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Get creative during this time, whether that means launching a new offering or reaching out to your network.
- Freelancers are used to swings in income and work, but a pandemic is a different ball game for holding onto clients.
- To keep clients coming back, freelancers should think about optimizing their work online, offering new services, and finding alternative sources of revenue.
- Home in on industries that need the most support right now, such as companies looking for contract work, and look on different job boards.
- Remind clients that you're here for them and consider flexible payment options.
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Over the past few weeks, I've swung between feeling very lucky to be a freelance writer and panicking about what my future holds.
On the one hand, we can't get laid off and lose all our work in one fell swoop, and are generally accustomed to some ups and downs in our income. On the other hand, we have no promise of continued work from any of our clients (who are also impacted by the pandemic) and aren't usually supported as well by the structures that help the traditionally employed, like unemployment benefits or paid sick leave. Plus, if you've lost work, you've lost work - and that sucks.
Abbey Woodcock
Abbey Woodcock.
Abbey Woodcock, who runs a coworking space and freelance community, The Freelance Co-op, and has connected with over 2,000 freelancers about their experiences since the pandemic started, said that while the initial reaction was largely panic and fear, she's now seeing the incredible resilience of the freelance community.
"This week especially there's this resolve where people are thinking, 'Okay, I'm gonna figure out how to make this work and I'm going to buckle down and do it because this is not going away,'" she shared.
So if you, like many, have moved into "figure it out" mode and are ready to take action, here are some ideas for how other freelancers are moving forward and staying hired.
1. Think about how you could do your work online
If you work in an industry that's always been pretty remote friendly, like copywriting, digital marketing, or software development, you probably don't need to worry too much about this. But if you're in an industry that requires in-person work, like photography, videography, or event planning, you'll want to start by thinking hard about what services you could still offer without any human contact.
Derek Reed
Laura Thompson.
For instance, photographer Laura Thompson immediately put out a call to all her clients offering remote product photography - and landed work because of it.
"One of them was a brand new client I had reached out to cold and landed right before studios closed their doors," she shared. "They shipped their products to me and through iMessage and screenshots of the shoot we were able to put together their next marketing campaign."
Event and portrait photographers across the country have also started offering mini "front porch" family photo sessions that they can do from six feet away, and event planners started shifting their expertise to creating online experiences. Get creative and think about what could be possible for your particular skill set.
2. Or pivot to offer new skills
Of course, not every freelancer will be able to move their main moneymaker online - or, even if they can, not every service offering will be in demand right now. So it's worth thinking outside the box to identify other skills you can offer that people are currently in need of.
One great place to start is to think of the digital skills you've mastered in growing your own business that may help other people as they adapt to this new online world.
If you built a great Squarespace website for yourself, can you help other businesses who are trying to quickly shift online do the same? If you're great at your own social media, can you help other businesses trying to digitally engage on those channels?
Candice Smith
Candice Smith.
For instance, Candice Smith - who saw a slowdown in sales for her intimacy wellness company Tango.love - realized for her, the biggest skill she could offer others right now is the PR and copywriting expertise she's gained from growing her company.
"Having obtained over 100 features in publications like Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Oprah Mag, NBC, Buzzfeed, and more in one year for my own business, I led with that offer - and am grateful that I have been able to secure clients nearly instantly," she said of launching her new PR consulting offering.
3. Remind everyone in your network what you do
Jay Clouse
Jay Clouse.
"The best thing that I've been able to do (and have helped my freelance students to do) is reconnect and rekindle relationships with their advocates," said Jay Clouse of Freelancing School. "Advocates are people who are already predisposed to refer you - past clients, current clients, former coworkers, colleagues, friends, and family."
You could reach out to them with a tried-and-true email template sharing what you do (including an update on any new services you've decided to offer), or you could just ask to catch up.
"Reconnect with them and ask a lot of questions: How are they doing? Where are they struggling? Inevitably, they will either bring up a problem you can help them with or ask how you are doing and how they can help. This is an invitation to share that you're looking for freelance work," Clouse explained.
4. Target the industries that need the work right now
"What we've discovered from the freelancers still finding success is that many of them are temporarily pivoting the niche they work in to industries where companies are still marketing," said Woodcock. If you've lost clients in industries that are feeling the pressure right now, look to those who have actually had to ramp up in the past month, like online fitness companies or meal-prep and delivery services.
When taking this approach, don't be afraid to pitch companies who you think might be able to use your support, even if they're not actively hiring freelancers.
Lisa Lewis
Lisa Lewis.
"Now is actually a great time to be a freelancer, because many companies that are hesitant to extend full-time job offers may still need (and be able to afford) part-time support. Reaching out to companies that have frozen their hiring, or even companies that are currently hiring for full-time employees, and pitching a contract work agreement might be a win-win," suggested career coach Lisa Lewis. This master list of what companies are still hiring (or not) could be a good place to start for inspiration.
5. Look on unconventional job boards
If you're going to go outside your core network to search for opportunities, skip over the traditional sites, which are pretty saturated right now given the number of folks who have been laid off. Instead, look for more niche or community-oriented resources.
Facebook groups are a popular option, where you can search for industry-specific groups like Ad Buyers Job Board, and Binders Full of Writing Jobs or more general job posting groups like Dreamers // Doers: Jobs & Gigs. Some industries also have community Slack groups that could prove valuable right now.
"I reached out to some Facebook and Slack groups, offering a free 45-minute call to discuss their PR needs and see whether I could be of service. Within minutes, across multiple social networks, I had scheduled over 15 discovery calls," shared Smith.
Tom Blake
Tom Blake.
Some freelancers, like writer and founder of This Online World Tom Blake, also suggested Reddit. "Reddit ForHire and Reddit HireAWriter are two communities I frequent. While the pay can truly be all over the map, it's a great resource to have in your toolkit," he shared.
Finally, while many are wary of freelance marketplaces, it could be something to try now as a supplement.
Amy Matos
Amy Matos.
"I have had several invitations for jobs on Upwork since the crisis started," shared consultant and content strategist Amy Matos."If you use those sites, keep your profiles up to date. If you're not on those sites, consider setting up a free profile because people who are new to hiring freelancers are probably going to turn to these sites first."
6. Use this as an opportunity to launch new revenue streams
This downtime from client work could also be a time to launch new revenue streams - especially passive ones - that could help you now as well as in the future. Photographer Thompson shared she's made the most money during this time from launching on-demand printed products from some of her work.
"People can order prints in various sizes, on t-shirts, pillows, mugs, and more, and they're processed by Order a Print, which means I don't have to worry about facilitating the prints myself and can focus on other ways to generate leads," she said. "I'm using social media to promote the store and so far I've seen a big uptick in traffic to my website."
Have an online class you've been wanting to launch? An ebook you've thought of writing? Now could be the perfect time to work on putting it out to the world.
7. Offer lower-cost or flexible payment options
Tiffany Dyba
Tiffany Dyba.
While I completely agree with the Freelancers Union that coronavirus is no excuse for client nonpayment, I also completely agree with career coach Tiffany Dyba that this is a time to have a lot of empathy for what other people are going through - especially if you tend to work with other small businesses that may be struggling right now.
Dyba shared that "offering discounts and being very flexible with potential clients has helped me," so if you can afford to give a small break in your pricing or set up flexible payment plans right now, it's worth considering.
If you don't want to lower the prices for your standard work, think if you can offer a more affordable package.
"My typical services are high-ticket, one on one, done-for-you services," shared content strategist Matos. "Though I have still booked those jobs … I created, launched, and sold a lower-cost group membership to give clients who still need help but can't put me on an expensive retainer some new options."
If you have the financial padding, another option is to take this time with less client work as an opportunity to work on all those long-term business development projects - like updating your website, pitching podcasts, or launching a blog for content marketing - so you can really come out ahead when this is all through.
Finally, if you're really having a hard time finding work right now, it's worth noting that the Coronavirus Aid, Response, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) extended unemployment benefits to freelancers and other self-employed folks for the first time ever. While the process is challenging given the influx of people filing for unemployment, it is a good resource to know about for support if nothing else is panning out. (You are also entitled to paid sick leave and emergency family leave for the first time if coronavirus impacts your ability to work.)
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