20 July 2020 14:50:50 IST

When in a pandemic, begin freelancing

Narrowing in on your niche and identifying your talents can help kickstart your freelancing career

The nation-wide lockdown imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19 has brought all of our lives to a complete standstill. Due to the ensuing economic recession, there has been a reduction in salaries and some have even lost their jobs. Because of this, freelance jobs have been on the rise in India. Freelancing gives you the freedom to pursue your passion on your own time within your homes. It can either act as a supplementary income or a primary source of income, depending upon how much time you want to spend on building your craft.

Here are some of the most popular options if you are looking to kickstart your freelancing career.

Writing

If you have a knack for weaving words, you should consider a career as a freelance writer. Brands are always on the lookout for something creative and fun to add to their blogs, website and social media posts. You should grab this opportunity to market your services as a writer. You can explore writing either long-form content like blogs and website pages or short-form content like ad copies, based on what you're comfortable with.

Graphic designing

If you have a good knowledge of design tools and a creative mind, you can become a freelance graphic designer. Make sure you create a good portfolio that showcases your design talent. Brands will decide to partner with you based on the quality of your work. This is definitely a freelance job that pays the bills while also being a lot of fun!

SEO analyst

Today every website requires a strong SEO strategy in order to rank on Google. If you have a strong technical understanding of SEO, then you can easily provide SEO audits and fixes for clients on a freelance basis. You can check out other freelancers in your category to see how much they're charging and price your services at around the same level.

Campaign manager

Many brands understand the importance of maintaining a good social media presence, but not all of them are aware of what is the best way to do so. If you have experience handling social media accounts, then you can freelance as a social media campaign manager. You will handle a brand's social presence, schedule posts and run ads. This isn't just a great way to earn money, but is also extremely interesting to work on. If you want to brush up on your digital marketing skills, you can always sign up for an online digital marketing course.

Video editor

Most brands are realising the importance of using good quality video content on their platforms. Videos can engage and inform audiences better than most other forms of content can. If you are proficient in video editing tools, then you can get a freelance job as a video editor. Your clients could be anything from small businesses, to ad agencies to even social media influencers.

The freelance jobs mentioned above are open to freshers as well, but some companies prefer working with people who have a little bit of experience. If you are a fresher, then here are some great freelance jobs that require zero experience.

Online training

Do you have a special skill that you think people would like to learn about? This could be anything from yoga to dance to fitness exercises like Zumba. Once you have narrowed down on something specific to take a workshop, you can start holding online classes and get people to register for them. This can help you earn money while doing something you love.

Influencers

Brands are always searching for social media influencers they can partner with to promote their products or services. If you become an influencer, you will get paid money for each of these partnerships. To become an influencer, make sure you create a niche for yourself in a specific category, for example, beauty, fitness, fashion, etc. This can help you attract the right target audience and brands.

If you're starting out as a freelancer for the first time, you might find it difficult to get jobs initially. But remember not to lose hope! Sign up for popular freelancer platforms and consistently market your services on social media to get noticed. With a little dedication and persistence, you will soon have a solid freelance career.