After having tasted the freedom of being freelancers, independent from a corporate company, we realized that those benefits came with a series of consequences. These could be summed up as those that counted as benefits in those companies; for example, taxes, social security, etc. All these issues that we did not consider present in our lives when we worked in an office, are now something to add to the to-do list as a freelancer. So we want to give you a list of skills that will be required as a freelancer in 2022; this is for you to consider before you take the plunge, or during, to see if you are really ready for the freelance life.
Accounting
This skill provides expert financial advice to private and professional clients, to your personal life. Services consist of monitoring client expenses and statements, analyzing and maintaining records, updating processes and systems, paying taxes, and investigating fraud. A freelancer who knows numbers is a successful one, so keep in mind to learn about it to score points with your clients, and with your portfolio.
SEO
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. They know how to increase website traffic through search engines like Google or Yahoo. They develop and implement strategies using phrases, keywords, design and advertising to ensure that their client's site results in a privileged search position, attracting more sales, customers and clicks. But above all, this skill gives the freelancer the opportunity to publish themselves on the internet and appear more often in the searches of their potential clients.
Social media management
Social media managers create content for different platforms that are attractive to promote and manage the online profiles of organizations and their services. They develop and deliver a variety of content to create brand awareness, launch product campaigns, improve customer service and build relationships with influencers. Familiar with the latest trends, they implement strategies that elevate brands and stay ahead of competitors. This is key for freelancers to get ahead because no person exists if they are not on social media, so having the ability to manage networks will make your service look genuine and professional.
PRO TIP: learn a little bit about graphic design and you will save a lot of money.
Copywriter
Copywriters are experts in writing clear and compelling brand-conscious copy across various media such as web articles, newsletters, reports, manuals, courses, advertising, scripts, email, press releases, social media and communications, etc. You may wonder why this is useful to me, because communication to sell is key, therefore if you do not know how to write correctly to communicate an idea, you will not sell. The ability to know how to write is a skill that every freelancer must have.
Customer Service
I think it goes without saying, but customer service is of great importance in freelancing because of its characteristic of being a direct deal with the client. Those interpersonal skills of being able to communicate an idea correctly and being able to have respectful and adequate answers for everything, is what makes an ordinary freelancer to an extraordinary one. Remember that these are the people who will speak well, or poorly, of you in the future with other potential clients.
These are just some of the things you must have as a freelancer in order to be a successful one. Of course, they are not a necessity when starting out in freelancing and are something that you will develop and improve over time, but they are ones that you should consider adopting in order to reach your full potential.
