Creating an Effective Out-of-Office Strategy for Freelancers

Creating an Effective Out-of-Office Strategy for Freelancers

by | Sep 5, 2024 | Blog, Resources

This is a guest post contributed by Indiana Lee. Indiana is a freelance writer from the Pacific Northwest who often writes about business, leadership, and marketing. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Freelancing gives you the freedom and flexibility to set your own working hours and take time off when you need it. You don’t have to ask your boss for a lunch break or get vacation time approved. You can devote as much time to leisure as you’d like, so long as you get your work done. The flexibility can be incredible. And if you want to maintain positive relationships with your clients, an effective out-of-office strategy is key.

Letting your clients know when you’re unable to work will set their expectations and safeguard your reputation as a trusted freelancer. And it doesn’t have to be difficult. Adopting technology like automated emails and virtual assistants can help you “work” when you’re away from the desk too, with little to no oversight. This is key if you rely on a regular flow of new clients and need to keep communication constant, even when you’re on break.

Below, we’ll explore some of the basics of a solid out-of-office strategy.

Planning a Break

If you’ve been working for yourself for some time, you know that taking a true vacation is easier said than done — particularly if there’s good money to be made at work. Freelancers don’t get PTO or sick days, so every day you take off can put a dent in your income.

However, failing to take breaks will only lead to burnout, reducing your passion for work and damaging your health. Burnout can be a serious issue, particularly if you work in a creative field like graphic design or content writing, where you need to be firing on all cylinders.

Rather than waiting until you fall ill, get proactive about taking vacation as a freelancer. Plan a trip weeks or months in advance. Start by creating a calendar based on your upcoming project deadlines, then work backward to identify the best dates for you to travel or rest.

You can mitigate any negative consequences with effective project management skills like:

  • Communication: Send out an email letting your clients know that you’ll be away from work for a while, so they can plan accordingly. You may not be an employee, but giving them a heads up is a great way to foster transparency and build trust.
  • Time Management: Once you’ve set your dates, work to wrap up any projects and key tasks ahead of schedule. This reduces your stress and gives you some wiggle room to complete the last-minute work that inevitably crops up before you step away for an extended break.
  • Organization: Be kind to future you. Organize your existing projects so you can hit the ground running when you return to work. With a clear picture of what’s waiting for you post-vacation, you’ll be able to stress less and relax more.
  • Budgeting: Make sure to invoice your clients before you leave, or schedule invoices in advance before you take time off. Ensure that you have a steady inflow of income by planning a vacation budget too, so you don’t have to worry about over-extending.

A little planning and preparation can meaningfully improve the quality of your time off. Knowing what lies ahead will help you truly rest and recover, so you’re actually nourished and revitalized by the time you get back.

Automating Key Tasks

Automation is foundational for freelancers who want a life outside of work. Simple tools like out-of-office replies can keep your business humming along even if you’re thousands of miles away. Plus, the consistent communication shows your clients that you’re serious, dependable, and trustworthy — all important green flags in a freelancer.

Automating basic tasks offers peace of mind for you too. You don’t have to worry about returning to full inbox, neglecting client requests, or going cold on social. You can set up a chat bot on your website to answer FAQs, include proactive answers and resources in your auto-reply email, and even schedule social posts in advance, so you don’t miss a beat. Automation reduces the usual disruption of going offline and keeps the lights on.

For some added help, you could even hire a virtual assistant to:

  • Answer client questions while you’re decompressing
  • Complete administrative tasks like invoicing, scheduling, and social media monitoring
  • Gather and analyze industry data relevant to your field
  • Complete website maintenance
  • Create content while you’re away

Managing Your Workload

Let’s be real — most self-employed people struggle to take time off at a regular cadence. Juggling multiple clients with little support often means you’re busy year-round. But again, failing to take time for yourself will only exhaust you in the long run. Here are some ways you can reduce your workload when you’re wearing multiple (or all) hats:

  • Delegate tasks to trusted subcontractors and virtual assistants
  • Use time management techniques like Pomodoro timers to stay on task
  • Block time to work on high-pressure projects that must be completed in advance
  • Set clear, time-oriented goals

If you do decide to work with subcontractors, be sure to give them a monthly checklist to ensure they’re up to speed on all of the essential tasks that need attention during your leave. This should act as a guide in your absence, so you’re less likely to get stuck fielding calls and emails when you should be lounging on the beach.

Enjoy your vacation!

Creating an effective out-of-office strategy may require more upfront work, but it’s worth it if it means you get to enjoy your downtime. A good pre-plan helps you maintain solid relationships with your clients too. As a client, it’s refreshing to know exactly what to expect when a freelancer is out of office. And as a freelancer, it’s relieving to know you can operate a business without being available 24/7. We all need breaks. Give yourself the gift of some serious, uninterrupted time off this year by planning for it. You’ll thank you later. Happy vacationing!

7 Must-Have Skills for Building a Thriving Creative Business

7 Must-Have Skills for Building a Thriving Creative Business

by | Sep 3, 2024 | Blog, Resources

This is a guest post contributed by Sophia Bennett. Sophia is a skilled chronicler of the world of business and real estate. With a sharp eye for detail and a passion for these subjects, she provides valuable insights and inspiration to her readers through her writing. When she’s not working on her craft, Sophia can be found seeking new experiences and adventures, always on the lookout for the next great story to tell.

Ask any freelancer who’s built their own creative business how incredibly fulfilling it is. Then, ask them how challenging it was. The answer is likely to be 50/50 — half gratifying, half grueling.

It’s a fact. Whether you work in graphic design, copywriting, illustration, photography, interior design… building a business from the ground up requires grit, determination, and a mix of hard and soft skills to see you through.

While employees at conventional businesses may wear a few hats, creative freelancers wear all of them. They’re responsible for day-to-day operations, client work, marketing, finances, and more. It can get overwhelming at times, and sap the energy you’d normally devote to your creativity, originality, and inspiration — the stuff that makes your business truly unique.

Juggling all these skills and priorities can be difficult, especially in the context of an ever-evolving landscape that affects you and your clients. That’s why we’ve created this list of must-have skills to cultivate as a creative entrepreneur. You can use this as a development roadmap to bolster your skills with time and build a thriving, independent business that’s harmonious, productive, and, most of all… profitable.

1. Innovation

In the entertainment industry, they say you’re only as good as your last performance. In a creative business, you might say you’re only as good as your last great idea. Part of what makes a truly successful creative business is the constant pursuit of fresh ideas, original concepts, and unadulterated innovation. Creatives make the choice to push on with the belief that there’s a better, clearer, or more impactful way to deliver a message, market a product, or share a vision.

This pursuit of innovation has defined many of the world’s most iconic and memorable creative brands. It takes a sort of brilliance to sustainably connect with changing audiences, meet shifting client needs, and keep up with endless technological advances. Creative professionals (that’s you!) who can rise to meet the moment in the face of immense change will always have an advantage.

2. Time Management

Time is of the essence in just about every industry. But time management is a real struggle for many creatives, who tend to take a less linear approach to their work. With evolving project scopes and goals, plus different creative visions fighting for the spotlight, knowing when to put the ideation hat down and focus on simply getting the work done is critical.

Strong time management skills help creative businesses structure their workflow more effectively and tackle both big and small projects in a more methodical way. Conceptual agility is still important, but so is a degree of rigor when it comes to managing work hours and meeting deadlines.

3. Communication

Clear communication and understanding with your clients is crucial for a thriving creative business. When your goal is to bring a client’s creative vision to life (be it a book, website, restaurant plan, or fashion editorial), communication allows for free-flowing collaboration between the contributors and stakeholders. Creative entrepreneurs need access to a central digital communication platform, where they can discuss progress and keep up with client feedback.

If there’s a brick-and-mortar office, regular in-person meetings with clients and a culture of open communication can resolve misunderstandings and setbacks between collaborators. If real-life face-to-face meetings aren’t possible, use one of the many online collaboration and communication tools available. Slack, Zoom, Teams, Google Meet… there’s no excuse not to communicate these days. Even good old email works, too!

4. Empathy

Empathy is the hardest soft skill in any industry. However, it plays a particularly strong role in the creative sector. An empathic approach makes for more cohesive working relationships. And it allows you to deliver more engaging and impactful work. When you practice empathy, you can see the situation from another’s perspective. You can understand where your clients or collaborators are coming from and what their deeper goals and needs are.

This is an incredibly useful heuristic for creative projects, such as developing a new marketing campaign, designing a website for a niche audience, or collaborating with difficult or particularly needy clients. Plus, transcending the superficial helps you forge healthy, lasting, and mutually respectful relationships.

5. Diversity

When you’re entering uncharted creative territory, thinking outside of the box and opening up to a range of perspectives can be a game-changer.

As a creative freelancer or entrepreneur, your pool of perspectives might be limited. After all, you’re probably a team of one. But you can still expose yourself to diverse style, culture, industry, and people by working with clients and brands from varied backgrounds and niches. Collaborating with other creatives can be a great way to hear unique perspective, get inspired by fresh thinking, and learn new skills.

6. Adaptability

It’s impossible to discuss creative success without touching on adaptability. All businesses need to be adaptable to survive the notoriously changeable landscape — digitally, culturally, technologically, and otherwise. But creative brands, in particular, need to adopt an agile mentality.

Without strong adaptive skills, creative businesses might struggle to keep up with the popular trends, audience patterns, and informational currents of their industry. You might need to pivot your product offering as behavior changes, update your online portfolio or social media pages, or add new services to your list. If you feel the tug to change, do it!

Adaptability is the gene of a surviving business.

7. Problem-Solving

What is a creative brief if not an abstract problem to solve? Having comprehensive problem-solving skills is one of the most important aptitudes for a creative entrepreneur.

Problem-solving is an invaluable tool for navigating complicated briefs, dealing with difficult clients, working on tight deadlines (and tight budgets!), and finding new ways of connecting with new audiences, clients, and collaborators. Build up your gumption for facing challenges, and even learn to take pleasure in it. The more courage you have to face obstacles, the more gratifying this work will become.

The Takeaway: Use Your Skills to Find the Right Balance

Striking a balance between innovation and efficiency is not always easy in the creative sector. For every project to truly flourish, soft skills are needed. Nurturing client relationships and creative visions calls for a mixture of all of the above. And with the right skills, your freelance creative business can do more than just survive; it can thrive.

2024 Goals: Half-Year Reflection

2024 Goals: Half-Year Reflection

by | Aug 14, 2024 | Blog, Resources

In January, I published my annual list of goals. It’s a process I like to go through at the start of each calendar year to help me ground and root in my vision for the months to come. Although the halfway mark of 2024 is behind us, I decided to do a little check-in with myself to track my progress and reorient to that vision. I’m sharing it with you as encouragement to reflect on and celebrate your own wins. When you spend a bit more time looking inward, you discover what you truly want — and you can design a life of fulfillment and alignment.

Without further ado, here’s where I sit ~halfway through the year.

2024 Goals

High-Level Guiding Word: Intention

High-Level Guiding Phrase: The next year of my life will be filled with joy, physical and mental health, financial success, generosity and beautiful experiences with people I care deeply about.

Personal Wellness

Guiding Phrase: I will prioritize my mental and physical wellness to help me show up as my best self in other areas of my life.

3-5 Goals:

  1. Go to workout classes (cycle, yoga, barre) 3-5x/week.
  2. Build movement (stretching, walking) and/or getting outside into each day.
  3. Book one big wellness item/month (massage, facial, body wrap, sound bath, etc.)
  4. Go to one extended wellness retreat.
  5. Go to therapy/life coaching 2-3x/month.

Half-Year Update:

  1. In the weeks that I haven’t been traveling or sick, I’ve been hitting at least 3-5 workout classes pretty consistently. During the summer months, I sometimes swap out classes for long walks or runs outside (delightful).
  2. I’ve been stretching or taking a short dog walk every day. GO ME! Although my body could definitely use longer stretching sessions, I’m meeting myself where I’m at right now. There’s always room for more movement — especially flexibility and balance work.
  3. I’ve definitely booked and participated in my fair share of self-care. I’ve gotten lots of massages and facials. And I’d like to commit even more to my mental and spiritual health through the end of the year, with soundbaths, guided meditations, and other intuitive practices that call to me.
  4. I haven’t been on my wellness retreat yet, but this is a good reminder to make it a priority in the second half of the year!
  5. I’ve been consistently going to therapy twice a month, which feels like the right cadence for me. It’s easy to fit it into my schedule and monumentally important, as I’ve navigated a lot of big life changes this year.

Overall, I’m happy with my commitment to my wellness goals, and I’m proud of myself for prioritizing this area of my life. It’s the foundation for every other facet of life, and each time I invest in myself, I learn to love myself even more.

Relationships

Guiding Phrase: I will prioritize showing up authentically with people who energize me.

3-5 Goals:

  1. Spend time with friends and family who make me feel loved and accepted.
  2. Pay attention to the people who drain my energy or make me feel judged and de-prioritize those relationships.
  3. Share more vulnerably with the people around me who provide a safe space.
  4. Express my feelings and opinions openly and without reservation.

Half-Year Update:

  1. I’ve had lots of quality time with people who make me feel loved and accepted.
  2. I’ve actively deprioritized connections with people who leave me feeling drained or unhappy. There’s still room to improve here, though. I tend to feel guilty for setting that boundary.
  3. I could make more of an effort to share vulnerably. I have a tendency to turn down opportunities to share about my past and the trauma I’ve experienced. I’m staying curious about why that is.
  4. It’s getting much easier to express how I’m feeling and share my opinions before they feel “perfect.”. No one is perfect. Our thoughts and feelings are fallible, just like us. I’m letting that messiness be, even when it feels icky. And guess what? Many people have made space for my messy sharing, and even appreciated it.

This category is an ongoing journey, but I’m happy with my progress. It’s a good reminder to practice vulnerability,prioritize myself, and invest in people who energize me even more!

Money

Guiding Phrase: I will build wealth and businesses that support my lifestyle and allow me to be generous to others.

3-5 Goals:

  1. Hit annual revenue goal from all income streams.
  2. Make one big investment (real estate or tech).
  3. Grow my personal and Harlow online community (grow to 50k+ followers, 10k+ newsletter subscribers).
  4. Partner with 8-10 consulting clients who align with my work values.
  5. Donate at least $10k to charities (cancer, supporting children/youth).

Half-Year Update:

  1. As of July 1, I was 43% to my income goal for 2024. Not bad! We also ramped up our consulting business at the beginning of the summer, so I have full faith that I’ll hit or exceed this goal.
  2. It feels wild returning to this one. Surprise! I’m currently in the process of buying a house. Big investment — check. I’ve also invested in a company called the QwikFix, a marketplace connecting real estate agents to contractors during the home inspection process. I guess I’m deep in real estate and real estate tech investments this year!
  3. Right now we’re at ~30k followers across all of Harlow’s social accounts, although it feels like cheating to count the platforms we don’t use on a regular basis. And we just hit 4k newsletter subscribers. Newsletter subscribers are growing quickly at ~700 subs per month, but even at current pace, we’re on track to miss both of these goals. I just added “ideate on growing social and newsletter subs FASTER” to my list for next week.
  4. I’ve worked with three clients this year, but we’ve raised our rates, so it sort of evens out! I have a feeling I’ll end up working with ~6-7 by EOY. And, good news — *most* client work has felt aligned, and like I’m collaborating with people who respect my expertise.
  5. I’m at ~$7k in donations to charity YTD and that feels good. All of this money has gone to charities that work to make children’s lives better, which is typically my main donation priority. I’m sure I’ll find some other events to sponsor or participate in as the year rounds out.

Overall, I’m behind pace here on a few of these goals. BUT things have been shifting. Our clients have gotten bigger, our revenue has ramped up, and we’re building momentum with our newsletter. I’m eager to see where I land by year-end.

Fun

Guiding Phrase: I will spend ample time enjoying the things that feel good to me.

3-5 Goals:

  1. Take 10+ trips with people I care deeply about.
  2. Visit at least five new places.
  3. Live in accordance with *my* wants and needs.
  4. See at least two new artists in concert.
  5. Try one activity that I’ve never done before (skydiving, bungee jumping, new sport, etc.).

Half-Year Update:

  1. YTD I’ve already taken 12 trips, which is hilarious to me. I’m averaging ~2/month. I’m happy to report that *most* (like, 90%) of them were meaningful and fun. Lots of memories have been made.
  2. Of the 12 trips, only ~2.5 (.5 because of a half-day stopover) have been to new places. BUT, spoiler alert, I have three trips coming up in the next couple of months that are to new places. So fun. I’ll hit this goal.
  3. I have very much been prioritizing the lifestyle I want over what others think is normal and acceptable, and that feels great. I’ll admit, my pace gets a *bit* fast sometimes, so I’m also spending time investigating what I truly want and need.
  4. I hit this concert goal! I saw Yellowcard, Third Eye Blind, Billy Joel & Maren Morris. This was my first time seeing all of them live.
  5. I don’t think I’ve hit this goal yet. No truly new activities are coming to mind. To the drawing board on this one!

Overall, I’m having plenty of fun. I’m pacing way beyond most of these goals. If you know me, that’s not a surprise.

Half-Year Reflection

It really does feel like I’m living the intentional life that I envisioned for myself back in January. I’m doing the things that I want to do, and it feels great. I’m prioritizing the people who fill my cup, taking care of my body and mind, having fun, growing our business, and cultivating my personal finances at a steady pace.

I’m looking forward to my end-of-year reflection, but not just because I enjoy charting my progress against tangible goals. It’s an opportunity to see how my mindset has shifted over the course of a year, and identify what’s most important to me heading into 2025.

I hope this offers you some inspiration as you chart your own goals and plan the rest of your year. Everyone’s process looks different. Whether you draw up a clear list of intentions, like me, or periodically check in with your heart more organically, the ultimate benefit is self-awareness. Intentions and self-inventories help remind us of what matters. They help us live in alignment. And when we live in alignment, we’re living our truth.

 

Freelance Interview Series – Creating Multiple Income Streams

Freelance Interview Series – Creating Multiple Income Streams

by | Jun 4, 2024 | Blog, Resources

Elna Cain is content writer for SaaS businesses as well as a mother to twins. Over the years she’s helped Smartblogger, Zapier, GoDaddy, Optinmonster and more grow their traffic and lead generation strategy. Her own blog has been cited as the top 100 best sites for freelance writers seven years in a row. When she isn’t writing, she’s playing with her new kitty and shuttling her twins to sports.

"The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to go at it slowly."

Tell us about your business and the different revenue streams you have created.

I started freelancing in 2014 when my twins were around 15 months old. It wasn’t until around 2016 when I started offering 1:1 coaching sessions. I had an email list and had cultivated an audience around my blog, so I sent out an email asking if anyone was interested in 1:1 coaching with me and many were.

It was difficult managing my freelance clients and my coaching students when I first launched. I would write and pitch during the day, spend an hour or two on the phone with my coaching clients, and then another two to three hours writing up a plan for my students following. This turned out to be too much, and I had to do something to free up my time. Soon after, I decided to consolidate my learnings into a course to help my coaching students. Instead of hour-long sessions, I would enroll them in a course and answer any questions that came my way. This course evolved over time to include a Facebook group, expert training sessions, audits, challenges, swipe files, and templates.

During this time, I also started a new blog, Twins Mommy. I wanted to write about the challenges of working from home, while seeing if I could monetize this channel. I wanted to try affiliate marketing and other ways to grow my traffic. Since my freelance niche is digital marketing, I found the tactics I was using for Twins Mommy helped with the content I was writing for my clients too. I ended up creating a course for this audience too, and more courses for my freelance audience as pain points meshed well with my current learnings.  At this time, through trial and error, I had created a freelance income stream, an affiliate marketing income stream, and a digital product income stream.

Over the next few years, I started other websites and two YouTube channels. I then turned my focus to monetizing those channels, and signed up for Mediavine to gain some ad income.

Why did you start to build additional revenue streams?

My niche is digital marketing and I was learning about different ways businesses monetized their brand. Since I wanted to learn more about my niche, I thought, well, why not TRY these methods out?

And that’s what I did. I started with coaching, then affiliate marketing and then digital products. I was practicing what I was writing about and over time, I added more to my revenue streams.

How do you make time for creating outside of your normal freelance work at a macro-level?

Now, I make it a point to only do part-time freelance work. This means I’m working with no more than three clients at a time. This leaves me room to focus on my students, my email list, my products, and my YouTube channels.

I’m learning to be a content creator and, at times, I lean into content creation more than freelancing. But I have control of my day and that means doing what I want to do. This year, I decided to focus more on freelancing than content creation. This means more pitching, more networking, and more LinkedIn posts.

How do you balance client work and building additional revenue streams on a micro level?

I batch my tasks throughout the week. Mondays and Tuesdays are video production and editing days. Wednesdays and Thursdays are client and blog days. And Fridays are catch up days or educational days. I may have to edit a client article, so I will leave that to Friday and check out a podcast or copywriting training video.

And the weekends are family time. I have two 11-year-olds, and I’m either at a ski lodge or a hockey arena.

What other advice would you give to creators or freelancers building multiple revenue streams and/or distribution channels?

The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to go at it slowly. I think offering another service, creating an eBook, or opening up a paid newsletter or Patreon account is the simplest way to break into the creator economy. Another way to build additional revenue is with affiliate marketing and creating digital products.

For me, many of my SaaS clients had an affiliate program, so I could also become an affiliate for them. I also became an affiliate for products by freelancers. An example is a finance book created by Alexis Grant of the Write Life and her dad, an accountant. She opened up her book for affiliates and I knew this would help out my audience – and it has!

If creating a digital product seems too difficult, you could always start another service. I did coaching, but you could become a strategist or analyst for businesses.

 

3 Steps to Aligning Your Personal Brand with Your Aspirations

3 Steps to Aligning Your Personal Brand with Your Aspirations

by | Jun 4, 2024 | Blog, Resources

This is a guest post contributed by Indiana Lee. Indiana Lee is a freelance writer from the Pacific Northwest who often writes about business, leadership, and marketing. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Freelancing is one of the most flexible and personally enriching paths you can follow, so people often think of it as the antithesis of corporate life, which can be more rigid. However, it’s wise to not throw the baby out with the bathwater. There are components of traditional business that can help freelancers not only stay in demand, but hit their career goals. One of these is strong branding.

Personal branding for freelancers is a tactic that helps you stand out among the growing crowd of independent professionals. By building an aspirational brand that represents where you want to be a year or even a decade from now, you can attract aligned clients and find opportunities that help you actualize that vision.

Clarify Your Objectives

Clarity is key when it comes to aligning your brand and your career aspirations. Having a clear vision gives you a goal to move toward. So when it comes to building your brand, the first step is to set clear objectives.

You can begin by creating a long-term career plan. This isn’t just an idea of where you want to be in a few years. It’s a structured roadmap that outlines the practical actions and milestones that will help you get there. Here are some of the elements of a solid career plan:

  • Self-assessment: Take an honest look at where you currently are in your career journey. Think about your interests alongside your relative strengths and weaknesses from a skills and attributes perspective. Importantly, highlight where you want to go from here, in both the short and long term.
  • Skill development: Do some research into the skills, certifications, and attributes needed for the career goals you’d like to reach. It’s also wise to look into possible mentorships and on-the-job experiences that might help you. You can then plot out which to pursue along your plan timeline.

While there are more actions to explore, these are two of the most useful for personal branding.

Build Your Expertise Narrative

It’s often helpful to think of branding as a form of storytelling. The way you create a narrative about who you are, where you are, and where you want to be can open up opportunities. In particular, aim to build a narrative that highlights your growing expertise and why you’re a valuable contributor to the types of projects that would most positively influence your path.

Your career plan can act as a roadmap for your journey — though it’s wise to stay open to detours along the way — and you can tell the story of this journey as your expertise develops with each milestone.

Here are some ways:

Maintain a regular blog about your experiences 

Write about the types of projects you’ve been pursuing on your path. Explore how these have affected your perspectives on your industry or role. This type of asset effectively tracks your progress, demonstrates self-awareness and consistency, and can act as a unique portfolio of projects to share with potential clients.

Keep a reliable social media schedule 

Use your social media channels to promote your expertise. A recent study found that 42% of freelancers use social media to find work. You can share your blog posts alongside content from other thought leaders in your industry, post images of your projects on Instagram and LinkedIn, and create videos with tips and insights you’ve gained from your journey.

Remember to not only focus on your successes. Discuss your challenges too. Highlight what you’ve learned from them and how they helped you develop and innovate. For example, it’s well-documented that your job can affect your mental health, especially when it comes to burnout. Other freelancers and professionals can benefit from hearing how you navigate the mental health challenges of the modern work world.

You’ll find your self-awareness not only makes you more relatable to other freelancers who may share your content, but it demonstrates authenticity, which engenders trust from clients and peers.

Seek and Leverage Relevant Collaborators

Aligning your personal brand with your aspirations is not something you need to do on your own. Yes, you’ll be strategizing and driving your efforts, but others can help you along the way. Seek relevant contributors to your personal brand development, and leverage them to influence your career.

One way to start immediately is to make meaningful connections through networking. The digital landscape means that freelancers can network worldwide and even gain international clients. Your commitment and authenticity can open you up to a diverse range of partners who can offer opportunities to boost your career and spread the word about your personal brand.

When reaching out to new contacts, be sure to personalize all of your communications — emails, DMs, and more. Research recipients’  backgrounds so you can make the content of your communications more relevant, showing genuine consideration for their interests and activities. Also, don’t be afraid to clearly state your career aspirations. This helps people to determine how they can best support you. Be considerate of their time and aim for mutually beneficial outcomes.

Aligning your personal brand with your aspirations helps you create a solid freelancing business and set your sights on aligned goals. This doesn’t mean you’re shackled to the career aspirations you identify now, though. Remember to take the time to regularly review your needs, so you can adjust your personal brand accordingly as you find your true north.

How to Request Testimonials From Your Clients ( + Free Templates)

How to Request Testimonials From Your Clients ( + Free Templates)

by | May 16, 2024 | Blog, Resources

This is a guest post contributed by Philip Oyelola. Philip is a marketing enthusiast & content marketer. He helps tech companies with content that builds trust and educates their audience. He enjoys writing on topics like HR, client management, and content marketing.

Requesting testimonials from your clients can be a bit awkward, especially if you’re new to it. But testimonials from satisfied clients are a powerful form of social proof that can win over prospects who’ve been on the fence and enhance your brand trust and credibility.

In this post, we’ll share a simple but effective process for generating client testimonials.

Implement an Offboarding Process

A full-blown client offboarding process might feel like overkill to many freelancers and business owners, but it’s a great way to gather testimonials, which are crucial to your long-term success. Plus, it’s a professional way to end a client relationship on a positive note, which might even mean return clients down the line.

Here’s a checklist to help you seamlessly offboard your clients:

  • Send a follow-up message or survey to your client after completing the project to gauge how satisfied they are with the work.
  • Write them a personalized “thank you” message expressing gratitude for their confidence and partnership.
  • Highlight what you accomplished together and recap the project deliverables. This showcases the value of your work and lays the foundation for a good testimonial.
  • Archive all the project documents, like reports and communications, and package them up nicely to send over. This also makes it easy to locate important files if the client comes back seeking info on the project.
  • Showcase additional products and services that might be relevant to your client.
  • Ask for referrals, recommendations, and testimonials.

Get the Timing Right

Before asking for a testimonial, it’s key to have a strong rapport established with your client. Make sure your work is complete and they’re satisfied with the final product. The timing of your ask will depend on your industry and the kind of work you offer. But in general, asking for a testimonial at the end or near the end of a project is ideal.

Let’s consider a few examples. If you run a SaaS company, the best time to ask customers for testimonials is after they’ve experienced first-hand success with your product. If you’re a freelancer who offers services like writing or video editing, it’s smart to wait until the project is complete, or until you’ve hit a particular milestone — like the completion of a key deliverable. If you offer ongoing services, wait until your clients have experienced visible results from the work you were hired to do.

Prioritize Customer-Centric Testimonials

There are two kinds of testimonials: self-serving and customer-centric.

A self-serving testimonial prioritizes the interests of a company or services instead of describing how a service or product benefits the customer. It often falls flat with prospects, because it fails to illustrate the positive impact your clients experience from working with you. Here’s an example of a self-serving testimonial:

I’ve worked with many different freelance writers over the years, and MIke is the best writer I’ve worked with. His motivation and expertise distinguish him from the rest. He’s a great guy, you should work with him.

On the other hand, a customer-centric testimonial centers on the value and impact your work has had on the client. It can nudge prospects to work with you because they can identify with the client and imagine the results they’ll experience too. Here’s an example of a customer-centric testimonial:

We had several challenges before working with Mike. Our conversion rate was below our desired expectation. None of our blogs ranked on the first page of Google. From the initial consultation, Mike impressed us with his deep understanding of SEO and BOFU content. He asked insightful questions about our brand, audience, and goals.

Working with Mike has improved our conversion rate from 50% to 200%. 25% of our blogs now rank high on the first page. Mike is a professional freelance writer who delivers results. His expertise in audience/product research, SEO optimization, and content writing are clear.

The second testimonial is far more powerful and descriptive of what potential clients will accomplish by choosing to work with you.

Ask Politely

How you ask is just as important as what you ask. If you’re too demanding or persistent, you might drive your client away and even sour your relationship. Stick to friendly and professional when requesting testimonials.

Here are some tips:

  • Ask clients who’ve had a positive experience with you and your product/service, and who you believe will speak highly and thoughtfully about your work.
  • Begin your ask by expressing how much you enjoyed working with them.
  • Explain why you’re asking for the testimonial and how it can help your business.
  • Offer clear instructions to help simplify the process for your clients. You can also offer different response options (video, written quotes, social media posts, or even a more formal case study).
  • Be clear about where their words will be shared (e.g. website, social media, email marketing, other promotional materials).
  • Ask open-ended questions. They lead to more detailed feedback. Here are some examples:
    • What was your biggest challenge before you started using our products/services?
    • How have our products/services helped you overcome these challenges?
    • How would you describe the overall experience of working with us?
    • What kind of impact did our collaboration have on your business/life?

Create a Testimonial Request Template

A template saves you the stress of rewriting your testimonial request every time. It also serves as a guide for those who’ve never written a testimonial before.  Here are some examples of templates for testimonial requests and when to use them:

#1 – Formal Testimonial Request

Hi (customer’s first name),

I’d like to express my gratitude for your partnership this past (duration). After completing projects, we love to ask for feedback and a testimonial to feature on our website.

Would you be willing to share your thoughts on our work together? You can check our website to see examples from other clients (insert link).

Here are a few specific questions/prompts to consider, but you’re welcome to share any other details you’d like:

  • What were your biggest challenges with your company’s social media account before you decided to work with us?
  • How would you describe your overall experience working with us?
  • Have we improved your business/life in any way with our services? If yes, could you describe how?

Thank you for your loyalty, support, and business.

Regards,

(your name)

 

When to use: This testimonial request template is best used right after you’ve wrapped up a project with a client and the work is still fresh in their minds.

#2 LinkedIn Recommendation Template

Hi (customer’s first name),

Thank you for your confidence in my services. I have a small request for you. I try to keep my LinkedIn profile fresh to offer an accurate picture of my skills and experiences. Would you be willing to write me a LinkedIn recommendation describing your experience working with me ([insert link)?

Here are a few specific questions/prompts to consider, but you’re welcome to share any other details you’d like:

  • What were your biggest challenges with your company’s social media account before you decided to work with us?
  • How would you describe your overall experience working with us?
  • Have we improved your business/life in any way with our services? If yes, could you describe how?

    Please let me know if you need help or guidance.

    Best,

    (your name)

     

    When to use: If you want to up your credibility on LinkedIn specifically, this is the template for you. It can help you generate recommendations that might sway prospects, who often check social profiles before committing to a service provider.

    Ensure that Your Client Consents to the Testimonial

    Using someone’s words to promote your business without their consent is unethical and can tarnish your reputation, or even lead to a lawsuit in more extreme cases. This is why it’s critical to ask for consent before sharing someone’s words publicly (especially if they weren’t shared publicly originally). Make sure you’re crystal clear about the fact that you’ll be using their testimonial to promote your services. You can even name the specific channels where you might share their testimonial (e.g. website and social media).

    Conclusion

    Generating testimonials is such an important part of operating a successful, trusted business. Over time, your clients’ words can help grow your business and expand your reach. People trust word-of-mouth marketing over all other forms of marketing and advertising. It’s well worth your time to invest in a solid, repeatable strategy to generate more of them. Good luck!