Are you a service provider on the Bookings Africa platform, and you ask what steps to take to upload your portfolio? The good news is- you are not alone on this boat, as many other service providers are asking similar questions. But beyond that, the unspoken question is “how to make your portfolio stand out among the many freelancers in your niche”. In this article, we have highlighted the step-by-step process of what you need to do to upload your portfolio and a bonus point on how to make it unique. Ready to learn? Let’s dive in!
If you already have a service provider account on the Bookings Africa platform, you can skip step one to the next step. But, if you don’t, this is the best time to join the on-demand gig marketplace to position yourself properly as a freelancer in Africa. The account opening process is seamless. You can check out the basic things you need to open an account here before proceeding to step two.
Step two:Login to your account
Once you have successfully created a Bookings Africa service provider account, log in to the platform through your computer, IOS or Android device. This shouldn’t take more than five seconds for you to be in your new account.
Step three:Open the menu button.
To access where to upload your portfolio, you need to click on the menu button that shows different options. Among the options, you will see a ‘portfolio’ where everything you want your potential client to see can be uploaded.
Step four: Upload your portfolio.
On the upload option, you found in step three, click on it and see ‘add portfolio’. Once you click on it, it will take you to the media section of your phone or computer, and you can select as much as you want. When that is completed, your portfolio will automatically update and be visible to everyone that opens it.
Bonus step – Filtering
Having read all these steps, it is great to be eager to start uploading; but it is essential you filter the content. If you are a voice-over artist and want your portfolio to stand out, you should be more concerned about the audio quality of your recording. During the filtering stage, you should be able to spot the best recordings you have and disregard the less appealing ones. This is important, especially if you want your potential client to stay glued to your portfolio and eventually book you.
Ultimately, knowing how to upload your portfolio will only be beneficial when the right content is in the eyes of the clients. Therefore, follow these four above-listed steps but don’t forget to incorporate the bonus point to stand out in your field.
Freelancers in the gig-market often have similar expectations and goals. They are either looking for ways to land a good client or to retain the existing ones.
None of these thought patterns is bad. But, Let’s think about the client and what they want when they make the decision to book a freelancer.
Here are 5 things clients consider before booking a gig-worker or freelancer.
A great portfolio
Whenever clients source for talents, they require proof of work done before. First on the list is the freelancer’s portfolio. You might have done great things in the past worth sharing, but a client would not know those things if it is not in your portfolio. It is safe to say that clients are moved by what they see, and a good portfolio is a perfect depiction of your skill. If a client would be ready to spend their time hiring you or giving their money, there must be evidence that they will get value for their money. Hence, constructing a well-crafted portfolio is the way to go.
Timely delivery
Some clients hire freelancers not because they are incapable of doing the jobs themselves but because they don’t have time to get them done. Therefore, it would be ineffective to hire a professional who couldn’t meet a particular deadline. If as a freelancer, you want to get great reviews and referrals from your existing clients, you ought to get all their tasks done quickly to meet the deadline. Plus, when you finish your work on time, it will allow you to pick up another gig and earn more.
Affordability
As a freelancer, offering work that is not overly out of budget is vital. This doesn’t mean you will reduce your value because a client isn’t ready to pay more. Instead, you should give them as much value as you charge. If as a makeup artist, your client is prepared to pay (NGN) 20,000 [$ 50] for simple makeup, you ought to do all you can to ensure the client is getting the value for that amount. So, you should always provide quality and value that is reasonably priced.
Friendliness and professionalism
What many clients notice among freelancers, which is a complete turn off, is the act of extreme professionalism. It is vital to maintain a professional relationship with your client, but you should try to create a balance with friendliness. Clients often see freelancers that are too formal as having a high level of rigidity which is not what they want in a business relationship. It is not wrong to show a level of openness so the client can interact freely. Yet, it doesn’t mean the client is ready to learn about your private life, so keep that to yourself.
High-quality results
What every client wants to see is good results. Yes, you need to be friendly, push out affordable prices, have a great portfolio and be timely, but the apex is to deliver high-quality results. The clients will know these by checking the testimonials of other clients, which will help them see if they can bank on you. This means you need to have built a good rapport with other clients and delivered excellently for good feedback. Clients want to do business with capable freelancers, and if you have what it takes, they won’t hesitate to book you.
So, if you ever thought clients have favourites, think again! What they have is a checklist, and these five are at the top of their list. If you have all these, you will become an employable freelancer. Good luck!
One of the ways to build authority and show expertise is to host online masterclass sessions. You can be an expert in your unique field and be unknown until you take a step to show a more extensive audience your expertise through sessions like masterclasses. By teaching a topic in your niche, you will not only be creating a name for yourself, but you will make money whilst doing so.
At Bookings Africa, we help individuals or organizations to host their masterclass session by using our online learning platform. Through hosting masterclasses you can build and increase brand awareness to a prospective audience.
In this blog post, we will outline the essential steps you need to host a successful online masterclass.
Top tips for a successful masterclass
Know your audience
When planning to host a masterclass session, one of the things to not overlook is finding out what kind of audience you will be speaking to. Many people often assume that all their audience falls into the same category, but that is often not true. There are three categories of audience you are likely to meet.
The experts- those skilled like yourself looking for new information in your niche
The learners – those looking to become like you
The onlookers- those who just want to know what you have to say because the topic interests them.
To satisfy these three categories, you must be able to share educational information, ingenious ideas and acknowledge them all. With that, you will be able to deliver effectively to all three classes of people.
2. Choose a high-demand topic or content.
Have a Masterclass checklist with a list of topics you can choose from (Take note to include value-add topics). Understand the problems you want to solve and have answers for definite questions your audience might likely ask. Going through a checklist would ensure that you have all your i’s dotted and t’s crossed.
3. Use storytelling to construct content
One of the significant-end goals of a masterclass session is to reach a bigger picture: online courses or webinars. Hence, if the content of your masterclass is not convincing or exciting, they won’t take action on any call to action. A good way to make your content engaging is through storytelling. By telling stories or relating the content to a story, it will help fuel the audience to listen to you more and even refer to your content.
4. Drive engagement always
A masterclass session is a live event, which means your audience needs to be captured throughout the lecture to encourage you to continue. During a session, you must ask questions to keep your audience engaged. Sometimes, the level of audience interaction will drop, which is possible if they need to attend to other things. Regardless, you can still keep the remaining people focused on you by throwing in a giveaway that many would love to respond to.
5. Check the competition.
Without a doubt, your content will not be the first in the market, which means there are competitors to study. Before pushing your content out, look at what your competitors are offering and what they are yet to offer. This will help you differentiate what you bring to the table and that of your competitors. Plus, you can address the topic differently from how others have been delivering. It will be more interesting for your audience to listen to a different method of delivery which is what you will aim at.
Here are your go-to tips you need to prepare for a successful masterclass session. Need assistance with setting up your first masterclass? Send us an email on the Bookings Africa platform.
Everyday, the number of Bookings Africa app users are increasing, but many are still under-utilizing the interesting features Bookings Africa offers. Bookings Africa is a pan-African leading gig- marketplace that is technology personified as the conventional method of sourcing talents has been replaced with a seamless process. With the features on our app, talents can be found and booked on the go, thereby helping young African entrepreneurs utilize their skills across different industries.
Currently, Bookings Africa has more than 15,000 service providers, but not everyone fully knows all the features on the app or even how to use them.
This is the problem this guide addresses, as a good grasp of all the features will help both service providers and clients connect better.
So, whatever questions you might have on navigating your way through the app, this guide is what you need to read. Ready? Let’s dive in!
Top features to enjoy
As a client,
All clients on the Bookings Africa platform have the liberty to access three major features.
Search – Compare – Book
The ‘Search’ feature – once a client is registered on the platform, they can source for different talents registered as a service provider. For instance, if you need a makeup artist, you can use the search column to get varieties of makeup artists closest to you, which you can contact right away.
The ‘Compare’ feature – When the search feature has provided the list of your desired talent, you can compare prices and choose the one that falls within your budget. If you have a budget of #10,000, you can book a service provider within the range of #5,000 to #10,000.
The ‘Book’ feature- It allows you to choose a particular talent and start working with them. Once you click on the button, you will pay into the service provider’s wallet (escrow) and then the service provider accepts the booking, relieving you of the stress of unnecessary haggling.
Aside from these three main features, clients can track the service provider before and after booking them. That means, if I am in Lekki, Lagos, I can search for a photographer near me and Bookings Africa will connect me with those around me, and you can do likewise. When the booking process is done, you will still be able to see the live location of the service provider you just booked. Isn’t that super cool? Well, there is more! You can also book for more than one service provider and still be able to see the live location of each of them. So, if you need models for a shoot and don’t have a makeup artist or photographer, you can get all of them using the app without going through any stress. Interestingly, clients can also rate and give feedback to every freelancer hired after the work is completed using the ratings feature.
As a service provider
As a registered service provider on the bookings Africa platform, you have access to all the features listed below:
Profiling
Booking Africa allows you to sell yourself to potential clients as a service provider. On your profile, you have a description box, where you can write an overview of the services you offer and why you are the best person for the job. You will also be able to post past successful gigs, emphasizing that you have the experiences being sought after. The profile section allows you to post pictures and videos to convince the clients to choose you.
2. Multi-Category Roles
Being a service provider on our platform is not limited to a particular job role. If you are a chef with good photography skills, you can add an account to showcase the photography aspect. Hence, you don’t need to choose one talent but add them provided you can deliver the level of expertise required.
3. Instant job notification
This is one interesting feature that makes the Bookings Africa app unique among other similar apps. If you are a registered service provider on the platform and a client posts a job, you will get an instant notification through your email and the app. So, if you registered as a DJ, you don’t need to stay glued to your app because once a job similar to your service is posted, you will get first-hand info.
4. Secured payment plan
Using the conventional method of sourcing for jobs might prove frustrating, especially if the client decides to pay less than the agreed price. With the secured payment plan feature, every amount agreed on is the amount you get from the client. Once the service has been delivered and marked completed by the client, you get paid immediately, which is much faster when compared to other online gig markets.
General features
Having listed the specific features of both the service providers and the clients, let us quickly look at the general features every user would enjoy on the platform.
Mobile access
Whether as a client or service provider, you can access the Bookings Africa platform on your mobile device. You can be on-the-go whilst accepting bookings, booking service providers and getting paid.
2. Video call
The video call feature is peculiar to Bookings Africa. For instance, if you are a gym instructor, you can interact with your client through the video call feature from the comfort of your home. Both clients and service providers can enjoy this feature on the app.
If you have read to this point, you are definitely interested in being a user. Whether you want to be a service provider, client or both, Bookings Africa makes room for any users, so you have no worries. Don’t waste any more time! Hurry now and sign up to enjoy all these features and more from your favourite online gig marketplace.
Starting a career in freelancing always looks effortless and exciting because of the flexibility it brings. However, it can be challenging to be in the system and not get gigs as much as you anticipate. This is a typical issue in freelancing as the number of people involved is growing daily.
At Bookings Africa, more than 15,000 service providers are waiting to meet the clients’ needs but are yet to be booked. The question is, what are they doing wrong? Why are some people on the platform getting gigs while others are not? What are the top service providers doing that gives them the upper hand in the gig market? How do you set a client-friendly price to be booked?
Let’s start with What YOU need to get BOOKED ⬇
Know your worth
In freelancing, knowing your worth is vital to getting the best prices set and being known. This is the first step because you are likely to set just any price if you are unsure of what you have and can offer. Understanding the value you bring to your skill will help you position yourself and your prices right.
For instance, a makeup artist with less than 3-years of experience cannot charge the same as a 10-year experienced artist. Possessing the necessary skills and equipment is essential to back up your designated price. You also cannot spend so much on makeup tools and undercharge yourself. There has to be a balance. Some service providers are getting more gigs than others because they understand how valuable their services are and the best prices to include. So, before you conclude you cannot get booked or set a great price, check to see if there is so much value to the price you are putting out.
2. Invest in adding value to yourself
Whether you are new to that particular niche of freelancing or not, it is never too much to keep growing in the services you offer. If you don’t know where to start building from, ask professionals in that field for guidance. Many of the top freelancers you see making waves didn’t just get there with little knowledge or skills; instead, they pushed themselves to give more.
If you take a sample study of the freelancers in your field and look through their work, you will see the different investments they have made in their work. They have attended relevant training and gotten certified to scale their hustle. The amount of value you have to offer will determine your set prices. If, as a photographer, you have never shot weddings and don’t have samples of related work, it would be hard for clients to trust your services over a more experienced professional. Therefore such investments are non-negotiable. Also, by adding value, you will be meeting the checklist clients use to hire freelancers.
3. Organise your Portfolio
One of the many ways you can show your clients you are up to the task is by building a great portfolio. It is not enough to know that you can do the job; you also need to show the clients that you are skilled. This involves you creating a great portfolio. At Bookings Africa, a well-polished profile is one of the distinguishing factors most service providers consistently get gigs to have.
In an online market like ours, your profile is your CV, and that means your aim is to pitch yourself through the bio and content on your profile. If you are a chef, the significant thing clients expect to see is the food you have cooked, how well you present it, and the quality images of your dish. If you are into modeling, the major push-out should be your past works in that field, creative photos, pageantry, advertising gigs, television appearances, and even Youtube. Ultimately, you need to build your portfolio with evidence of your past jobs and a well-written bio to stand out.
Tips on setting the best prices
When you have discovered the ways to push out your profile, the next big question is how to determine the price to charge.
Understand the cost of running your business
Whether you have a regular 9-5 job, it is vital to calculate the cost of running your freelance business. Your checklist should include but not be limited to; the cost of equipment, taxes, utility bills, and transport fare time investment. The list is extensive depending on the services you offer. For instance, actors will prioritize transport fares over utility bills because more of the work role will be done outside the house. In the case of a fitness instructor or tutor, they might need to be at home to deliver virtual services, which require sufficient utilities and fuel bills sorted in case the power goes out. This is quite familiar in countries where the power goes off unexpectedly. When you have understood the cost of the business, you can then set the prices that would cover the cost and leave you with substantial cash in hand.
2. Check your competitors
Having invested in the values you can offer, it is time to compare with other top freelancers. You can set a comparable price if you set up a good profile and list out your experiences, similar to those getting great gigs in your niche. Note, however, that charging high with little experience is not a good move. You can start with a more client-friendly fee that covers the cost of operation. When you have built a stronger portfolio, you can augment your prices to match your acquired skills.
In freelancing, you can build a strong presence such that potential clients can continuously book you for gigs. Happy Freelancing!
The world of freelancing is a different yet, an exciting space that can only be truly understood from the lenses of service providers. This is why we are launching a series where you will get to meet those making waves in different fields and doing excellently with the services they provide.
In today’s series, Kaylah Oniwo shares insights on how she has scaled up her journey to influencing, the challenges she faced and how she overcame them. If you are as excited as we are, let’s dig in already!
Who is Kaylah Oniwo?
Over the years, I realized something about the popular phrase “ Jack of all trade, master of none”. Infact, this phrase was a turning point for my career. Before then, I was just a radio host doing my thing but when I understood that you can do so many things and still be good at it, I took up the challenge. Who am I? Kaylah Oniwo is a social media influencer, TV personality, radio host, fashion enthusiast and many more.
How did you build a connection with Bookings Africa?
It started with the relationship I had with the founder of Bookings Africa, Fade Ogunro. We had been great friends from way back, and I knew about her journey hosting radio shows to now, this great company she has created. Looking through the management of Bookings Africa, I can categorically say that in all my twelve years in media, this is one organization that is committed, professional and dedicated. My expectations are always met. Sometimes, I want to be selfish about the connection I have with Bookings Africa because there is so much to enjoy with the team. But recently, I have decided to tell as many people as possible about the great potential that awaits them here.
How was your transition into influencing, and how did Bookings Africa help in the journey?
It was an exciting journey for me as I started in the radio space because I wanted to be unknown. I wanted to be a fantastic personality on-air but still be free to move around like everyone else without worrying about being recognized. Fortunately, people started to identify me from Twitter and then Instagram that I couldn’t hide my face anymore. I started doing other things outside of radio hosting. I shared beauty, fitness, fashion tips and many other interests on these platforms and people started to know this other side of my personality. Messages started coming in from people that enjoyed what I do and wanted to pay for campaigns. One of such calls was from the Bookings Africa team, and they wanted me to jump on a campaign which I joyfully did. Interestingly, the call wasn’t because I knew the founder but was from the value I was already giving other brand agencies and companies. Even after I came on board for the first campaign, I was eager to join Bookings Africa full-time because of the seamless process the team provided.
Since you started influencing, have you experienced challenges in getting gigs?
One of the significant issues I faced was brands not understanding the value I provide as an influencer. I tried to make these brands understand that there are specific logistics that need to be placed before they receive the world-class content that I create.
There were certain disparities I noticed in the industry whereby more foreign influencers were valued highly than local influencers and this affected the average influencer’s business growth. I almost gave up but got inspired by Jackie Aina, A Nigerian-American Youtuber, who didn’t stop at ensuring that black women got paid their due diligence. Learning from her experience, I became more consistent and this was a huge value-add to my brand.
Lastly, I noticed brands reaching out to me even though their objectives didn’t align with my brand. I learnt that working with brands that were keen on forcing their brand voice on me didn’t turn out well. As an influencer, I have a specific voice I communicate with to my fans and changing it for a brand will just water down the purpose of the campaign.
How do you feel being one of the top influencers in Bookings Africa?
I feel great! But, I won’t take all the credit because I know it is an accumulation of the team’s effort that has brought me here and is taking me to the next level. Trust me; you are not even ready for what my brand has in stock for you this year.
What would you tell other influencers looking for ways to stand out?
This might sound cliche, but it has been a major point of my success story: authenticity and consistency. Billions of people exist in the world right now and as you are similar to many people you are also different from a bunch of others. So, your best bet is to stay true to yourself. What I have built today didn’t take a day but 12 years of consistency. Yes, I do believe in overnight success but a long-lasting success requires intentional consistent effort. I’m proud to say that if you mention top influencers in Nigeria or top media personalities, my name will pop up, but it didn’t happen in a day. So, “Do YOU” consistently and work on yourself. Pick a few people you admire, reach out to them, and learn from them. Ultimately, remember to put your version of yourself out there consistently. Also, don’t try to create an image that is not sustainable because it never leads anyone anywhere. Eventually, the bread will come!
What brands have you worked in so far through the Bookings Africa team?
I have worked with Estee Lauder companies, Net-a-Porter, Hermès, Pandora, MAC cosmetics and many more. I didn’t mention it all because there are so many, trust me! I also want to say something about Bookings Africa to those who haven’t joined- the time to sign up is now. Whatever skills you have, don’t wait till there are so many people in your field on the platform. When you sign up now, you will be among the top service providers displayed when you join quickly. Plus, this is not Bookings Lagos or Bookings Surulere but Bookings Africa, so somebody in Kenya or South Africa might just want what you do. So, sign up already! This is the real deal!
Do you wish you had known about remote jobs or side gigs before the pandemic? Well, you are not alone in that boat, as so many people have wished and are still wishing, but it is time to get past that now. Though the effect of the pandemic seems to linger like an African mother’s words when a wrong was done, but there is a way out.
The problem many Nigerians face is getting used to a system and staying dedicated to that monotony. There are a lot of 9-5ers who are yet to recover from their job loss even after getting a new one. Some have found remote jobs but still like the idea of waking early to hustle for the bus. But what is the point of staying in a system when technology has made life easier and jobs no longer follow the traditional pattern?
The world is moving, and it is important to identify skills you possess that can be monetized. If you stick to 9-5 jobs, how long do you think your services will be required? With the uncertain future, will your current work system adapt to a sudden stay-at-home policy? These are the questions you should be asking yourself, as more than 20% of full-time workers lost their jobs in 2020 when the pandemic started. Pause for a minute- What would you have done if there was a time machine to travel with before the pandemic? I bet many of us would have planned better and the narrative will be different. Unfortunately, technology doesn’t have a time machine yet but the good news is- it is not too late to start planning and making money alongside your regular job.
How to get started
According to the world’s most significant value investor, Warren Buffet, learning to make passive income is one of the best ways to achieve financial freedom. It is great to have a job, but you are safer if you have a side gig that passively brings you money. But the drawback we find among many people is that they conclude quickly that not everyone has the talent to offer, so it is better to stick to their jobs. That is far from the truth! If you are ready to scale up your finances, you can do many things. If you don’t know where to begin, keep reading!
Identify what you love.
Ask yourself these questions – What do I love doing that can bring me money? What am I passionate about? What do you know more about than your friends? What services or skills can I offer to others?
If you can answer these honestly, it will be easy to know what talents are worth monetising. Even if you love talking, there is a way to convert it into a side gig that will benefit you. You can be a voice over artist on Bookings Africa or become a tutor and get paid for your skill.
2. Do your research
Once you have discovered the skills and talents you can offer, your next task is to search for freelance websites that need your skills. If you don’t already know about the online market, this is the period to get acquainted with it as you need to know how to charge and other vital aspects of the market. There are so many online money making sites to research, but you need to be careful to work with credible ones.
If you are good at writing or programming, going for platforms like Upwork and Fiver will help you get started quickly. But what if you love tutoring, photography or are great at makeup artistry? Your best bet will be to register on Bookings Africa. The platform works for both physical and online jobs. Ultimately, learn all about the website before deciding to join other service providers in Africa registered there.
3. Plan your logistics
Logistics is crucial for monetising your skills even after knowing how to make money online in Nigeria. If you have a 9-5 job, you don’t have the luxury of time to attend the regular Saturday owambe. You should note the number of times you can set aside for the side gigs you are pursuing when planning your logistics. Also, do you need to write a convincing bio for your audience and update them with previous works? This is the time to plan that. What means are you planning to deliver your service through? If you are doing it online, you need to consider your area’s network. If it means going to the client’s house, you should have discussed the client’s requirement through our chat service to know what to expect.
4. Get booked, Get Paid
After all the planning, it is time to get results by actually working. This doesn’t mean you will get people ready to pay for your skills instantly, but first sell yourself and when the opportunity comes, you will be prepared to grab it.
Why Bookings Africa?
Bookings Africa
The number of people looking for online sites to make money since the pandemic has skyrocketed, and so has the fake online sites. With desperate searches online, more desperate scammers are also floating. The way out is to subscribe with a credible company that would help you harness your talent to its fullest. Unlike most freelance websites that require you to pretend to be a citizen of a foreign country to be booked, Bookings Africa works quite differently. No matter your location, you can be booked and get paid for your services.
Whether you want to offer services that can be done virtually or requires physical presence, it is easier to get started on Bookings Africa. Interestingly, registration is free so you don’t get charged until your first booking. So, even if your account is reading zero, but you have a skill, you can convert it to funds when you take that step to register.
Final words
Having a side business is no longer a fluke, as many can testify that it brings results. But that was only possible when they discovered all these things we have mentioned. That talent you think is invaluable, someone somewhere is getting paid for it, and until you launch out, you will keep receiving smiles and thank you’s. It is high time you leave wishes for the fairy tale lovers and start acting. The time to start is now!
