Tag: Southafrica

Ratings and Review: Its Importance

Posted on by Sandra Adodo

Reviews are valuable assets service providers in any industry do not joke with. Why is that? Having a great review in a world full of many other freelancers in your niche sets you apart in the competitive market. When you are given an excellent rating, it is an affirmation for other clients to book you based on the excellent feedback. Beyond these, there are several other benefits of chasing client reviews. Read more. 

  1. It improves your credibility.

If you haven’t yet built a strong portfolio, find out how to create a standout profile before sourcing for reviews. When your profile is set, your client needs to know you are not just full of words. Having positive reviews will boost the credibility of your brand. Most clients look for freelancers with at least 80% positive reviews, and if you have that, you are good to go. Always remember to ask your client for feedback after providing any service on the Bookings Africa platform.

  1. It contributes to a solid social media presence. 

Whether you are delivering a service online or offline, you need to build a social media presence, which can be achieved by consistent good feedback. If you are a comedian or an entertainer and have videos of past events with reviews from customers, posting them on social media is another stand out strategy. If the clients are social media savvy, tell them to mention you on their posts so it will form an extensive network of social media reviews for your brand. You could also create a blog post that encompasses many of your testimonials and share it on your social media pages. Any of these strategies will help attract clients to your brand.

  1. It helps your brand stay consistent.

The beautiful part about feedback is that it is contagious. If potential clients meet good feedback, they will unconsciously be interested in booking you, which affects them if the feedback is negative. Also, to keep your clients hooked to your profile and be ready to book you, your profile must show that you can deliver. When they finally book you, remind them to leave feedback and watch how your brand builds up to be a consistent service provider in your niche. 

  1. It helps with your brand SEO 

If you have many mentions of your brand or name on a different website, it will be great for your overall SEO. The way it works is simple- if client A praises your job on Bookings Africa and client B takes your works to Instagram and tags you, before you know it, you will be appear on the search results. This is why reviews are essential for any business. 

Hopefully, you are convinced that good reviews are non-negotiables for building a credible brand in any business sector. But, note that before a client can be willing to give positive feedback, you must have also played your part in delivering good services. So, invest in yourself, provide value and see how clients return the hard work with positive feedback. 

How to Conduct Yourself During Service Delivery

Posted on by Sandra Adodo

 

Congratulations, you have finally gotten booked! But before you go to deliver your service either physically or virtually, there are some service delivery checklists to consider. Every freelancer needs to get familiar with the dos and don’ts of service delivery if they want to retain any clients. Some of these tips are common but emphasizing them again will guide you to delivering what the client needs and getting booked again. Ready or not to dive in? Let’s go!

  1. Timeliness

If a client requests a mobile beauty therapist and explicitly uses the locator map on the Bookings Africa app to get someone close by, they only want the service provider quickly. If you are available and finally get booked, the first thing that should be on your mind is creating a first impression involving timeliness. Some situations might delay you a bit, especially in Lagos, Nigeria, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make an extra effort to show up on time. If you have to take Uber to make it faster, invest in that because getting there on time is a priority. Note that it is best not to accept a booking if you can’t get there in good time.

  1. Friendliness

Even if you deliver the service virtually, let the client feel warmth in your tone; determine to stay friendly throughout the service and keep out distractions that might want to change your mood. If you are unsure of what the client wants, read our blog post that answers how to give the best customer service to your clients. Also, when delivering physical services to your client, start with a smile and end the service delivery with a smile always.

  1. Respect

Every freelancer should aim at making their client feel respected, not only providing services. For instance, if you go to a groceries shop and the attendant rudely asks for your card or starts shouting at you for taking time to drop off your goods. How would you feel? The point is when they meet your needs by receiving payments, you also indirectly expect them to show a level of respect. That act alone can make you choose another store the next time. This is the same understanding every service provider must have before providing service. Give your best at all times.

  1. Be clear

To maintain clarity during discussions, it is imperative you communicate with your client especially if you are going to be a little late for your appointment. Also, let your clients know how you will deliver the job. For instance, as a voice-over artist, you can get the project done without leaving your apartment or go to the client’s studio, as it is a flexible delivery option. If you only do home service, let your client be aware and if it is the other way round, still duly inform your client.

  1. Set a Standard, don’t over-promise but over-deliver 

Most freelancers make a mistake when they go for service delivery because they commit too much and deliver less. If you set a deadline for a client, you should be more than able to deliver at the stipulated time and not plan to ask for an extended time. If you have agreed on a time of meeting, you can exceed the client’s expectation to go before time. As a chef, you can overdeliver by making an extra plate which wasn’t expected before. Also, photographers can decide to snap more than the proposed number of pictures to give the clients varieties. The list goes on and on for other service providers to over-deliver when delivering service. If this is not a sure-fire way of retaining your client, I don’t know what is.

Here you go- the five service delivery tips you need to know as a freelancer. If you have other things on your checklist you want to share, feel free to drop them in the comment section. Nevertheless, don’t neglect any of these five if you want to get booked consistently.

What Clients are Looking for in Gig-workers | The Client’s Perspective

Posted on by Sandra Adodo

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.

  1. 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. 

  1. 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. 

  1. 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.

  1. 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. 

  1. 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!

How to Create Your Online Masterclass: Set Yourself for Success

Posted on by Sandra Adodo

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 

  1. 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.

  1. The experts- those skilled like yourself looking for new information in your niche 
  2. The learners – those looking to become like you
  3. 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.

Bookings Africa App: How it Works and Top Features 

Posted on by Sandra Adodo

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:

  1. 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.

  1. 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. 

How to Set the Best Prices as a Gig-worker and Freelancer

Posted on by Sandra Adodo

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 ⬇

  1. 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. 

 

  1. 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!