The job scenario is today is not what it was at the start of the previous decade. A decade ago, people used to look for a stable, long term job that provided many benefits along with job security. But, that is not the case today. Today, more and more people prefer to work on their own rather than for someone else.
Freelancing has become more common and a popular career option as well. People are taking freelance work more seriously now; it has now become the symbol for ideal work-life balance. There are many reasons why people are fascinated by freelance gigs then regular jobs, some of them are
- Work-life balance
Ask any of your freelancing friends or colleague and they will tell how drastically their lives have improved since they gave up their desk job. They will say switching to freelance work has allowed them to spend more time with their family and loved ones.
- Ample time to pursue personal interest
If you know anyone in your circle who gave up their corporate job to start freelancing, you would have noticed them take more and more classes for non-corporate skills.
When you start freelancing, you get more time to spend on yourself and develop your skills. You get to know your real passion and interest and even time to pursue them.
- Be your own boss
One common complaint you notice from people who work is, about their boss. They do not like working for others and would rather do anything else than listen to their boss. Many people give up on their full time job and switch to a freelance profile because they do not like taking orders from anyone.
- Remote work and work home
When you live and work in a crowded city like Mumbai or Bangalore, you spend more time on the road than you spend in your own house. Most office-goers spend an average of 2hrs30mins of their day traveling to work and back. This is a waste of precious and valuable time.
Freelancing gives you the option to work from anywhere and anytime. It does not matter if you are on a vacation or would like to stay alone in your house for a couple of days. Freelance gives you the option to work from anywhere and anytime.
- Work at your own pace
You always have some kind of deadline to meet in your job. But when you start working as a freelancer, you can take the job whose deadline you can meet without any stress.
Another reason why more and more people are taking up freelancing is that they like to work when they feel the most productive, something that your desk job never gave freedom of.
- Boosts productivity
When you start working in an environment you are most comfortable with, at your own pace and at your preferred time, you will see a boost in your productivity and efficiency.
The popularity of freelance gigs is increasing day by day and above-mentioned factors are only contributing to its success. Out of every profession out there, the most in-demand individuals in the freelance arena are Digital Marketers, Graphic Designers, and Website Developers.
The competition in these three fields is also growing, so landing a gig through traditional methods is becoming more difficult. But thanks to the internet, you can now get work from a wider audience. All you need to do is, be on the right marketplace to land the perfect gig. However, there are many, marketplaces on the internet, especially for Digital Marketing professionals; so selecting the right marketplace becomes extremely important.
So, in order to help you out, we have come up with a list showcasing the top 5 marketplaces for Digital Marketing individuals to showcase their talent and bag good work.
1) Fiverr
Fiverr is a decade old company and has been on the freelance marketplace scene since 2010. The company was founded by Micha Kaufman in Tel Aviv, Israel.
It is a marketplace where you can showcase your skills and land gigs related to your niche rather quickly. Out of all the marketplaces in this list, Fiverr is the cheapest one with plans starting from $5. Granted, $5 isn’t much but the marketplace compensates it by offering its users three plans- Basic, Standard, and Premium, so you can properly segment your services and offerings without having to compromise on the price.
Fiverr is a great platform especially if you are just getting started as it allows you to build your portfolio and meet new people from similar domains across the world.
2) Upwork
Upwork is a US-based company which was created in the year 2015, by Startis Karamanlakis and Odysseas Tstalos. It is a popular market place and has over 12 million active users.
It is a great platform for freshers and beginners. Upwork is a good place to start your freelance career. It may take time for you to land your first few gigs but once you have become a known name in the site’s algorithms, you will get to see a lot of work coming your way. Upwork is a nice way to get started and build a good reputation for you.
3) 99designs
If you are someone who is into branding and designing, then this platform is for you. 99designs is a platform exclusive for designers and branding professionals. You land a gig here in a competitive and unique way. The users or rather, the clients post their requirements in the form of a contest. Once you have entered the contest, you compete with your fellow participants and the winner gets the gig as promised by the competition runner.
4) Freelance Writing
A lot of Digital Marketing activities depend upon content, especially written content. So if you are someone who likes to write and want to become an established freelance writer then, this platform and you are a match made in heaven.
Freelance Writing is a free platform unlike other platforms like Upwork, who are now starting to demand to sign up fees along with a $20 cut from users. Freelance Writing is free for both, the users and the clients. Plus, the site is easy to navigate and has tons of filters to help find the perfect gig for you and build a portfolio as well.
5) DigitalMarket.com
This is rather a new marketplace and first of its kind to originate in India. The brain behind this place, Gaurav Gurbaxani has launched this new platform with the aim of allowing digital marketing professionals from India to showcase their skills and make India the hub for all things digital marketing.
Gaurav along with his partners from Digital Alliance are key players behind the rise of digital marketing in India. Gaurav along with his partners- Avi Arya Deepak Kanakaraju, Faheem Ahmed, Kulwant Nagi, Sanjay Shenoy, Siddhart Rajsekar, and Sorav Jain are responsible for transforming the digital landscape in India.
Gaurav aims to make this the best and go-to market place for every digital marketing individual, rivaling the likes of famous platforms like Fiverr and Upwork. With very few details known about the platform, we take Gaurav for his word because if someone can take on marketplace giants like Fiverr and Upwork, it is him.
Gaurav’s track record and work history only shows progress and success, something he promises his upcoming platform will deliver as well. The marketplace has already many individuals from across the digital industry signed up and ready for the launch of the platform. The marketplace, from its initial impressions, looks nothing short of a perfect marketing platform for both- the buyers and sellers. The platform also promises to have smooth and seamless monetary transactions, promising timely payments to services providers and on-time execution of the order for the users/clients.
Hope this list helps you identify the right marketplace for you to start your freelance career.
