Being a freelancer can truly be amazing — you get to work your own hours and choose your own location! And, you get to be your own boss and make your own rules! But with that comes a ton of responsibility.

It is so 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, there are a few tips that you need to keep close and practice daily.

Ready to promote yourself from freelancer newbie to freelancer pro? Let's do it:

1. Know your worth

Starting out as a newbie means that you might underestimate yourself. This will lead to you not charging enough money for the work that you do. Therefore, it is essential that you remind yourself that the hard work that you do requires your advanced skills and unique touch. So don't charge anything less than what your work is worth. Do you hear me? Nothing less!

So, once you have landed that first client of yours, be sure to establish the quality of your work and charge accordingly. Not sure how much to charge?
Then be sure to check out our previous media update article The South African freelancer conundrum: How much do I charge?
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

You might think that following a few business pages and liking their content counts as enough networking — but it does not! You need to get your name out there and one of the best ways to do just that 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.

Networking face to face is a great way to establish solid relationships! This will help:
  • create job opportunities
  • get you invited to participate in projects, and
  • provide opportunities for you to learn from others.
But it is also essential to not overlook online events or even groups on social media. The reason for this is that these allow for many great opportunities to network across borders and allow you to speak to industry professionals from anywhere in the world.

It also allows you to keep tabs on new developments that are taking place in the media space in different countries.

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! Why did you choose to become a freelancer? Jot down those reasons and keep them somewhere where you can see them every day!

Working as a freelancer is not for the faint of heart, so remember that you are strong and you can push through any challenges that you face. You must also 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 — and let's be real; it will feel a tad bit odd. But remember that when you are working as a freelancer, you are your own hottest commodity!

You need to get your name out there! That is the only way to encourage more clients to invest in your business.

Here are a few ways you can advertise yourself, according to Upwork:
  • 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.
The media space works closely with the public relations industry, so be sure to work with PR professionals and ask their advice on how to get your name out there too!

5. Focus on building authentic relationships with clients

When you are starting out as a freelancer and you 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, rather 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. And that is most definitely what you want — to build up a loyal client base that will keep coming back to you!

Building relationships with clients as a media freelancer means that you will be able to grow with them, figuring out all of the client's ins and outs. This will just make the journey with the client that much more convenient for all parties involved.

What are some other tips you have for newbie freelancers that work in the media space? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below.

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Starting out as a freelancer might mean you want to push yourself hard to reach all your goals. But that can lead to mental and emotional fatigue. So, to prevent this be sure to check out Five ways to avoid freelancer burnout.
*Image courtesy of Pexels