Visuals are stimulating and entertaining to the mind. More than anything, people enjoy sharing content that is unique and provides a solution to their questions.

You have likely heard about the need for a brand to present valuable and unique content for its readers. Eye-catching elements that catch the audience such as images, videos, and infographics. They work to project your message that ties directly to the scheme of things.

What Makes Visual Content that Catches Your Audience

Visual marketing is incorporated into a brands content mix for numerous reasons, including building the brands social media network and increasing leads.

When creating visual website content consider these tips to catch your audience:

• Share what the audience wants: Right at this moment, what is on everyone’s mind? When sitting down to create your videos and images, that is the very first question you should ask yourself.
• Deliver what you promise: Create visual content that is extremely relevant to your core brand community. It is important to share the information which your targeted audience will always need, does not change over times, and provides them with helpful information as well as solutions.
• Go further than only images: When creating web content include short video or infographics that can be shared on places such as Facebook and Instagram and ties back to your YouTube channel and website.
• Give the content a new twist: Make sure your visual content is relevant to your intended audience that is unique to your brand. Of course, just as long as you provide your own fresh “twist”, a topic that is on everyone’s mind is terrific.
• Make the visual content “shareable”: Share your tweets and posts specifically with important individuals in your niche that are inside of your network stating how that particular tweet or post could be beneficial their audience base, also. Ensure your website is responsive and includes social sharing icons as well.

Begin your visual marketing campaign by creating visual content and improving them as you go along. So, be sure to pay attention to user feedback and do not be afraid to change your graphics along the way to ensure you reach your targeted audience.

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Generally, creating additional content is a good thing; however, as any successful marketer knows, it takes more than just creating content to gain results. It takes great content. Great content requires careful planning to deliver the variety and value your audience craves.

The following tips can help you plan for better content for your audience:

Begin with Goals

Compelling your audience to take action is the goal of content marketing. You miss the “marketing” part of the equation when there is no action. So, do not begin with what you want your audience to know. Begin with what you want your audience to do.

The wanted action may be attending a webinar, signing up for your blog, scheduling a demo, etc. Whatever you decide, each piece must be connected to a desirable result.

Allow Your Audience to Lead the Topic Selection

Listen to your audience through their questions they are asking through emails to your sales department, forums such as Quora, search engine queries, and tools like Bloomberry and BuzzSumo then continue the conversation as your topic selection.

Change Up Your Content

Fill holes in your editorial calendar and ensure your content is fresh by changing up your content type. Sure, save room for sharable listicles, however, balance those with thought-provoking pieces that establish the point of view of your brand. Include how-to articles that are 100 percent utility.

Have a plan, write it out, and make it actionable.

Include Interactive Content

Other content is not your main competitor for your audience’s attention. Your main competitor is everything else in the world. With our content, we are asking that people stop what they were doing, ignore any distraction that may come their way, and engage. Earning that level of attention is far easier with interactive content.

Have Some Fun

It is okay to let loose once in a while when you have plenty of useful and practical content. In general, people enjoy being entertained and enjoy laughing. Provided that you stay consistent with your brand voice, there is nothing wrong with experimenting with a little comedy.

Start a Dialog

Does your calendar still have a few blank spaces? If so, allow your audience to fill them in. User-generated content builds enthusiasm, helps foster community, allows your customers to view real-world examples of what your brand can do, and much more.

The ideal way to promote user-generated content is to ask for it. Ask your customers for product photos, reviews, customer stories. Manage a contest and recognize the top submissions.

Better yet, ask your most valued client if you could feature them. They get extra visibility while you receive a compelling testimony. Make sure you know what content planning to do for your unique situation.

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The life of a freelancer does have its advantages such as being able to work from the comforts of home and getting some alone time.

While working from home can be beneficial, it also comes with some hazards such as depression, loneliness, and isolation. How can we overcome these feelings we face as a freelancer?

1. Coworking Spaces

Coworking spaces provide the best of two worlds. It provides an environment of work without being tied to someone else’s meetings and schedule. These spaces are designed for productivity and typically offers a limitless supply of caffeinated beverages.

2. Networking

Networking provides countless benefits with ones of them helping with isolation. There are a whole host of ways to network. One way is to network locally through tech groups, meetings, your chamber of commerce, Business Networking International, as well as other freelancer groups. A great place to meet other WordPress professional would be by joining a WordPress Meetup.

3. Get a Pet

Many animal-lovers long to own a pet but are unable to because of their restrictions working 9 to 5. Animals can be wonderful companions and can be helpful in fighting loneliness with their constant presence.

Furthermore, when it comes to battling depression, cats and dogs have a therapeutic contribution. With a cat or dog around, you are sure to feel more secure and loved.

4. Build Your Community

To fight isolation, you may need to build your professional and personal community. Building and connecting with a community is not often a natural task but will take initiative. Your bouts of isolation can be helped by regularly connecting to your community.

5. Engage in a Hobby

As a freelancer, you are likely in control of your schedule. This means you can manipulate your work hours to give you time for your hobby. What was that one thing you always wanted to do but seemed to never have time for when you were younger? Did you enjoy writing or painting maybe? Regardless of what it is, utilize the free time to nurture your hobby again.

Save an hour every day to do what you have always wanted to do. By doing so it helps to engage your mind elsewhere, therefore, you will feel less isolated.

6. Enroll in a Course

Many individuals wish to pursue further education but are unable to due to their employment commitments. If you have time, take up a course. There are numerous colleges that offer distant learning programs.

7. Disconnect and Connect

Overworking can lead to both isolations and burn out. Another ideal way to overcome isolation is to disconnect from technology and your work and connect with those you love.

There are numerous ways to help overcome isolation as a freelancer. To help decrease isolation, be sure to become part of a community.

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1. Always use a contract

This is one of the most common mistakes that those new to freelancing make. Be sure to use a contract for every client project. However, don’t get caught up searching for the perfect contract. It’s okay, to begin with, a template and improve on it along the way.

Having basic terms in the contract helps to protect you, while also informing the client the way you work.

2. Get a down payment from every client

A big issue heard by freelancers is not getting paid on time or the client stiffing them. To ensure you receive payment, require a down payment upfront of perhaps 50 percent before starting any work. Be sure to make this clear in any preliminary discussions as well as your contract.

It should raise a red flag if a client has an issue with this requirement. While there is a possibility this is the first time, they’ve contracted freelance services, your guard should still be raised. If the potential client refuses again, move on.

3. Do not be scared to say “no”

It can be difficult to say no. This is especially true if you are like some people who are generous and want others you work with to feel happy. You offer to help in any possible way as to not disappoint anyone, but you don’t realize the strenuous load it’ll place on you.

Remember this – you will disappoint someone, no matter what you do.

Whether it be your family because of the long hours you’ve been working, the client as you’re unable to deliver 50 percent through the project, you’re extremely stressed from the extra work you took on.

So, learn to get comfortable with saying “no”.

4. Focus your freelance business

Many freelancers are unable to find enough work and have a difficult time getting their name out there.

Make everything easier on you by focusing on your brand identity and the type of projects you take. From charging higher rates to marketing to actually delivering the work. Choose one or two services only and be sure to only take work that falls in one of the two categories. Everything else, turn down.

After making you’re your decision on what services to specialize in, this needs to translate into your own brand. Everything on your website should be reworded to those phrases and keywords, only display that type of work in your portfolio, and begin producing content around those two services as a testimony to your expertise.

5. Write, Write, Write

This tip is the most important – write. It does not matter if you believe you’re not a good writer; by writing, your name gets out there, and the client finds you.

Good writing comes with practice.

Take a few minutes and watch this video by Sean McCabe to learn why writing is important to your freelancing:

It All Starts with Writing

I’m sure after reading this post and watching the video, you’ll understand why writing is so important to your freelance.

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One of the biggest questions that I get asked is whether or not I am happier as a freelancer. Do I enjoy what I do? Do I get the satisfaction from it that some get from their jobs?

Happiness as a Freelancer

Happiness comes from doing something that you like. You can choose to be happy with any job. No really, you can. You’re ultimately the keeper of your own happiness. However, being able to go to my children’s appointments or the plays that they put on without having to let my boss know I will be missing an hour of work here or an hour there is great. That is the biggest and best thing about being a freelancer and owning my own business.

I have a strong work ethic, I do and even at a 9 to 5 desk job if I missed that hour, I would be working until 6 to make it up, but I just cannot miss out on those times that I won’t have again. I will always have the desk, the work, the job; but my children will not be little forever.

You may not have children but you might have a grandma that you want to spend time with before it is too late or a dog that has to be put to sleep soon so you want to give them the best life they could ever ask for towards the end. Whatever the reason, freelancing has allowed me to be much more flexible with what I can and cannot do, making the things that really matter most to me easily enjoyed.

It is Not All Good

Freelancing is not all good. I don’t get large amounts of taxes back every year that I can spend to fix my house or do my hair. I have to pay for health insurance for my family (which is pretty expensive). Struggling is sometimes necessary when I try to find work when the workforce is slow and clients are deciding on their marketing strategies. I have to MAKE myself work because there is no boss barking behind me to get those papers in! You have to work to grow your freelance career.

I do have the creativity to create beautiful websites for clients. By allowing my creativity and my passion for helping others grow, I am essentially loving what I do, downfalls and all. I love being able to help those small businesses ramp up their production and see money come into their businesses. I love being able to stretch my imagination further than I ever have with their projects they bring to me.

Happiness is what you make it. If you want happiness, just think about what you want from life. Think of those things that make you happiest. These are what your life should revolve around, not something that holds you back.

*If you want tips on how to organize and handle both personal and professional life, check out my post here… it also has pretty awesome extras you can make use of!

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Retainers are harder to get then one-off jobs, so it is important to think about perhaps offering this service to clients that you speak with. They can really save you in the long run. This agreement brings employment and freelancing together to hold hands and make the freelancer happier with the outcome.

What is a Retainer?

Many freelancers might not even know what a retainer is. However, with the right information, being a freelancer is going to get much easier for you overall. A retainer is much like an agreement. The freelancer submits a specific set amount of work every month and the employer pays a specific amount for the work.

Retainers Do Not Come Right Away

Hoping it is easy to get a retainer is something that can be easy to do. You have stars in your eyes and hopes and dreams to reach. You might have to work with the client on one-off projects until you feel comfortable enough to pitch a retainer idea. This is especially helpful if they continue to use you for these one-off projects.

However, it is also important to note that not all clients are the “retainer” types. They need to be a long-term client that needs steady work throughout the year for this to work out. Plus, you have to feel comfortable enough to trust them and for them to trust you.

Offer All Services They Might Need

You don’t have to run out and learn to code right away, but knowing how to build a simple website to go with your content writing, or marketing or whatever you do is helpful. Getting an employer to work with you on retainer is ideal in many ways, but not having more than the one thing to offer them might make them think harder about this agreement than they really need too when you pitch the idea to them.

Writing Up Your Retainer 

Your retainer is going to work much like a contract, so you need to write one up so that everyone is in agreement on the terms. Just make sure to add these important tidbits so that everyone has what they need from the deal.

• How much work is being delivered every month
• The amount it will cost, as well as your payment information
• Include any expenses or other things the client has to cover
• The length of time the retainer is good for, usually, it is a year to two years
• Revisions and if they are included, if they are, how many?
• A sign off stating that the client owns the content once it is completed
• Having an under or over usage of the content – when a client skips a month, they still need to pay and some freelancers provide a credit to recoup some articles missed during the next month, though not all
• Cancellation policies of the retainer, which usually means the client needs to give 30 days notice of their intent to do so

Making a retainer last a while is important. When the working relationship is a strong one, then retainers can work smoothly between the client and the freelancer. They can even provide a strong recommendation for others that they know looking for the same type of services. A retainer is thandeal way to work as a freelancer and it provides more stability in times of need.

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