How to Get Started as a Freelancer in Digital Marketing: A Beginner’s Guide

Are you thinking of building a career as a freelance digital marketer? We would say it’s a great choice, especially in this digitized era. However, we understand the challenges you may be going through at first while getting your first clients and gradually creating your own brand. But worry not! We are here with some surefire ways that can help you climb up the success ladder as a freelancer in digital marketing.

Who is a Freelance Digital Marketer?

A freelancer in digital marketing is a professional with expertise in a range of online marketing strategies and approaches and has multiple skills ranging from content creation, SEO or search engine optimization, website development and designing, strategy building, social media management, email marketing, and so on. Digital marketers also engage in conversations on LinkedIn, Facebook Groups, and other online communities to help businesses improve their marketing tactics.

Freelance digital marketers also ensure that their clients are reaching their eCommerce marketing goals, such as making effective sales calls, generating high-quality leads, and generating more profits. Freelance digital marketers generally work with clients on a contractual basis to help improve their digital marketing campaigns.

An ideal digital marketer is responsible for identifying a client's requirements and business goals, as well as determining the gaps in their marketing strategies. Depending on their needs and problem areas, freelance online marketers suggest the best solutions by making informed decisions (using SEO tools and analytical reports) and creating strategies that will work.

What Skills Do You Need to Acquire to Become a Successful Freelance Digital Marketer?

To build more expertise in digital marketing, master the skills required to become a pro in digital marketing. For example, focus on upgrading your skill sets and knowledge in the core areas like SEO, content creation and marketing, email marketing, social media marketing, affiliate marketing, website building, and so on.

The more skills you can acquire, the higher your payouts will be. Apart from the above, you would also need to master the skill of using analytical tools that help to identify customer behaviors, buying personas, market demographics, and other insights into an eCommerce business. Data-driven marketing strategies are more effective and accurate, thus ensuring higher outcomes in terms of lead generation and profit growth.

4 Tips to Get High-Paying Digital Marketing Clients

While struggling to get high-paying clients for your digital marketing agency, you must ensure that you are doing the following things right.

Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn is a powerful tool for job seekers and freelancers alike, and it is a great community that connects clients and service providers. One can come across 55 million company profiles and 740 million individual account holders on LinkedIn, making it a great place for freelancers like you to get in touch with potential clients.

So, start using LinkedIn to attract clients looking for experienced digital marketers like you who may not be aware of their digital marketing gaps. For the latter, you can identify the challenges they might be facing, and accordingly, you can recommend the best solutions they might need to accelerate their conversions.

Establish your educational background and professional expertise first by developing an attractive LinkedIn profile. Write appealing profile descriptions and create informative posts to attract more viewers and businesses, who can get converted into paying clients sooner or later.

Provide High Value for Free

Before the word “free” excites you, hear us out! The secret to getting high-paying clients is to start by offering good value for free in your initial days. Do a quick research about businesses that you find are struggling with their digital marketing campaigns. In other words, try to be more generous in your services by extending help to selected clients who are looking for that additional support.

For example, a simple DM or email saying, “Hey, you are putting great effort into your digital marketing campaigns. I am (name), a digital marketing expert with over 5 years of experience. I would love to extend an offer to help you optimize your website for higher returns. Would you be interested in a short 30-minute free consultancy on boosting your search engine rankings and improving conversion rates? Drop a comment below.”

Such short and compassionate pitches are quite impactful in building brand awareness and spreading your name as a digital marketer. Making a few 50 or 100s of such pitches every month or two would surely bring in more clients in the long run.

Join Facebook Communities

Facebook Groups have spread like wildfire in the past few years. Take advantage of this by positioning yourself as a professional digital marketer. Join several Facebook Groups for communities interested in digital marketing. Post short pitches or informative messages on these groups to engage and connect with like-minded people in your profession. You can gain knowledge and personal growth as a digital marketer and increase your chances of getting new clients.

You can also select a few profiles from these communities by identifying their needs and loopholes in their eCommerce marketing campaigns. Consider contacting them or posting impactful pitches by collecting their contact details, like WhatsApp numbers, email IDs, etc. Besides, by posting informational posts, you are not only proving your expertise as a digital marketer but also building credibility and trust in your community, and that is a great start!

Connect and Follow-Up

Develop healthy relationships with your clients to offer more personalized and effective solutions. During or after delivering your services as an expert digital marketer, ensure your client can connect with you on a deeper level. Besides, a strong bonding enables clients to be more comfortable with you, thus discussing their needs and problem areas more easily.

By identifying their specific needs and business goals, you can offer customized solutions rather than one-size-fits-all services. Such little efforts make huge impacts and can also help achieve the expected marketing results.

Furthermore, make sure to follow up with your clients even after your services are delivered. Keep checking from time to time whether your strategies are performing well or whether your clients are facing any issues. It shows that you really care for them, thus creating higher satisfaction rates. As a result, it brings in more business for you through word-of-mouth referrals and positive ratings or reviews.

Key Takeaways

To conclude, starting a career as a freelance digital marketer can be highly profitable in the long run, especially if you focus on a specialized niche or industry. As a passionate freelance digital marketer who loves to develop profitable digital marketing campaigns for clients, we wish you the best in your endeavors.