Business is booming in digital marketing and that means higher demand in contracting marketing services or agencies. In many instances, it’s a saturated service with lots of competition. And if you sell your freelance services on a platform, you’ll want to be quick to attract clients or grow your income.
With what is available, you have plenty of choices from larger freelance exchanges to those that are more niche. This article will guide you to the best platforms for selling marketing services and showcase your talents and services.
What Are the Platforms to Sell Marketing Services?
There are approximately 1.57 billion freelancers in the world, and many of them are looking to online platforms to sell their skills. These platforms are expected to grow by around 4%. They serve as a digital marketplace, enabling professionals in marketing, content writing, social media, and advertising to showcase their expertise to a global audience.
Freelancers and agencies are using these platforms to obtain clients and sell their capabilities in a way that is much easier than trying to do it on their own. Instead of relying on their own outreach strategy, freelancers can simply use these platforms to access available work, present service packages, and ideally build long-term relationships with clients.
They also help to build trust through features like secure payment, client communication, and portfolio display, all while making it easier for freelancers to sell marketing services.
When you are serious about growing your marketing career online, choosing the right platform is only partly about obtaining work, it’s about putting yourself in front of businesses who actually need your services.
How Can Freelance Marketplaces Help You Find Clients?
Freelance marketplaces connect professionals with businesses that are currently seeking support. Instead of wasting time prospecting, you can simply display your profile, showcase some of your past work, and let clients come to you.
Most freelance marketplaces will constantly provide opportunities in a wide range of environments, giving you plenty of chances to pitch your services, bid on projects, or to share your fixed-price packages.
Another benefit is trust and security. Most marketplaces will manage contracts, payments, and disputes, so freelancers and clients alike feel more at ease working together. Building a solid reputation through strong reviews and consistently delivering quality work can lead to more work. More work means more visibility, and more visibility means you get more work.
Best Platforms to Sell Marketing Services
Upwork
Upwork is one of the world’s largest freelance marketplaces where businesses and professionals seek to engage in work together. Upwork has projects in almost every imaginable industry and services, especially with respect to marketing, content writing, design, and professional services.
Upwork is a prime choice for freelancers who want ongoing work and clients from around the world.
Source: Upwork
Key Features
- Global marketplace with millions of clients seeking freelancers.
- Advanced filters to search projects by skills, budgets, or industries.
- A secure payment system for hourly or fixed-price contracts.
- Collaboration tools built into the platform for messaging, files, and videos.
Benefit
While there are countless advantages to using Upwork, its scale and trustworthiness are probably its two biggest benefits. Freelancers can find clients in virtually every industry and price point; from very small startups to large corporations.
The review system helps freelancers gain some level of trust from potential clients or employers, and over time, helps freelancers attract high-value clients. The payment protection by Upwork ensures payments to the freelancer are secure, and reduces some risk versus going it alone.
Fiverr
Fiverr is one of the most well-known platforms for freelancers to offer their services in fixed price packages known as a “gig.” It is primarily used for marketing, content writing, design, and other digital services that enable freelancers to provide clients with a discoverable way to view pricing and delivery speed.
Source: Fiverr
Key Features
- A service-based marketplace where gig packages have defined services.
- A simple to use platform to publish and promote offers.
- A tier patching system that rewards a freelancer based on their performance.
Benefits
Fiverr has value in the overall simplicity and the clear decision making process. They will allow freelancers to create easy to understand packages that make it easy for the client to clearly understand what they’re getting. This type of structure will save negotiation time and help freelancers sell with more speed.
This is ideal for freelancers who want to focus on delivering instead of searching for clients. Moreover, as public reviews for freelancers rise along with their seller level, this will continue to increase visibility which recruitment will bring increased earnings and repeat clients.
Expert tip
It has millions of users and has different advantages. The most notable one is the number of jobs available. Numerous buyers are looking to complete their online projects.
Freelancer
Freelancer is a global marketplace where businesses openly post projects for freelancers to bid on. There are thousands of active listings every day, and it runs the gamut from marketing to content writing, to design, to IT. Freelancing is very dynamic because thousands of freelancers are out there showcasing their abilities to get work from clients.
Source: Freelancer
Key Features
- Wherever you find an open project, freelancers can submit their proposal budget and timeframe.
- Freelancer has unlimited categories available ranging from digital marketing to technical services.
- Payment security is stretched further by a milestone payment system.
- Freelancer offers a unique contest option; freelancers can create and submit their creative work for the client to see and select.
Benefit
Of all of the benefits, the most significant benefit to freelancer is the diversity and volume of opportunities available. You can find everything from simple, small matched projects to large long-term contracts.
Even if you are only interested in marketing, there is an ongoing flow of business for freelancers as businesses look for strategies, campaigns, and content writing services. After a few projects, you will be busier than you thought and have created a lead list of clients. Freelancer represents a serious opportunity to develop a sustainable career as a freelancer.
LinkedIn is an exceptional way to sell marketing services. By developing an amazing profile, producing awesome content, and getting involved and engaged in industry-related communities, freelancers, and agencies can represent themselves as experts and attract clients without having to wait for them to reach out to them.
LinkedIn allows you to build a connection with industry professionals, unlike traditional marketplaces and freelance platforms, where everything is transactional, and often people are not engaging with one another as people; you will connect more personally.
Source: LinkedIn
Key Features
- Professional profile to exhibit skills, portfolio, and experience
- LinkedIn Marketplace and ProFinder for service providers
- Networking via groups, posts, and direct messaging
- Built-in publishing platform for sharing articles and content
Benefits
Clearly, the best benefit of LinkedIn is being able to network while also acquiring clients all in one platform. It’s essential to learn how to use thought leadership, content writing, and the power of personal brand as a way of attracting clients organically instead of competing with so many other people in overcrowded marketplaces.
The trust you build through posting and interacting seems to create authority naturally, and direct messaging is a more personal form of outreach. For marketing freelancers, LinkedIn is an excellent source of clients and a platform to grow influence and authority in their industry.
PeoplePerHour
PeoplePerHour is a freelance network for businesses that need professionals for marketing, content writing, design, and more digital services. PeoplePerHour allows freelancers to work short job projects or long-term relationships, making it a wonderful option for many types of professionals.
PeoplePerHour enhances freelancers’ visibility through its matching system, allowing them to work on projects they were sourced for, thanks to their diverse skill sets.
Source: PeoplePerHour
Key Features:
- Flexible work options allow freelancers to work hourly and fixed-price for projects.
- AI matching technology to connect people and find the right clients for your talents.
- Freelancers are able to set “Hourlies” to sell as a pre-defined service.
- Freelancers and clients can set up escrow payments for a secure and reliable transaction.
Benefits
A big benefit is that PeoplePerHour achieves a great balance between flexible working in several ways whilst bringing security to the gig. Freelancers can create predefined services to allow for fast clients while applying for larger projects that create income stability.
Toptal
Toptal is a high-end freelance platform that matches only the absolute best talent with the best companies around the world. Unlike other open marketplace freelance platforms, Toptal employs a rigorous screening process that only accepts the top 3% of freelancers.
It greatly appeals to the best marketers, designers, content writers, and other in-demand careers who are interested in working with only the best clients.
Source: Toptal
Key features
- We have a strict screening process that vetts only the best freelancers.
- Ability to work with clients all over the world, including Fortune 500 companies and startups.
- Project matching that caters to individual freelancer skillsets.
- Long-term contracts and high-value projects.
Benefit
One of the best aspects of Toptal is the caliber of clients and opportunities that present themselves. Because Toptal is highly selective, it ensures the freelancers are doing meaningful work at a fair wage, and ultimately, they are collaborating with a legitimate company.
The upside for freelancers is twofold, as you not only earn more money but also boost your credibility and experience as a professional. Marketing freelancers in particular will benefit from being selected as freelancers in Toptal, because there are amazing clients that are willing to pay premium prices for expertise in content writing, SEO, campaign strategies, etc.
Guru
Guru is a freelancer marketplace created for professionals offering services to businesses. It supports varied categories, from marketing and writing to design and programming. The flexibility of Guru is evident through its many options for freelancers to set their own terms of work. This means freelancers can use Guru for very short tasks and longer-term work.
Source: Guru
Key Features
- Wide variety of job categories, including marketing and writing
- Flexible agreements, such as hourly, milestone, and recurring payments
- Collaborate and communicate with clients using WorkRoom features
- Secure payments using SafePay
Benefit
The main advantage of Guru is flexibility. Through the multiple agreement types, freelancers have some flexibility of payment types to suit different projects. Whether hourly projects, or long-term retainers, freelancers can offer different types of agreements. Collaborating with clients is made faster and easier with the WorkRoom, and SafePay.
Workana
Workana is a freelance marketplace that is well-known in Latin America, but to create a more global approach connects freelancers with clients all over the world. Freelancers can find opportunities in several categories including marketing, content writing, design, and IT.
Workana’s focus is definitely project-based, which is ideal for freelancing as it allows professionals to apply for projects that suit their skills and make a reputation as they complete projects.
Source: Workana
Key Features:
- Strong presence in Latin America, while also available for projects in other parts of the world.
- The categories cover marketing, content writing, and digital services.
- Uses an escrow payment system for projects for safekeeping and security.
- Provides rating and review for freelancers to build credibility.
Benefits:
The main benefit of Workana is that it allows freelancers the opportunity to break into emerging markets, especially in Latin America. The platform provides a steady amount of projects for both beginners and experienced freelancers to build portfolios and long-term clients.
The payment system is secure and provides a degree of risk management, while the review option distinguishes freelancers over time. For marketing specialists, Workana is great way to display a portfolio for SEO, content writing and digital strategy to a wider audience (client base).
Hubstaff Talent
Hubstaff Talent is an open, global resource for companies looking to find remote freelancers or agencies all over the world. Hubstaff Talent is unique because it doesn’t charge fees or take commission on client work; that’s why freelancers and businesses love the site. Hubstaff Talent includes an array of professionals in marketing, content writing, design.
Source: Hubstaff Talent
Key Features
- 100% free with no service fees or commissions.
- 100% global freelancers and agencies.
- Searchable database for skills, hourly rate, and area of the world.
- No middleman between freelancer and client.
Benefit
The best part of Hubstaff Talent is that you can earn money without any upfront costs. Because Hubstaff Talent doesn’t charge its users fees, freelancers collect all of the money- that is rare for freelance marketplaces.
The connections with clients on Hubstaff Talent are also direct, which allows freelancers more flexibility in negotiating, as well as more opportunities to build long-term relationships.
For instance, as a marketer, Hubstaff Talent is an excellent platform to showcase your expertise in SEO, content writing, or company and campaign management to potential clients, all while earning direct payment without the hassle of platform fees.
Bark
Bark is an online service that connects service providers with clients looking for a service in one of the service areas available like marketing, content writing, design, or business support. Bark is different from a “freelance marketplace” in that they provide leads who are looking for services and they are local leads as well as global leads.
Source: Bark
Key Features
- Grouped by lead-based systems that freelancers claim that they have time to take on the client request.
- Categories within Bark include digital marketing and content writing.
- Local and International clients can be targeted.
- Messaging system available to contact leads.
Benefits
Bark’s biggest benefit is the quality of the leads offered. Freelancers and agencies receive leads when clients submit requests. This means freelancers can quickly get to work on projects where there is already an apparent demand. This also means less time looking for opportunities and a greater chance of getting paid work.
For example, if you are a marketing professional, you can immediately help clients who are requesting help with campaigns, SEO, and content writing all in one place. This means bak is a very good option for you to have alongside other freelance marketplaces.
How Do You Choose the Right Platform for Your Marketing Services?
Picking the right platform to sell marketing services should depend on your objectives, expertise, and the kind of clients you want to acquire. For example, if you wish to bid on a range of different projects, then Upwork or Freelancer are prime examples of platforms to use, but if you want to sell a set of packages of service offerings like SEO audits.
When thinking about what platform to use, ask yourself the following questions:
- Client base: Where do your target clients like to hang out?
- Fee Structure: What are the platform fees? How much does it take for me to get paid?
- Type of work: Do you want freelance one-off tasks, freelance ongoing project contracts, or long-term marketing service retainers?
- Level of competition: How crowded is the market with regard to your work offering? How far can you differentiate your offer in the marketplace?
- Payment security: Does this platform have escrow or some sort of payment protection?
The best platform is the one that aligns with your service style and growth strategy. Newcomers could use high-traffic marketplaces with many small projects, while more experienced marketers would likely gravitate toward selective platforms that connect them with premium clients.
Regardless of the platform you choose, taking the time to pair your skills with the right platform will correlate to better visibility, better relationships with your clients, and continuing opportunities.
Conclusion
The option to sell marketing services online is more accessible than ever before, with countless platforms providing opportunities for freelancers and agencies alike. While joining a marketplace is a simple enough step, you need to make sure that you enter the marketplace that suits you best in terms of skills, goals, and business model.
To position yourself for sustained growth, consider several key factors, including the client pool, pricing strategy, competition, and payment security. The ‘right’ platform should not only provide you with an opportunity to address client needs but also to build ongoing relationships with your clients and develop authority within the digital marketing space.
Frequently Asked Questions
