How to Land Creative Freelance Jobs in 2022
Have you considered becoming a creative freelancer, but aren’t sure where to begin? We’re breaking down everything you need to know to start generating income with creative freelance jobs in 2022.
What Is a Creative Freelancer?
Becoming a creative freelancer means working for yourself and taking on clients for projects. Creative freelancing can take on many forms, from social media photography to logo design, photojournalism, wedding videography, and more. It’s worth considering your goals before deciding whether to launch a side hustle as a creative professional.
Nearly 60 million people do freelance work in the United States, but there is still plenty of room to jump in. If you have a passion for photography, videography, or graphic design and you’re interested in generating income on the side, then becoming a creative freelancer might be for you.
Nearly every business out there will need photographs or artwork at some point, whether they’re in need of a brand logo, display design, product images, or employee headshots. As a creative freelancer, you get to decide which of these projects you will take on, and you can turn down work that doesn’t line up with your interests.
Benefits of Creative Freelancing
Is becoming a creative freelancer something you’ve thought about before? Maybe you have a passion for photography, videography, or graphic design, but you don’t know where to start.
Whether you’re looking to transition your hobby into a full-time job, or you’re just interested in making money in your free time, the freelance lifestyle comes with plenty of benefits. Having the ability to develop an artistic style and express yourself, while also getting paid, is just the beginning. The perks of becoming a freelancer make this a lucrative opportunity for anyone with artistic talents and creative skills. Some of the biggest benefits include:
- Setting your own work schedule
- Generating income from your hobby
- Selecting your own clients
- Working with interesting clients from around the world
- Setting your own prices
If you have a skill, like photography or graphic design, then becoming a creative freelancer could be a great way to generate income from your hobby.
How to Start Freelancing
There’s much more involved in becoming a creative freelancer than snapping a few smartphone pictures and layering on a filter. Working as a creative freelancer can be an exciting career path. Not only will you get to explore diverse settings and set your own hours, but you will also interact with people from all walks of life. Creative freelancing allows you to maintain total control over your work and choose your own creative direction.
The internet is the best place to promote your freelance services. Digital marketplaces like Funnel make it easy to set up a portfolio for potential clients to view. Funnel is among the most successful freelance work marketplaces. With hundreds of photography and videography-related listings, gigs are divided into categories, so clients can find their ideal match. Funnel’s projects can be paid hourly or for a set price, short-term or long-term. Entry-level, intermediate, or expert-level creative professionals are all invited to list their services on the marketplace.
Advertising your services on Funnel is more cost effective than building a professional website from scratch. Although there are website builders that guide users through the setup and design process, ranking in search engines can be a challenge for individual business owners. The best strategy for freelancers who are just starting out is to set up a profile and portfolio using Funnel before taking the leap and investing in a full-fledged website.
Building a Professional Portfolio
Since art, videography, and photography are visual mediums, it’s important that all creative freelancers have updated portfolios. As you build your business, continue adding examples of recent work to your online portfolio. Having a high-quality portfolio is the single best way to grow a freelance business.
Online portfolios serve as a landing page for freelancers, giving potential clients a place to learn more about you and view examples of your past work. Clients should be able to reach out to you directly via email through your portfolio.
To give potential clients the clearest understanding of the type of projects you do, be sure to include relevant examples from a variety of previous clients. For example, if you are a photographer who is interested in a variety of assignments, don’t only include examples of your wedding photography or newborn photography. Including examples from as many different types of projects as possible will open the door to new possibilities and lead to growth in your business.
How to Price Your Services
Having a firm pricing structure is a must for creative freelancers. With a firm pricing structure in place, you can present your rates confidently to potential clients.
When pricing your services, take into account the cost of materials (computers, cameras, software, lenses), along with any travel or overhead costs you will incur on the assignment. Your personal time spent editing photos should be included, as well.
Take a look around the Funnel marketplace to get an idea of what other freelancers are charging. Freelancers with more work experience can usually charge more for their services. Unlike other industries, a freelancer’s geographic location is less important than experience and skill level when it comes to their hourly rates.
How to Overcome Roadblocks in Creative Freelancing
Just like any business, working as a creative freelancer comes with pros and cons. We’ve focused mainly on the pros until now, but there are downsides, as well.
Creative freelancing can be demanding, and learning how to be a freelancer means learning how to be a business owner at the same time. In addition to creative skill, you will need technical expertise and business acumen to achieve true success.
Creative professionals are expected to file taxes just like other businesspeople. If that isn’t something you’re comfortable with, there are cloud-based accounting systems you can use to help make filing freelance taxes easier.
You’ll also be responsible for finding clients, or advertising your services. It’s easier to find clients when you use a platform like Funnel. Funnel helps creative professionals promote their services with online profiles designed to showcase the service location, industry role, area of expertise, and hourly service rates.
Finally, as a freelancer you will be responsible for ensuring your tools (camera, photography studio, computer equipment) are working properly. Investing in the right equipment is an important part of being a professional. Thankfully, most freelancers find that they don’t need to spend too much money at first. Beginner photographers can even use their smartphones as learning tools until they purchase digital SLR cameras.
If you are interested in investing in new equipment, start with the best camera lenses, lighting, and camera lens filters you can afford. Photo and video management software is also a smart idea if you are juggling multiple clients at once.
Take Your Freelance Business to the Next Level
If you are interested in taking your videography, graphic design, or photography side hustle to the next level, building a profile on Funnel is the place to begin. Thousands of creative professionals use Funnel to display professional portfolios and connect with potential clients. To learn more about Funnel’s online marketplace for creative freelancers, click here.