Greater quality than ever before
With companies cutting thousands of jobs, 9.6 million furloughed and unemployment set to hit between 9.7-13.2% in 2022, there’s more people than ever sitting at home looking for ways to expand their skills. And many of those who are pro-active, passionate and prepared to try something new have turned to freelancing.
In fact, freelancing is one area of work that is booming. Freelance job openings increased over 25% between April and June 2020 whilst freelance job postings rose 41% compared to the same period in 2019.
The current state of the world has made freelancing a more desirable option as, for one, people have been given a forced taste of what working from home is like. After discovering the wonders of working in their pyjamas, and the amount of time it saves, disgruntled workers that have been forced back into the office are more likely to be pushed into working for themselves.
Furthermore, figures show that the biggest rise in unemployment has been among young people; 76,000 more 16-24 year olds are out of work compared to last year. This means there’s more potential for those with fresh talent to set up their own freelance services and employ themselves.
So, as the freelance talent pool grows bigger, you’ve never been more spoilt for choice when it comes to searching for services than right now.
A commitment-free way to test the waters
Freelancers allow you to commission one-off projects which has many advantages. Firstly, it allows you to try out something new. Say you want to freshen up your brand with a redesign – that doesn’t mean you need a whole design team. Once the project is done and your logo and website are looking fly, you’re going to have employees sitting twiddling their thumbs. Similarly, if you have just one client who’s asking if you provide design services, saying yes and outsourcing the project may provide you with a way of trialling whether a design team would be a good investment or not.
Better yet, freelancers enjoy the freedom and flexibility that freelancing gives them, so they’re not expecting much commitment. They won’t be offended if you pay them and never speak again; they won’t be knocking on the door asking for a desk. However, if you take the time to build a good relationship with them, it can benefit you tenfold – more on that later.
It’s a good time to be improving
It can be difficult to know what to do next in the current climate. With lockdown constantly looming and online sales taking unprecedented turns, it can be hard to know where to position your business.
Now feels like the wrong time to be making big changes. There’s an attitude of just ‘staying afloat’ until these turbulent waters subside. However, things may never go back to ‘normal’, at least not for a number of years, and the best businesses have always found ways to thrive during a recession.
There’s lots of opportunity out there for those who want it. For example, research shows now is the time for marketers to be making the most of audio content. As it makes a massive comeback, smart brands are using it to get ahead.
But, this doesn’t mean you have to start hiring content marketers who specialise in audio. You could use a freelancer to work out how to work a podcast into your content strategy and get the biggest reach. Little additions like this are a great way to freshen up your content, get closer to your audience by sharing more information, and to boost your strategy with something new.
Other ways to improve would be to strengthen your online presence. Use freelance PPC specialists to overhaul your campaigns and ensure they’re based on a strategy that takes into consideration the new climate. This would allow you to get solid ad foundations which you could then build on yourself using free tools like Adzooma.
This ensures your ad campaigns are running in a cost-effective way and bringing in the most high-quality leads, all without having to expand your team or struggle through a steep learning curve.
Using freelancers and technology to your advantage can ensure your business makes the necessary adjustments to not only survive COVID-19, but thrive.
Create a reliable pool for an unsteady workload
As you yourself are unsure, so are all other businesses. As a result, clients come by a little more sporadically, budgets are more conservative and caution is high. So it can be difficult to anticipate the needs of your business. One week you could be snowed under and needing three more sets of hands, the other, you’re worrying about unnecessary outgoings as work dries up.
In an uncertain climate, freelancers help to alleviate the worry. By using them on an ad-hoc basis, it allows you to take on as much work as you like. Without the worry of furlough schemes or being unable to fulfil demand, you can concentrate on giving the best service to your clients and the bigger picture.
This is where building strong relationships with your freelancers pays off. If you go above and beyond to work with them, communicate openly, pay them fairly and on time, you can establish a rapport which works well for your needs. They’ll have a more vested interest and care about getting the very best outcome for your business.
Plus, you won’t have to spend ages explaining your projects to them if they already have an awareness of your goals. By having a reliable pool of talent on-hand as and when you need, you’ll discover you’re in a much more agile position to weather this storm.
Tap into global versatility and fresh ideas
Hiring in-house is very restrictive. You only get to pick from the talent in your local area who has an interest in your business, as opposed to people who are skilled and enthusiastic about their talents.
Freelancers open up the entire world to your company. They allow you to choose the best fit regardless of location, timezone or working desires. This allows you to access rare skill sets that match perfectly with your projects and provide higher value for your clients.
Diversity brings better ideas too. By removing the strict parameters of who you can and cannot hire, you tap into a world rich with alternative thoughts and fresh perspectives. Moreover, you don’t just have to go with one person’s vision. If you’re working on something in-house, you have a limited number of opinions.
By outsourcing, you can discuss ways to pursue the project with multiple freelancers until you find the right fit.
Find your ideal freelancer on Adzooma’s Marketplace
If you’re on the lookout for freelancer services, you can find them on our Marketplace. This is more than just an online directory – it gives you access to the best agencies, software, services and freelancers in the industry and helps you to find the best match for your business.
With an array of listings and brand new features, you can easily compare what’s on offer and take advantage of the benefits of hiring a freelancer. With features such as built-in reviews, a new messaging tool and platform-driven recommendations, it makes it easy for you to build trusted relationships from the get go.
