When first approaching the freelancer’s lifestyle, some people feel disheartened when they notice just how many talented freelancers populate the freelancing platforms and Facebook groups. They have piled an outstanding number of qualifications and skills and their profiles and portfolios are as professional as they can be. Yes, the competition is high. But this does not mean that you too cannot find your place amongst the talented freelancers and stand out with your own uniqueness.
Let’s examine five important ways you can stand out from the crowd and be noticed by your kindred clients.
Stand out with your profile picture
Experience shows that having a professional-looking and friendly profile picture makes the client stop his attention on your freelancing profile and look into it further. We subconsciously decide who to do business with and the visual impact a profile picture gives has its role in determining if the client can trust you with a project or not. Invest your efforts into creating a good-looking and professional picture that represents you faithfully as an expert in your field, and these will repay you into many potential clients. Here are some tips to keep in mind while creating your profile picture:
- Keep the focus on your face and try to add a heart-felt smile
- Have a simple background and avoid any distracting elements
- Keep your posture upright and your outfit nice and tidy
Stand out with your profile title
When you are writing your profile title, you can underline something special about your skills and character. You want to avoid just stating blandly: “Developer” or “Copywriter”. Try to add a little emotional tweak so the clients will notice your uniqueness. Instead of just stating Copywriter, you may add “Science-backed” or “Persuasive”, in front of it. According to your niche and your strengths and skills, add an adjective that is both emotionally engaging and represents truthfully your abilities. And then attach some words that briefly show your special secret power, for example, if you are an expert in a particular area or field here is the place to showcase it as it will grab the attention of your potential clients that are looking for just that. You may consider adding some special characters to your title so that it looks professional and intriguing.
Here are some examples of good profile titles:
- Result-driven [Content Creator] Using Ethical Persuasion Techniques
- Full-Stack Python/Django {Senior Developer}
- Certified *Personal Trainer & Nutritionist* Expert in Healthy Weight Loss
Stand out with your profile description
The third place the client will look at while considering working with you is your profile description. You can make sure it stands out in the crown by considering some important points. Firstly, you should really focus on the first one or two sentences of your profile description, as it is what the clients will read first, this is your lead-in introduction. Make sure you state straight away from your unique point of strength – and especially how the client will feel while working with you – what are the results that you are there to deliver to them.
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Then, describe in detail how you can help your clients in different areas of their business. Avoid describing extensively your qualifications and degrees. Focus on the clients and on their needs and the problems that you can resolve for them so they can earn more money or have a happier life.
In order to attract only good quality clients – make sure you add a sentence or two about what kind of people you would like to do business with and what are your requirements. This way you qualify the clients, and they feel they need to put in some effort and go after you, in order to have the possibility to work with you.
Remember to add a Call to Action to your description so the clients will feel inspired to take the next step by sending you a message.
- Underline your strengths and uniqueness in the lead-in paragraph
- Focus on your client and how you fulfill their needs
- Qualify your clients by stating your clear requirements
- Add a clear call to action
Stand out with the job proposals you are sending
Some freelancing platforms allow you to apply for jobs by submitting a job proposal. You can skillfully craft your job proposals so you really stand out from the crowd. Here are some ideas on how to do that.
One way to stand out with your job proposal is to record a short video of yourself in response to their project in which you briefly introduce yourself, explain what your plan is in fulfilling the project and invite them to send you a message to discuss the project in detail. Really few people will have the courage to record themselves in this way and it adds so much value and personal touch to record something especially for them. They will also have a chance to know you as a person and trust you better.
But what if recording a video is not within your comfort zone? That is completely fine, and there are other ways you can stand out with your job proposals. One is sending a relevant sample of your work that is very similar to the project you are applying for. This way they will have an actual taste of the final product they will receive, and if they like it – they will for sure continue working with you! If you are just starting, you can even create one just for the project.
Remember to carefully read the job description and highlight how you as an expert can help them in resolving their pain points and fulfill their needs.
- Record a short video in response to their project
- Send a relevant sample from your past projects or create one from scratch
- Read carefully the job description and highlight how you can help them
Starting your career as a freelancer is not easy, especially when there is so much competition. However, by applying these simple principles you can find your way on the freelancing platforms and soon you will find clients you would love to work with! Put in consistent effort in doing a good job with your projects and soon enough you will get many happy clients that will spread the word for you!
Happy freelancing!
