How to Compete With Cheap Freelance Sites If You’re a Pro
With online talent platforms like Fiverr, outsourcing work is now easier than ever . For less than twenty dollars, you can find a writer, designer, or editor. This is convenient if you are hiring, but it is frustrating for workers who make their living this way. This is how you can compete with sites offering cheap jobs.
Focus on value, not price
Usually the biggest plus to paying more for something is value. As a freelancer competing with cheap jobs, you should focus on value.
If you don’t have one yet, have a clear mission statement. Or, as the WorkflowMAX calls it, a “value statement”. In any case, it is about identifying the qualities that give value to your business or product. WorkflowMAX writes :
“Your client needs to understand that what you are offering is more attractive and will offer superior benefits to his company for years to come. Hence, you will receive appropriate prices. You don’t want to run a business that competes on price … Instead, you need to offer a more unique experience or service — your value proposition.
Of course, it’s not enough just to say that you have value. You want to show it too. Do this in a professional manner with the client. If you are used to freelancing, you probably already know how to do this. But if you don’t, we have great advice on how humility, kindness, and calmness can benefit your professional life.
In addition to presenting yourself as a professional, make sure you have examples from your past work to prove your ability.
Suggest examples of your work
Even if you have no experience, you can create a portfolio that validates your skills. This could be a blog, a real portfolio of your design concepts, or a demo video. Whatever the medium, make sure it includes your work of the highest quality.
Thought Writing offers a few tips specific to writers , but they can really apply to any industry:
Make sure your blog is professionally written. Even if your blog is personal, not related to your professional writing, potential clients will find it and use it to gauge your ability. Some clients will also follow your engagement on social media.
When it comes to social media, branding has become an important part of the professional world these days.
Tell us about your name
It is very important, especially if you are an independent contractor or freelancer, to promote yourself and your work.
You can do quality work, and there may be clients who value quality enough to hire you immediately. But if they can’t find you, how can they ask you to place a bet?
The term “branding” can distort you a little, but you can do it without being messy . A few tips:
- Make sure you have an online portfolio.
- Build a network of people who support your ideas.
- Respond and interact on social media.
In general, it is about letting people know what you are offering.
Again, what you have to offer should be better than what is available on cheaper online platforms. Therefore, it is important to know what you are facing.
Learn more about talent platforms
Take a moment to browse some of these popular sites. See what users are producing. They often also offer samples of their work. Find out what buyers are getting for their money. Find out where the weaknesses are so you can focus your work on those areas. You can even ask the client directly where others went wrong.
Basically, you are looking for something to offer that these online platforms cannot offer. Accessibility could be one example. Graphic Design Blender explains this. Their advice is to compete with the big firms, but I think it works just as well for the following sites:
I have worked with so many clients who tell me they decided to go freelance this time because they could never get in touch with their design firm last time. Or when they finally found someone to work on their project, the problem took too long to go through the system.
This is just one example. Research cheap jobs in your industry, find out what the complaints are, and improve your performance.
Look for clients in the right places
Some clients are more likely than others to pay for quality work. Sometimes you just need to make sure you are looking in the right places. Writing thoughts, for example, warns against looking for work on bidding sites. Instead, they suggest that you focus your search here:
- Websites that advertise full-time professional positions. Many companies that hire full-time professionals can also outsource freelance contracts.
- Local businesses. Meeting a prospect in person gives you a huge advantage. Customers who interact with you directly are often willing to pay more.
- Former clients. Feel free to meet with former clients who paid you a decent amount. They may have more work for you, or they may have contacts they are willing to refer you to.
- Medium business. A medium business (or publication) is a better prospect for a writer than a sole proprietor. They will likely have a larger budget, but they probably don’t have in-house writers.
Of course, there are always exceptions. You can very well find a high-paying job on a betting site. You may be out of luck with big business. Find out what works for you, but these are usually the places where you are more fortunate in your job search.
Stand one’s ground
If a client is wary of hiring you, you might be tempted to step back and settle for an incredibly low rate. Hongkyat explains how this can be destructive :
Sure, you can attract multiple clients over the next few months if you charge less than you are worth, but you may end up putting yourself in a paycheck that you will never get out of. Once people know they can get your services at a fairly low cost, they will always want to get it cheap, even if you want to raise prices in the future.
Of course, if you’re just starting out, you might have to work your way up and start at a lower rate. Some freelancers even work for free when they are newbies. There is a lot of controversy on this topic. This is a personal decision, but at least you should know what you are getting yourself into and establish some guidelines.
Keep up with your industry
Online talent platforms actually do a pretty good job of what customers and businesses are looking for. This means you’ll have to better keep up with your industry.
Set aside an hour each day to improve your work . Explore some additional related skills that might be attractive to potential clients.
Don’t take it personally
Sometimes clients simply don’t have the budget to pay more for the job. Sometimes they don’t need to spend more for a higher quality. And sometimes they just prefer someone else.
It can be hard not to take things personally, but keep in mind – this is a business. If you know your price and can prove it, you don’t need to justify your bet. But keep your professionalism even if your job is turned down. This client may remember you when a colleague is looking for a freelancer. They may even hire you later.
Online talent platforms enable just about anyone to find cheap help. And for this reason, they are becoming more and more popular. But competing with them can be painful. It’s not easy, but you will succeed if you focus your efforts on value and establish yourself as a professional.