Freelancefolder

How to Improve Your Productivity Using Agile Techniques

Posted September 10, 2010 in How-To, Programming

Improved productivity is the goal of every freelancer.

Ever since I started my one-man business, I have looked for ways to improve my productivity and get things done faster. There were a couple of methods that seemed to lead to small improvements, but overall none of them proved efficient.

That is, until I discovered agile techniques. In this post, I’ll discuss some of the ways that agile techniques can help improve a freelancer’s productivity. Specifically, I’ll look at agile methods in general and at Scrum methodology.

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How to Land More Projects with Smarter Follow-Up Steps

Posted September 3, 2010 in How-To, Marketing

You’ve prepared a solid proposal for a new prospect. You’ve covered all your bases and made a convincing case for why you’re the ideal person for the project.

Now the waiting begins.

A day goes by without a call back. Then another. And another. You’re beginning to wonder if the prospect received your email. Maybe she went with someone else?

Should you call? Should you wait another day or two? Will following up make her think you’re desperate for work? But what if you don’t call? Will she think you’re not interested?

While there’s no one right approach to following up on proposals, the key to any follow-up process is to strike a balance. Sure, you want the work. But, you don’t want to turn off the prospect or client with too many follow-up calls and emails.

By following the steps below, I’ve been able to significantly increase my success rate and reduce the number of opportunities that seem to go nowhere. (Note: for the sake of convenience, I’ll be referring to the prospect as “she.”)

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15 Ways to Get Inspired

Posted August 20, 2010 in How-To, Inspiration

Inspiration is vital to freelancers. It is what makes our ideas stand out from those of our competition.

Yet, if we’re not careful, we can lose that inspiration.

It happens to the best of us. We set aside time to work on a specific project and just aren’t feeling it. Instead of spending the day twiddling your thumbs or whittling your time away on Facebook and Twitter, try one of these approaches to get prolific prose on the page. These tips are for freelance writers, but other freelancers will find them useful as well.

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Doing the Little Things to Please Clients

Posted August 19, 2010 in How-To, Managing Clients

Read any post on this site and you’ll find a million dos and don’ts of how to treat clients and how to go the extra mile to please them.

In my experience, I’ve noticed something strange–clients are more likely to notice the little extra things you do for them than the big ones.

I’ve always been a strong supporter of not doing any spec work and I always charge the client for work outside of the contract. But, we can offer our clients other little extras that they’ll appreciate just as much.

So what are some little things you can offer your clients?

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5 Quick SEO Tips to Help Freelancers Get Higher Search Engine Rankings

Posted August 12, 2010 in How-To, Tools/Resources

Search Engine Optimization is a long-term process that heavily involves on-page optimization, link building and other SEO techniques. Generally acquiring quality links is harder and more time-consuming compared to the on-page optimization. That’s why on-page optimization is a great white-hat way to boost your rankings in a short period of time.

In this post, we will review five quick & easy SEO tips that can help you improve the rankings of your website in the major Search Engines.

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How to Use Your Ideal Client Profile to Strengthen Your Business

Posted August 9, 2010 in How-To, Marketing

Just the other day, I was advising a new freelancer about how to jumpstart his freelancing career.

One of the first suggestions I made was for him to get crystal clear on who his Ideal Client was.

Your Ideal Client is the embodiment of the one person you would be happiest working with.

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How to Really Use Twitter to Find More Freelance Work

Posted August 8, 2010 in How-To, Social Media

“Twitter is vital to finding freelancing work.”

“Twitter a waste of time.”

If you’ve been around the freelancing community very long, you’ve probably heard both comments. But, which is it? Is Twitter an important way to find way for freelancers to find work, or is it a waste of a freelancer’s time?

The answer is…it depends.

It’s certainly possible to waste time on Twitter if you use it carelessly. It’s also possible to find work through Twitter. In this post we’ll discuss the how to make the most of Twitter as a job hunting and networking tool. If you’re interested in wasting time, I think you can figure that one out on your own. ;)

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How to Become a Successful Freelancer When You’re “Different”

Posted July 26, 2010 in Getting Started, How-To

“Currently, I am a teacher, but want to make the gradual transition from the classroom to the freelance commercial writing arena,” an aspiring freelancer recently emailed me.

“However, because I lack a marketing background, I am concerned that clients may be hesitant to hire me. How can I transition from academia to this type of writing career?”

That’s a valid concern—one that some of you may also have if you’re exploring the freelance path. And while neither an email response nor a blog post will do the topic justice, I can at least provide you with some general direction and advice.

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The Difference between Fluff and Interesting Content

Posted July 23, 2010 in How-To, Writing

Freelance writing sounds like a great way to improve your writing and make some money on the side. Many people who are truly interested in writing choose freelancing, because it allows them to write on a variety of subjects and get paid for it. Unfortunately, the reality is that freelancing rarely gives you the opportunity to write interesting content, or let you choose your own subjects.

Because of this, most freelancers end up developing a boring writing style. They can pump out tons of content in a short amount of time, but it all sounds the same, and nothing is gained from reading these articles. These writers excel at writing “fluff,” but have problems writing actual quality content. This trend towards fluff is unfortunate, because many high paying freelance jobs require an engaging writing style, so when the time comes for you to apply for these types of jobs, your writing style will be inadequate.

In this post, I’ll explain how to develop an engaging writing style and keep yourself from writing fluff.

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