Freelancing is competitive. As more people turn to freelancing for their primary means of employment, creating a freelancer profile which stands out is more important than ever. It is the only information about you and your services which prospective clients have access to. Here are 7 things you can do to make your profile the best it can be and help you to land your next project.
1. Use A Professional Picture
Choosing the right photo is more important than you might think. Other than your headline, it’s the only other thing potential clients see about you. A professional picture can help you to make a good first impression. If at all possible, try to have your photo professionally taken. Make sure that your appearance is clean and tidy. Use a simple background to avoid distractions and smile. You want to appear friendly and as someone that others would enjoy working with.
2. Use A Specific Headline
Your headline is probably one of the most powerful tools at your disposal as a freelancer. This is the first thing that potential clients see about you. As such, clients will often base their first impressions of you on your headline alone.
“Think of your headline as a sales pitch and opportunity to introduce yourself,” says Linda Blohm, a content expert at Boomessays and Custom Essay. “Your headline should be informative and specific. If you have specific expertise or skills, narrowing down your niche in your headline could help you to stand out from the crowd. For example, if you’re a web developer who mainly works with WordPress, you could write “WordPress Plugin Developer” instead. The more specific you can be, the more likely it is that clients will be able to find you.”
3. Write In The First-Person
Writing your bio in first-person will help clients get a better sense of who you are. However, avoid sharing personal information, such as your life goals or hobbies. It’s important to remember that your profile is like an online CV. Keep the tone professional, but light. Ideally, your bio should be around 200 words or less.
4. Share Your Best Work Through A Portfolio
If the freelancing platform you are using offers you the choice to share work via a portfolio, make use of this. A portfolio provides you with an opportunity to not only tell clients what you can do, but to show them.
“Choose your best work and upload this to your portfolio. It should be work which best reflects your services or niche and which emphasizes your specialization. It should be easily understood, so include a description of the project, a link to the source and an attractive visual image,” says Michael Chapman, a freelancer at State Of Writing and Paper Fellows.
5. Tell Clients What Makes You Unique
Freelancing is competitive, so make sure that you tell clients what makes you different. Share any specific expertise that you have, specialist training or education. Consider what it is about you that makes you unique and therefore stand out from others. It’s important not to exaggerate because ultimately you will need to be able to deliver on your claims. Provide clients with an honest appraisal of what it is you can do and what you have to offer.
6. Describe Your Experience And Qualifications
It’s useful to provide potential clients with some information about your qualifications and experience. It doesn’t just have to relate to education, but can also include any other activities or experiences you have undertaken (e.g., volunteering, extracurricular activities, etc.) which are relevant to the services you are providing.
Make sure that you fill in all the sections on education, employment history and experience that are offered on the platform you use. Provide concise information about each of your previous roles, including your responsibilities and any accomplishments you achieved. List these chronologically, starting with the most recent. This will help clients to get a better idea of your background and the skills you can bring to the project.
7. Proofread Your Profile
Before you share your freelancing profile with clients, it’s essential that you check through it carefully. Make sure that you have completed all the fields. An incomplete profile will stand out, but for all the wrong reasons. Check that you have filled out each section with as much relevant information as possible.
You also need to make sure that you carefully proofread your profile. Check for any mistakes, including errors in punctuation and grammar. It won’t look very good if you say you pay attention to detail when your own profile has spelling mistakes. Try reading it aloud to see how it sounds or ask a friend or colleague to look over it. This is your business, so make sure that it’s the best it can be before you share it with clients.
8. Keep Your Profile Updated
Your skills and expertise will change over time, so it’s important that you regularly check your profile and update it. By keeping your profile up-to-date, you’ll be able to improve your chances of securing projects and clients which are most suited to you and your skillset. Some freelancing sites also deactivate or suspend accounts which have been inactive, so it’s important to log in to your profile regularly. Similarly, make sure that you stay active if you’ve been submitting proposals. The more promptly you can reply to a client, the more likely you are to be able to secure a project.
Conclusion
In order to make your freelancer profile stand out, it’s important to consider what a prospective client might be looking for. Make sure that you have included concise, but detailed information about your skills and specialization which encourage clients to want to work with you. Ensure your headline is specific and that you have a professional photograph. Above all, make sure that you regularly update your profile so that it reflects your most recent skills or achievements. Creating a professional and honest profile of yourself and your services will help inspire trust from potential clients and enable you to secure projects that you truly want to work on.
Katherine Rundell is a marketer at Assignment Help and Homework Help, where she regularly writes about freelancing. She enjoys sharing tips with those starting out in the freelancing world and helping them to secure their dream projects. She is also a proofreader at Do My Assignment writing service. When not writing, Katherine enjoys spending time reading and attending writing conferences.
