"And suddenly you know.... it's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings".
Are you tired of doing the same thing every day? Are you considering taking a leap of faith? From whatever career you have to become a freelance instructional designer? No matter where you're at in your instructional design journey, freelance instructional design could be a good fit for you.
Breaking away from a set routine can be daunting. But there are some attractive benefits when you become a freelance instructional designer. The most exciting being you can work on your own schedule and be your own boss.
However, just like any other profession, freelance instructional design comes with its fair share of challenges.
WHAT DOES A FREELANCE INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER DO?
To succeed as a freelance instructional designer, you need excellent training, analytical, and communications skills. You also need to stay up to date with instructional methods.
Here are some of the things you should expect to do as a freelance instructional designer:
- Contract with companies to create resources and content for training courses
- Design audio, storyboards, and graphic images. Then implement the components into training objectives and materials that help develop the desired skills.
- Redesign coursework meant for a classroom for use in online programs.
- Identify areas for performance improvement and ensure that you meet all industry standards.
HOW TO BECOME A FREELANCE INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER
Freelance work is great for all levels of instructional design instructional design.
You have the freedom to choose what projects to work on without committing to one company, not to mention taking ownership of the project for its entire cycle.
Freelance work can help you find your niche in instructional design. Or, it could be the perfect, flexible fit for you long-term.
To Become a freelance instructional designer, consider the following steps:
1. Identify Your Target Market
To become a successful freelance instructional designer, you have to identify your specific strength, talents, and abilities.
Every instructional designer is unique and works best under different circumstances. This is why figuring out the right path for yourself is important before diving into freelance work.
2. Research the Industry
The best way to become a freelance instructional designer is to discover what worked for existing freelance instructional designers.
Researching other freelance instructional designers will give you unique insights into the industry and target market in which you’re operating.
3. Develop Your Clientele
Expanding your network is the next step to becoming a freelance instructional designer. How can you be a freelancer if you don't have your clients?
Your network and connections may lead to referrals and increased lead generation.
Potential clients may come from acquaintances from conferences you attended or people you've worked with in previous jobs.
Building personal relationships with your business network is a great way to find success in freelance instructional design.
4. Collaborate With Others
Working solo has its advantages, but you may also want to partner with other eLearning professionals, especially if you’re new to instructional design.
You might also want to partner with creatives like voice-over artists, graphic designers, video editors/animators, or eLearning developers.
Having these professional contacts is beneficial in many ways. It’s one less step when you’re working for a client that wants a custom video. But often these contacts can help you make new connections with potential clients.
Having connections in the industry can help you branch out and allow you to take on more challenging opportunities.
5. Create a Marketing Strategy
The core of becoming a successful freelance instructional designer is marketing. Promoting your services can feel like a full-time job, especially when you’re just starting out, but it pays a lot when your clients keep looking for you.
As your business grows, it is also a must to re-assess your marketing strategy. In today's setup, social media is the best platform to reach clients, not to mention that it is free.
Establish a Fee Structure
The bottom line of becoming a freelance instructional designer is money. As you grow your business, taking on more and more projects from your clients, bills are also piling up.
Before becoming a freelance instructional designer, you must determine how you’ll price yourself.
Do you want to charge an hourly fee or a flat rate?
Will you be flexible if a potential client doesn't agree with how you charge?
The research you conduct on your competitors’ pricing structure will help you make your plan more competitive.
Remember that many clients might not pay you more than 30 days after billing.
Try to keep your costs low. and don’t hesitate to adjust what you charge over time. The more experience you have, the more your time is worth!
SKILLS YOU CAN USE TO MAKE MONEY WITH FREELANCING
10 qualities, knowledge, and skills the ideal instructional designer should possess or develop:
1. Study learning theory to understand how people learn.
2. Know how to connect with an audience on an emotional level.
3. Be capable of imagining oneself as the learner/audience member.
4. Love to learn because you’ll be working with many different subjects.
5. Brainstorm creative treatments and innovative instructional strategies.
6. Visualize instructional graphics, the user interface, interactions, and the finished product.
7. Write effective copy, instructional text, stories, audio scripts, and video scripts.
8. Meld minds with Subject Matter Experts and team members.
9. Know the capabilities of eLearning development tools and software.
10. Understand related fields—usability and experience design, information design, communication, and new technologies.
A freelance instructional designer has more freedom in every respect: when and where to work, what projects to accept, which tools to use, and more.
But still, any freelance job can be tricky. Although you have full control over your work and can take only the projects you’re excited about, it doesn’t necessarily happen like that.
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