FFN #79 3 Ways to Market Yourself Without Feeling Salesy (or cringe)

Plus a few extra hot takes for your week.

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It’s important to be willing to make mistakes. The worst thing that can happen is you become memorable.

Sara Blakely

YOUR LINKEDIN HEADLINE = PRIME REAL ESTATE

Let’s be real—no one’s scrolling through LinkedIn trying to decipher vague job titles like “Creative Wizard” (cute, but confusing). Instead, craft a 15-second elevator pitch that clearly says what you do and who you help. Something like: “I help small businesses turn followers into paying customers with scroll-stopping social media.” Pop it in your LinkedIn headline so every profile visit is a mini-marketing moment.

Your to-do: Update your LinkedIn headline with a clear, benefit-driven statement about your services.

SHARE THAT GLOW UP

Nothing markets your skills better than a client success story—and you don’t need a big-budget case study to do it. Share a simple before-and-after on Instagram: “Before: DIY logos that felt all over the place. After: A cohesive brand that’s getting more inquiries.” Bonus points if you use a carousel to show visuals. It’s proof of what you can do—and who doesn’t love a transformation story?

Your to-do: Pick a recent client win, frame it in a before-and-after format, and post it this week.

GIVE SOME MAGIC

Want to attract dream clients without cold pitching? Offer a free resource that solves a small, nagging problem for them, like a “5-Minute Brand Audit” checklist or a guide to writing better emails. It builds trust, shows your expertise, and gently nudges people toward hiring you when they need more. (Pro tip: Drop the link in your Instagram bio or a pinned LinkedIn post to make it easy to grab.)

Your to-do: Create a simple checklist or guide related to your niche and share it with your audience.

HEARD IT IN THE DMS

Tired of chasing payments? Set yourself up for stress-free cash flow with this simple move: Add a late fee clause to every contract—even if you never plan to enforce it. Just the mention of “a 10% late fee for overdue invoices” is usually enough to keep clients on track. And if they do pay late? You’ve got the receipts to back you up.

Got a freelancing hack? Slide into our DMs so we can post it!

Shari Rose - SEO Consultant
Brenda Storer - Shopify Developer
Jenny Safransky - Talent Manager

Project Coordinator

Gourmand Group is looking for a part-time Project Coordinator to join their team.

Project Manager

Creative Circle’s agency client is looking for a Project Manager to assist their team. 

We know landing gigs is tough, so we’ve created a newsletter filled with jobs that comes fresh to your inbox every week.

WORK, LIFE, WHATEVER

Feeling overwhelmed? Try this: Set a two-minute timer and do nothing—no emails, no scrolling, just breathe. It’s a quick reset for your brain, especially during those “I have a million things to do” moments. Studies show even micro-breaks can lower stress and boost focus—plus, it’s a whole lot cheaper than burnout.

Work in Progress

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FF Favs

It feels like we are bombarded with things and tools to buy at every corner right now, making it impossible to know which products are actually worth it. So we made our FF Favs directory, a full list of freelance vetted and approved tools that are actually worth your time and money!