This article outlines 5 mistakes Nigerian Freelancer makes on their profile.
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You've completed your freelancer profile. You've listed your skills. It's time to begin bidding! Yet employment isn't forthcoming. The proposals are unimplemented. Something is wrong. This might not be a problem of your skills. It could be your profile. Any easy errors can leave prospective customers cold prior to even reading your offer. Below are 5 common profile errors Nigerian freelancers make and how to correct them.
Mistake One: Denial – covering up your location rather than taking responsibility for it.
A lot of Nigerian freelancers attempt to conceal their location. They include imprecise terms such as "Earth" or "Global". They wash not a single trace of Nigeria. They believe that they will not be accepted by the clients if they are aware of their real location.
This is a very serious error. The client will find out at some point. If you have to talk about time zones, money or internet matters, the truth comes out. Keeping your location a secret harms trust. Your clients ask "what else are you hiding?
It's better to be proud of your location. There are some benefits that Nigerian freelancers can enjoy over others. English is extensively used. The work ethic is high. The cost of living is lower, so you can still be on excellent rates without paying too much. These are some of the reasons why many international clients prefer to hire freelancers from Africa.
Be honest about where you're at. Say the name of your city or region. Clients appreciate transparency. While some may be hesitant, those who appreciate honesty will put their trust in you more. And, those who would reject you because of location were never going to be good clients.
The second mistake is to use a generic headline that doesn't reveal any information.
A bad headline would be something like this: "Freelancer available for work" or "Graphics Designer. This communicates nothing to the client. All of the other profiles are identical. You can walk around in the crowd without being noticed.
Headline is the first impression you make. It needs to "capture" and deliver value right away. Say “I make small business logos into things that people will remember,” rather than “Graphics Designer.” Don't say "Virtual Assistant" say "Busy executives hire me to clear their inbox by noon.
There are three components to a good headline. It defines your target audience, your problem and the solution you provide, and your outcome. Spend time on this. Test different versions. Request friends to tell you which one they want to click. Your headline is one of the first things clients will look at when they view your profile.
The third error is to think of yourself, rather than the client.
Many free writers create profiles about themselves. Now I have a degree, five years' experience, I'm hard working, I'm reliable. This is boring. Clients aren't concerned with you. They are concerned about your ability to help them.
Rephrase each sentence so that the emphasis is on the client's problem. Rather than saying, "I am good at social media," say, "I assist small businesses to attract customers on Instagram without being there for hours each day. Rather than saying "I write content," state "I write blog posts that rank on Google and get your website thousands of visitors.
There are three questions you need to address on your profile for the client. Do you have any ideas to help me out with my problem? Have you encountered similar issues previously? How can I believe you? Each sentence needs to provide an answer to one of the following questions. Rearrange sentences that are not about the client, but are about you.
Mistake Four: No Proof of Work
Clients are able to read your claims, but they seek proof. If you don't have a portfolio, samples or testimonials, your profile will be ignored. If you don't have any paid customers, you can still provide proof.
Create sample projects. Create blog posts on ideas you wish to write for clients. Create logos for bogus organizations. Create websites for fictitious companies. Do some free work for a local charity or friend's company for a recommendation. Perform an activity demonstrating the skills.
Screen shot all work. Upload files. Share links. If a client checks your portfolio, he or she will decide for himself or herself whether you are of good quality. They need not believe your assertions. They have faith in their own sight.
When it comes to testimonials, do little and often. Send a letter or two to anybody you've helped, even for free. “This is the man I used to repair my computer swiftly and professionally.” It's better than self-praise in a paragraph.
When you list every skill you've ever heard of When you include every skill you've ever heard of.
There are freelancers who believe that the more skills they have, the more work they'll get. They have a whole list of things they can do: writing, designing, coding, marketing, virtual assistance, data entry, translation, voiceover, video editing, and so much more. This is a bad idea to do.
No client wants a jack o' all trades. They need an expert. If you are seeking a logo designer, you will opt for that person rather than a person that can do everything. The specialist appears more focused, more adept, more professional.
Narrow your focus. Choose one key skill and one specific skill. Someone who writes about real estate. An author who writes about real estate. A person who prepares menus for restaurants. An artificial assistant specialized in podcast administration. The more focused, the easier the client sees you as the expert that they need.
While you are able to provide other skills, don't include them as the main services. Talk about them as a bonus. I create logos, and I also work with the files to make them web- and print-friendly. It is not "I do design, writing and data entry.
Bonus Mistake: poor English and typos
Your profile is your sales document! If your work is filled with typos, missing punctuation, and awkward writing, clients will think that your work is the same. This is particularly the case for Nigerian freelancers bidding on global projects. Any errors made in English quickly hamper trust.
Read your profile to others before you publish. Have a friend proofread. Take advantage of free tools such as Grammarly or Language Tool. Do it right the first time! A neat and neat profile portrays that you value details.
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