Digital Marketing Freelancer
Do you need to create or to improve your digital digital strategy with an approach that respects people and the environment? A digital marketing freelancer is a status of independent worker specialized in the marketing professions, and a fortiori in digital.
Depending on the specialty, theycan perform the function of:
- Community Manager
- Marketing consultant
- Manager in digital marketing
- SEO consultant
- Brand content manager
- Web designer, etc
Freelance marketing: definition
Freelance marketing works in the field of marketing, web marketing or communication for its own account. He is self-employed, according to the Labor Code. He takes care of the digital strategy as well as the various channels and digital media of a company or a brand. To do this, it can perform several functions, such as community management and SEO. The freelancer must also choose a legalstructure to get started.
The missions of the digital marketing freelancer
The missions of the freelancer in digital marketing focus on the implementation and application of a client’s marketing strategy. It also supports the management of its structure to ensure its success and development.
Main missions of the digital marketing freelancer
The main mission of the freelancer is to improve the visibility of a company, agency or brand on the Internet. In order to achieve this objective, this professional is responsible for:
The implementation of a digital marketing strategy and its application;
The development of an optimization plan for the client’s websites and web platforms for a better experience;
Improving the digital experience of customers;
The animation of social networks, sites and web platforms of the client;
Development of digital solutions and its deployment;
The design of functional web marketing applications or software;
Stimulate of the company’s database;
How to become a marketing freelancer?
To become a marketing freelancer, it is essential to master the concept and techniques of marketing and digital. Knowing the sector is also important in order to break through.
How to set up as a marketing freelancer?
To set up as a marketing freelancer, you have to go through a few key steps:
- Train to master marketing techniques and the digital field;
- Choose one or more specialties to determine the offer to present to customers;
- Conduct market research to better understand the sector;
- Establish a business plan to assess the viability of the project;
- Set up your project in order to define the various parameters;
- Choose your structure: micro-entrepreneur or sole proprietorship (EURL, SASU, etc.);
- Carry out the steps and formalities to create your company or micro-enterprise;
- Make yourself known and prospect clients.
What does a freelance digital marketing consultant do?
A freelance digital marketing consultant is a freelancer who uses one or more digital channels and techniques to help businesses promote their products and services. Freelance digital marketing experts typically specialize in one of the many digital marketing channels available. Some of the most common freelance digital marketing areas are:
1. Content Marketing
Content marketers promote brand awareness using written content. Content marketing encompasses content strategy, copywriting (webpage writing), and long-form content writing (like the blog post you’re reading). Often, content marketing works in tandem with other online marketing channels like social media and SEO.
2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Natural referencing, or SEO, consists of organizing and optimizing a site so that search engines (like Google, Bing and Ecosia) recognize it as useful and rank it at the top of search results. SEO freelance digital marketers typically work closely with the content team to optimize it for search engines using industry best practices.
3. Social media management
Social media platforms have become a mainstay of marketing in many industries. Whether it’s Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, or LinkedIn, freelance digital marketers specializing in social media management work to improve engagement and growth on social media. They manage brand accounts, experiment with effective strategies, and monitor growth across all platforms.
4. Paid referencing (SEA: Search Engine Advertising)
Although sounding similar, SEA is different from SEO. In SEA, the freelance digital marketer focuses on creating, placing, and tracking ads on search engine results to promote a business. It researches keywords and monitors pay-per-click (PPC) ad performance. The well-known tool for doing SEA is Google Ads.
5. Videomarketing
Video is becoming an increasingly popular and highly valued content format. Videos can be used across all marketing channels and shared on platforms like YouTube and Vimeo for greater engagement. Freelance digital video marketers design, write and oversee the production of videos.
We have presented here just a few of the areas that a digital marketing freelancer can focus on. You can also become a digital marketing consultant and help businesses develop their digital marketing strategy. In fact, any type of marketing work that can be done in-house can also be done as a freelancer! We’ve rounded up some of the most in-demand digital marketing skills and professions here.
Is a Freelance Digital Marketing Career Right For You?
With the booming freelance economy, many people are considering quitting their full-time jobs and working for themselves. But is freelancing digital marketing right for you?
There are two aspects to consider: freelancing itself and a career in digital marketing. We’ll take a look at both of these and help you decide if this path is best for you.
Advantages and disadvantages of freelancing
At first glance, being a freelancer may seem like a lot of freedom – and in some ways it is. But from experience, I can tell you that you have to think about other aspects first. Here are the pros and cons of freelancing.
Advantages:
The freedom to choose your work projects, niche, and clients based on your preferences.
A flexible work schedule
Opportunity to grow your business and salary as you wish.
You get all the credit for your work
All business profits belong to you
Disadvantages:
- Unpredictable income
- You will have to wear all hats and market your business.
- Work-life balance can be difficult to achieve
- No health insurance or other employer benefits
Now that you know the pros and cons of a career as a freelancer, let’s take a closer look at the skills and qualifications you need to master before becoming a digital marketing consultant – freelancer or not.
What to consider before becoming a digital marketer
Before you hand in your resignation and dive into the industry, ask yourself if this career is best for you, your interests, and your abilities. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Am I creative enough to develop marketing strategies on various platforms and media?
- Are my writing and editing skills strong?
- Do I enjoy analyzing campaign results and adjusting strategies until I find the right solution?
- Do I know SEO well? Am I willing to learn more about this?
- Am I comfortable with technology?
- Do I have an eye for design?
- What are my community building skills?
These questions highlight just a few of the skills you’ll need to excel at digital marketing. Granted, not all skills are necessary for all facets of digital marketing, but you should at least understand them and know why they are so important to broader digital marketing strategy and efforts.
If you are convinced that this job is for you, discover the steps to get there.
How to Get Started in Freelancing Digital Marketing: A Step-by-Step Guide
Digital marketing can be daunting if you’re a complete beginner. And even if you’ve worked in this field before, getting started as a freelancer can seem daunting. Follow this step-by-step guide to get started.
1. Define your niche
Digital marketing is a huge industry, so establishing a niche is critical to your career success. If you try to do it all, you risk spreading yourself thin and feeling like a newbie starting from scratch for every project.
However, choosing a niche doesn’t mean you have to do the same thing every day. For example, my digital marketing niche is content marketing. As part of this marketing, I specifically focus on content writing. As part of content writing, I decided to write long-form content for primarily B2B audiences. In this context, I am open to other areas such as SaaS, digital marketing, healthcare and cybersecurity. I’m also happy to try new topics, while staying in this niche.
Ideally, your niche should be at the intersection of your interests, abilities, and the wide availability of well-paying jobs. For example, maybe you are interested in social media marketing. You will quickly learn that you value certain industries or jobs more in that niche. Maybe you prefer Instagram strategy to Pinterest management, for example. You will also learn that some jobs pay better than others. You can then use this information to choose a niche.
Tip: Choosing a niche is crucial to succeeding as a freelance digital marketer. However, take the time to try out a variety of specialties and sectors before deciding – and don’t be afraid to change your mind and pivot later.
2. Build a client portfolio
Whatever your industry and specialty, you need a website as a freelance marketer. Digital marketers work online, which makes your website your office or online storefront. You can find cheap web hosts and easy setup options like Notion to get started.
Your website is the first proof that you have the technical knowledge and expertise to market yourself. On your site, you can show off your various skills, from SEO, copywriting, design, video production, and content writing. You can also host your work portfolio and testimonials, all in one place.
Don’t have a portfolio or testimonials yet? So become your first customer. Write blog posts, grow your personal brand and social network. Tell customers about the SEO results you got with your site. Be your first hit and watch the other customers pour in. You can learn more about creating an impressive digital marketing portfolio here.
3. Find a network
Marketing without an audience or network is a bit like shouting into the void. Networking is essential to the success of a freelance activity.
Networking with other freelance digital marketers will also help you figure out how to set your rates based on the market and your experience. Social media is the best place to find like-minded freelancers. Create a profile that reflects what you do (or hope to do if you’re just starting out).
On social media platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn, be curious about other freelancers, especially those in your niche or industry. Befriend them, share what you’re doing in your business, and even that you’re looking for work!
Facebook is known for having groups and communities of freelancers that support you. Do a quick search to find groups of freelancers in your field. Join them and actively participate. You can also join freelance communities outside of Facebook, depending on your niche. For example, I benefited from my participation in Peak Freelance, a community of freelance writers (it’s also thanks to her that I got these recommendations).
Tip: You need a network to earn as a freelancer. Hiring managers and marketing managers tend to rely more on recommendations from trusted contacts than on job offers. Build your
bucket list by actively participating on social media (if you don’t know who to follow on Twitter, start with me!), joining freelance communities, and patiently building relationships with other freelance digital marketers.
4. Promote your business
Promoting your freelance digital marketing business requires a multi-pronged approach. Self-promotion is key to finding new customers, especially high-paying customers. However, self-promotion can be tricky when you’re new to the industry and don’t have a lot of contacts or portfolio. Fortunately, it’s not impossible.
In addition to the tips we’ve shared so far, try these two effective promotion strategies for finding new customers:
Cold Pitching: This involves reaching out to business owners or marketing executives in your preferred industries and pitching your services to them. Many prospects need a freelance digital marketer, but they don’t know it or where to find one. Before offering them your services, consider how your skills can help them. Can you help their site rank on search engines? Do you have a strategy to help them grow their social media platforms? Show them. Use statistics from your website or social media profiles (hello portfolio!).
Work for free: This may be disputed, but for some people it is the only way to gain experience in the field. In addition, this method differs depending on the specialty. For example, writers can submit guest posts to top brands in their industry. Social media managers can volunteer for unpaid internships, and aspiring SEO experts can trade their services with another freelancer who can offer them a service in return. Everybody wins !
Tip: To be successful as an independent digital marketing expert, you need to have sales skills. This is good practice for marketing other people’s businesses. Don’t be afraid to come up with business and marketing leads or work for free at the start of your career.
5. Make your business legal
When your business starts to take off (it will take off!), it’s time to legalize things. Register your business (either as a sole proprietorship or an LLC – I prefer the latter), get a tax ID if possible in your country, and start tracking your income and expenses ahead of the season tax declarations.
Before you even register your business, learn basic business skills, like sending invoices – yes, even for your first job. Another thing to implement from day one is using a contract for every business engagement (you can send your own if your client doesn’t send one) and including payment terms in it.
Digital marketing freelancer: average prices
Accurately quantifying the average price of a digital marketing freelancer is difficult. In fact, the prices displayed depend on several criteria, in particular the type of service to be performed. To get a precise idea of the budget to be expected, it is advisable to ask for quotes.
The price of a marketing freelancer can vary depending on many criteria. Prices are often determined based on:
- Pricing: flat rate, hourly, per word, per website, etc.
- The type of service (drafting and management of web content, referencing, website development, animation of social networks, etc.)
- Additional costs: travel, Internet connection.
- The hourly volume to be done, the duration of the contract.
- Freelance marketing experience.
On the other hand, the price of freelance marketing can vary from one professional to another. On average, the remuneration of a digital marketing freelancer varies between 5000 and 5700 € per month depending on the service. However, it is possible to give a price range on the averages observed for each service.
This table gives, for information only, some examples of prices:
Type of service |
Average rate observed |
| Front end developer | Between US$ 300 – US$ 500 per day |
| SEO Specialist | Between US$ 400 – US$ 700 per day |
| Internet marketing consultant | Between US$ 400 – US$ 700 per day |
| Web designer | Between US$ 300 – US$ 500 per day |
| SEA specialist | Between US$ 400 – US$ 500 per day |
| Consultant Analytics | Between US$ 500 – US$ 600 per day |
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One response to “Digital Marketing Freelancer | Definition, salary, missions”
This article does a great job of explaining the importance of measuring the success of your online marketing efforts. It’s not just about implementing strategies, it’s about understanding what works and what doesn’t.