8 Ways to Market Yourself as a Freelancer
Building your personal brand through an online portfolio has never been as important every bit information technology is today. More than simply showcasing your latest works or achievements, it'southward a fashion to stand out among a sea of talented, go-getters.
An online portfolio is recommended not only for freelancers simply also for career shifters, college students and basically anyone who wants to make their presence known on the Web. At present, it's easier than ever to be discovered through your personal blog or website. So easy in fact, that a LOT of people are doing it.
But competition doesn't terminate with the hundreds of domains being created every minute. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), there are more than 53 million Americans who are entering the freelance industry. That means one in every three.
So how do you lot ensure maximum success with your online portfolio if you're competing with millions?
The reply is elementary: make it search engine-friendly.
1. Pick a Suitable Platform for Your Online Portfolio
It all begins with the platform you choose.
- First, place your NICHE and search for suitable platforms in that manufacture.
- Second, check for FEATURES – especially for mobile compatibility.
- Third, see if it fits your BUDGET and unique CONTENT requirements.
For example: if you're a blogger or researcher, sites like Contently would accommodate your needs best, because it was congenital specifically with this type of content in mind. For artists (i.e. designers, photographers, graphics creators, etc.), try Foliodrop or IM Creator. Don't forget to cheque if the platform offers a FREE version (with the power to upgrade anytime).
two. Decide on a Simple, Readable Domain Name
The K.I.S.S. dominion ever applies, especially when it comes to choosing domain names OR creating URLs for inner pages of your online portfolio. Elementary, readable URLs perform better because:
- People know immediately what to expect.
- Search engines (similar Google) prefer them due to usability.
The rule of the thumb is to become with your name or initials (i.e. algomez.com, alanson.contently.com). Only if you lot want to spice it upward, y'all can include your expertise or related terms that give clues to what you lot do (i.e. seoexpert.algomez.com, inquire-al.com). This is recommended if you have a common name.
3. Optimize Text AND Images
Keywords are NOT obsolete – you just demand to know HOW and WHERE to use them for maximum effect within your online portfolio. To know which keywords are being searched within your industry, use Google's Keyword Planner tool. Download the results, and pick the ones that are about relevant for use in your site.
But don't limit yourself to keywords. Long-class relevant terms sprinkled in strategic places around your portfolio tin can help increase chances of improve visibility on the Web. For instance: if you're an SEO consultant, endeavor scattering 'SEO consultant services' or 'what does an SEO consultant do' within your blog.
Y'all may besides use these keywords as filenames and alt-tags for photos in your online gallery. Optimizing images is a basic SEO technique that will help boost chances of your own images being institute on search results.
4. Include Proper Tags and Categories (for Blogs and Galleries)
If you lot have a personal blog or a photo gallery, group posts under the right category with appropriate tags does several good things, such as:
- Assist users easily and rapidly find your content
- Aid search engine crawlers properly align your content with relevant search terms
Information technology'south a pocket-size deed, but information technology has a large impact in the long run. Keep posts and photos organized for faster archiving as well.
5. Submit Your Online Portfolio for Indexing
With all the content that's being created every minute, it'southward not surprising that sometimes, search engines take a while to include your online portfolio (and its updates) in their database. Help Google out a fleck by submitting new pages to the Search Console.
If your portfolio is a full website, you can also make and present a Sitemap for faster indexing. Once your page has been indexed, it will appear on the search results.
6. Include Your Link in Writer Bios
Are y'all writing or contributing content to other websites? Brand sure to promote your online portfolio by including a link in your author byline, along with your social media accounts. This helps spread the word about your work best projects.
7. Share Your Portfolio on Social Media
Of form, don't forget well-nigh social media! Pin your online portfolio link to your Twitter page for maximum visibility. Practice the same on Facebook if you accept a business account (you can't Pivot on a personal account). Add a link to your LinkedIn profile besides.
A clever tip? Include a link when creating social media headers for your profiles.
This is a cute and creative manner to promote your portfolio without putting in a clickable link. Plus, it'll exist more noticeable every bit it's usually the showtime thing people lay eyes on whenever they visit a social media profile.
8. Stay Consistent
Ensure that your contact details and URLs are correct. Go on them up-to-date and consequent. This is especially important if you're managing multiple accounts (your website, web log, social media, etc.). Whenever you can, link them together so that search engines can recognize them every bit belonging to the same person.
Basic SEO will make your online portfolio user- and search engine-friendly. Don't worry almost Not being active everywhere. Focus your attending on your online portfolio (count your personal web log, if you take ane) and maybe two to iii social media accounts. This ensures maximum output from every platform you're maintaining.
Now, y'all'll exist set to be seen on the Web, beyond whatsoever device, anytime.
Source: https://www.lifehack.org/463362/8-ways-to-market-yourself-as-a-freelancer
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