How To Write The Best Description That Will Attract Clients

People often say don’t judge a book by its cover but in the world of marketing, the book is often first judged by its cover. 

A freelancer’s description is one of the major ways of striking a good first impression on your potential clients. Without a description or bio, it becomes quite difficult for you to attract clients. 

People like to know stuff. You cannot let your clients assume who you are or what you do. You have to inform them and with as few words as possible. 

Now the question is, “What should I write in my bio?”, “How do I describe myself and my business?”. This article is your best bet at creating a short, professional bio that keeps clients attracted to you. 

 

How to Write a Professional Bio

The method of creating a world-class, profit-generating bio is not cast in stone. You just need to be attentive to a few details and your bio is ready. 

 

1. Outline: Make a list of the services you offer as a freelancer or gig worker. If you are a special effects make-up artist, put that on the list. If you photograph just weddings, add it to your list. 

 

Lists provides clarity for you on what you want to do and what you do not want to do. It tailors your efforts to a few niches and keeps you focused on those ideas. So go ahead and write your services down.

 

2. Write: After you have made a comprehensive list of the services you wish to offer, write a few samples. No matter how ridiculous these sample bios sound, just keep writing till you have successfully explained what you offer in a concise and easy-to-understand way.

 

3. Edit: Show one or more people the samples of your written bio. Be open to constructive feedback, make edits and go ahead to attach the description to your profile. 

 Always remember that you “OWE” us a simple description.

 

 

Creative Bio Examples: Dos and Don’ts in Bio Writing

Now that we know the method to write, you also need to be able to differentiate a bio that is good from one that isn’t.

1. In writing a bio or description that attracts clients, learn to speak to people’s gain or pain points without sounding too sales-y


Now from the two examples above, who do you think clients will want to work with the most? I bet you chose the latter.

Your ability to communicate and relate with your target audience is one of the things that set you apart.

 

 

2. Don’t be pompous or timid. Communicate your value with confidence. 

 

 

From the above examples, can you identify which is pompous, timid, and confident? This doesn’t mean that you can’t talk about your expertise but there are better ways to go about it.

 


 

 

3. Keep SEO in mind. Think like your clients and use keywords that they will regularly search for. All the examples above have keywords in them and are therefore SEO worthy. For example, maternity shoot, pregnant woman, profit and loss account, business, etc.

 

 

4. Use simple or common English. You don’t want your potential clients using a dictionary when they read your bio, do you? I’m sure you don’t so keep grammar simple and watch out for grammatical or punctuation errors.

 

 

5. Go straight to the point.


The above example immediately communicates to potential clients what day the freelancer is available and also creates a sense of urgency with the word only

Depending on how you set your rates and availability as a freelancer on the Bookings Africa site, this type of bio can attract the target audience who can pay your rates and leave others wishing.

 

 

 

6. End with a Call-to-Action. Like we said in the beginning, people like to know details and this includes being told what to do next. Do not assume that your potential client knows what to do next. 

On that note, always add a call to action on your bio. Use phrases such as

  • Go ahead to schedule a booking.
  • Reach out by clicking BOOK below
  • We can chat after you book
  • Let’s get started

 

Your description is like a business card. People would usually just glance through at first look. Ensure that there’s something that keeps them interested in knowing more and taking action. 

How To Set Up Your Own Photo Studio

 

It takes a lot of courage to decide to start your own freelance practice as a photographer. 

Most of the time, many photographers cannot afford to own a workspace of their own at the beginning of their careers. The photographers who are able to own a studio either have a lot of money laying around or have received funding to boost their business. 

If you are a newbie photographer or freelancer who doesn’t own a studio and is tired of spending most of your profit renting a studio, then this post is for you. 

You will learn:

  1. How to set up your own studio with equipment in your house
  2. Where to buy affordable but quality photography equipment

 

DIY Home Photo Studio

People set up home photo studios for several reasons the most common being the need to cut overhead costs. The following steps will guide you in creating an aesthetically pleasing studio in your home.

1. Ambiance & Location: Ensure that the location of this studio has accessible roads and an ambiance that is appealing. You do not want to invite a client over to a location that looks unsafe, unkempt, and unpleasant. 

 

 

 

Despite the fact that you want to set up a home studio, it doesn’t have to be your home. You can liaise with a friend to set up in their home, workspace, or office if yours isn’t as good. Please ensure that the place has proper ventilation and is free of foul smells. Trust me, this turns many clients off irrespective of their pocket size.

Let the room be at least 100 square meters i.e at least 5 people can move around comfortably in the room. 


2. Lightening
: The key ingredient to a beautiful picture is lightening. Now depending on the type of picture you are trying to create, you can have different moods set. 

The first type of light you need will be natural light: straight from the sun and free of charge. The beautiful light from the sun creates timeless and crisp images. With a clear white wall and this natural light, you’ll get the best portrait photographs.

 

 

 

Next up, invest in light. Depending on your location in Africa, there are several local markets and online shops where you can shop for lights. You can start up with flat light and also a backlight. The flat light will help in amplifying the light that falls on your object’s face, thereby removing shadows and the backlight can help with creating silhouettes. To balance and control the different lights, use a reflector and softboxes as well. 

 

 

3. Furniture and Props: Every good studio needs good furniture. Furniture has been known to inspire several poses and inspire confidence in your clients. Depending on what your preferred studio interior décor is, buy furniture that goes with your theme. 

 

 

 

Sometimes, you don’t even need to buy anything new. Look around your home and get creative. There are so many pieces lying around, that can be used as props or give more character to your photograph/picture.

 

 

 

4. Backdrops: Backdrops are so important for any studio. Backdrops can make or mar your images as they determine the feel of the image you hope to create. Backdrops are as important as choosing lenses for your photographs.

 

 

 

You do not have to get high-end backdrop options when shopping. Although there are several kinds of backdrop options, fabrics tend to be the most common option of all. Fabrics such as, polyester, canvas, muslin, and stretch knit can be found in any local market near you or can be shopped from online stores. 

The best sizes for home or DIY studios will be 5×7 feet, 8×10 feet, and 12×14 feet. These are perfect for baby and pet images, headshots or portraits, and couples or group photographs respectively. 

 

 

5. Camera and Lenses: Finally, we get to the part you’ve probably been waiting for. To take a good picture, we need a good camera or lens. 

 

 

 

 

Apple has created some of the most creative gadgets. With an iPhone, you can take good pictures that look similar to that of a camera.

 

 

However, if you can afford to buy a camera, ensure that you buy different lenses as well. For studio photos, lenses with focal lengths ranging from 18mm-55mm are great for creative photos.

 

And voila! Your DIY studio is set up and ready to be used. 

 

More Ways To Make Money On Bookings Africa 

Maybe you are just one of the few people who do not want to be freelancers but you love what Bookings Africa is about and you’d like to be part of it. You are in luck because freelancing is just one of the ways to make money on Bookings Africa. 

This article is a deep dive into the world of money-making as seen on Bookings Africa. 

We have a plethora of income streams, but first, you have to be signed up to benefit from these. Go on, sign up and then keep reading. 

Great job!

Now, you can decide to make money on the platform through

  1. Masterclasses
  2. Ticketing 
  3. Event promotion
  4. Benefits of Referral Code

MASTERCLASSES

Our platform enables you to host masterclasses via the video call service for up to 50 people, giving you the professional feel you desire.

Setting up a masterclass on Bookings Africa is great for thought leaders, business owners, event promoters, artists, teachers, etc. Basically, anyone who desires to reach a wider audience, assert their thought leadership, and makes even extra income needs to host a masterclass. 

The webinar feature is easy to set up and navigate. 

TICKETING

Just in case you didn’t know, Africans know how to through a party! From glamorous dresses to themed events, awesome music, and mouth-watering food to the infusion of our rich culture and great insights into the industry developments. African parties and events are always a “must-attend” for everyone. 

To ensure a seamless flow for these events, ticketing is one aspect you do not want to ignore. 

Bookings Africa has created a self-service platform empowering event organizers and promoters to host their events virtually, sell tickets, reach larger audiences, and manage their events.

The platform helps to address the ticketing issues. This automatically saves you the stress of selling tickets in person or looking for placements for the tickets. It also helps in tracking the data of the registered attendees for your event.

To sell your tickets, 

  1. Sign up as a client or service provider (if you are not already signed up)
  2. Go to your dashboard
  3. Click on My Events
  4. Create a new event
  5. After you create events, share the link to purchase tickets
  6. Track ticket sales on My Events → Ticket History

And voila, you have another stream of income.

EVENT PROMOTION

After creating your event, you can also decide to promote your event with Bookings Africa. We offer our clients a variety of promotion packages. If this is something you will be interested in, please contact [email protected] for more inquiries. 

BENEFITS OF REFERRAL CODE

When you refer a person to sign up on Bookings Africa with your code, you earn.

Here’s how:

  • Sign up as a service provider
  • Your username serves as your referral code so use something easy yet professional
  • Convince others to sign up on the platform using your referral code
  • Encourage them to set up their profile

The benefits of using Bookings Africa are endless. Not only freelancers stand a chance to benefit from this. 

How to Achieve Work-Life Balance as a Gig-worker/Freelancer

Every freelancer knows that one of the perks of their career path is being able to work from home. Yes, it comes with several advantages that sometimes surpass what a regular 9-5 worker enjoys. However, the downside is that it gradually begins to affect every other aspect of your life as burnout can set in, leading to series of health challenges. The big question is- How do you achieve work-life balance in the gig economy? Is there a way freelancers can have family time and not miss out on big clients? This article answers this question with five tips listed below.

  1. Fix work hours and stick to it

Start your week with a schedule for the week. What is the total number of hours spent on work tasks every week? If it will take you 25 hours to do a particular project, split the hours into the days of the week and make sure you don’t exceed them. By doing this, you will still be flexible with your freelancing job style, but you will also have time for other tasks. There might be exceptions on some days when the deadline is staring you in the face but ultimately, stick to what you have planned for all the tasks each week.

  1. Include vacation fees to your hourly charges.

Whether you have a fixed price or an hourly price like on the Bookings Africa platform, endeavor to include your vacation expense into your rate. When setting your rate, think of the amount you plan to spend on yourself at the end of the year or during a hangout with your friends. When you have calculated the amount, divide it by the number of hours and include it within your rate. This small additional fee will cover the time you take a well-deserved break later in the year.

  1. Create a reasonable work expectation

Suppose you are starting as a new freelancer; being selective on the project to take on might pose a challenge at the beginning. Regardless, setting a realistic expectation is always a better option. As a video editor who understands that it takes a long time to edit a video, telling your client about the feasible deadline creates a reasonable expectation. Even if you are new in the niche, it will be better to inform the client of the difficulty of doing the work. If you don’t already know what time it will take, you can monitor the time and tell your client later so that it doesn’t affect your regular everyday duties.

  1. Dedicate a section of your home as a workspace

It can be challenging to separate your work-life from other aspects of your life, especially if you are at home 24/7. The best way out is to have a workstation dedicated to only work in your home. It doesn’t have to be the whole room that would be converted; it could just be a desk or a space with friends that is strictly for work. This will help you focus on work when you are in that place and think of other things outside that environment. This tip will help you increase your productivity level and help you create quality time for your family.

  1. Create a “me time.”

The idea of self-care isn’t only for the 9-5ers. Freelancers in Africa can also benefit from it when they create time to take care of themselves. Instead of allowing work to affect your relationship, health, and general well-being, intentionally make time for those things that matter. If you have to set your alarm to eat well, drink water, call a friend, take a walk, or meditate, please do. Don’t just have your “me time” created in your head; write it on sticky notes, set reminders, be accountable to somebody, and you will gradually balance your work-life.

Most of the wealthiest people in the world do smart work because they understand how to work hard but still enjoy life. Freelancing is a gratifying opportunity that can give you great pay and a flexible working structure, but only if you follow these tips will you be able to harness its potential. Work hard but take care of yourself because health is wealth.

Bookings Africa Referral Code System: Its Structure and Benefits

Do you know that as a service provider on the Bookings Africa platform, you have several things to benefit from the referral program? If you don’t already know, here is an opportunity to get informed and start making extra cash. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of engaging in the referral program and the system’s structure. If you are ready to learn more, keep reading. 

Structure of the referral code


What is the referral code on Bookings Africa? 

Referral code on Bookings Africa is your username. This referral code is needed if you want to refer someone to the platform. All the person has to do is input the code into the referral section, and you automatically become the person’s referral on the Bookings Africa system.

Who can use the referral code? 

Whether you are a new service provider or not, you can benefit from the structure of the referral code from any part of Africa. So, as far as you are a registered service provider on the platform, you can use your unique referral code to invite someone else to the platform. 

What will I benefit when I share my referral code? 

Most freelancers in Africa are quick to do referral programs when an incentive is involved. That is a smart move, but you get more than that on the Bookings Africa platform. 

When you refer another freelancer to the platform, it shows some key things, some of which are:

  • It shows that you have a connection with other freelancers in your field, which is a plus for you. 
  • It helps other African freelancers get informed and earn on the wide online gig marketplace.
  • It helps to bring in more talents needed for clients to book.
  • It increases your chances of getting gifts and promos depending on how much referral you make.
  • It adds more monetary value to your account (i.e., When you refer a freelancer to the Bookings Africa platform, you get 2% off the referred freelancer every payment). Interestingly, this 2% commission is for life as long as the person gets booked on the platform.

Here you go – all you need to know about the Bookings Africa referral code system. If you have any more questions, chat with our customer service team. Join the train today and increase your earnings in the process. Happy freelancing!