Unfortunately a lot of people new to freelancing or considering the leap feel the way this YouTube video poster does (see the clip below). Freelancing can be an intimidating thing indeed–the staggering amount of work it can take to find clients and establish new relationships makes people want to look for short cuts in the that process.
Unfortunately, there are no short cuts. Word of mouth business, for example–something this video poster brings up–only comes when you’ve taken the time and care with your existing clients to generate that word of mouth buzz. The person in this video expresses hope for a shortcut by using a third party service, but such hopes are misguided for more reasons than just the obvious ones.
That’s because the Youtube clip winds up being a shill for a seemingly defunct company called ManifestingInMotionNow.com. The website returns a 404 Not Found error when you try to see the site. But freelancers can still learn a great deal from this video–especially when it comes to how NOT to market yourself or your company.
Marketing should be clear, direct, and to the point, and after watching this video, please tell us–were those qualities present here?
I remember when I first got started in freelancing a few years ago. It was a daunting thing but I got through it and now I’m navigating the waters pretty well even though I definitely haven’t seen the world yet, if you catch my drift. I’ve even helped a few others get on their feet!
Krysha, isn’t it a great feeling when you can do that? I love helping other people get started–I’ve always felt that the biggest hurdle in some respects is getting over the feeling that you’re out there going it alone. Freelancing isn’t for everyone, but I also think people don’t give themselves enough of a chance to succeed. The longer you hang in there, the better your chances.