Imagine a life where you don’t have to set an alarm for the next day; where you work half sprawled on your bed with your cat lazing by your side; where you aren’t forced to work on projects you don’t like; and still make the same amount (if not more) of money as you would in a nine-to-five gig. Such a life does exist; it’s called freelancing! 

But is freelancing really a viable career option in content marketing? 

While content marketers will undoubtedly be attracted to the perks of freelancing, corporates too are warming up to this new system of business engagement. The lower associated cost of project-based involvement and the opportunity to get an outside-in perspective works in their favor. Therefore, it’s no surprise that some of the country’s biggest brands prefer outsourcing content projects to smaller agencies and individual content marketers. And it’s not just the standard blog we’re talking about. Today, companies are comfortable outsourcing everything from the preliminary brand strategy to monthly content calendars, giving freelancers the opportunity to enhance their portfolios by becoming brand custodians and enabling them to mint more money from the comfort of their home.  

So, for a freelancer, there’s no dearth of work. 

Benefits of freelancing (besides working in your pyjamas) 

You’re the boss! 

Freelancing gives you the opportunity to choose projects as per your liking. Don’t want to work for a beauty brand because you’re against animal cruelty? Just bow out! You’re free to choose projects that align with your skills and preferences. Wherein, in a full-time employment, you’re likely to work with one brand, as a freelancer you can work with n number of brands, further diversifying your portfolio. 

The clock obeys you 

Why be an early bird when you can be a night owl? The flexibility to choose your work timings is one of the biggest perks of freelancing. 

Avoid the traffic-ridden commute 

Regardless of the distance between your home and workplace, it’s hard to avoid the 10 O’clock traffic as everyone scurries to punch in on time. Freelancing provides the comfort of working from home and the hassles of commuting. 

Learn new skills or nurture your passion project 

The lack of compulsion to stay tied to the specified job hours gives freelancers higher flexibility and empowers them to do more on the side. You can learn new skills to advance your opportunities or take up that passion project you’ve always wanted to dive into. 

Tackling the pitfalls of the freelancing lifestyle 

While the pros of freelancing outweigh the cons, there are certain typical challenges associated with this flexible lifestyle. Freelancers often have to deal with the absence of corporate perks, such as health insurance and paid vacations; the irregular income; and the expected 24×7 accountability. 

Don’t get carried away

While planning your finances – and by extension, your investments and insurances – and laying down the ground rules beforehand can take care of that, the biggest challenge lies in the shift in the freelancer’s attitude. Without the authoritative eyes scanning your moves, freelancers sometimes get a little too complacent and start slacking. Here are some quick tips to stay on top of the freelancing game: 

• Keep a fixed work schedule. Choose the number of hours and when in the day would you ideally like to work and stick to the same schedule every day. This creates neural pathways in the brain that makes it adopt the set schedule as your ‘work hours’ 
• Prioritize your work. As a freelancer, you are a one-man army handling accounting, client servicing, strategizing, writing, and even receiving and integrating feedback. Avoid getting overwhelmed by prioritizing your tasks and employing tools to trim layers 

• Don’t undersell your time. While you may not have a corporate tag attached to your name, your work is still worth its mettle. It’s strategic to agree to a slightly lower quote when you have lesser projects on hand, but still, make sure to walk off instead of submitting to a deal that doesn’t compensate for what you bring to the table 
• Take a break once in a while and get out of the house to get the ‘weekend’ feel. Since freelancers work remotely, they find themselves in the rut even on weekends. It’s recommended to keep one day of the week aside as your ‘weekend’ so that you can get back to the grind with a fresh mind 

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