Last Updated on April 23, 2024 by Jan Barley
The digital marketing industry is growing exponentially. It’s an attractive career move for most people because learning the steps to succeed as a freelance digital marketer is easy.
Digital marketing allows you to work independently according to the schedule you decide. You can choose your niche and work with diverse projects.
Ok, that sounds great. What’s the downside?
Like any freelance work, there are no health or pension benefits. Depending on your direction, finding paying clients could involve an ongoing hustle, and that is tedious as hell.
The more straightforward direction is to create digital products, but the caveat is you need to learn how to drive organic (free) traffic to your offers.
Pros of Being a Freelance Digital Marketer
- Independence: Choose when and where you work.
- Remote Work: It’s easy to fulfil tasks working from home.
- Flexibility: You can fit the work around your family, workouts, and routine appointments. No asking a boss for time off.
- Variety: Choose which projects you want to work on. Create digital products that interest you. Switch direction whenever you need a change.
- Income: Once you master digital marketing, it can become a lucrative career.
Cons of Being a Freelance Digital Marketer
- Lack of Daily Human Interaction: Most freelancers learn to deal with the solitary aspects of working from home, but if you are a person who enjoys being with others, it can be a lonely life.
- Constant Hustle: There’s no salary, so freelance digital marketers must plan ahead to ensure cash flow stays healthy. That’s not easy, and workflow can change in a heartbeat (firsthand experience of that!)
- Feast or Famine: Some months, the money flows in and others you may struggle to pay the bills.
- Competition: More people are discovering digital marketing as a career
Conclusion
I wouldn’t change my direction as a digital marketer for the world. I love the variety, and I’ve opted not to work with clients at this early stage. I’ve had three years of client work as a copywriter. That was enough for me!
My recommendation is to take the Google Digital Marketing Certificate Course. It’s a great foundational course that provides an excellent overview of life as a digital marketer. I’ve linked to all of their digital courses, which are all free.
I’ve chosen to pursue the digital product creation direction, focusing on creating products from which other people can make money. In April, I’ll be promoting an interactive digital marketing program unlike any other in the market. Stay tuned in to hear details when they’re available.