I Left My Job To Be A Full-Time Freelancer (How You Can Freelance Too!)
During the summer of 2017, I left my job to pursue a list of goals I’d set for myself at a young age. One of these things was to start my own business and the other was to take my outdoor obsession online.
I proceeded to do both.
Becoming a “freelancer” put me on a track of dreams. I went from a dreading Mondays to traveling the country, meeting incredible individuals and building an online audience. I’ve been paid to travel to amazing places, on TV shows, and am working a schedule I love.
I could spend hours going into the details; however, there is one question everyone seems the most interested in:
““How do you actually make money?””
Many people discuss their lifestyle, not many people discuss how they actually make their money.
Spoiler alert… it usually isn’t what people think it is.
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WHAT EXACTLY IS FREELANCING?
To understand how I make money, you first have to understand what I do. Freelancing can be so many things. The actual definition from the dictionary is:
Working for different companies at different times rather than being permanently employed by one company.
Therefore a “Freelancer” is a person who does freelance (works for different companies at different times). That’s exactly what I do.
It’s freedom, it’s risky, and it’s incredibly rewarding.
MY FREELANCE TITLE
I consider myself a freelance writer and blogger (special emphasis on blogger recently). However, blogging is about more than just sitting at home and writing about personal experiences. Instead, it’s a platform. It’s this platform that allows me to inform people, share information, build an audience, and provide services (such as writing).
As for you?
It’s important to remember that freelancing encompasses a scope of many different areas. The important thing is to determine which area is right for you.
OTHER FREELANCE OPTIONS
Freelancing for me has turned into blogging, marketing services, website design, and freelance writing. However, other freelance opportunities also include:
Consulting
Videography
Photography
Graphic Designer
Copywriting
Web Developing
Planning
Data Entry
Fundraising
Finance
& So many more
Take a look at what your expertise and interests are and invest energy learning about it. It’s the first step to determine which freelance option is the right one for you.
Then start a website/blog to help market your ideas and build a client base. Once you are serious, consider applying for your business LLC (learn about that right here.)
I also have a totally FREE resource to starting your own website that you can find right here!
HOW I MAKE MONEY
BLOGGING
In basic, a blog creates an audience, builds trust, and then blogger’s use that audience’s trust to convert to an income. This often requires using multiple methods and sources to make a decent profit.
The very first thing I did was start a blog and invest in weekly content. It is absolutely crucial that you develop a content strategy (photos, videos, writing, etc..) that can support your business. As a freelance writer, this is a portfolio. As a web designer, this is where I can show off my expertise and experience.
I invested in a quality blog and you should too.
With that said, I make money from three primary sources (with a few others trickled in):
Services (web design, freelance writing, marketing consulting).
Affiliates
Promotion
These three have been the easiest for me. It’s also the combination of the three that give me a decent income.
You can read more about this in my article: How Blogger’s Make Money.
SERVICES
My number one source of income is through services (which is generated from my blog or social media exposure). This includes:
Website development
Freelance writing
VA tasks
There are obviously other opportunities as mentioned above. Figure out what’s best for you and offer it.
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AFFILIATE MARKETING
Affiliate marketing is my second greatest source of income. This is also my absolute favorite way of making money. If you aren’t familiar, affiliate marketing is where you get a commission for recommending products to your readers. These recommended products are tracked through links. When a purchase is made through this link you get paid a commission.
This means it is flexible, passive, and can pay off quickly. In fact, the work I put in months ago involving affiliates still pays off today.
Speaking of affiliates, there are two courses I recommend to help you learn and expand your own income. These are:
Both courses are incredibly beneficial to any blogger and are a great step in the right direction to passive income.
PROMOTION
Promotion makes up the smallest part of my income but it’s the most entertaining. Here I provide value and content for businesses in exchange for payment. Even though this is the smallest portion of the my income, it’s the most exciting.
This works by creating an audience that trusts your brand. By building up my Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts I provide value through influence. Taking high quality photos and video of a product I use also provides value - and is redeemed with a payment.
Therefore, I’m actually getting paid for social media promotion, YouTube videos, working sport shows, and giving seminars. This value is derived through my brand on social media - also a form of blogging.
THE FOUNDATION OF ONLINE SUCCESS
All of these are pretty simple ways to make money online.
However, finding success with these platforms takes time and dedication. Building up an audience and becoming an authority also takes significant time.
Below is a quick 10 step process to help you start your online business, too.
Create a blog (or platform) that allows you to build an audience, advertise services, and show off your expertise.
Create quality content and create it consistently (blog or make videos).
Create an online audience and build their trust through social media platforms (get on social media and start posting).
Use Pinterest (for nearly any niche) for steady traffic.
Promote, promote, and promote your content!
Add affiliates, products, and services that match your goals and mindset to your articles.
Keep your blog up to date by keeping content, services, and your media kit current
Keep advertising these services.
NEVER be afraid to reach out to businesses and bloggers. Pitching is part of freelancing.
Stay the course. This will NOT happen overnight. It takes trying, learning, and improving.
These all seem simple; however, it’s amazing how many people DON’T follow them all.
Follow them.
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