill and get new knowledge in relevant demand areas.
Interestingly, it’s been found that the top freelancers stay relevant by upskilling in response to client needs.
So, if you want to be and stay a top freelancer, you have to continually up your skill in response to market and client demands.
The Role of Feedback and Reviews
I’ve observed that many freelancers on Fiverr see feedback and reviews as either recommendation or condemnation of their services.
However, in my experience, I don’t see it that way. Feedback is not only for external use. It can also be important for internal use to help you reflect on your work and improve if there is a need to do so.
So, instead of begging and influencing clients to give a positive review of their service, many freelancers would fare better by being open to feedback and allowing clients to give their genuine reviews of the services.
This way, feedback not only becomes a tool for lead generation but also for professional improvement.
Self-Reflection and Continuous Improvement
As a freelancer or creator, it is important to periodically take a step back to reflect on your work and areas where you could improve.
I do this a lot, especially during low-work periods. I take the time to read through recent client feedback, evaluate the quality of my most recent projects, and try out new approaches for improvement.
If you can take your time to reflect and identify gaps where you can improve, and you’re able to take the initiative to make the necessary improvements, you’ll find out that your overall productivity and quality as a freelancer will improve.
