Going freelance in marketing: What it takes and how to get started

Some dream of freelancing. Others have freelancing thrust upon them. Either way, if you want to pursue a career as a marketing freelancer, you need to take it seriously. This is not simply a lifestyle choice: it is a way of earning a living and the best are in high demand. How do you achieve that goal?

First steps as a freelance marketing consultant

First of all, research your market. Do you have skills and experience that people are likely to buy in to? If you cannot identify a market for what you offer, then you are unlikely to be successful. It’s best to identify a market, assess how frequently freelancers are used, and find out how crowded the existing marketplace is. Within that market, what is likely to be your USP? Why would someone hire you rather than others offering similar services?

Freelance marketers should notice a small but significant surplus in spend for new marketing projects during 2012, as advertising budgets are cautiously being approved at a higher level than a year ago, according to industry body IPA. As a general rule when considering whether or not to launch a freelance marketing career, it’s worth checking such industry statistics on companies’ expectations of better economic conditions. If there is optimism about new product launches, confidence in consumer spending, and high expectations of return on investment for advertising, the likelihood is that there will be bigger marketing budgets – all good news for freelance marketing consultants, account managers, communications managers, copywriters, social media marketers and PRs.

So let’s get down to brass tacks, what would you be able to charge? Being cheap will not help you in the long run, but you do need to be competitive.

This ties in very closely to the question of whether you can afford to freelance. The likelihood is that you will not replace the income you enjoyed in employment immediately. So how are you going to pay the bills? You may have a partner whose income can cover the bills while you get started. If not, do not see this as an obstacle to becoming a marketing freelancer but the early days are likely to be very hard work as you may have to juggle a job with working on freelance assignments in the evening and at the weekend. You should also ensure you have sufficient savings in place so that you can continue to pay your bills if your business goes through a fallow period.

Generating freelance work in marketing

Having said this, one of your key objectives is to always have enough work. This, of course, means marketing and, in the spirit of ‘physician heal thyself’, if you cannot market yourself effectively, who is going to hire you as a freelance marketer?

Doing an audit of your contacts is an important first step. Who do you know who might hire you directly? Who do you know who can recommend you to key decision-makers in their company? Make the calls (no matter how cold), go to meetings and network like crazy. Even if a relationship is warm, it is good to remind people from time to time that you’re still around and available for work – and this should be part of the routine, not just when you are running out of things to do.

Ensure your paperwork is in good order so that, if a potential client asks for a CV or biography to hold on file, you have smart and professional documents to hand to them. The emphasis of any CV will, of course, be different from the one that you used to find a new job. It should be aligned as a business marketing document – this is not entirely different but the emphasis needs to be how you will add immediate value through your skills and expertise. Make sure you also have a set of business cards. Even in the digital age, they are a useful first reference for people.

Then cast the net wider still. Sign up with agencies and websites which handle short-term/freelance marketing assignments. Go to events where you will meet new potential clients. You may not bring back a contract from every event but you can never have too many contacts. Also, go to marketing industry events where you will meet other freelancers. If they are in your own professional field, this is one way of staying up to date (and also of gathering competitor intelligence!), but if not, it can still be helpful to stop you feeling less isolated and to learn from the experience of others. In addition, you never know where the next call may come from.

Don’t forget the online angle

Set up a website to promote your freelance marketing business and what you do and set up your social media channels – and having set them up, make sure you keep them updated. Writing a blog can also be helpful. Make sure it is regular, topical and attractive to read and promote it through your social media channels. If the blog is in WordPress you can embed it in your LinkedIn profile, or if it is on another platform you can use the Blog Link application.

Talking of which, a good, well-written LinkedIn profile is invaluable to any freelancer in this day and age. It needs to be optimised, complete and interesting to read. While word of mouth may remain the most powerful tool in your marketing suite, your LinkedIn profile is key to attracting business from people who may not know you personally. Even if it’s a friend-of-a-friend, if someone recommended a professional to you, wouldn’t you try to check them out? Assume people will do the same with you. Building effective LinkedIn profiles is something that we, at Richmond Solutions, help freelancers, consultants and interim managers with all the time.

At the same time, be mindful of what you can and can’t do as a freelance marketer – both in terms of time and of ability. When you are starting out, in particular, it can be tempting to go after everything that you’re offered but that might lead to you feeling burnt out and frustrated. There is no harm in looking at all the offers but, in the spirit of good negotiation, you need also to be prepared to walk away. Remember that your ultimate success will rest on your reputation and people will appreciate your honesty more than a willingness to take on things that ultimately you cannot deliver.

The rewards and benefits of being self-employed in marketing can be great but, as with most things, the better prepared you are, the more you can put in; and the more that you put in, the greater the reward.

Written by Heidi Nicholson

Partner, Richmond Solutions

Contact: heidi.nicholson@richmondsolutions.co.uk