All About Hiring A Freelancer

You’ve heard about the benefits (and possible disadvantages) of hiring a freelancer, and now you’re ready to take the next step. Fantastic! If you haven’t looked at the benefits and the disadvantages, I’d suggest reading up on working with a freelancer to make sure that this would be the right fit for you. Hiring a freelancer isn’t for everyone.

Looking to become a freelancer, or know more about what is needed before jumping into freelance? No problem; plenty in here for you as well, towards the bottom of the article.

Freelancing Run Down

WHO: A freelancer is someone with a specialized skillset and is considered contracted/self-employed.

WHAT: Freelancers work on projects that don’t require a full-time employee.

WHEN: On a mutually agreed upon a timeline that is beneficial to both parties.

WHY: Because they love what they do, but don’t necessarily want to work for someone doing the same thing over and over again for one specific organization.

WHERE: From wherever their home office is, or their favourite co-working space. Heck, even a coffee shop. Working on a plane. On a beach. You get the point! ANYWHERE.

HOW: They have the tools that they use and access to the tools that they may need from your organization, to get a project complete.

Not all projects require a full-time employee on the payroll, especially when you’re starting out. When you are looking for help with a specialized aspect of your business that isn’t your strong suit, hiring a freelancer is a great way to get some tasks/projects completed, and kickstart your business growth.

Common tasks to outsource

Writing blog content
Writing website content
Website build and branding
Social media management
Marketing strategy
Website Programming
Virtual Assistant

Writing blog content

If you’re selling a product you’re going to want to have text that converts people to click to purchase. Looking to sell a service? You may know that having a blog is advantageous so that you can show the value of the service you offer. However, if writing isn’t your strong suit, find someone who is a writing guru and help you get those conversions. When it comes to converting website visitors into conversions, this is not the time to skimp and do it yourself.

And please, for the love of all things on this planet, don’t copy what is on someone else’s website that offers something similar to you. Just don’t. They taught us this in elementary (grade) school and it still applies.

Website & Branding | Web Programmer

Your branding, and how it ties into your website is so, so, SO important! Your logo is your brand and if you aren’t a graphic designer, this is definitely something that you should look into. The right fonts, colours, and overall feel of your logo need to be something that resonates with your audience. You know what type of persona your potential clients are, so take that knowledge and give to a design junkie who will make magic happen.

The same goes for your website, especially when it comes to purchasing products/services from you. Website layout, responsiveness, style, SEO etc., are key components to your website converting visitors into clients. If you’re not strong in website building, hire a pro. See if they’d be willing to work out an ongoing contract offer for website maintenance. If they can’t, they may work with or know someone who does.

Social Media Management

If I had a dollar for every time someone said to me “it’s just social media” and “it doesn’t take that much time”, I could retire. Not here in Vancouver, but somewhere 😉

Social media is one of the fastest evolving marketing channels for your potential and current clients and they need to be utilized properly. You can’t just post the same thing to every channel. First of all, character limits vary across all platforms. Secondly, image and video sizing is different across the board. Thirdly, you shouldn’t be on every platform available to you. Odds are, you will pick and choose the channels that work best for your type of buyer persona(s). If you can’t afford to onboard someone full-time, or are unsure of how to even start, hire a freelancer to help you strategize and grow. Once you know how social can help you, you can bring someone or a team on to help you manage that aspect.

Marketing Strategy

Coming up with, and executing a marketing strategy can seem daunting and overwhelming. Perhaps you’re good at one aspect of your marketing plan, but you need help on the digital side. Or you just don’t have the time. Don’t let your marketing strategy fall by the wayside, but instead bring a freelancer on board to help you. Over time, you can start building an internal marketing team. No need to do everything all at once, especially when cash flow is tight.

Virtual Assistants

Did your jaw just hit the ground? Yes, you absolutely can hire someone virtually to help you with all those various administrative tasks such as bookkeeping, online research, database entry, scheduling meetings, live chat, etc. Super helpful when you’re just starting out and need help, but not enough to keep someone full-time.

Hiring A Freelancer

Know what your needs are.
Give a descriptive project name so that the prospective freelancer knows what the project is before clicking on the description.
Provide a detailed description of what you’re looking for. With this, the prospective freelancer knows what exactly you’re looking for and be more prepared for your meeting.
Pick the most appropriate and top skills that are related to this project/role. This way, if a freelancer is searching based on skills, your job/project offer will show up.
Be realistic with your budget. Too high and you risk price gouging. Too low and prospective candidates may scroll right past your offer.
If you have examples of what you’re looking for, post them. DO NOT COPY STEAL from other organizations.

Looking To Start Freelancing?

Pick your niche. Specialized skills will earn you more.
Be clear in your profile and/or website about what you do and do not offer.
Define your ideal client aka your buyer persona.
Focus on putting effort into your portfolio which is your digital resume.
Always be open to improving your skillset. Take courses and stay up to date with trends in your area of expertise.
Build your reputation and credit with blogs, guides, e-books, speaking engagements, etc.
Know what your skillset is worth, and price accordingly. Do not undersell yourself; you are worth every penny.
Reach out to your network and social circles for introductions.
Perfect that elevator pitch and be ready to use it anytime, anywhere.
Guest post on relevant industry blogs and/or podcasts which helps showcase your expertise in the industry even more.

Phew! I think that should cover all about hiring a freelancer, and how to become a freelancer if that’s something that has interested you in the past. Would I be freelancing if COVID hadn’t destroyed the world as we knew it prior to 2020, and I’d been laid off? Who knows.

If you are still employed and are interested in freelancing, this is a great thing to start on the side which can evolve over time into a full-time gig.

You can learn more about what I offer and how that can help you with any pending projects you may have.