Achieving freelance success is possible but you must understand that the freelance community favors freelancers with an immeasurable value of networks around them. A good network helps to protect the career, promote growth and job opportunities of a freelancers career. 

I wouldn’t advise anybody to be an introverted freelancer. Instead, attend events, join communities, be a part of your gathering in the freelancing world. 

In this post, we are going to discuss the role of networking and community in freelancing. 

The Role of Community and Networking in Freelance Success

Community and client relationship, as well as networking with other freelancers can improve your influencing career. According to outsize.com, there are 3  different types of networking a freelancer can get access to in their career. 

Firstly, personal networks. These are group of people close enough to you, in the same line of work, still can be regarded enough to as family or friends. Of course, you might come across them online and still develop a life long intimacy. 

When it comes to strategic networks, we are talking about those sets of people you specially highlight out to build a relationship with. These sets of people might not be working in your line of work but still be able to introduce you to other exceptional talent. 

Those sets of people you have worked with in the early days of your career as a freelancer in your field are those referred to as operational networks. 

All the three types are going to help you in your career development as a freelancer. As much as you impact your network positively, your path to opportunities and success is clear ahead. 

What are the strategies needed to build a good network for freelance success and a good freelancing career?

1.    Start From Home

The best advice I’d offer to any freelancer out there is to start their networking physically from home. Most freelancers fail to inform their family and friends about there freelancing lifestyle.

My first job as a freelancer came from telling a friend about my content development abilities and how my interest keep growing in the industry. Fortunately, he had another friend in the same content development niche looking to outsource some of his job. 

Make sure you inform everyone around you  about what you do, and make sure you show an interest in anything they have for you about your freelancing career. 

2. Attend events and conferences 

There are lots of events scheduled for every weekend around the freelancing industry. You just have to filter out those in your best interests and those you would like to attend. 

Events, conferences and gatherings have professionals, experts and people with more experience in your freelancing sector attending them. That is a great opportunity to come across those set of people, have a little bit of chat with them and build a meaningful connection from there.

Quick tip: Don’t stay mute at freelancing events. Ask questions, take part in quizzes and engage in discussions in order to be easily identified. 

3. Try online events and groups 

Are you still infused in your introvert series. Attending physical events and gatherings might not be your thing, still those online events in your industry shouldn’t be things you should be running from. 

There are groups on twitter, Facebook, linkedin and even telegram for freelancers follow industry trend and network with other freelancers. Occasionally, these groups organize online events that allow diverse connection for freelancers

4. Post Your Work Regularly:

Without updating your online visibility, it is very difficult to find freelancers looking to network with others in the same sector. Take your online posting and visibility as serious as your operational process as a freelancer. You might also consider getting a premium plan on Gighunt.xyz freelance marketplace.

The fact is no freelancer want to establish a connection with a mediocre in their field. Everybody is looking for an accountability partner. Someone, who’s online lifestyle they can easily relate to. 

Post your active projects, recap earlier ones, drop video tutorials once in a while, join online competition around your sector, don’t fold in challenges around your area of design and so on. 

5. Update Your Portfolio 

Aside posting your work online occasionally and staying updated about trends in your sector, updating your portfolio every now and then can help build your portfolio. 

For designers, updating your portfolio start from posting your work on Gighunt, Behance, dribble, LinkedIn or even personal website. Of course, while following the necessary guidelines of updating once portfolio. 

Add new work and new project you are working on to your portfolio every now and then. Bedsides, it might not necessarily be the exhausting kind of projects. Even a short one can do in as much as the process can be documented. 

6. Collaboration With Other Freelancers

Partnering with other freelancers on projects can help build your portfolio, online visibility and most importantly a network that can eventually grow into a close friendship. 

Everyone has their approach and style of working on a clients project. Your approach and another from another freelancer or other freelancers, put together on a project will have simplify complex work and tackle the creativity block that affect many freelancers in a business. 

After the completion of the project, everyone involved in the project has the chance to be named a co-owner of your project. Guess what? This can play a major role in your portfolio. Usually, clients demand freelancers with a proof of collaboration and team work experience. 

7. Regularly Reach Out to Past Colleagues and Clients

It seems everything we have been discussing in this post has been developing your networks from scratch. However, how about nurturing those networking opportunities you have around you initially? Reaching out to Past colleagues and clients can help improve existing connections. 

You can get access to referrals from clients, resources for colleagues, or even collaboration with other freelancers as explained earlier. 

Some of the most important characteristics that every freelancer must imbibe is being friendly. And a very simple way to do that is by reaching out to people you have come across in your line of work. 

PS: The goal of this process is not demanding for work. It’s just occasional checking up of other stakeholders you have come across in your career. 

Conclusion 

The importance of networking for freelancers can not be over stated. It is one of the most important processes involved in the stability of a freelancers career. With networking, you can have access to resources, job opportunities, projects around your area and a lot of beneficial information to your freelancing career. 

Nevertheless, quality network matters in freelancing. Endeavour to not only build your connections based on numbers but also how mutually beneficial the connection can be.