Do clients think your freelance work online equals karaoke or main stage performance? Simon Cowell knows the difference between a singer who follows and one who leads. Freelance work online is viewed the same way by clients. They always go to your portfolio first.

What do you have in your portfolio?

When I graduated from college with a degree in visual communication, I had an okay portfolio. Some kids in class outshined everyone else. Their creativity was beyond my scope of thinking at the time. I realize now why they outclassed others. They found a program they liked most and rocked their projects!

1. Find the right program. Learn it inside out. Photoshop is great to make quick changes to photos, but it can do so much more. Illustrator creates the best logos with vector graphics. Do you know how to twirl that pen the right way to create a swirl yet? Attend local classes for programs you like and gain specialized skills that many businesses need.

2. Take risks. When I studied design, I fell in love with David Carson’s work. Type all over the place influenced a lot of my work at the time. He was the first to break traditional type rules in print magazines and started a trend. If you have an idea for a new look, try it. Who knows how far it will go.

3. Attend to details. Men with Pens does it best. That’s why they charge the high prices. Rock your freelance work online by taking care to address small details for clients. Whether your work is writing, graphic design, website design or some other type of freelance work online, add special touches that you notice need attention. You can add an extra touch to a sidebar or footer to complete a reader’s experience at a blog.

4. Learn new things. Well-versed designers grab ideas from other industries to use with their own creations. Notice fabrics, patterns in nature and even rock faces to come up with clever designs in your own freelance work online. If you write, read other niches to get information and ideas. Movies use Buddhism, alternative ideas and even Neuro Linguistic Programming in the script to present ideas in a different form. Now you know why you get déjà vu while watching a movie. Hmmm….I’ve heard that before.

5. Put your logo on your billing statements. It’s simple really. Make sure every aspect of your business has a reminder of you with your brand. By using a logo or picture, you repeat your brand to your clients again and again. Make sure it is everywhere. On your billing invoices, website, business card, even letters you send to clients.

6. Produce a script. If you search for jobs on forums and posting sites, create a pitch. Keep it saved in Microsoft Word or other program. The trick is to save time and avoid mistakes. While you are typing fast, you aren’t paying attention to your grammar and spelling. By writing your pitch before time, you save yourself from losing a potential sale.

7. Specialize and rock your style. If you create designs with type all over the place, chances are that a financial institution won’t hire you. Who will? Blogs and large companies that want your style to show their trendy side. They position themselves in the target market that you create designs.

You can keep singing karaoke and follow the rest of the crowd if you want. But, secretly I know you are a rock star. How can you rock your freelance work online today?

photo credit: BG³Photo