One of the toughest challenges when you start working as a freelancer, is proving your expertise and your worth.
You might know everything there is to know in your particular field, but when you don’t have formal credentials to back it up with, you’ll have trouble accessing certain kinds of jobs.
This is why you’ll need to find ways to prove that you’re qualified to do the things you say you can. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to do that.
Here’s how you can prove your credentials as a freelancer.
Get Your House in Order
First of all, you need to stop seeing yourself simply as a freelance writer. You need to treat your freelance career as a business.
If you’re working as a sole proprietorship, consider forming an LLC. Have a professional website made and add as many testimonials as possible.
People take social proof very seriously and many will instantly trust you more once they see some of your clients’ stories. Stay on top of your license requirements and insurance.
Be ready to show proof of insurance whenever needed. You should consider getting industry certifications relevant to your field as well.
Have a Solid Portfolio
If you’re working as a graphic designer, website designer, or freelance writer, your portfolio will also help prove that you have the qualifications needed. This will allow people to see the scope of your work and what they can expect of you.
Your portfolio is what will ultimately do most of the selling for you and could eclipse any certifications you may or may not have.
If you have worked on lots of projects, you can use A/B testing to test different samples and see which ones get you more inquiries.
Sequence work in a way that takes people through a journey. You can start from simple projects to increasingly complex ones. You should also make your portfolio as simple as possible so you can let your work shine.
Start a Blog
Starting a blog is one of the best ways to show that you know what you’re talking about. It could also work as an extension of your portfolio depending on your niche.
You need to put your best work on there and become a resource to your core audience. The goal is to teach.
Once people have learned from you, they will start to trust your word more and you’ll have a better chance at converting them.
Learn and Practice
You should constantly be working on your craft and finding ways to learn. This way, you’ll become more well-rounded and you will start to receive glowing reviews for your work.
You need to also stay in touch with the recent changes and trends in your industry.
You don’t want your clients to know more about the business than you, or for you to draw a blank when they’re talking about new methods and practices.
You should also look for as many courses related to your field as you can and see if any of them will allow you to make your results public.
This alone could help you prove your expertise to someone who knows nothing about you. The more courses you take, the more you will extend your range of credentials and expertise in the field.
Get Published
Getting published in as many reputable publications as you can is the best way to establish authority in your field and become a thought leader.
If you know how to create quality work, getting published shouldn’t be that difficult. One of the simplest ways to get published is to approach blogs to see if you could write as a guest.
If you want to get a spot as a guest blogger, the first thing you have to do is get involved in the community.
Get active in comment sections and try to engage with the blog owner whenever they chime in. After a while, they will start to notice you and they may even take a liking to you. This will be your chance to make your proposal.
These are all things you can do to prove your credentials and expertise to your clients.
If you dedicate yourself to your craft and work on providing the best service to your clients, your credentials will shine through effortlessly.
Jonathon Spire
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