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What’s not to love about credit card rewards, purchase incentives and manufacturer rebates? A potentially higher tax bill for one thing. If that’s news to you, you aren’t alone. While many of us love to collect reward points, get cash back, or use travel miles as a perk for purchasing with a credit card or buying a specific item, we don’t necessarily think that the IRS or state tax authorities are in the know — or expecting us to claim them as income. Yet they are. That’s why before you sign up for any new reward program or make a purchase to score a sweet bonus, you should understand how they might impact you from a tax perspective: Post-purchase perks are usually tax-free. The types of rewards and the way in which you receive them determine whether they are considered taxable by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In general, if spending is required prior to you receiving a reward, the IRS tends not to consider the value as taxable income. This is the case for many rewards, like cash back programs from credit card companies, which are usually considered to be a discount rather than income in the eyes of the IRS. Once you have earned your credit card or other loyalty program rewards, you can redeem them for gift cards, gift certificates or other items of value without having to claim them as income. The IRS still considers the redemption of rewards to be a discount on purchases rather than taxable income. When does a bonus become a tax burden? Generally, when you are offered an incentive prior to doing any business with a company the IRS considers it part of your taxable income. For example, if you sign up for a credit card or a bank account and receive a significant cash bonus or other incentive (additional travel miles or tangible gifts) for doing so, you need to claim the value as taxable income on your state and federal taxes. This applies whether or not you receive a 1099-MISC form from the company which bestowed a bonus on you. Be aware that in some states credit card companies are required to report cash payments made to their cardholders to both the state taxing authority and to the IRS — which means your income reporting may be under additional scrutiny. Rebates generally reduce deductible business expenses. It’s always a good idea to have one credit card that you use for all your business expenses to keep them separate from your personal expenses. The same tax rules about credit card rewards and the other incentives you receive for making purchases as outlined above apply to business use as well. However, there is one other thing to note: the IRS rules state that the value of points earned on business purchases as well as any rebates you receive after-the-fact should be subtracted from the cost of said purchases, effectively lowering the tax-deductible amount. Another thing to keep in mind: the IRS has become very sophisticated at tracking income provided to cardholders from credit card companies and other providers. This means that whether you are reaping rewards from making a credit card purchase, opening a bank account, or taking advantage of a post-purchase rebate, you want to make sure that you are not subjected to a tax penalty because you failed to report your gains appropriately. Jonathan Medows is a New York City based CPA who specializes in taxes and business issues for freelancers and self-employed individuals across the country. He offers a free consultation to members of Freelancer’s Union* and a monthly email newsletter covering tax, accounting and business issues to freelancers on his website, http://www.cpaforfreelancers.com— which also features a new blog, how-to articles, and a comprehensive freelance tax guide. *Jonathan is happy to provide an initial consultation to freelancers. To qualify for a free consultation you must be a member of the Freelancers Union and mention this article upon contacting him. Please note that this offer is not available March 1 through April 18 and covers a general conversation about tax responsibilities of a freelancer and potential deductions. These meetings do not include review of self-prepared documents, review of self-prepared tax returns, or the review of the work of other preparers. The free meeting does not include the preparation or review of quantitative calculations of any sort. He is happy to provide such services but would need to charge an hourly rate for his time. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2019/09/30/reward-points-and-rebates-may-increase-your-freelance-tax-bill/
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The National Writers Union is proud to announce a division created specifically for freelance media workers, one that aims to build off our history while adapting to the conditions specific to writers and workers today. The National Writers Union was formed in 1981 to protect writers against the many political and practical obstacles they faced. In the decades since, we’ve negotiated contractual agreements with publications for better protections, won class action lawsuits to secure rights and over one million dollars in non-payment grievances, provided healthcare and benefits, and continued to build collective power among many types of writers. And yet, here we are again. Media is still, and increasingly so, a volatile industry. The unsustainable expectations for growth in terms of both revenue and reach, combined with the consolidation of wealth and power at the top, have left media workers without consistent wages or protections. In the spring of 2018, a group of volunteers began discussing how freelancers could benefit from the gains of collective bargaining. As thousands of workers have unionized with the Writers Guild of America, East and the NewsGuild-CWA, the question of how we could stand in solidarity with staff workers while advocating for our own rights became more urgent than ever. Like so many other types of workers today, freelance media workers scramble to make a living from different employers at disparate rates. The precarious distinctions between freelance, permalance, staff, and contract are porous — most of us will move between these titles multiple times over the course of our career, while only some of the categories come with the rights and privileges that all workers are entitled to. Our demands are simple: we want to set industry standards, and then raise them. As a division under the National Writers Union, we will be electing an organizing committee to represent our membership. All members are eligible to vote and run; for more information on the roles, click here . Through our membership, we will establish a community among freelance media workers and across the wider labor movement, while working in coalition with other unions, community organizations, and workers groups. We will continue to build our partnership with Freelancers Union, advocating for better laws and legislation that serve all kinds of freelancers. We expect that all our members will be a part of building our union, shaping our goals and contributing to our strategy for meeting them. Members’ dues will go towards planning and hosting events, ensuring that our spaces and events are accessible and inclusive, and building up a legal fund to fight any and all challenges against our right to organize. We’ve already had over one hundred members sign up in less than a month, and we’re accepting new members every day. Sign up here. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2019/09/27/the-national-writers-union-the-freelance-solidarity-project-are-organizing-now-join-today/
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This will be the first leg of mine and Dean Somerset’s European extravaganza in early 2020. The second leg will take place in… There’s an Early Bird rate for both of these events, so keep that in mind before you decide to hold off. Dean and I are really excited for this and hope to see you there! Find their TRAINABLE MENU. Here’s one of my high school soccer players training a few days after a left knee injury (not ACL). She couldn’t straighten her knee nor put all her weight on it. You can always find a way to train pic.twitter.com/YfNg4U1DVo — Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore1) September 24, 2019 They’re the worst. There’s only a few more days (till Sunday, Sept 29th at midnight) to take advantage of the sale price for mine and Dean Somerset’s latest resource. via Blog – Tony Gentilcore http://tonygentilcore.com/2019/09/stuff-to-read-while-youre-pretending-to-work-9-27-19/
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The fitness industry preys on dysfunction. It seeks out the broken, the weak, and the (seemingly) frail, chews them up, and then spits them out. One 24 session pack at a time. I hate it. I HAAAAAATE it. We need to do a better job at championing success and cementing the notion that (most) people aren’t as broken as they’ve been led to believe. Come At Me, TonyThis is not an attempt at me saying dysfunction is a myth. There are certainly any number of people walking into a gym on any given day with any number of “issues” that require a bit more, shall we say, TLC.
That being said, I’m tired of coaches and personal trainers defaulting to verbiage that assumes everyone is broken because they can’t squat to a certain depth or lack 4.2 degrees of big toe dorsiflexion and then in order to fix said “things” they have to complete a laundry list of corrective exercises or go through an eleven week seance in order to begin actual exercise. Sometimes, actually a lot of the time, we just need to kinda-sorta remind people that they can do stuff. Take overhead mobility (shoulder flexion) for example. I’m a firm believer people need to earn the right to overhead press, and putting someone though a simple overhead mobility screen is a simple way to ascertain that information. NOTE: pants are optional. My good friend and London based trainer, Luke Worthington, has a really nice way of stating things:
To that point, but to expound a bit further, it’s imperative to observe active vs. passive range of motion. I.e., comparing what they can do (active ROM) to what you, the coach, can help them do (passive ROM). This is an important component of coaching. As coaches we’ll see a limitation in active ROM and immediately think we have to start smashing, thrashing mobility, and/or putting someone through the gauntlet of corrective exercise purgatory in order to “fix” it. Don’t forget passive ROM. Because if you can nudge more ROM just by helping them…it’s not mobility issue. They have access to that ROM, but are unable to control it. Here’s an Active vs. Passive screen in action: To Summarize (for those who are too woke & uppity to watch a less than three minute video):
Now, of course we’d have to perform a few simple drills to “cement” that new ROM before we started training, but the more cogent point I’m trying to make here is that… JONATHAN…ISN’T…BROKEN. I just had to provide a window where his brain had to figure shit out, which in turn resulted in him turning some shit on, which in turn allowed him to do some shit. How’s that for simplifying things? It’s not lost on me there’s much more to it than that. This is just me pausing the Rotisserie and cooking one part of the chicken. If I want to cook the entire chicken – which I do – I’d still want to address other stuff like tissue quality (pecs & lats), anterior core strength, not to mention upper trap, serratus activation, etc. But, pretty cool nonetheless. Want More Tidbits That Will Melt Your Face?Check out mine and Dean Somerset’s (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint which is on SALE this week. With 11 hours of brand new content, continuing education credits, and dozens of exercise applications and coaching considerations, you’d be silly not to consider adding it to your learning repertoire. Silly I tell you. The sale price is in effect until September 29th at midnight soooo…. Get in on it here —> http://bit.ly/2f8qCfQ Did what you just read make your day? Ruin it? Either way, you should share it with your friends and/or comment below.via Blog – Tony Gentilcore http://tonygentilcore.com/2019/09/youre-probably-not-broken/
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This morning I called up my utilities company to share a proposal: “What if I decided I’m not going to pay you until 90 days after my bill is due?” Fay, my agent, wasn’t quite sure what to do with me. “I’ve never been asked that!“ she said. I told her not to worry, I was just doing some research. Putting hypotheticals out there, to see what kind of power I might have. (Please don’t shut off my electricity.) She laughed, and explained how this typically works: If I don’t pay a bill within a week, they’ll routinely assess a late fee. If I’m legit struggling to pay, I can request financial assistance. But if I were to say, “Paying you in 90 days is my policy now”? Lights out. Which seems obvious. It’s standard practice for a business not to accept Net 90 payment terms. I don’t just get to decide I’m paying all my bills late — not without facing any consequences. So why does big business get 90 days — AKA Net 90?“CNN has unbelievable nerve to do that,” one freelance audio engineer told me on condition of anonymity. Demonstrating the power inequities at play, most freelancers interviewed for this story asked not to be named, for fear of retaliation or losing work from companies with which they still have relationships. Unbelievable nerve is something the audio engineer, like 57 million other freelancers in the United States alone, deals with all the time. His client, Metrovision Production Group, typically pays around 90 days after he sends an invoice. So it seems convenient that Metrovision relocated its headquarters from NYC to New Jersey shortly after the Freelance Isn’t Free law went into effect in the city. While the law mandates that companies pay debts of $800 or more within 30 days unless contracts state otherwise, New Jersey has no such protections against late or nonpayment. Outside the jurisdiction of the Freelance Isn’t Freelance law, businesses like Metrovision can legally pay invoices … pretty much whenever they want. And Metrovision, like Turner/CNN, and every company contacted for this story — including Surface Magazine, Ebony Magazine, Outside Magazine, Kellogg, Heinz, Proctor & Gamble, Mondelez — did not respond to requests for comments on their payment policies (though maybe they’ll eventually get back, in approximately 90 days). “Companies like that, they’re always busy with work,” the audio engineer says. “It’s not like they’re living hand to mouth. You would think they have a really healthy bank account, so it’s just their choice of practices to just not pay on time.” A luxury big businesses can affordThe choice to pay on Net 90 terms is a disturbing but growing trend. Per the New York Times, several corporations, including Kellogg, Mars, Proctor & Gamble, and Heinz, are extending payment terms as part of their business strategy. Sometimes those terms are as high as Net 120. That’s a full four months of making suppliers wait to receive money owed to them. “I think the whole idea is very bad,” Professor Narayanan of Harvard is quoted in the New York Times piece. “[Those businesses] are essentially going to their suppliers for credit, rather than their banks.” Its seems obvious that it’s a bad idea making the small fries carry your financial burdens, especially in light of the terrible pressure it places on those who can least afford it. And the human consequences are very real. “I was almost homeless because of Net 90,” says a freelance food stylist who contacted Freelancers Union. “I was at the point where my credit cards were maxed. I would beg people, ‘Hey, can I get a partial payment?’ My terms were Net 30, not 90.” And guess how they responded? “They told me, ‘Well, you don’t get paid until I get paid.’” Net 90 is not how life worksBecause it’s ridiculous to tell my suppliers and creditors, who demand payment within 30 days or less, that I’m now on a Net 90 payment policy. To writer Mark Remy, my proposal seems like “a perfectly rational place to take it.” Remy and I discussed how every time I propose my Net 90 policy, it’s met with laughter. “It underscores how absurd these media outlets are being when they take that tack.” (Over on YouTube, Remy shared that Outside Magazine took 171 days to pay an invoice.) But laws do workThat tack is exactly why laws like Freelance Isn’t Free were put in place. And for some, it has already paid off. Journalist William Ketchum III shares one example: “I was owed money for stories as far back as March of last year, so I reached out to the publication’s accounting team, and I had my National Writers Union lawyer attached to the email. I cited the laws in New York City and they paid me within a few days. It was really telling. As soon as I sent them a threat, they send the payment.” The thing is, legal recourse doesn’t work everywhere. The Freelance Isn’t Free law is, for now, specific to NYC. As one freelance journalist put it, “Until [late payment] is actually illegal with a pathway for redress and repercussions, it won't change.” She was threatened by a publication (“We will destroy your reputation”) after asking for payment upon delivery of her work. A rational fear of The Man“Net 90? That’s harsh. I think it’s absolute bullying for large corporations to push that on small business,” Portland, Oregon-based litigation attorney AJ Barnett told me over email. He advised that if companies try to enforce egregiously long payment terms, to tell them, “They can have it at a 90-day price.” If a big business is asking your small or solo practice to finance their luxury of extended payment time, that should come at a higher cost. But what happens when you need that payment on a 30-day cycle, or when you try to push back? As if to summarize the crux of the issue, the freelance journalist explains, “We have no power or recourse. The problem is we simply don’t have the collective bargaining power — and when we try to organize other writers, everyone is so afraid.” Freelancers fear repercussions from speaking up, because these repercussions happen all the time. “You’re always up against a wall where if you make a fuss, they just won’t hire you again,” the freelance audio engineer said. “That happened with a corporate client once. I asked about not getting paid and then never heard from them again.” Push back, and get burned. It’s an all-too common theme. “Some people are feeling like they can’t really say anything because it will sour the relationship. It’s problematic,” Seattle-based journalist Wudan Yan told me. She added 20% late fees to her invoices after things went very wrong, to the tune of $5,000 with three clients. Each pushed back, openly threatened retaliation, or expressed confusion — despite the clear stipulations of Wudan’s contracts. Laws like Freelance Isn’t Free do protect against retaliation, at least in NYC. But it’s hard to prove that not getting called back for work, or losing work to a competitor, is a violation. Until the Davids band together, we can’t beat the GoliathsSo what are freelancers supposed to do, or feel, when they speak out against bad behavior themselves only to see a fellow independent contractor put up with it? “We already heard of a competitor willing to do it for a lower rate, and at Net 90,” a freelancer who pushed back against Turner/CNN points out. “We are our own worst enemy.” As Remy says, “It’s hard not to slip into platitudes, but there’s strength in numbers.” Take the #EbonyOwes case. In 2017, journalist Ketchum was among several independent writers who took to Twitter to lament the magazine’s late and nonpayment. That social uproar caught the eye of the National Writer’s Union’s Larry Goldbetter, who went to bat for freelancers in a lawsuit launched against Ebony. And it worked: all 40-plus writers were paid the more than $80,000 owed. “It’s never just one writer not getting paid,” says Goldbetter. There’s also been progress, at least for small businesses, overseas. In the UK, huge beverage company Diageo backed down from extending its payment terms to 90 days after a watchdog small business lobby group, the Forum of Private Business (FPB), publicly blasted the company. Still, as FPB’s chief executive put it, “The practice of grossly unfair trading terms is a growing trend.” Strength in NumbersTo combat this grossly unfair trend, we can start by holding strong to our own policies. Make your contract terms Net 30 or less. Add fees for late payments. In short, Yan advises, “Don’t think of yourself as an artist, think of yourself as a business.” She adds that we all have to stand up for ourselves and stand our ground, because “It only works if everyone does it.” For now, there are resources to help freelancers collect what’s due. In NYC, Freelancers Hub offers free legal clinics, as well as monthly Freelance Isn’t Free workshops with the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. Freelancers Union also offers a free contract tool that includes a clause about compliance with the Freelance Isn’t Free law. Outside NYC, freelancers still have access to free or low-cost legal resources, like LegalShield. Others turn to sites like Study Hall to compare what other media workers are experiencing in terms of payment and contracts. And anyone can attend events like SPARK to discuss such issues in person. “The more we are willing to talk to each other and share the better we are collectively,” says Portland-based blogger Carissa Bonham. “It may seem like you’re powerless — and in some ways, let’s face it, you probably are,” admits Remy. “But use the power that you do have as much as you can.” Like the power to join a union, because, according to Ketchum, “Unions really force these places to do their best.” When it comes to doing right financially, concludes the freelance journalist, “Frankly there is no excuse. I am a small business and if I can pay on time, then so can the bigger companies.” Yeah, they can. Especially if they want to keep the lights on. Editor’s note: Have you experienced Net 90 payment terms? Tell us about your experiences at [email protected]. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2019/09/26/net-90-payment-is-a-policy-that-freelancers-cant-afford/
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This article was first published by the IRS and has been reproduced with permission. Subscribe to IRS tax tips here. Questions about tax payments and penalties come up all year long. Taxpayers can find most answers to these questions on IRS.gov. They can head over to the Let Us Help You page, which features links that take users to information and resources on a wide range of topics related to penalties and payments. Payments
View your balance and payment history
Liens and levies These links explain what a lien and a levy are, and how taxpayers comply with them. Resolve a dispute The Office of Appeals is an independent organization within the IRS that helps taxpayers resolve their tax disputes. This page has links to information that will help taxpayers who received a notice saying their case qualifies to be reviewed by Appeals. Prevent future tax bill Taxpayers who owed more than expected when they filed this year have a couple of options to help them avoid that when they file next year. These pages have more info about the options. Penalties These links take the user to information where they can find out more about topics related to penalties and penalty relief. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2019/09/25/got-a-question-about-tax-payments-or-penalties-ask-the-irs/
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What comes into your mind when you think of becoming an Instagram influencer? Perhaps, gaining a million followers and getting thousands of dollars for sponsored posts. Well, it’s not just about reaching a specific number of followers. It’s more about having an influence on loyal people on IG — those who like your content and can potentially buy the products you offer through the platform. You can be an influencer on Instagram even with several thousand people following you and charge brands $50-$100 for one advertisement. There are five sure-fire ways to develop your Instagram page that will fit you, no matter how many followers you have at the moment. 1) Find your niche and focus on itObviously, you want to monetize your account. It’s a fact that potential consumers are more likely to listen to the opinions of experts than fellow consumers. So, establish yourself as an expert. They say that on social media, you can’t make it if you fake it. Is there something you’re passionate about? Influencers typically focus on fashion, fitness, travel, beauty, food, tech, or lifestyle. But you shouldn’t choose a route that doesn’t excite you just because someone else is already doing it successfully. There should be a sphere you’re genuinely interested and acknowledged in. Maybe you’re into music, DIY crafts or photography. Don’t make random posts. Make it clear for the followers that you have an interest in a particular niche. 2) Provide quality contentIG influencers are basically content creators. So, it doesn’t come as a surprise that users with attractive photos and videos have a bigger audience. To create a visually rich platform, invest in a high-quality camera or photographer. Keep in mind that brands are looking for those who can represent their products, services, or location through eye-catching content. Maybe a friend takes good photos of you. But sometimes it makes sense to use the services of a professional. One more way to improve your content is to choose and stick to an aesthetic. Keeping the same aesthetic provides a cohesive feed that guides your followers from one picture to another, holding their attention longer. 3) Use relevant hashtagsSimply Measured found that Instagram posts with at least one hashtag received an average 12.6% more engagement than those without a hashtag. But while it’s not news that these little symbols play a big role in developing influencers’ accounts, it’s not so simple to find #right #Instagram #hashtags. Choose 30 popular hashtags related to your content and pack them up into several groups. Every time you upload a photo, select one group and include it into the first caption of your post. Avoid overused tags like #food, #travel, #motivation, or others that have been used more than 500,000 times. The chance of appearing in the top ten posts for such hashtags is too low. Tags that have between 10,000 and 100,000 posts will boost your exposure. Keep them #short, #simple, and #easytospell. Also, pay attention to trending tags in your topic. 4) Strengthen relations with your followersShow your followers that you hear them. Respond to their comments either by answering their questions or giving out some likes. This interaction may not necessarily increase your following, but it contributes to the engagement level of your account. The goal is to develop loyalty so you won’t lose existing followers. Moreover, your activity in the comment sections may encourage prospective brands to partner with you. They’ll see your interaction with IG users and influence on their purchase decisions. These factors demonstrate that you can be an effective promoter of their products or services. 5) Attract brandsSo, you deliver high-quality content, boast a substantial number of followers, and have healthy engagement rates. “Where’s my long list of partnership offers?” you may wonder. To get more offers:
Whatever your Instagram ambitions are and whatever the future has in store for social media marketing, becoming an influencer is a good choice. You can gain a strong following, become an industry thought leader, and establish your personal brand identity. All these benefits are worthy of your efforts. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2019/09/24/how-to-become-instagram-influencer/
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And We’re Back!Dean Somerset and I are happy to announce the official release of the Even More Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint to the masses. This is 11+ hours of NEW content that builds off the original version. We put it on sale a few weeks ago for our respective lists (and to those who purchased Version 1.0), but now it’s available for everyone to purchase… …and at a hefty 35% off the regular price. You can purchase it this week for $129 (regular price is $197). —> Click Me to Save $$ (that tickles) <--What’s In It For You?
What’s more, you have the option to purchase BOTH Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint and Even More Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint at $100 off and pay just $177. All told you’ll receive 22+ hours worth of video and Tony’s pecs…;o) If you’re still on the fence or skeptical on how much this new series will melt your face, here’s a few sneak peeks on some of the content covered. 1. Squat Set-UpA ten minute clip outlining how we determine a client’s ideal stance for their squats based on their individual anatomical considerations. 2. Shoulder Stability TrainingAlmost 13 minutes of drills to help improve shoulder stability while getting a training effect along the way. 3. Breathing for MobilityA nine minute video outlining how we use positional breathing drills to access more range of motion, plus make exercises instantly more challenging. 4. Plyometrics for the Elderly ClientSay what? Yep, you can use a stretch-shortening cycle with older clients to improve power output and keep their functional capacity as high as possible for much longer than slower movements. This 8 minute video shows the how and why. Whether you’re a fitness professional or just someone who likes to lift heavy things and geek out over scapular upward rotation and the miracles of posterior pelvic tilt, Even More Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint will undoubtedly provide you a TON of actionable, real-world, evidence-based content. It’s only on sale THIS WEEK (9/24-9/28), so take advantage of the savings while you can. —> All the Cool Kids Are Doing It <--Did what you just read make your day? Ruin it? Either way, you should share it with your friends and/or comment below.via Blog – Tony Gentilcore http://tonygentilcore.com/2019/09/even-more-complete-shoulder-and-hip-blueprint-on-sale-now/
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When I started freelancing, my website was not really working for me. No traffic. No leads. No clients. Nada. And for many months, that’s just how I thought that went. Today? My mindset on a freelance website is completely different. For starters, my website has directly or indirectly landed me all of my clients — and it’s also grown into a profitable side-hustle (think: affiliate marketing). For instance, when I landed a $3k website content project without pitching my prospect: (Psst, my website did the pitching. ? ) And that’s how it should be. After all, your freelance website is more than just some random blog — it’s an extension of your identity. But turning my website into a lead gen machine was by no means an overnight process. It took a lot of trial and error (and still has rework due soon). There are many ways to go about building your freelance site, but you need to realize that it will never be perfect. Before you get bogged down in the details, check off these essentials. 1) Clear Value PropositionA value proposition should clearly explain how your service fills a need, communicate the specifics of its added benefit, and state the reason why you are better than other competitors. On another note, It is important to position your value proposition as a speciality as top-dollar clients prefer working with the pros. For example, I’ve niched down to a very specific service and for a very specific audience: Picture: Mark’s Homepage Using vivid infographics has also proven to be an effective way of making your value proposition stand out. An example of this is how I use a visual timeline to take my prospects through a step-by-step overview of my services: Picture: Mark's SaaS content service page Similarly, you need to break down your value proposition and combine nifty visuals to create compelling sections in your freelance website:
A clear value proposition makes it easier for prospects to understand what you offer and why only then be able to decide if you're the right fit for them. 2) Simple to understand UXClean navigation that has a continuous flow is extremely important to guide prospects on your website, and ultimately to drive them to hit that contact button. For instance, my home page copy follows a sequential order that starts from my value prop and ends with a CTA button to contact me:
Here are a few ways to ensure simple navigation for your freelance site:
Essential #3 Get a good hosting plan.Over my time as a freelancer, I learned that when it comes to page load time, every second counts. Did you know that 40% of your traffic will abandon your website if your page takes more than3 seconds to load? A one-second delay in your load time can result in a 7% reduction in your conversion. This is where a good website hosting provider comes in and helps you maintain that 100% uptime your site deserves. Trust me, you do not want to lose out on opportunities simply because your website was too slow or did not load at all. So do not compromise on your plan. The most essential pages for a freelance websiteNow, I get that building a freelance website is an ongoing process that can take years. Home: An overview page that gives your viewers a gist of all the other pages. This is the first-page traffic would land on so you should invest time on this. About: An important page to add establish an emotional connection with prospects. On a similar note, your about page should tell your prospects who are you and why you are in this industry. Pro tip: Always put a face to the name. Do not feel shy to use your pictures. It boosts the emotional connection. Services: Another important page that lists out services you offer as a freelancer. Also, make sure to have A-plus copy here. Testimonials: These are a great way to build trust and authority as clients want to work with freelancers who have other clients backing them up. Contact form: A simple contact form that allows your visitors to reach out. Most essential plugins for a freelance websiteWith your website launched and essential pages in place, you’re just missing one thing and that’s plugins. Plugins are a great way to extend the functionality of your website with minimal tech headaches. 1. Yoast for SEO: Optimizes your site for SEO Search engine optimization (SEO) in 2019 is important, especially when you’re trying to rank for service keywords. This is where Yoast comes in, offering turnkey solutions to freelancers looking to optimize their website and content for SEO, all by customizing a few settings. 2. W3 Total Cache: Makes your website load faster
3. OptinMonster: Helps grow your email list OptinMonster is a lead-gen plugin for creating lead capture forms, focused on high conversion. For example, you can use OptinMonster to create a contact form that captures leads and automatically adds it to a nifty lead list for future use (think: email campaigns, etc.). So what makes a good freelance website?Well, there isn’t one single thing that’s going to make your freelance website good. Its a little bit of everything that contributes to building a quality freelance website. Similarly, there’s no one strategy that will make you a better freelancer. It's a collection of many. At the end of the day, your website is an extension of you. The point of contact between you and your clients, so ensure best practices and make it shine. Good luck! via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2019/09/23/turn-your-blog-into-a-lead-generator/
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You can apply to all the gigs you want — but that get’s exhausting fast. One way to stop applying and start letting the clients come to you is by making yourself visible online. Ideally, when a potential client searches for you, or what they need, I.E. freelance writer in San Diego, they’ll find you via your website, social profiles, etc. But that doesn’t happen without a little work. To ensure you’re found, you need to do a few key things first. Use these tips to get found online so you can continue to grow your freelance business. Be active on socialSocial media is more than a platform to share photos of your weekend adventures. As a freelancer, it’s a valuable tool for getting found online. First and foremost, when searching your name, the platforms where you are active will show up in search. You can see, when searching my name, both my Twitter and LinkedIn accounts show up. Social media is an opportunity for you to share what you know, which supplements what potential clients see on your website. Show your knowledge by posting industry-specific posts, along with client testimonials and links to other work and features you’ve had on other sites. Social media is also a great way to connect with potential clients who see and interact with your posts. Use platforms like Twitter to participate in chats, which allow you to grow your following and connect with other businesses and business owners. For example, as a web designer, you might participate in the weekly #SmallBiz chat, allowing you to share your knowledge and connect with small business owners who might need a freelance designer. To get the most out of these platforms, choose just one or two and dedicate yourself to engaging and sharing. A strong, up-to-date and active presence looks better than one that’s inactive with old information and low-performing posts. Speed up your site on mobileSpeed is a critical factor in mobile search and therefore how Google ranks you. While this doesn’t seem important, 63 percent of all of Google’s organic search traffic comes from non-desktop devices. That means, it’s a factor for getting found online that you can’t ignore. If your site isn’t up to speed, you’ll have a hard time making into mobile search engines, which means clients won’t find you. Search Engine Journal further explains the importance of mobile speed, “With Google’s mobile-first index also slowly rolling out this year [2019] and last, mobile continues to be Google’s new preference.The slower your sites load, the more visitors and revenue you’ll lose out on. For Amazon, just one second could cost it $1.6 billion in sales each year. And, The Telegraph, a British publication, found that a four second delay reduced page views by 11.02 percent.” The good news is, Google tells you exactly what to do to speed up your site. Use Google’s pagespeed tool to get your speed score and then use Kinsta’s pagespeed guide to understand how to implement their recommendations. If this all sounds like a foreign language, consider hiring an SEO-focused developer who can make those changes for you. Start a blogStarting a blog is one of the best ways to be found online organically because blog posts allow you to target queries that your clients are searching for. For example, as a B2B content marketing consultant, I’ve written blog posts on topics like “how to use marketing automation for B2B content creation.” The keyword focus there being “marketing automation”— something I know my target audience cares about. As such, the foundational element of blogging is choosing the right keywords, the SEO term for search queries. The right keywords have high search volume and low competition, meaning you can easily rank in search for that keyword or phrase. If this is new to you, start with this free keyword research guide, which will help you understand how to choose keywords, where to find them, and then how to use them in your content. As you write your blog posts, also remember that a great blog post does a few things:
When potential clients land on a well-written, optimized blog post, they automatically see the value you provide, along with the knowledge you have to offer. Get your freelance business found onlineStop spending all your time chasing new clients, and instead, let them come to you. When you’re active on social media, create keyword-optimized blog posts, and update your speed on mobile, clients will find you. Use these tips to get found online so you can continue to grow your business now and in the future. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2019/09/20/the-freelancers-guide-to-getting-found-online/ |
AuthorI have 5+ years experience working as a medical transcriptionist. When I am not working, I enjoy sports like playing basketball or judo. I love making friends and connections. Archives
April 2023
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