Thinking about becoming a freelance digital marketing strategist but have no idea where to begin? You’re not alone. With businesses moving online more than ever, there’s a high demand for skilled digital marketers—and freelancing lets you work at your own pace.

Here are some genuine tips to get you off to a strong start:

1. Learn the Basics First

Before you start looking for clients, familiarize yourself with the key areas of digital marketing:

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
• Content marketing
• Social media marketing
• Email marketing
• Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising

You don’t have to be an expert in everything at once. Start with one skill, familiarize yourself, then expand.

2. Build Your Own Online Presence

If you’re offering digital marketing services, your own online presence should reflect your skills:

• Create a simple portfolio website
• Start a LinkedIn profile and stay active
• Post tips or case studies on Instagram, Twitter, or Medium

Your own brand builds trust with potential clients.

3. Experience with Real Projects

Start by gaining real-world experience. For example:

• Help local businesses or friends: Assist them with their social media, content creation, or SEO to gain hands-on experience.
• Run your own test campaigns: Spend small budgets on channels like Google Ads or Facebook Ads to observe how real ad systems work.
• Develop a personal brand or project: Establish a blog, Instagram, or YouTube channel to learn marketing methods and build an audience.

4. Specialize in a Niche

Narrowing your niche enables you to specialize. For example:

• Social media for real estate agents
• SEO for e-commerce brands
• Content marketing for health coaches

Specialization is worth more than being a generalist.

5. Take Advantage of Freelance Sites (But Strategically)

Freelance platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer.com are great places to start getting your initial jobs, but the competition is intense. To get noticed, focus on developing a good profile that showcases your experience, qualifications, and work samples. While bidding on jobs, send individualized proposals that address each client’s needs. Highlight the benefits you can provide, and don’t give generic responses. Start small, build good reviews, and aim for long-term client relationships, not one-off projects.

6. Keep Learning

Upgrade Your Skills Constantly:

• Stay updated with trends: Digital marketing evolves quickly with new algorithms, tools, and platforms.

• Watch YouTube tutorials: Learn from creators who share real-time strategies, platform updates, and walkthroughs.

• Take online courses: Enroll in free or low-cost courses on platforms like Coursera, HubSpot Academy, Google Digital Garage, and LinkedIn Learning.

• Apply what you learn: Practice new skills through small projects or side experiments to reinforce your knowledge.

7. Be Professional From Day One

Even newbies should act professional:

• Establish clear expectations
• Explain well
• Deliver on deadlines
• Ask for testimonials

Satisfied customers = more referrals and repeat business

Conclusion

Beginning as a freelance digital marketing strategist can be daunting at first, but small steps, continuous learning, and regular showing up can mean real success. Everyone begins somewhere. Your journey begins now.

Ready to start your freelance journey? I’m here to help.