A Word About Freelance Marketplace Sites

Welcome to Day 6 of the 31 Days of Marketing Your Freelance Business Series! For the month of October we are going to be covering a ton of different ways you can market your business and get more clients.

Having a visible portfolio of your work is crucial for attracting freelance clients. On your freelance website your about page is to introduce yourself and create a connection with potential clients. Your portfolio is to convince them that you are right for the job. This is your place to shine! Your freelancer portfolio page should showcase your best work and demonstrate your ability to deliver for your clients. It will also portray your unique style that your ideal clients will totally click with.

Wait – I don’t have a portfolio

When you’re just starting out freelancing you might not have a portfolio in place yet. That’s ok! This isn’t the corporate world where you can’t get a job without experience but you can’t get experience because you can’t get a job… We’re leaving that mess behind for a world where we make the rules! And in this world, you don’t need clients to create an awesome freelancer portfolio page.

How To Build Your Portfolio

1. Look through your hard drive – you probably have some gems on your hard drive or in your dropbox that you could use as examples. Maybe you have projects from your school days that would relate. Maybe your mom asked you to write/design/plan a project for her a few months ago that you could totally use. Maybe you have a project from a previous job that perfectly demonstrates your expertise (only use this if you have their permission). Even pieces you’ve worked on yourself just for fun might be a good fit.

2. Create your own portfolio pieces – spend a bit of time creating some example work for the kind of jobs you want. No you won’t get paid for this, but your ideal clients are going to see that you are exactly what they are looking for.

3. Find a client – Sign up for a freelance marketplace site and bid on a job in your field. You may have to start with a couple of lower paying projects to get the job without the clout, but once you have the portfolio to prove your expertise you can raise your rates. You can also offer to do free or cheap work for a friend, family member, or local non-profit.

Setting Up Your Portfolio Page

Now that you’ve gathered a few items that you can showcase it’s time to add them to a portfolio page on your website. Your portfolio should be clean and professional, not cluttered or clunky. Organize it in a logical and easy to navigate fashion. If your work is visual, consider using a gallery layout or a portfolio plugin.

Include Your Hard Earned Praise

Sure, your work speaks for itself. But why not let others speak for you, too? Your portfolio is the perfect place to put all of those client testimonials and words of praise for your past work. Your social proof is proof to the client that you can get the job done. When you can, match the portfolio item to the testimonial. Don’t have any testimonials yet? Follow this fantastic guide to get some!

Appeal To Your Ideal Client

The whole point of spending all of this time perfecting your website is to find freelance jobs you love, so keep that in mind when building your portfolio. Include the items that will appeal to those clients most. Use the style that speaks to them, and be sure to inject your personality into it. And don’t forget to include a link to your contact form so they can hire you immediately.