You are your own Brand

As a gigger, you are the company and the product at the same time, and clients tend to trust a more consistent, thoughtful image. This means creating some idea of who you are as a freelancer and how you want to market that to your potential clients.

First things first, take stock of what existing skills you have and think, what are you good at or enjoy doing? how would these skills fit into the local or even global market?

Once you’ve figured out what you have to offer, think about how you want to market yourself to potential clients and how they would resonate with your brand and you.

For example, if you are a freelance writer specializing in children’s stories, get familiar with the industry’s language. What are parents reading to their children now? What kind of stories are out there and what new perspective can you provide?

Know your market

Watching your friends or favourite TV characters hustle and succeed as a freelancer abroad is great for inspiration, but it’s not always going to be transferable. Singapore is small, and that means not every idea can scale. So your friend’s idea of selling upcycled furniture on Facebook Marketplace might do really well in Canada, but maybe not in Singapore.

That being said, Singapore’s size means that word can get around really easily too. Tap on your friends and people you know to see if there’s any need for your skillset. It’s likely they’ll go the extra mile to help spread the word.

The Hardware

Once you’ve figured out what you’re trying to do, it’s time to get down to the little details. Set a price list, create invoicing information, make a new email address, open a new business bank account, make a business card. There are hundreds of little things to do before you start so you are more organised and prepared for all the clients to come rolling in. They seem like small things now, but you’ll thank yourself later when you need to get things done in a crunch!

Hit the Socials

Social Media Marketing is going to be one of your most effective tools in getting freelance work. Create a social media page with your past works, link it to your website or portfolio, and voila! You can now reach so many more people. It also never hurts to connect a WhatsApp Business account to your Facebook page, so people can reach you easily.

Bonus: By having it all in one place, it streamlines communication AND helps clients feel like they’re going through a professional channel.

The freelance world is not easy but I hope these starter tips will help you find some footing in this fast-paced industry. Download the free gigsomething app today and start gigging.

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