Starting as a freelancer in the media space? Here are some helpful tips.

Career Trends: August 5, 2022
Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS

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Content Credit:

• Article by Talisa Carlson, published on mediaupdate.co.za. Original article link.

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Freelancing is a contract-based profession where instead of being recruited in an organisation, a person uses their skills and experience to provide services to several clients. In simple terms, freelancing is when you use your skills, education, and experience to work with multiple clients and take on various assignments without committing to a single employer.

Starting as a freelancer newbie in the media industry can seem daunting at first. It is common to feel out of place and uncertain about your tasks at hand initially.

But being a freelancer also comes with its own perks — you get to be your own boss and make your own decisions, you can decide on your work hours and also choose your own location. However, on the flip side, this also comes with a ton of responsibility.

It is important to set goals, boundaries and have to-do lists in place for yourself. This will help avoid burnout and forgetting to follow up on important tasks.

With this in mind, here are a few tips that you need to keep close and practice daily:

1. Know your worth

• Starting out as a newbie means that you might underestimate yourself and your skills.
• Therefore, it is essential that you remind yourself that the hard work that you do requires your advanced skills and unique touch.
• Once you have landed your first client be sure to establish the quality of your work.
• The media space is a niche environment, which means the contributions you bring to the company, client or brand you work for are invaluable.

2. Network often

• One of the best ways to get your name out there is by attending relevant media-related events.
• This will allow you to meet new people and build connections.
• A great place to start might be with a public relations specialist — simply because they have many connections in both the PR and media industries.
• This will allow you to build meaningful connections, all while networking.
• It is also essential to not overlook online events and groups on social media as it often allows for many great opportunities to network across borders and speak to industry professionals from anywhere in the world.

3. Keep your goals in sight

• There might be times in your freelancing journey when things will get tough.
• For example, your clients might have less work for you, or they might be running late with a payment.
• During these moments, it is vital for you to remind yourself why you started!
• Ensure that you constantly work on your goals and update them once you have met them.
• The media space is also everchanging, so be sure to be on top of the trends and adjust your goals accordingly.

4. Remember to advertise yourself

• When you work for a company, you will be presenting for the company and not yourself.
• But when working as a freelancer, you need to be continually promoting your own offering

Here are a few ways you can advertise yourself:

• Ensure that you are present on social media platforms.
• Ask your clients to write an online review.
• Write blog content with strong SEO.
• Write customised pitches for each of your clients.

5. Focus on building authentic relationships with clients

• When you are starting out as a freelancer and get a lot of opportunities, it might feel like you need to take on all of them.
• But this can lead to you burning yourself out, providing low-quality work, or simply missing deadlines.
• Instead of taking on all of the clients, take a look at which clients you will work the best with.
• This will allow you to build strong and authentic relationships right from the start.

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Have you checked out yesterday’s blog yet?

How To Build Mental Strength and Resilience

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(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)

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