Freelance Interview Series – Hiring Freelancers With Jimmy Daly

Freelance Interview Series – Hiring Freelancers With Jimmy Daly

by | Jan 21, 2022 | Blog, Resources

Jimmy Daly is the co-founder of Superpath, a digital community that helps over 5,000 content marketers and creators connect and grow their careers together. Before founding Superpath, Jimmy spent over five years managing content marketing programs at companies like Animalz, QuickBooks, and Vero. He has a wide range of experience working with freelancers—and a bit of experience as a freelancer himself.

We interviewed Jimmy to find out what the freelance hiring process is like on the other side. He gave us the scoop and shared his best tips on how to navigate it more smoothly and build trust with your clients as a freelancer.

Hiring Freelancers with Jimmy Daly

1. What criteria do you use to determine if you should hire a freelancer vs a full-time employee? 

What I’ve found in my work at Superpath—and before that at Animalz—is that this is not always the question that companies are trying to assess. Sometimes they’re trying to decide if they should hire a full-time content person or an agency. But the most common scenario I find is that companies bring on a content manager or a content lead and then let that person figure out how to actually execute the work.

The content leader then goes out and assesses: Should we bring on a content creator in-house? Should we bring on a freelancer or a couple of freelancers? Or should we hire an agency? And then usually they end up with a mix of those three things. So if you’re deciding between hiring a freelancer or a full-time employee, I would say don’t hire freelancers to write until you have someone that can manage those freelancers.

I’ve seen quite a few arrangements go badly when a marketing director hires freelance writers and just isn’t able to give them enough guidance for them to be successful. So let the in-house content person figure out how to run the process, how to create content briefs, who’s going to do the work, etc. Let someone who really has expertise in that area and time focus on it.

2. When you start looking for a new freelancer, where do you go to find them?

Personally, I go to our Slack community, because there are lots of freelancers participating and I’ve had quite a bit of success finding good folks there. If you work in content marketing or you’re a freelance writer, the community is a valuable place to hang out because it’s easy to make those connections.

Before I had that, I relied on LinkedIn and Twitter. Generally, networking with people is a good way to find freelancers. I have used job boards to hire freelancers as well, with mixed results. You just run into the same problem that you do when you’re hiring anyone: You’re likely to get a bunch of applications and then you have to sort through them and vet them. It’s a little cumbersome. The networking approach is nice because you can just rely on word of mouth. It’s a great way to validate whether or not a person has a track record of doing good work.

This is part of the reason we’re launching a marketplace at Superpath. We’re connecting companies to freelancers and we’re doing the vetting for you. We’re also running everything through a process that we’ve tested and know for a fact generates good content on a regular basis. So we can take some of that off your plate—finding the people, vetting them, and making sure the processes are sound.

3. Give us an example of a way you’ve improved your process of working with freelancers over time?

At one point I had a team of 15 freelancers, and I learned pretty quickly that if you don’t set very, very, very clear expectations and give the writer everything you could possibly give them, you will likely be frustrated with the end result. Without those clear expectations, and without a great deal of context, the freelancer is forced to go out and figure it all out on their own. It doesn’t mean they can’t create good work. It just means it may not meet your expectations.

So we started off with these very basic outlines that I would send freelancers, and over time those developed into very robust content briefs. As that process improved, it significantly reduced the number of revisions and back-and-forths. In the beginning, I would get a lot of articles back where I was like, Oh my gosh, I’m supposed to publish this in two days. It has to be totally ripped apart.

After a few months, that just wasn’t happening anymore. You get to know freelancers, you work better together, and you get through that learning curve. But a good process makes those relationships work so much more smoothly.

4. If you could give freelancers looking for a new gig advice, what would you tell them?

Tip #1: Pick relevant work samples and offer context.

I’m on the hunt for freelancers right now for our marketplace. I’m collecting writing samples, and so many people just send me a link to a portfolio with a dozen things. That’s not helpful to me at all. So I changed the copy in our intake form to say: Send me three links to published pieces but don’t send me a portfolio. Show me your best work. Show me where it’s been published.
Also, give me some context. Who else was involved in this? I find that some freelancers want their portfolios to speak for itself. I disagree because I don’t know who else was involved with the projects in your portfolio. I don’t know if you came up with this amazing idea on your own and did the heavy lifting, or if you were handed an awesome idea. Be honest with your context, it’ll make the relationship go a lot smoother.

Tip #2: Diversify your income.

This is actually coming from my own experience as a freelancer, which was a disaster. I left a job to pursue freelancing and realized quickly that it was not for me. The takeaway for me was that freelancers should aim to create a few different sources of income. I found myself just selling my time constantly. I was writing so much trying to earn the same amount of money that I was earning at the job I had just left.

Had I pursued freelancing for a longer period of time, I would have started by building out courses, eBooks, coaching… There are so many different ways that you can earn revenue beyond writing. I would encourage freelancers to think about building some of those out from the very beginning, especially as they develop expertise in certain areas. Be thinking early on about how you can diversify what you offer. That will create a buffer that makes it easier for you to be very picky about the projects you work on.

Check out the latest on Superpath’s new marketplace here or follow Jimmy on Twitter to follow along. 

Freelance Interview Series – Parental Leave With Kat Boogaard

Freelance Interview Series – Parental Leave With Kat Boogaard

by | Jan 11, 2022 | Blog, Resources

Kat Boogaard is a freelance writer who specializes in creating digital content around careers, productivity, entrepreneurship, and self-development. With years of experience as a solopreneur, Kat is highly in tune with the ins and outs of freelancing. Outside of her client work, she creates incredible resources to help other freelancers grow their businesses and manages a weekly newsletter where she shares project leads, tips, and tools for freelancing smarter.

In April 2020, in the thick of the pandemic, Kat had her first child. She’d been planning her freelance maternity leave for months—creating detailed checklists, readying her clients, and ensuring all her projects could wrap up in advance of her due date. Nothing prepares you to navigate a pandemic with a newborn, but Kat’s careful preparation made a world of difference, and today she’s sharing her hard-earned wisdom on how to handle maternity leave as a freelancer.

Parental Leave with Kat Boogaard

1. How did you approach your maternity leave with your clients? For freelancers with retainer-based clients, there is a fear that they will lose clients if they take 3 months off. Was that a concern for you?

 

I feel fortunate that I work with the majority of my clients on a steady, recurring basis—like one blog post per week or two blog posts per month, for example. With that said, I don’t actually have any “retainer-based” clients in the true sense of the word. Even those regular and steady clients pay me project rates.

Both times I’ve planned my maternity leave, I’ve taken a similar approach. I look at my list of current clients and break them into two groups:

Group A: Clients that work with me on a regular schedule.Group B: Clients that occasionally send me projects on a sporadic schedule.

For clients in “Group B,” figuring out how to handle my leave was pretty easy. I simply sent them an email telling them the dates I’d be taking maternity leave, that I’d be unavailable to contribute content during that time, and that I’d reconnect with them when I returned. That hasn’t been a big deal, as those clients don’t rely on me steadily anyway.But, for clients in “Group A,” I send them an email that spells out some options: They can either press “pause” on receiving content from me during my leave and I’ll resume when I return, or they can opt to have me work ahead on content to cover my own leave. I give them a firm timeline of when I’d need advanced assignments and work closely with them to make sure we both get what we need.

Fair warning: The bulk of my clients opt to work ahead (which I understand), and it makes for a wild few months before I sign off. But, it’s worth it to know that I’m approaching my leave as strategically as possible—and earning a big chunk of money before I sign off for a few months.

As far as the fear of losing clients, I think that’s always there for any freelancer. The first time I took leave, I really worried that all of my best clients would replace me or drop me while I was out and those fears were compounded by the fact that my leave lined up exactly with the early days of the pandemic.But, that didn’t happen. And in fact, my business bounced back from my leave even stronger than it was before. So, I have some newfound confidence as I approach my parental leave this time!

2. How did you decide on the amount of time you’d take off for leave?

 

This was a big struggle for me the first time around. Obviously, I had never had a baby before and had no clue what to expect. I remember originally thinking that I’d take two or three weeks off before getting back to work and I laugh hysterically at the thought now. I can’t even imagine.

I ended up taking about two and a half months off for my first leave and am planning to take about the same amount of time off this time (likely a little closer to a full three months).

I think three months is often looked at as the “standard” for most people who take parental leave. But, when I was figuring out how much time I’d need the first time, I actually crowdsourced opinions on Twitter. As you’d expect, people’s opinions and experiences ran the gamut—some took weeks and others took an entire year or more.

However, one thing I took away from that input was that the best thing I could do was plan for more time than I thought I’d need. That’s what encouraged and inspired me to up my plans from two weeks to over two months. I doubted I’d take the whole time at first, but I did and I needed every second of it!

3. How did you plan financially for your time off? Most freelancers express nervousness about the lack of income during parental leave.

 

This was another big concern for me. I’m fortunate that my husband has a traditional full-time job that’s steady and comes with a great income. But, that doesn’t mean that my income is nothin’ but frosting for us.

Most people who don’t understand freelance life are usually surprised to learn that my husband and I are pretty much equal earners for our family. I guess I technically earn more, but he carries our benefits which are obviously huge.Because I contribute financially to our family in a pretty significant way (and am happy and proud to!), it’s not necessarily realistic for me to not earn anything for a three-month span of time—even longer, when you consider that it takes a while to get back into the work groove, deliver work to clients, actually invoice for it, and then receive those payments in your bank account.

That’s exactly why I extended the option to “work ahead” to many of my clients. That not only allows me to “cover” my own leave so they don’t need to find a replacement or alternative arrangements while I’m out (they just publish the backlog of work I submitted ahead of time), but it also gives me the chance to rake in way more income in those last couple of months before my leave.

I stash that money in a dedicated savings account so that we can draw from that as my “income” during the course of my leave. My husband and I are super honest and upfront communicators about money, so we sat down together with a spreadsheet (he’s an actuary, so he loves a good spreadsheet) to come up with a savings goal for how much we’d need for us to feel comfortable during my time off.

It gives us both some much-needed peace of mind! Bringing a new baby home is stressful enough, so we do everything we can to work out the financial logistics ahead of time.

4. How did you feel on your return from leave? Did you ease into things or go back into freelancing full time after your time months off?

 

The first time I took leave, I was almost ready to go back. I probably could’ve gone for another week or two of time off, but all in all, I feel like the time I took off was pretty satisfactory.

I was excited to get back into the swing of things! Granted, my “work-life” was still a little bizarre at that point. I went back to work in July of 2020, which meant my husband and I were both sharing our home office and kept our baby in that same office between us (since we weren’t yet comfortable sending him to daycare in those early months of the pandemic). Even with those bizarre circumstances, I jumped right back in full force. I wanted my clients to know that I was coming back swinging and I was also eager to start bringing in some income again.

This time around, I think I’ll resist the urge to shout, “I’M BAAAAAACK! GIVE ME WORK!!!” from the mountaintops and take a slightly slower, more deliberate approach to fill my plate again. We’ll see how that goes!

5. What additional advice do you have for freelancers who are taking maternity & paternity leave?

 

Oh gosh, there are so many things I could say. But, here are a few important nuggets I want to remind people of:

Plan early. I notified my clients about my pregnancy right around the same time I shared the news publicly with everyone else. Shortly after, I sent an email announcing my intentions for my leave—despite the fact that it was still months away. All of my clients appreciate the clear communication and advanced planning, and it saves us all from a frantic scramble.

Don’t apologize. Taking an extended break from work can sometimes inspire some feelings of guilt or shame, and I think that’s especially true when you’re a freelancer who feels obligated to serve your clients above all else. But, welcoming a new member to your family (however it happens) is a huge deal, and you deserve to enjoy that time completely guilt-free. Don’t apologize for taking the time you need, whatever that looks like for you.

Roll with the punches. I planned my first maternity leave to the letter. Detailed timelines, canned email responses—you name it, I had it queued up and ready to go. And then? I had my son an entire month early at the start of a global pandemic. Two things I definitely didn’t see coming. There’s a lot to be said for careful planning (hey, I’m a planner to my very core). But you also need to recognize that babies have their own plans and schedules, and you’re going to need to be willing to release your grip on those carefully-crafted plans and remain a little flexible.

Read Kat’s full post on her maternity leave here or follow her on Twitter to follow along with her daily wisdom and advice for freelancers.

42 Freelancers to Follow on Twitter Today

42 Freelancers to Follow on Twitter Today

by | Dec 1, 2021 | Blog, Resources

Having a thriving community can make all the difference as a freelancer. When you put time and energy into building your network, it can reward you tenfold. The freelancers you connect with and learn from are experiencing the same highs and lows as you. They can comfort you on the tough days, inspire you on the best days, and swap notes and funny stories in between.

Since Twitter is such a thriving spot to connect with other freelancers, we thought we’d give you a starting list of awesome humans to follow. These people are tweeting about freelancing on the reg, and we’ve learned a ton just from following them.

Follow these awesome freelancers on Twitter for tips, ideas, and real-talk about freelance life!

1. Nia Gyant (@optimized3x) tweets about freelancing and how to create effective messaging for your business and your clients.

2. Kat Boogaard (@kat_boogaard) tweets about freelance tips and resources. She offers a weekly newsletter with job leads and great content to help you expand your business.

3. Kaleigh Moore (@kaleighf) tweets about how to write well and freelance smarter. She specializes in writing for retail, eCommerce, and related SaaS, and offers content team scaling consulting services.

4. Emma Siemasko (@EmmaFayeS) writes about managing a freelance business, and helps brands “tell real stories from real people.” She creates case studies, long-form content, and web copy, in addition to coaching freelance writers.

5. Matthew Gattozzi (@MatthewGattozzi) tweets about content, social media, and his life as an entrepreneur. He creates photo and video content for direct-to-consumer brands.

6. Codi Johnson (@Codishaa) tweets about social media marketing and helps small business owners and entrepreneurs elevate their social media strategy.

7. Tom Basgil (@TomBasgil) tweets about social media, lead gen, and freelancing insights. He helps “regular folks become successful freelancers,” offering social media freelance services.

8. Rosemary Egbo (@rosemaryegbo) tweets about content creation and how to write well. As a content writer and strategist, she creates and distributes content to help businesses grow.

9. Kaitlyn Arford (@kaitarford) tweets about publishing and writing and her life as an award-winning freelance journalist.

10. Sara Beam (@itssarabeam) tweets about CRM design and sales enablement, and helps companies strengthen their customer relationship management processes as a CRM consultant.

11. Meira Gebel (@MeiraGebel) tweets about how to get started and make money as a freelancer. She helps freelancers get paid through OutVoice Pay, which offers payment solutions for publishers and the freelancers they hire.

12. Chauntelle JN LEwis (@cjnlewis_) tweets about Diversity and Inclusion (D&I), corporate culture, and community, and works as a D&I consultant and Inclusive Communities Manager.

13. Allison Grinberg-Funes (@agracefulgrin) tweets about web and UX writing, marketing, and novels, and works as a freelance writer and “idea catalyst.”

14. Laura Smith (@ellastcomms) tweets about copywriting and branding, and offers freelance copywriting services, including charity copywriting, small business copywriting, branding, and a copywriting course.

15. Masooma Memon (@inkandcopy) tweets about her journey as a freelancer, and works as a freelance writer for B2B SaaS companies.

16. Brooklin Nash (@realBrookNash) tweets about content marketing and creates “B2B content that WON’T make you sick and kill you.” The tag line should be enough for you to give him a follow.

17. Catherine Jones (@cleanslatecopy) tweets about copywriting, branding, writing, and more, and works as a freelance copywriter, brand strategist, and writing coach, helping you “write your future.”

18. Adrienne Barnes (@AdrienneNakohl) tweets about buyer personas and content strategies, offering freelance content marketing services to businesses.

19. Rachel Vandernick (@VandernickR) tweets about marketing and freelancing and offers digital strategy consulting to beauty, retail, and travel brands.

20. Wudan Yan (@wudanyan) tweets about creating a brighter world for freelancers and works as a freelance journalist, fact-checker, business coach, grant writer, and public speaker.

21. Komal Ahuja (@Komallahuja) tweets about freelancing, writing, and content marketing, working as a freelance writer for B2B SaaS brands.

22. Elise Dopson (@elisedopson) tweets about SaaS content creation, mentors freelancers, runs Help a B2B Writer, and works as a freelance writer for B2B SaaS brands.

23. Michelle Garrett (@PRisUs) tweets about small business marketing, PR, and freelance writing, and works as a freelance writer and PR consultant for B2B tech brands.

24. Tiffany Regaudie (@tregaudie) tweets about health, business, and marketing, and works as a content consultant and writer for brands in these industries.

25. Michael Keenan (@upmostmike) tweets about freelance content writing and is focused on helping other content writer grow their business. He also is half of Peak Freelance, a community for freelance writers.

26. Stefan Palios (@stefanpalios) tweets about how to create sustainable businesses and offers freelancer coaching, courses on growth and sales, and freelance writing services for businesses.

27. Megan Reyes (@megreyes_) tweets about sports marketing, social media, and branding. She is a content creator for sports media and the host of the AMPLIFIED podcast.

28. Alyssa Towns (Swantkoski) (@wordswithalyssa) tweets about productivity, personal growth, and wellness, and works as a freelance writer.

29. Dominic Kent (@DomKent) is a freelance content marketer who regularly shares tips and tricks with other freelancers. Expect everything from grammar suggestions to ways to avoid burnout.

30. Whitney Popa (@whitpopa), in her own words, is focused on building cool brands and raising good humans. She’s also one half of The Coast podcast which highlights freelancers, solopreneurs, and business owners who have chosen to create their own path.

31. Erin Booth (@ErinBoothVA) is a coach and virtual assistant who regularly tweets about how to grow your freelance business and leveraging VAs to do so.

32. Bani Kaur (@banikaur1997) is a content marketing expert that regularly tweets her advice and tips for content marketers, other freelancers, and growing B2B companies.

33. Jenni Gritters (@jenni_gritters) is a business coach for freelance creatives and one half of The Writer’s Co-op. You’ll find us regularly retweeting her posts that focus on empathy and anti-hustle culture.

34. Ankit Vora (@wordsbyankit) tweets about all things content writing and freelance. He’s always RTing and supporting other freelancers who also share marketing insights and ideas.

35. Adrienne Sheares (@AdriSheares) shares everything from social media tips to funny memes and gifs. Follow her for an authentic view of freelancing and running your own biz.

36. Sharanya (@sharanyamanola) tweets about marketing, motherhood, and writing. Follow along for tips, ideas, and funny (relatable!) thoughts on being a mom and a freelancer.

37. Melissa King (@LongLiveMelKing) is a freelance content marketer. She shares her and others’ work openly. (Thanks for the love, Melissa!)

38. Michelle Jackson (@michlovesmoney) tweets about building wealth as a female solopreneur and is the founder of the Michelle is Money Hungry Podcast where she hosts weekly financial conversations that are led with equity.

39. Maria West (@mariabestwest) is a copywriter for parenting brands in e-commerce and tech who tweets about her freelance career and her experience being a mother to her two boys.

40. Ashley Cummings (@ashleyrcummings) shares her wisdom and lessons learned during her 11 years of freelancing on Twitter and in her weekly newsletter. If you’re looking for advice from someone who gets it, give her a follow.

41. Corrie Oberdin (@corrieoberdin) is a social strategist and content developer for organizations that prioritize sustainable social media programs. She’s always RTing and supporting other fellow freelancers.

42. Matthew Fenton (@matthew_fenton) tweets about all things branding and business planning on his personal account, and shares strategies and tips for longevity, balance, and success on his other account, @winningsolo.

Have you followed all of our friends yet? Great. Our job here is done. We hope the next time you log into Twitter, you leave feeling jazzed and inspired by all the awesome humans filling your feed.

 

Meet Harlow Founders, Andrea and Samantha

Meet Harlow Founders, Andrea and Samantha

by | Nov 22, 2021 | Blog, Resources

We’re Samantha and Andrea, the founders of Harlow. In 2014, we met at Campaign Monitor, where we both worked in marketing. Andrea ultimately became the CMO and Samantha ran marketing for the self-service business. We both learned and grew a ton there, and eventually reached a place where we wanted more freedom and flexibility. So in 2018, we left Campaign Monitor to found a boutique consulting business (which is just our fancy way of saying we decided to freelance).

At our new company, Interimly, we experienced the ups and downs of freelancing first-hand. On top of supporting our clients, we were running a small business, and there’s a whole lot of (usually unpaid) work that goes into that: following up with prospects, creating proposals, chasing down invoices, and on and on.

We experienced the ups and downs of freelancing first-hand.

Even though we had a strong handle on the business and were growing our client base, the day-to-day management definitely wasn’t streamlined. We were watching other freelancers struggle and juggle the same responsibilities. All of us were attempting to manage complex workflows using a mishmash of different software and tools. The more we talked to our peers, the clearer our shared challenges became.

In early 2021, we got serious about solving some of these issues. After talking to a number of our freelancing friends, it became clear that there really wasn’t a fan favorite tool or solution out there specifically for the B2B freelancer. We have to navigate corporate HR departments, advocate for reasonable payment terms (Net 45 is NOT reasonable!), and sometimes work with multiple internal stakeholders rather than a single human.

We want to help freelancers transform their work lives.

And that’s why we started Harlow. We want to give freelancers like us an all-encompassing tool that would make managing their businesses a cinch, so they wouldn’t have to open ten browser tabs to run their business. We want to help freelancers manage and organize their day-to-day operations, get a full view into their clients, and get paid for the work they do – all in one centralized hub.

The more we talked through our vision, the more we recognized the opportunity to not only help freelancers upgrade their lives through the software they use, but also give them the resources they need to run their business—and by deepening our participation in this sprawling community—we could help magnify and advocate for our freelance pals.

We don’t just want to make software. We want to help freelancers transform their work lives. We want to help them find the pleasure and flow that can seem so unattainable when you’re managing everything from A to Z. And, we want to support them in finding and building supportive connections. (It can be lonely out there.)

We were lucky enough to have a strong network of fierce female freelancers to tap into for advice when we built Interimly, but not many people have that when they’re first starting out. So while we build this amazing software to help freelancers manage their day-to-day and get paid, we also want to create a supportive space for freelancers to grow—a resource for them to find answers, connect over common challenges, and experience solidarity.

We’re just beginning our journey with Harlow, but it’s already been so rewarding. We’re grateful to have lots of people behind us, supporting us in building this company. In September, we closed our first funding round of $1.15M to help us do just that. It was an incredible moment of celebration and affirmation for the months of focus we’ve put into this venture. This investment will help us turn our vision into a very real solution that will help so many amazing freelancers do better work and live happier lives.

Thanks for joining us on this wild ride. Be sure to join our newsletter and stay up to date on all things Harlow.

    How to Build Your Network

    How to Build Your Network

    by | Sep 18, 2021 | Freelancer 101, Guides

    Ask any successful freelancer (or any successful human, period) and they’ll probably tell you that networking has been essential to their career growth. The connections we form both professionally and personally can open doors for us.

    If you’re already shuddering at the prospect of putting yourself out there, we hear you. The idea of sending a cheery DM or suggesting a “chat over coffee” can be daunting, especially for the introverts among us. Plus, for lots of people, the term networking evokes memories of canned conversations with suited strangers at poorly attended mixers.

    But before you write off the idea, hold up—we have some networking suggestions that can make the whole experience a lot more pleasant and set you up for long-term success.

    Referral business has a much higher likelihood of closing.

    Why network at all?

    Networking generates referrals.

    The more valuable connections we make, the more known we become. And being known can lead to an intro here, a referral there, and sometimes an entirely new gig. Referral business has a much higher likelihood of closing—5x times higher than any paid media. Why? People trust referrals more than all other forms of advertising and they’re willing to put their money where their people are.

    You can share and learn best practices.

    Learning from (and in) community is a super effective way to stay up-to-date on the latest industry trends and best practices. Other freelancers are constantly testing new tech, absorbing helpful content, and learning through trial and error. And the best way to bolster your knowledge efficiently is to surround yourself with people who are talking about what you’re doing. Keeping up with your network online and IRL helps you stay creative and on the cutting edge.

    Community keeps you connected (and curbs loneliness).

    Lots of us left full-time and part-time work to freelance. And let’s face it: Even though we don’t miss the rigid and sterile bits of traditional employment, most of us miss the connections. Networking with other freelancers can fill the void. Your network can help you in high times and low times, cheering you on and cheering you up. Having humans close by who experience the same wins and flops as you can help you feel supported and empowered to grow.

    The connections we form both professionally and personally can open doors for us.

    How do you start?

    Small.

    Go have coffee with an old colleague who you keep getting LinkedIn notifications about. Email an old boss. DM that quirky acquaintance you followed on Instagram two years ago who you feel like you know intimately even though you’ve never actually spoken. Life is short. Just hit send. The worst that can happen is they say no, and even then, your name could be planted in their mind for future reference.

    Leverage previous clients.

    Tapping the shoulder of old clients is a great way to find other viable clients. Chances are, they have a network of their own full of people facing the same challenges you’ve helped them with in the past. A simple reminder that you’re around could jog their memory and lead to valuable introductions. You can also send your nudge in the form of holiday or new year’s gifts to thank them while also keeping you top of mind for them.

    Lend a helping hand.

    As the adage goes, you get what you give. Having a strong network also means you can refer business out, which actually benefits you as a freelancer too. When you’re not the right fit for a client, you can pass them on to someone who is and generate some good karma. That little act can build your rapport with the potential client, feed fellow freelancers, and strengthen your community ties. Plus, it just feels really great to align people who can help each other.

    Look for opportunities to contribute.

    There are loads of publications talking about every niche imaginable. Find the ones talking about yours and see if they accept contributors. When you author a piece for a relevant site or newsletter, you’re likely to get eyeballs on your business and invitations coming your way. At the very least, contributing content can lead to valuable backlinks to your website and social, which drives clicks and improves your SEO.

    Attend networking events.

    I know, I know. Mixer flashbacks. But if you can get past the uncomfortable small talk stage, networking events can be an awesome place to build and nurture relationships, whether they’re online or in person. You can connect with a larger audience and get to know the faces floating in your ether.

    Visit co-working spaces.

    A lot of co-working spaces are making community-building a key focus. They’ve also realized strong relationships lead to more business! The next time you reserve a desk at your local hotspot, see what events they’re hosting or ask the community manager for intros to people who are doing similar or adjacent work.

    Go online.

    Last but far from least, make sure to tap into the online networks that exist for this very purpose. Twitter is a great place for freelancers to frolic and share. (Search #freelancetwitter to find friends.) Facebook groups cater to endless niches and joining the right ones can help you find people who do what you do. (Freelancing Females is great for self-identified women.) LinkedIn groups can help you find work and build connections. (The FlexJobs group features gigs on the reg.) Slack communities can fill the water cooler needs. (Workfrom’s Slack is popping off.)

      The Takeaway

      So what’s the key to building and keeping a strong network? Consistency. Make sure you nurture it. Be genuine. Be generous. Be open. You never know how a connection can add to your life, so give people the benefit of the doubt. Say yes to the invite if it feels right. And extend your hand when someone piques your interest. Build a network that makes sense for your offering, where you can gain true value and provide it in return.