How to Get Gigs Outside Freelancing Platforms?

Finding new clients is one of the most challenging aspects getting gigs outside freelancing platforms is a challenge for many freelancers.

How to Get Gigs Outside Freelancing Platforms?

How to Get Gigs Outside Freelancing Platforms? | digitalskillsguide.com

Get Gigs Outside Freelancing Platforms

Finding new clients is one of the most challenging aspects and getting gigs outside freelancing platforms is a challenge for many freelancers.

Freelancing platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer are an excellent place for getting your foot in the door when you're starting. However, those 20% commissions will eat you into your bottom line as your freelancing business grows.

You've probably heard that it's tough to get a gig outside of freelancing platforms? Yes! It's true.

But, don't worry.

I'll show you how you can find new clients pretty much anywhere.

How to Get Gigs Outside Freelancing Platforms? Table of Contents

#1. Downsides of relying on Freelancing Platforms for Getting Gigs

#2. Here's what you need to know

#3. Ready to get some new clients? Here are some tips and tricks that'll help you get gigs outside freelancing platforms

#3.1 Find clients on social media

#3.2 Online Freelancing Communities

#3.3 Starting a Blog

#3.4 Your Side Hustles

#3.5 Build Relationships with Previous Clients

#3.6 Send A Cold Email

#3.7 Word of Mouth

#3.8 Professional Website or Online Portfolio

#4. How To Receive Payments for Freelancers

#4.1 PayPal

#4.2 Payoneer

#4.3 Wise (formerly TransferWise)

#4.4 Wire Transfer

#4.5 GetPaid Africa 

#5. Receiving Payments: The Big Challenges 

#5.1 Fluctuating and high exchange rates

#5.2 Some countries don’t accept other payment options

#5.3 High fees

#5.4 Late Payments

#6. My Recommendation for East African Countries

Conclusion

How to Get Gigs Outside Freelancing Platforms?

#1. Downsides of relying on Freelancing Platforms for Getting Gigs

Platforms like Upwork and Freelancer can be a great place to start your freelance career. 

Many people have found success on these platforms. 

However, there are some downsides to using only freelancing platforms when you're looking for gigs. 

Read Also: How To Start Freelancing With No Experience

#2. Here's what you need to know:

1. It's difficult for beginners to get noticed and get gigs 

2. It’s hard to build your reputation if you constantly get new clients who weren't around very long. 

3. Excessive costs in buying connections and platform fees. 

4. High competition due to the presence of many freelancers.

5. Low payment from clients as they take advantage of many freelancers.

How to Get Gigs Outside Freelancing Platforms?

#3. Ready to get some new clients?

Here are some tips and tricks that'll help you get gigs outside freelancing platforms:

#3.1 Find clients on social media

Freelancers can get gigs outside freelancing platforms by taking advantage of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, etc.

Getting gigs from social media platforms depends on positioning yourself in your valuable posts, niche, and engagement with your audience.

Ensure to post helpful tips that provide value and solve people’s problems.

On Twitter, choose your niche and start tweeting content related to your niche. 

Be an active and consistent user, engage with others' tweets by replying to DMs, liking, and retweeting. This way, you will grow your followers and increase the chance of meeting potential clients.

You have to connect with other professionals and network with them on LinkedIn. 

You also have to take advantage of LinkedIn jobs to search for gigs that fit your needs.

With Reddit, you can get gigs specifically from where Redditors post job listings.

I think it's because those threads have a higher number of upvotes. 

Join Facebook groups related to your field. For example, join writer's groups and interact with other members if you're a writer. Clients visit those groups looking for freelancers to work with. 

#3.2 Online Freelancing Communities

Online communities for freelancers are great places to connect with fellow freelancers and potential clients.

Active engagement within the online freelancing community gives you great potential to get gigs outside freelancing platforms.

You can join online communities like GetPaidAfrica Community on Telegram and the like.

Asking for advice from seasoned freelancers is brilliant and something worth doing!

#3.3 Starting a Blog

It's one of the best ways to get clients for freelance writers. Your blog is the best place to showcase your expertise.

Writing topics related to your niche in your blog is the best option. 

Make sure your topics resonate well within your online communities.

Remember to share your blog post links with your audience to see your skills and increase the chances of getting gigs. 

The client will reach out once they know about you or read your blog article or service you offer.

#3.4 Your Side Hustles

Sounds disgusting? Of course not!

Your side hustles can be a chance for you to land gigs outside freelancing platforms.

Assume that you decide to write and sell ebooks; you'll get good money online from selling your eBooks.

But also, you'll increase the chances of people approaching you requesting to help them accomplish their eBook projects.

The logic is that if you provide value in what you're doing for yourself, you’ll eventually get a gig.

#3.5 Build Relationships with Previous Clients

As a freelancer, your primary goal should be to build long-term relationships with your clients. 

Clients will give you more work if you have better relationships with them.

You can contact previous clients to discuss some of your 'new services' or ask for recommendations.

Here is where the importance of ensuring a good and long-term relationship with your clients comes.

#3.6 Send A Cold Email

Do you think cold emails are a bummer?

My friend! It can work wonders!

That joy, when you cold emailed the client, and you get the reply, "I will be happy to work with you!"

It only takes courage and ensuring to sound professional in your pitching emails; you can be landing excellent gigs outside freelancing platforms.

Give it a try and see! It has worked for me.

#3.7 Word of Mouth

Don't be afraid to reach out to people with your portfolio and ask if they'd be willing to hire you!

Ensure to sound professional and embrace confidence.

You can reach out to friends, fellow freelancers, family members, etc.

You can go to some professional network and see if anyone needs your services.

#3.8 Professional Website or Online Portfolio

If you have a professional website, that's great! 

A professional website is a great way to display your impressive portfolio of work and your awesome self that offers the added benefit of credibility. 

It's also a good idea to include client testimonials and a list of services you offer.

A professional website helps people learn more about you and your services, making it easy for you to get gigs outside freelancing platforms.

How to Get Gigs Outside Freelancing Platforms?

#4. How To Receive Payments for Freelancers

Are you looking for ways to get paid by your clients? Then you've come to the right place. Below are some tips that might help you:

#4.1 PayPal 

PayPal is a secure, free service that allows you to send and accept payments quickly and easily.

#4.2 Payoneer

Payoneer is an online payment platform that helps freelancers send and receive money anywhere in the world. It allows for instant deposit if your clients have an account.

#4.3 Wise (formerly TransferWise)

Wise (formerly TransferWise) is a cheaper alternative to getting money transferred from one country to another, specifically from the US to somewhere else overseas.

#4.4 Wire Transfer

Wire transfer will take longer than other options, but it's very reliable and secure, as well as cost-effective for larger transfers of $500 or more in most cases.

#4.5 GetPaid Africa 

GetPaid Africa is a platform that gives freelancers in Africa (and those who work with them) access to the same tools that freelancers in other parts of the world often use.

#5. Receiving Payments: The Big Challenges 

Let's take a closer look at the significant challenges.

Here’re the five biggest ones.

#5.1 Fluctuating and high exchange rates

Hurdles in the exchange fee you'll have to pay your bank when you request a foreign payment. Exchange rates can sometimes be so high that it makes more sense to only accept payments in-country, like opting for GetPaid Africa.

#5.2 Some countries don’t accept other payment options

For example, in Tanzania, you can’t accept payment via PayPal. 

#5.3 High fees 

Unlike similar services, high fees are involved in bank account transfers, unlike similar services where this is free. As well as high fixed account maintenance and withdrawal rates.

 

#5.4 Late Payments

Sometimes you have to wait for weeks to access your payment. 

#6. My Recommendation for East African Countries

The best option to receive payment is by using GetPaid Africa.

The platform is aimed at helping freelancers across East Africa to ease payment problems.

The GetPaid Wallet gives you the chance to accept payments through stellar XLM coin, and you can withdraw through your local bank transfers and even mobile money platforms like Mpesa, Tigo Pesa, and the rest.

And have the lowest fee compared to the rest of the payment alternatives, also they have a strong community that offers support to freelancers in East Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, and Rwanda) you can access it via telegram here

Wrap Up

There are many ways you can find freelance jobs. And it's worth mentioning that it's only difficult in the beginning. Once you get familiar with the way things work, it will be much easier to find gigs outside freelancing platforms. 

So don't get discouraged. Keep pushing forward!

Many people are getting gigs outside freelancing platforms by combining two or more of the above tips.

What's important is to believe in yourself and give it a try!

The bottom line is that there's no one right way to find freelance work or gigs. 

However, keep looking on freelance job boards such as the GetPaid Africa Gigs section to find updated jobs.

How to Get Gigs Outside Freelancing Platforms?