3 Benefits of Joining an Online Freelance Community
Freelancing is usually a solo activity, but that doesn’t mean it has to be lonely.
If you want to connect with other freelancers to exchange advice, share stories, or build a support system, then consider joining a freelance community.
Here are a few reasons to join a freelance community and where to find them.
What is a Freelance Community?
A freelance community is any type of space where freelancers can connect with other freelancers to discuss topics around freelancing. Common online platforms for freelance communities are Slack groups, Facebook Groups, and other social media channels.
Think of a freelance community as a virtual water cooler: It’s a place to have casual, work-related conversations where you can get inspired, learn new things, and get to know your peers.
If you’re looking to form in-person connections, you can also find freelance communities through a membership group like an association, or through networking events.
Benefits of Joining a Freelance Community
No matter where you’re at in your freelance career, it’s never too early or late to join a freelancing community. Maybe you decided to start freelancing because you prefer to work solo, but you want someone to bounce ideas off of every now and again. Or perhaps you’ve found freelancing to feel isolating at times and are looking to form genuine connections with like-minded people.
In any case, joining a freelance community can help you become better at your profession, grow your network, and ultimately scale your business. Here are a few specific benefits of joining a freelance community.
Build your network
There’s no built-in network with freelancing like there is at a full-time job. To make connections, get referred for new projects, or find people to collaborate with, you need to build your own network. An easy way to do this is by joining a freelance community.
When you’re part of a freelance community, you instantly meet other freelancers who understand what you do. The beauty of freelancing communities is that you can expand your network as wide or as niche as you’d like. You can join niche communities that focus solely on your industry, whether that’s graphic design, writing, or photography. Or, you can join broad freelancing communities to connect with people outside of your area of expertise. With every community you join, the more freelancers you connect with, and the bigger your network becomes.
Get advice
Imagine this: You’re working from home, alone at your desk, when you get a client inquiry that you’re not sure how to answer. Who do you turn to? In a traditional 9-5 role, you’d likely have a teammate you could quickly exchange advice with. As a freelancer, it can sometimes feel like you’re all alone in navigating tough client conversations or uncertainties around business, but that’s why it’s essential to join a freelance community.
When you’re part of a like-minded community of freelancers, you have access to hundreds of freelancers who have been in your shoes. There’s probably no situation or question you could bring up that someone doesn’t have the answer to. If you get a client inquiry that you’re not sure how to answer, simply pop into one of your online communities, ask other freelancers how they’d handle the situation, and you’ll receive a range of thoughtful answers in minutes.
Discover opportunities
Another benefit of joining a freelance community is that the connections made there can lead to collaboration or job opportunities. If you’re active in the communities you join — joining conversations, sharing your advice, celebrating other freelancers’ wins — then you’re bound to leave an impression and stay top of mind whenever a potential project comes up.
Plus, it’s common for clients to join freelancing communities to connect with people for projects. In fact, for freelance projects, some people will post opportunities exclusively in these communities instead of sharing them on a job board. This means that you can get in front of potential clients simply by joining a community rather than going out looking for new work.
7 Freelance Communities to Join
There are several freelance communities worth joining, but it can be tricky to find them if you’re not sure where to look.
To help you get started, here are some of our favorite freelance communities to join.
1. Wethos Freelance Slack Community
The Wethos freelance community is a free Slack community for freelancers, solopreneurs, and independents to come together, exchange advice, collaborate with one another, and share opportunities.
With channels like #little-wins, #weekly-question, and #general-lounge, freelancers have a space to engage in thoughtful conversations around running a business as an independent. The best part about having discussions with other freelancers is that you’re guaranteed to learn something or come away with ideas to implement in your business.
In addition to collaborating and learning from other freelancers, you may even discover client or project opportunities through the #share-opportunities channel.
Want to connect and collaborate with your freelance peers? Join the Wethos Slack Community!
2. Freelancing Females
Freelancing Females is the largest online community of freelancers. The freelance community started as a Facebook Group where freelancers could share thoughts, ask questions, and share advice with one another. The Facebook Group has grown to over 60K members, and Freelancing Females also offers online resources, a directory, and a job board.
3. Twitter
If you’re active on Twitter, there are plenty of ways to connect with other freelancers and people looking for freelancers (AKA, clients). For starters, you can search for the hashtag, #FreelanceTwitter to see conversations started by freelancers asking questions and even clients looking to connect with freelancers.
Another way is to join conversations like #FreelanceChat. Hosted by freelancer Michelle Garrett, #FreelanceChat is a weekly Twitter chat that freelancers or anyone interested in freelancing can engage in to learn from each other. Each week, the chat focuses on a different topic relevant to freelancers; past topics have included client onboarding, pricing, and managing your business.
4. Freelancers Union
Freelancers Union is a nonprofit that’s been supporting freelancers since 1995. The organization is dedicated to protecting the rights of independent workers and does so by helping to develop and pass policies that ensure freelancers are given the same benefits and voice as the rest of the workforce. One of the major laws the organization advocated for is the “Freelance Isn’t Free Act” which helps protect freelancers from nonpayment.
Freelancers Union also supports freelancers with year round resources and community opportunities. If you’re in New York City, you can enjoy free co-working at the Freelancers Hub, which is operated by the Freelancers Union. If you’re not in NYC, the good news is you can still participate in online events and workshops at the Hub.
5. Peak Freelance
If you’re a freelance writer, consider joining Peak Freelance. The online membership community offers workshops, templates, a job board, expert interviews, and courses that help freelance writers find more clients and scale their businesses.
If you’re just looking to have discussions with other freelancers, Peak Freelance also offers a freelance Slack group where writers can ask each other questions, share gigs, and more.
6. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is another platform that’s buzzing with freelancers looking to connect with one another. If you want to grow your network of freelancers and entrepreneurs, LinkedIn offers a great opportunity to build your own community.
If you don’t already have an account, start by creating your freelance LinkedIn profile. Next, connect with any freelancers you already know. If there’s someone you’ve already connected with for a project or had a conversation with, find them on LinkedIn to maintain the connection. Once you’re connected, LinkedIn will start making suggestions on who to connect with next — and they’re usually other freelancers. Send a quick note along with your connection request to let them know why you want to connect. It can be as simple as “I saw you’re also a freelance web developer and wanted to connect!”
Once you build your own freelance community on LinkedIn, maintain your connections by engaging with other freelancers’ content, sharing your thoughts and updates, and making recommendations when relevant opportunities come up.
7. Groove
Sometimes the loneliest part of freelancing is simply the fact that you’re *usually* working from home alone. If you prefer the environment of a co-working space or coffee shop, consider joining Groove. Groove is a free virtual co-working space for freelancers, solopreneurs, creatives, and anyone else who’s working on a project and looking for moral support through a community.
You can join up to three other people for a 50-minute, virtual co-working session and send each other motivational messages throughout. Groove is a good way to stay motivated when you’re working solo.
Joining a freelance community like any of the above is a great way to expand your network, discover business opportunities, and make freelancing more fun. Just remember that to get the most out of communities, you have to be engaged, actively contribute, and be genuine.
Ready to connect with like-minded freelancers? Join the Wethos Slack Community!