Freelancing in Real Life

My wife Sarah has been doing some part-time photography for the past few years. She does it more as a hobby just because she really loves taking pictures, but it’s nice that she can actually generate some income for her time as well.

We had a conversation this past weekend about how she feels like more and more folks in our area are getting into photography and offering their services for hire as well. With so many options, why would anyone hire her for a session?

I thought about that a little bit and even compared it to my freelance web business. Why would someone enlist my services when there are so many other folks doing what I do?

I think it comes down to differentiation. There are little things about working with me, or having my wife take your pictures, that are unique. We all do things in our own way and the method to our madness is what sets us apart in a couple of ways.

Differentiation From The Amateurs

We’ve all probably run into this one, and I think Sarah sees it too when people find out what her rates are and convince themselves that they can do just as good of a job on their own, for free. This attitude used to drive me nuts but honestly if you are dealing with potential clients that have the cheap DIY attitude, you’re best to let them do their thing without you. Chances are if you did work with them you’d regret it.

Here’s the thing: It’s true that technology is amazing. Anyone has the potential to create amazing websites, photos, articles, or apps. But there’s still a learning curve. The last time I checked, our camera didn’t tell me what direction to face, the angle to hold the camera, how to position the subject, and how to get everyone to smile at the same time.

It still takes practice. And because you practice your craft on a regular basis, you have differentiated yourself from the amateurs.

Differentiation From Your Peers

Notice I didn’t use the word “competitors.”  We’re all freelancers, and we’re in this boat together. And this isn’t a little tiny life raft; It’s a cruise ship. And it’s a cruise ship that is headed out to sea to rescue survivors from the Titanic of corporate America.

I think people love working with the little guy and are fed up with the bureaucracy of large firms. That’s the advantage that we have. I really do think there’s enough business for most of us. A lot of times we can even collaborate. I emphasized this to Sarah as we were talking about her photography.

However, you still need to define the specific reason someone might choose you over one of your peers. The more and more we do what we do, little things start showing up that define the way we approach our craft.

As an example, Sarah is phenomenal at photographing kids. She captures moments in a photojournalistic, real-life manner that a big studio probably wouldn’t be able to easily do. She also has a specific style and user-experience unique to her approach. And I think that’s why people hire her.

Practice Makes Art

Knowing and developing your style is what’s going to differentiate you. Not only that, but it’s going to help you identify the type of client that fits your style, thus helping you market yourself more accurately as well. The more you are out there practicing your craft, the more you’ll be able to build an experience and product that has your fingerprints all over it.

Once people know what makes your brand unique and expect it, you won’t have to worry about amateurs or peers.