How I Boosted my Freelance Career (and how you can, too)

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the freelancer I was and the freelancer I am now.

They are two different people, my friends.

The old me was a hit-and-miss freelancer. I lost my job suddenly and had two kids to support. So my freelance career back then was pasted together. I’d take whatever gig came, took some that paid garbage, and supplemented my freelancing with short-term temp assignments. While I was getting better paying gigs each time, I was in the low-paying-client loop of hell. It looks like this:

• Client “hires” you as they would an employee
• Client issues directives
• Client keeps asking, “How much for this?” (bargain hunting)
• Client nitpicks, changes their minds, changes scope, and enters the endless-edit process
• Client, who is very communicative, ghosts you when you send the invoice
• Client argues that the work wasn’t “up to standard” after the invoice is already three months late

You get the idea. In fact, we’ve all been there so much we can see which prospects will do that before we even accept the gig.

That was the old me. Fortunately, a few things snapped me out of that cycle. One was writer friend Kristen King, who said, “Treat freelancing like it’s your only option.”

Boom. No more temping.

Anne Wayman said, “To attract better clients, charge more.”

Boom. No more low-payers or late payers.

But one of the biggest changes I made was to consider myself not a freelancer, but a business contractor. I wasn’t there to just write. I was there to partner. My clients got someone who became part of their project, not the one writing it up.

Are you partnering with your client?

Here’s what that looks like:

Sandi is working with Acme Widgets on a series of thought leadership articles. These will be on the company website and promoted on social media.

The company’s experts are contributing commentary. One in particular speaks very freely about his disdain for specific products the company has insisted on selling. He mentions safety issues but doesn’t want that going into print.

Sandi immediately kicks the safety concerns up to her contact in the company. She also suggests that the company get ahead of any negative news regarding these issues.

Another example:

Joe works with Marvelous Manufacturing writing ad copy and sales content. At one point, he sees that the content that’s been approved by management has embarrassing phrasing that could be misinterpreted as them making fun of a particular ethnic group. Joe brings his concerns to his contact as well as the management team he works with. He shows how the words could cause embarrassment and worse, consumer and public backlash.

That’s being a valued writing partner. So is making suggestions that can increase your client’s visibility, improve their market penetration, or build a larger online audience. We write. But we also advocate, brainstorm, offer ideas and alternatives, and look out for our clients’ best interest.

If you find yourself feeling stuck in a hit-and-miss freelancing loop, try becoming your client advocate. Here’s how:

• Invest fully in your clients’ success: Learn their business (website and other online offerings), understand their direction and intended outcomes, build a partnership with the people you interact with.
• Stay on top of news in their sector: Well, news in general. But if you’re working for a logistics company, you should know what’s happening in the logistics industry. What they’re touting could be old news or it could be timed in a way that makes them look like they’re chasing the competition.
• Make sound suggestions: Point out when they’re about to waste energy on something that’s not newsworthy or in their best interest. Suggest that tweak that could make them look like they’re innovating instead of following. Engage them in how their message relates to their overall message and image.
• Stop them from doing something stupid: One writer I know had to tell her client that puppy photos alongside their blog posts about government regulatory changes didn’t send the message that they were serious about business matters.
• Build a trust relationship: That falls partly on them, too. But your goal should be to build bridges and ensure that communication is flowing in a way that loops in all concerned parties.

That’s a good start. But don’t forget:

• Treat this business of yours like it’s your only option.
• Attract better clients by raising your rate.

Writers and freelancers, how has your career changed over time?
What do you do now that you didn’t do then, and vice versa?
What one thing have you done that’s made the most change to your career?