Finding remote work in a remote world
Hey folks, I went on a two week hiatus for a few reasons.
We’ve started taking care of two adorable zebra finches
Received vaccine shot #1 👍
Got a new truck to replace our previous car
Built a new portfolio website for myself: akareggie.com
Took on a new client; a stock trading platform that is launching cryptocurrency trading
Hosted an Ask the Expert session at FFCON21 - video coming soon!
If I’ve learned one thing these past few years: when life tells you to run, sprint as hard as you can.
Enough about me, on with the show.
I’ve been working remote since 2015, and for 6 years I’ve tested different mechanisms for sourcing marketing clients.
First, I do believe that working remote is the future - pandemic or not. Technology has reached an optimal state to support remote work, allowing almost all aspects of a marketer’s role to be performed without physically being there. And with the rising cost of living, commute times, saturated urban centres, mental health concerns, and, well, COVID-19, remote work is an essential part of company growth. So as a marketer, it might be a good idea to take advantage of that.
Here’s a few ways to help find your next remote client.
The remote work setup
Working remotely is impossible without internet. Good internet at that. Make sure your internet speeds are fast for video calls and heavy data transfer. My advice: Gigabit internet or bust. Choose an internet provider that’s reliability too - you can’t be having any down time. A good phone plan with a hefty amount of data is a solid backup if or when your internet goes south.
Decide where you’ll do most of your work. Hint: don’t work from the couch. Choose a place in your house or apartment that is your designated work area, and stick to the script. It’s important to mentally separate work and home life.
Oh, and register a business. Sole proprietorship will do, but incorporate if you’re planning to make big moves in the future. Don’t forget to collect taxes from domestic clients. Remember to set aside 25-30% of your income, plus all taxes billed, so that during tax time you’re ready to pay the tab when you owe money back to the feds.
The remote work profile
Now that you’re armed and ready, it’s time to set up your profiles.
A solid LinkedIn profile is a must, but consider making a profile on Angel.co too, as a lot of SaaS companies and startups are posting opportunities there.
There’s also hiring platforms built specifically for marketers such as MarketerHire, which I’ve had great success with so far.
Lastly, while Upwork was once a perfect place to find remote work/jobs, it’s become harder than ever to get work and get paid adequately. You may still consider creating a profile for formality’s sake, but temper your expectations.
The remote work outreach
For remote marketers, there are three types of job opportunities out there:
Job postings that are expected to be remote
Job postings that may not have considered remote
Future opportunities that haven’t formally turned into job postings
The first is simple enough; the client/company is knowingly looking to hire someone remotely. There are job boards that specialize in remote work for marketers, including Hey Marketers and Remote OK. Filter jobs on Indeed by remote can help too.
The second is mostly what I’ve done prior to the pandemic, and is a lot more difficult and time consuming. It involves reaching out to potential job opportunities with a pitch, and persuading them that you and your expertise is better (or less expensive) than hiring someone in-house. Prepare to have a lot of doors shut on you. But hey, when you convert an opportunity, it becomes well worth it.
The third may be considered the most challenging, but can be seen as the easiest too. Cold calling is hard. Running ads is expensive. But if you’re spending a lot of your time networking, you’ll become top of mind when those companies eventually begin looking for a marketer.
Let’s expand on that last point further.
The remote work proof of experience
You’re good at what you do; now it’s time to let people know without having to talk one-on-one with you.
Start with a portfolio website. Personal branding goes a long way when it comes to maintaining your entrepreneurial independence, but it’ll also allow you to plainly say what it is you do. Highlight your experiences, including case studies, examples of accomplishments, and publish a few testimonials from your past clients.
With the portfolio in place, it’s time to create content. Neil Patel, one of the most successful marketers of our time, once shared one of his secrets to success (which I can’t find the source for, but I’m sure it’s on the internet somewhere). If you have a secret to your success, share it. It’s better to be the first to share it. Besides, by sharing your success in marketing, you’ll become the expert in everyone’s eyes.
That means building a social media presence, share unique content, record videos, host a Substack, and publish guest contributions on popular websites. Get your content out there and build your brand as an expert in your field.
Afterwards, leapfrog your competition by getting invited to podcasts or conferences to talk about your experience. Share your knowledge in that specific area of marketing or industry. Put your face out there so that people get familiar with who you are.
By combining a solid networking plan, as well as building your personal brand as an expert, new remote work opportunities will start piling up.
It’s a lot of work, but I promise you it’s worth it.
Even if remote work turns out to be less productive on some metrics than others, reducing carbon-based emissions or the improving work-life balance could make up for it.
—Mark W. Johnson and Josh Suskewicz, Harvard Business Review
Handpicked Remote Marketing Jobs 👨💻
Digital Marketing Lead - Aziksa
Director of Marketing - testRigor AI
Head of Content and Growth Marketing - Toggle
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Get your shots and let’s re-open the planet!
Reggie