Silvia is Social Media Manager & Content Creator for FUN small businesses on UpWork. She was born & raised near Lisbon, in Portugal, and she love all things Disney, cats and videogames. I had the opportunity to talk to her, and these are her answers and advice.
– You studied Fine Arts, what attracted you to that?
I actually studied Multimedia Arts in a Fine Arts school, and what attracted me to it was the fact that I could not only improve my video creation and design skills (which are very useful now), but also learn about creating my own videogames, which I’ve done a fair share of, and am looking to do more of in the future.
– I see you have a cat. How important is a pet for freelancers?
I actually have not one, not two, but three cats! They’re the best, I treat them as my kids, they keep me company most of the time, and sometimes even entertain my clients when they show up on calls.
– Have you had the opportunity to work full time or have you always wanted to be a freelancer?
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I never wanted to be a freelancer, because I never knew what it was. I kinda fell into it on accident, loved it, and stuck with it. But no, never had a full time, “real life” job myself.
– What influenced you the most to start freelancing?
The fact that I was able to make money on the side of my studies (back then) without having to leave my house…it was a no-brainer! Also, having the flexibility to work anytime, anywhere and do something I love is still to this day what keeps me going.
Social media can encompass a lot of things
– How do you approach failures or setbacks?
I’m not gonna lie, I’m usually pretty hard on myself and tend to get stressed and anxious when I fail or do something short of “perfect”. That being said, it’s something I’m actively working on and hoping to be better at looking at in a more reasonable and rational way in the future.
– What are your success habits?
Honestly, I used to really plan my days to the minute and have very strict boundaries, and it worked pretty well to get the job done, but I found it was compromising my mental health. So I recently switched to a more goal-oriented approach, where I write down my top priorities for the week/day and as long as those get done, I can call it a successful week! Work still gets done, but at my own pace, which feels much better. (I still time block upcoming weeks, just to make sure I have time for all my clients thought)
– How have you decided to become social media manager? Or did it just happen?
It kinda just happened, much like freelancing, by “accident”. I was offering illustrations and designs originally on Upwork, and kept seeing a lot of job posts looking for Virtual Assistants. I didn’t know what that was, but saw I fit the requirements, so I went for it! Eventually, most of my clients needed social media help, so I started doing it, learning more about it and eventually fell in love with it!
– How much would you recommend someone to start a career in social media? Is it a very demanding job?
Social media can encompass a lot of things. I’ll say that creating content for clients can be demanding…depending on the clients. Some are very chill and will love everything you do, while others can be…very picky. The worst is when they don’t know what they want and have you guess it for them. That being said, you can offer other services that don’t involve content creation, such as strategy, engagement or even consulting.
– How much do social media influence today’s business?
I think it’s a crucial part of any business for sure. It gives you a level of credibility, much like having a website, and also allows you to reach new audiences and connect with existing ones. That being said, it is a time-consuming thing, hence why a lot of people look for help in managing their accounts.
I’m proud of the content I create
– Are employers aware of the importance of social media or do you need to educate them about the need to be online?
I find they’re more aware now than they used to be maybe pre-pandemic, for sure, but I sometimes still find myself explaining the value of something to them. That being said, it’s now usually more explaining the value of a full management package vs just content creation (which is the bit they see), rather than explaining why they need to be on social in the first place.
– You are also an online educator? Tell us more about it.
I am! That’s again something I eventually fell into, and honestly have been loving every second of. When I started posting about my journey and services on social media, inevitably people started asking me about it, and I found myself answering the same questions on the daily, so I decided to pivot my content away from promoting my services (since I had Upwork doing that part already) and into educational content for my fellow freelancers. I eventually also started creating courses on how to get started as a freelancer, work on Upwork and even promote yourself on social media, to help them even further (while having an additional stream of income, of course).
– How much do online education and social media have in common? Do these two jobs require different knowledge and skills?
I get to use my social media skills to promote my content and courses, so they have that overlap for sure. I also get to use my marketing knowledge to teach my students how to position themselves and well – market their freelance business. That being said, you do need some additional teaching skills in order to be a good educator, which apparently I have since my students seem to like me!
– Which of these two jobs gives you more pleasure?
Honestly I love both, and like that I get to do them at the same time and have variety in my weeks. And while I’m super proud of the content I create for social media clients and that process is truly fun for me, seeing my students get their first clients and essentially change their lives because of me is a level of fulfilment that I think is unbeatable.
– You have a great Instagram profile and YouTube channel. Which of the two is more demanding to maintain and update?
YouTube for sure. While Instagram “requires” more frequent content, recording a YouTube video takes a lot of time and energy – from scripting to recording, since thankfully I have help in the editing process. That being said, video content is definitely more rewarding to see the final result of, and part take in the creation process.
– And which has brought more benefits to your freelance career?
Probably Instagram at this point, since I do have a bigger audience there, and get to have a closer connection with my followers, which can eventually turn them into clients or students much easier.
Send 1-5 GREAT proposals each day
– Can today’s freelancers make a successful career without promotion in social media?
For sure! I didn’t have social media myself for the first 7 years of my freelancing career, and I did just fine! That being said, I do always recommend choosing 1 social platform and 1 freelancing platform – not more, not less – in order to diversify your lead sources.
– Has today’s social media become more important and influential than a personal website?
Again, I mentioned before that they’re both really helpful to build trust and credibility. That being said, if I could only choose one, I’d go with social media since it allows you to reach more people, again pairing that with a freelancing platform like Upwork where clients can go to in order to hire you (or is that cheating?)
– What was the best advice you got at the beginning of your freelance career?
The best advice I got was actually from a client and that was to raise my rates. I’ll never forget that I quoted them on a project and they wanted to pay me more than that since they knew it was worth more. They also advised me to raise my rates with each new client I got, especially in the beginning, to reflect my increased skills.
– And what’s the worst advice you’ve ever got?
This wasn’t given to me personally, but I’ve seen it floating around the internet – to submit A LOT of proposals to jobs each day, in order to have more chances of getting noticed. I definitely think quality trumps quantity anyway, and I’m a big believer that you should send 1-5 GREAT proposals each day, to jobs that you’re genuinely interested in.
– Have you worked on any freelance platform other than UpWork?
I’ve tried Fiverr for a while, but only ever sold two gigs there. I know of a lot of people that do well there, so I’m assuming I did something wrong, but eventually gave up since Upwork is enough for me and I’d rather focus on one platform versus many. Again quality over quantity.
– Why has UpWork become your choice?
It was the first platform I was on, back in 2013, therefore the one I have more experience and reputation on, giving me the best results.
– What are the advantages of a freelance lifestyle for you?
I’ve mentioned this before, but being able to work at the times that I’m most creative and feel my best, as well as working from home or from anywhere I may be (i.e. while travelling) are definitely the biggest selling points for me.
– And what are the disadvantages?
You’re responsible for everything – no one’s telling you what to do and when, so you do have to manage your own time so you get to everything you need to do. Also it’s usually harder to shut off after work, since you may not have that change in scenario, or if you’re like me you can be tempted to do “just one more task” at the end of the day.
– What was the hardest decision you ever had to make as a freelancer?
When I started to hire out and grow my team, that was hard. I’m very frugal and very much a perfectionist, so having to delegate work to someone who may not do as good of a job scared the crap out of me. Thankfully I’ve found a great team that does as good if not even better than me, and I absolutely love working with them.
– There are many freelancers with skills like yours. What makes you stand out and make you more successful?
I like to think my fun vibes – both in my personality and the work I do – are what makes me stand out the most, and what I tend to hear clients rave most often about. I’m also again very much of a hard worker, so I always get things done on time and as best as possible, so there’s some bonus points as well.
I’m a native planner
– To succeed, freelancer must also possess certain soft skills, such as communication, organization, time management … Which soft skills were the most challenging for you?
I’m a native planner, so time management is easy for me (maybe too easy since I tend to overdo it). I’d say the most challenging is communication, not because I don’t love talking to my clients – I truly do – but because of my social anxiety I’m always a bit afraid of saying the wrong thing or coming off as someone who doesn’t know what she’s talking about (when I do).
– What has benefited you the most to become a successful freelancer? Your education, certain books, courses, forums, instructions on freelance platforms or something else?
Online courses have been great, and have taught me not only different skills but also different viewpoints on things. I’m also eternally thankful that I found Upwork when I did, since it essentially introduced me to the world of freelancing, and made it as easy as it could be to start & succeed in my journey.
– If you could start all over again, what would you do differently?
I’d have charged higher, for sure. I didn’t value my work as much as I should’ve back then, and I left a lot of money on the table by doing that.
– What is your biggest motivation?
My biggest motivation is being able to essentially design a life I love – from my schedule to my workplace and the work I do – while making an impact in others’ lives and businesses.
– How important is constant professional improvement?
It is key, I’m always listening to podcasts and watching educational videos to improve my skills and learn something new.
– What are you most grateful for in your freelance journey?
Again, the fact that I found Upwork and all the clients it introduced me to – some of which I ended up working with for 3-4 years straight.
– Can you give one free tip to all freelancers, how to improve presence on social networks?
Focus on the client, their pain points, and how you solve them. Truth is they don’t care about all the features of your packages, they care more about the end result. Will you save them time? Get them more leads? Increase their ROI? Focus on THAT.
– What is the best way to organize multiple jobs and private life?
Time blocking, to an extent, is great. Also knowing when you need to stop and honoring that is key for not reaching burnout down the line.
– Several factors are important for success. Can you name some of the most important for you?
I’d say video. Being present on video, whether it’s in your Upwork profile, proposals or Instagram stories has been life-changing (or business-changing rather) for me. Video gives you the opportunity to show your personality, while creating a deeper connection and trust with your client, making them more likely to want to work with you!
– Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube – which social channel can contribute to the success of freelancers the fastest and most?
I think it truly depends on where your ideal client is the most.
– If you had to single out one characteristic that is most important for the success of a freelancer, what would it be?
Definitely knowing what you offer and who you offer it to, as well as what motivates a client to seek out that particular service. This will help you write your content, your profile, and even the proposals you send, while again keeping the focus on the client.
– What advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t undervalue yourself. The work you do is great and valuable for the client, so you can safely double your rates and still get hired.
– The best advice for those who are considering a freelance career?
Just start. Obviously figure out what you want to offer and all that first, but don’t tell yourself you need to take “one more course” or create a website or this and that before you start. Those are excuses we tell ourselves and they don’t matter. You can learn a lot on the job, you can work on your website while you work with clients, just start today and figure it out as you go – that’s what I did!
