Embarking on the journey to become a freelance digital marketer opens doors to a dynamic and ever-expanding field where individuals navigate the digital landscape, helping businesses reach their audiences effectively.

As the internet becomes increasingly integral to marketing, the demand for skilled professionals offering freelancing services continues to rise. In this article, we delve into what it means to be a freelance digital marketer, outlining the diverse skill set required for success in this role.

Moreover, we'll explore the essential steps and strategies encompassing how to become a freelance digital marketer, equipping aspiring marketers with insights to thrive in this competitive and rewarding arena.

What Is A Freelance Digital Marketer?

Someone who works as a freelance digital marketer does their work and uses digital tools to promote and sell other people's goods. Digital marketers who work for themselves support their clients' brands in several ways, such as through email, social media, and search engine marketing.

As part of their daily work, they meet with clients for advice, do market research, write marketing copy, and make basic marketing designs. A freelance digital marketer usually works alone and at their own pace, but they do follow the plans of their clients. Most of these people work from home and can work with a business's current marketing team.

What Does A Freelance Digital Marketer Do?

A freelance digital marketer is someone who works as a contractor for businesses, charities, and other groups and does digital marketingwork for them. If you are an independent marketer, you can offer a lot of different digital marketing services. Digital marketers who work on their own are usually hired for.

• Paid ads, like those on Google, Facebook, YouTube, and other sites.
• Video marketing includes coming up with ideas, writing scripts, filming, editing, putting videos online, and advertising them.
• Marketing with influencers.
• Search engine optimization (SEO) includes things like researching keywords, writing SEO-friendly content, and creating backlinks.
• We are making and taking care of full marketing and sales processes.
• As you can see, an independent digital marketer can pick from a lot of different jobs.

What Are The Different Types Of Digital Marketing?

Content Marketing

Content marketing can be broken down even further into content planning, writing, and sharing. When you do content planning, you plan out the content for your client. The goal is to find out what kind of information will most interest the people your client wants to reach and get them to do something.

Social Media Marketing

You post content about your client's business on their social channels when you use social media. Freelancers can also run a brand's paid social media marketing, which includes making paid campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and other sites.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Get your client's website to rank on Google, ideally on the first page. This is what SEO is all about. In this area of digital marketing, there's a lot to understand. There's keyword research, on-page SEO, off-page SEO, link-building, and more.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Make sure to mix SEO and SEM. SEO is the process of getting a client's website to rank naturally, while SEM is the process of making a client more visible on search engines by paying for things like PPC ads.

Benefits Of Digital Marketing

If you want to work as an independent marketer, you should know why someone would want to hire you. Some of the best reasons for a business to use Internet marketing are.

Affordable

Digital marketing is cheap compared to other types of marketing. In other words, companies can get more for their money, and the money they spend on ads will go a lot further.

Flexible

The fact that internet marketing is so flexible is one of the best things about it. If you start this job, you can do a lot of different things, like content marketing, managing social media, email marketing, banner ads, and more. This means that digital marketers can find their niche and start a job that interests and makes them happy.

Accessible Via Mobile Applications

The Pew Research Center says that about 85% of Americans have smartphones. A lot of these people use their phones to do things like check their social media, read the news, and do other things.

So, digital marketing is a great way to reach a lot of people from home without having to worry about paying for ads on TV, radio, or newspapers. According to the report we talked about earlier, 42% of freelancers find high-paying jobs through word of mouth.

Easily Trackable

One of the best things about internet marketing is how easy it is to keep track of. It might be hard to keep track of who watches TV ads, but digital marketers have great tools for analyzing their data and seeing who has been interested in their content through online analytics.

Engagement By Influencers

In the world of pop culture, influencers often spread the word. If an influencer likes your product or service, they will share it on their social media accounts.

What Skills Should A Digital Marketing Freelancer Have?

Email Marketing

Some of us hate getting emails, blasts, and newsletters. And that's why marketers need to learn how to write the perfect newsletter, welcome email, outreach message, or product update. It's an essential skill. You will get much better at writing copy as an independent email marketer, which will help you in other parts of your job as a freelancer.

Content Marketing & SEO

Do not read this part if you are very good with words and can type very quickly. Content marketing is all over the place-everything from signs to Amazon items, books, and websites. Being able to write excellent copy is one of the most essential skills for any digital marketing worker.

Analytics

One of the best things about this job is that data is everything. Your analytics process should ideally be broken down into three steps: collecting data, analyzing it, and making sense of it. Making choices based on data should be one of the most important things for every marketer.

Facebook, Google Ads & Social Media

Even though Facebook Ads Manager is great, many small businesses and brands need help to use it. That's where you come in. There are A LOT of brands looking for people to handle their ads, but it's a part-time job.

How To Become A Freelance Digital Marketer

Becoming a freelance digital marketer involves several steps, including building your skills, marketing yourself, and finding clients. More specifically, if you're interested in a freelance digital marketing career, here are five steps to follow.

Select Specialties That Align With Your Skills

Digital marketing has a lot of different niches within it. To succeed, consider narrowing your freelance services to one or two specific areas that correlate with your most vital skills. If, for example, you enjoy the strategy and creation of ads, you could specialize in social media advertising.

Develop Your Skill Set

Consider building your skill set through online courses, video tutorials, or local workshops. The Google Digital Marketing & E-Commerce Professional Certificate on Coursera, for example, can help you gain job-ready skills in less than six months.

Build An Online Presence With A Portfolio

To become a freelance digital marketer, you need to market yourself. Ideally, you'll create a website that offers a biography, work examples, and a way for potential clients to reach out.

In your "About Me" section or biography, include a brief history of your work experience, mention degrees or certifications that are relevant, and describe your personality and hobbies. Keep it short, but make it professional and insightful.

Set Your Pricing

To become a self-employed digital marketer, you'll create a pricing structure, which can either be hourly, project-based, per day, by a retainer, or a mixture of more than one. Many freelancers set hourly rates.

Keep in mind that only some hours are billable, though. About 60 to 85 percent of your time is billable; the rest goes towards non-billable tasks like answering emails, marketing yourself, and invoicing.

Find Clients

To find new clients, consider looking on popular freelance websites like FlexJobs and Upwork. On these sites, you can apply for specific jobs and use these experiences to build your portfolio. Consider reaching out to local businesses, or even businesses run by family or friends, and discuss their marketing needs.

Pros And Cons Of Freelance Digital Marketing

Freelance digital marketers and professionals have many choices and specific areas of expertise they can pursue within their line of work. This abundance of options means you can have a wide range of experiences if you decide to become a digital marketer. It's wise to consider the pros and cons of joining this field as an independent professional.

Pros

• The ability to work from anywhere and travel or change locations at any time. While COVID has made work-from-home temporary for some marketers, freelancers always have this option, thanks to the nature of digital technologies.
• You can choose the work you want. Job services like Upwork provide you with access to many different digital marketing clients with their own needs. You pick the type of jobs, industries, and companies that you'd like to work with.
• Work the hours you want as long as you hit deadlines.
• Use the equipment and tools you have and prefer.
• You can rely on other freelancers as needed for help or expertise, enabling you to learn as you complete jobs.
• You can receive more immediate payments when you use services that provide escrow.
• You can work with clients anywhere. This gives you access to major markets and large corporations outside of the area where you live, enabling you to charge higher rates for your work.

Cons

• You're also running your own business, so there are tax filings, licenses, and other things you need.
• Invoicing, client management, social, and advertising still need to happen, but you can't bill these hours.
• You only get paid for what you do. Sick days or weeks with few projects will mean that your revenue fluctuates.
• Paid time off, insurance, and other benefits must be paid for entirely by you.
• Some find the ongoing hunt for clients stressful.

Freelance Digital Marketing Tips And Tricks

Treat It Like A Business

You're not just a freelancer; you're a business owner. Some ways to treat your freelance career like a business include creating a separate bank account, paying yourself well (set competitive rates), and showing up to work whether or not you're feeling "motivated" (as long as you're mentally and physically healthy).

Keep Learning

Invest in yourself by learning about your industry and updating your skills as much as you can. It's tempting to focus on scoring gig after gig, but it is vital to set aside time in your schedule to pour into yourself. Digital marketing requires creativity, and you can't draw from an empty well.

Set Boundaries

Being your boss is a double-edged sword. You have the flexibility to work 9-5 hours but also to overwork yourself and work round the clock with no coworkers to pick up the slack.

It's easy to overbook yourself or find yourself tethered to your inbox, responding to client requests at all hours. Set firm boundaries about when you will work and what time to reserve for your hobbies and loved ones.

Raise Your Rates Regularly.

Be a good boss to yourself by raising your rates regularly. This shows that you value your work and what you do for clients. It also allows you to grow your business you can't scale by charging the same rates for years and years.

Take Breaks Frequently

Finally, nourish yourself. Creating a sustainable freelance career depends a lot on how you care for yourself. You are the engine of your business. Hustling yourself into burnout is the quickest way to ruin all your hard work.

How Much Do Digital Marketing Freelancers Make?

When working in a company, digital marketing specialists earn between $44K and $90K per year based on years of experience. Freelancers don't have a fixed pay scale, so how much money you'll make depends on your hourly rate. In the US, the average salary for an independent digital marketer is $51,785 per year.

Now, how much money you can charge per hour depends on your skills and experience, the kind of job, the monetary value it will generate for the client, and how much money the client is willing to pay you.

The last point is essential and something you must understand from the beginning. The rate you'll get paid for a job is not necessarily your standard rate. During negotiations, the client may set a maximum hourly rate, and it's up to you to accept or decline it.

If you have an extensive portfolio and a lot of clients waiting in the queue, you can reject it, but if you need more new leads, you may have to work below your 'normal' rate so that you stay in business.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Can I Freelance As A Digital Marketer?

Start by building a solid online presence, showcasing your skills on platforms like Upwork or Fiverr, and networking to secure clients.

How Much Do Freelance Digital Marketers Earn?

Freelance digital marketers can earn anywhere from $50 to $150 per hour, depending on experience, expertise, and the scope of the project.

How Can I Start As A Digital Marketer?

Gain relevant skills through courses, build a portfolio showcasing your work, and actively seek freelance opportunities on job platforms or by reaching out to potential clients.

Is Digital Marketing A Promising Career In Freelancing?

Yes, digital marketing offers a promising freelancing career with a high demand for skills like SEO, social media management, and online advertising, providing ample opportunities for freelancers.

Conclusion

Embarking on a journey to become a freelance digital marketer involves a strategic approach encompassing skill development, online presence building, and effective client engagement. Specializing in specific areas such as social media advertising or SEO can enhance your marketability.

The pros of freelance digital marketing, like flexible schedules and the ability to choose your projects, come with the cons of managing your business affairs. To thrive in this dynamic field, continuous learning, setting boundaries, and periodic rate evaluations are essential.

Ultimately, success as a freelance digital marketer hinges on treating your venture as a business, consistently updating your skills, and navigating the ever-evolving digital landscape. If you're wondering how to become a freelance digital marketer, remember that resilience, adaptability, and strategic planning are essential.