Freelancing has quickly become one of the go-to careers, providing them with flexibility as their own boss and access to diverse projects. But getting noticed among hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of other freelancers competing for similar gigs can be challenging at first – how do you stand out?
An effective profile can make all the difference when searching for freelance work online. Your profile serves as the initial impression to potential clients on platforms like Upwork, Fiverr or Freelancer.com; its first impression can make or break whether they hire you. Don’t waste this opportunity! It is your opportunity to showcase why they should hire you as their service provider!
In this post, we’ll walk through all the steps necessary to creating an eye-catching profile and landing those first (and hopefully many future!) clients.
1. Craft an Appealing Headline for Profile:
Your headline should capture potential clients as soon as they land on your profile page and should captivate readers instantly, convey who you are, and pique interest. Think of your headline like the title of a book: it needs to grab people’s interest while telling the tale about who is inside – it needs to stand out, grab their interest, and leave readers curious for more!
As I started freelancing, one of the first mistakes I made was using an impersonal headline such as, “Freelancer Available for Writing Work.” Not only was it ineffective in conveying information to potential clients about my expertise and services; moreover, the “freelancer available for writing work” line didn’t even address what specialization or experience existed within myself or what could be provided for clients.
An effective headline should focus on your niche and value offered. Instead of offering freelance writing services as one could simply be “Freelancer available for writing”, consider something such as, for instance: “Experienced Copywriter Specializing in Converting Sales Copy,” or, “SEO Expert Helping Small Businesses Rank Higher on Google.”
Be specific and clear. What sets your business apart in its field or address issues in society today? Use your headline to provide answers.
2. Compose an Engaging Bio (or Summary):
Your bio (or summary) provides potential clients with more of an idea about who you are as an individual; here, you should outline your experience, skills and why you would make the perfect fit for any given position. An effective bio should demonstrate confidence, professionalism and enthusiasm towards what it does – with genuine passion showing through!
As soon as I began writing my bio, I felt overwhelmed with options on what to include in it. While I wanted it to sound professional but avoid coming off too formal or stiff. Over time I learned it is crucial to strike an appropriate balance when writing your biography.
Begin your resume presentation by beginning with an eye-grabbing intro that quickly grabs people’s attention, before detailing all your relevant skills and experience. Remember to emphasize why someone should hire you rather than another candidate! Also mention notable clients or projects you’ve worked on (without bragging).
Example bio statement: As an experienced freelance writer of over three years, I specialize in helping businesses grow through engaging and persuasive content creation. From blog posts, website copy or social media updates – let me help your brand communicate its message efficiently.”
An additional tip: Aim to be as concise and engaging as possible when writing profiles; customers often scroll quickly through profiles so get straight to the point and keep it engaging!
3. Show Off Your Portfolio:
One of the best ways to demonstrate to prospective clients your qualifications for any given project is through showing off past works – your portfolio serves as an effective visual resume showcasing all of your skills and expertise.
As I began building my profile, I didn’t have much work to show at first – yet that didn’t deter me! To build up my portfolio I began creating pieces for myself or small local businesses to add my best examples of work as part of a portfolio builder program. Even though your past projects might not have been extensive in size, displaying your best samples of your work can go a long way toward showing your abilities and your abilities will shine through!
Clients of designers, writers, photographers and developers need to see samples of your work before hiring you; include three to five pieces that show your range of abilities if possible if new to freelancing; personal projects or pro bono work can demonstrate what capabilities exist within you as an independent consultant.
“My first project on Fiverr was not impressive; due to lack of experience I produced some sample pieces (writing articles and blog posts on topics close to my heart) to upload and show potential clients what I could offer – slowly but surely work began coming my way!”
Pricing your services strategically can be challenging when starting up. While you don’t want to undersell yourself or exclude potential opportunities from future earnings streams, underselling yourself could result in missed sales opportunities and lost business.
As soon as I began on Upwork, I set my rates far lower than they should have been thinking that being the least-expensive solution would win more business. Over time though, I realized that while low rates might attract clients initially, they do not always result in quality work or long-term relationships with clients.
Finding an optimal rate requires research into what other freelancers in your field are charging and making adjustments accordingly. When first starting out, setting your rate slightly below average might be best; as your experience and expertise develop, your rates can rise accordingly.
Keep this in mind when setting your rates: they should reflect the value you provide to clients. If you are an expert in your field, don’t be intimidated into charging more – clients appreciate quality work which solves a problem or fulfills a need.
4. Collect Testimonials:
Trust is essential in building any business, and an excellent way of doing this is collecting positive reviews and testimonials from your clients. With positive testimonials in hand, clients may feel more inclined to hire freelancers with good feedback as it shows they can rely on you being reliable, skilled, and easy to work with.
As soon as I started freelancing, I didn’t have any reviews; to build them quickly I offered discounted rates to several clients in exchange for testimonials – though not ideal it helped build trust with future clients while building my profile and portfolio of quality work – the reviews soon started coming in!
Review collection may take time, but is integral for your profile’s success. When clients are satisfied with your work, ask them for feedback – positive testimonials can often make the difference between landing jobs or not!
5. Highlight Your Skills and Expertise:
Freelance platforms often allow users to list specific skills on their profile; make the most of this opportunity!
As part of your profile, list any relevant skills that pertain to what services you offer – this could include technical abilities like programming languages or design tools as well as soft abilities like communication and problem-solving. It is best to be accurate about your expertise without exaggerating; rather try listing as many relevant abilities that relate directly to what services are being offered as possible.
On my profile, I listed various services like SEO copywriting, content writing, WordPress development and social media strategy as my abilities to showcase them fully and make my profile searchable on the platform. Doing this enabled me to demonstrate all my talents while increasing its discoverability on this network.
6. Make It Fresh:
As your experience and skills expand, it is vitally important that your profile stays fresh. Add new work, adjust rates as necessary, and adapt the details in your bio to show that you are continually expanding upon and refining your craft. A current and lively profile demonstrates your dedication.
At least every few months, I review my profile and make any necessary updates. Sometimes this involves small tweaks like revising my rates; other times I may update my portfolio or revise my bio to better represent new skills or projects.
Conclusion – Crafting an Effective Profile:
Building an eye-catching profile on freelancing platforms takes time and dedication, but the effort pays off in spades. Your virtual storefront should accurately represent who you are, what services you offer, why clients should hire you – from crafting eye-catching headlines, writing engaging biographies, displaying work samples that showcases best work performed to setting affordable rates; don’t forget reviews as a form of testimonial as well as keeping it updated as your skills develop!
Beginning your freelance journey can be challenging, but with dedication, perseverance, and an impressive profile in place you should find success landing freelance gigs quickly and reliably.
