How I made $300k as a Freelance Data Analyst Using Linkedin (5 Easy Steps)

Summary

This video script offers a comprehensive guide for freelancers to maximize their earning potential on LinkedIn. The speaker, a successful freelance data analyst, shares five steps to optimize one's LinkedIn profile for high visibility to recruiters, including proper use of keywords, highlighting certifications, and showcasing measurable results. The script also advises on the importance of referrals, proactive engagement with recruiters, and leveraging LinkedIn's features to attract opportunities. Additionally, it emphasizes the value of learning from experienced freelancers and joining supportive communities to transition from a traditional job to a thriving freelance career.

Takeaways

• 😀 LinkedIn is a powerful platform for freelancers to land high-paid projects.
• 💼 The speaker earned over $300,000 in 2 years as a freelance data analyst solely through LinkedIn.
• 🔍 LinkedIn functions as a search engine for recruiters, making it crucial for freelancers to optimize their profiles for LinkedIn SEO.
• 📝 Use relevant keywords in your LinkedIn header to increase visibility to recruiters.
• 🚫 Avoid using obscure job titles or phrases that do not accurately describe your role.
• 📈 Emphasize your skills and achievements in your bio and work experience sections.
• 📜 Certifications play a significant role in standing out to recruiters and should not be underestimated.
• 📈 Showcase your expertise and achievements with measurable results to attract recruiters' attention.
• 📢 Make it clear on your profile that you are open to freelance work, even if you lack previous freelance experience.
• 🔗 Building referrals or recommendations on LinkedIn can significantly boost your profile's credibility.
• 📈 Respond to recruiter inquiries, even if not relevant, to increase the chances of future opportunities.
• 📈 Share valuable, validated, and visual (triple V) posts to attract attention and increase visibility on LinkedIn.
• 🔗 Having a mentor or learning from others in the field can greatly accelerate your journey into successful freelancing.

Q & A

How much did the speaker earn as a freelance data analyst through LinkedIn?

The speaker earned more than $300,000 over just over 2 years as a freelance data analyst through LinkedIn.

What is the first step the speaker suggests to optimize a LinkedIn profile for freelancers?

The first step is to ensure the right keywords are in the header of the LinkedIn profile to make it easy for recruiters to find you.

Why is LinkedIn SEO important for freelancers according to the speaker?

LinkedIn SEO is important because it helps recruiters find freelancers with the right skills when they are searching for professionals on LinkedIn.

What are the two common mistakes people make with their LinkedIn header according to the speaker?

The two mistakes are using incorrect or non-universally known keywords and using the header to tell a story or describe the value provided instead of clearly stating the job role.

Why should freelancers include certifications on their LinkedIn profile?

Including certifications on a LinkedIn profile is important because some recruiters require specific certifications and may use them as search criteria.

What is the significance of having referrals on a LinkedIn profile?

Referrals on a LinkedIn profile are significant because they help stand out to recruiters and provide social proof of one's abilities and work experience.

How can one indicate on LinkedIn that they are open to freelance work?

One can indicate they are open to freelance work by using the word 'freelance' or 'freelancer' in their profile keywords and by enabling the 'Open to work' feature on their profile.

What proactive steps does the speaker recommend to attract recruiters' attention on LinkedIn?

The speaker recommends responding to every recruiter that reaches out, even if the opportunity is not relevant, and posting valuable, validated, and visual content regularly.

Why is it beneficial to respond to recruiters even for non-relevant job opportunities?

Responding to recruiters for non-relevant opportunities can lead to future relevant opportunities and keeps your profile active in their recruitment systems.

What is the bonus step the speaker suggests for those looking to start a freelancing journey?

The bonus step is to learn from others by reaching out to freelancers on LinkedIn and asking for advice on finding their first project or other tips for starting a freelance career.

What is the biggest mistake people make when trying to become high-paid freelancers, according to the speaker?

The biggest mistake is trying to do everything themselves without seeking guidance or mentorship from others who have already succeeded as freelancers.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Maximizing LinkedIn for Freelancers

The speaker emphasizes the effectiveness of LinkedIn for freelancers to secure high-paying projects, sharing personal success as a data analyst earning over $300,000 in two years. The key to success lies in LinkedIn's function as a search engine, where recruiters actively seek professionals. The speaker advises on optimizing one's profile for LinkedIn SEO by including relevant keywords in the header, bio, and work experience sections. They warn against common mistakes like using obscure job titles and undervaluing certifications, which are sometimes mandatory for job applications. The speaker also stresses the importance of showcasing one's willingness to take on freelance work and the value of having a referral on the profile to stand out to recruiters.

05:02

📈 Proactive Strategies for Freelance Opportunities

This paragraph discusses strategies to proactively attract recruiters and job opportunities on LinkedIn. The speaker suggests responding to all recruiter messages, even if the positions are not relevant, to increase the chances of being considered for future opportunities. They also highlight the importance of posting valuable, validated, and visual content to attract attention and stand out on the platform. The speaker recommends enabling the 'Open to Work' feature and learning from other successful freelancers by reaching out for advice. They conclude by advising against trying to do everything alone and the benefits of having a mentor or community support, like the '95 to Dream Life' community, which offers resources for those looking to transition from traditional employment to freelancing.

10:04

👋 Closing Remarks

The speaker concludes the video script with a brief and friendly sign-off, indicating the end of the presentation without adding any new content or information.

Keywords

💡LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform that serves as a search engine for recruiters and job seekers. In the video, it is highlighted as the primary tool for freelancers to land high-paid projects. The speaker emphasizes the importance of optimizing one's LinkedIn profile for search engine optimization (SEO) to increase visibility to recruiters.

💡Freelancer

A freelancer is an individual who is self-employed and offers services to clients on a project or per-job basis rather than working for a single employer long-term. The video script focuses on strategies for freelancers to maximize their income potential through LinkedIn, showcasing the speaker's personal success as a freelance data analyst.

💡LinkedIn SEO

LinkedIn SEO refers to the practice of optimizing one's LinkedIn profile to rank higher in LinkedIn's internal search results. This is achieved by including relevant keywords that recruiters might use when searching for professionals. The video provides tips on using appropriate keywords in the header, bio, and work experience sections to enhance a profile's SEO.

💡Header

In the context of a LinkedIn profile, the header is the top section that includes the user's name and job title. The video script advises using this space effectively by including specific and widely recognized job-related keywords to help recruiters find the profile. It warns against using vague or uncommon job titles that might not align with recruiter search terms.

💡Bio

The bio section on LinkedIn is a brief summary of one's professional background and expertise. According to the video, it's crucial to include detailed information about one's skills and the value they provide, using specific keywords to reinforce the profile's SEO and attract the attention of recruiters.

💡Work Experience

Work experience on LinkedIn refers to the section where users list their professional roles and accomplishments. The video emphasizes the importance of including measurable results and repeating relevant keywords from the header to enhance the profile's visibility to recruiters searching for specific skills or achievements.

💡Certifications

Certifications on LinkedIn are official recognitions of one's skills or knowledge in a particular field, often obtained through courses or exams. The video suggests that having certifications can be a significant advantage, as some recruiters may use them as search criteria, and they serve as a credential that validates a freelancer's expertise.

💡Referrals

Referrals on LinkedIn are recommendations from colleagues, managers, or clients attesting to one's professional capabilities. The video highlights that having referrals can significantly enhance a profile's credibility and attractiveness to recruiters, as they provide social proof of the individual's skills and work ethic.

💡Freelance Gigs

Freelance gigs are short-term, project-based work opportunities that freelancers take on to build their portfolio and gain experience. The video suggests that even small gigs can be valuable for establishing a freelancer's credibility on LinkedIn, as they allow individuals to list 'freelancer' in their profile and demonstrate their openness to such work.

💡Personal Brand

A personal brand is the unique image or identity that an individual projects professionally. In the video, it is mentioned as a crucial component of a successful freelance career, with the speaker recommending that viewers establish a strong personal brand on LinkedIn to attract opportunities and stand out to recruiters.

💡Proactive Effort

Proactive effort in the context of the video refers to actively engaging with recruiters and opportunities on LinkedIn, rather than passively waiting for them to find the profile. The speaker advises responding to recruiter messages, even if the job is not a fit, to maintain visibility and potentially open up future opportunities.

Highlights

LinkedIn is an effective platform for freelancers to secure high-paying projects.

The speaker earned over $300,000 in 2 years as a freelance data analyst using LinkedIn.

LinkedIn functions as a search engine for recruiters, similar to Google.

93% of recruiters use LinkedIn to find professionals.

Optimizing LinkedIn profile with relevant keywords is crucial for visibility.

The header of the LinkedIn profile is the most important place for keywords.

Mistake #1: Using incorrect keywords in the header or misrepresenting job roles.

The bio section should detail expertise and skill stack, with repeated keywords.

Work experience should include measurable results and repeated keywords.

Certifications are often required by companies and can be a search criterion for recruiters.

Mistake #2: Underestimating the importance of certifications on LinkedIn.

Freelancers should indicate their openness to freelance work in their profile.

Engaging in small freelance projects can help gain experience and credibility.

Recruiters and hiring managers check referrals, which can be a differentiator.

Mistake #3: Attempting to go freelance without seeking guidance or referrals.

Proactive engagement with recruiters, even for non-relevant positions, can lead to opportunities.

Sharing valuable, validated, and visual content on LinkedIn can attract recruiters' attention.

Enabling the 'Open to Work' feature signals recruiters about availability.

Learning from other freelancers and seeking mentorship can accelerate the transition to freelancing.

Transcripts

so LinkedIn is better than any other

platform for Freelancers to land the

highest paid projects and I'm the living

proof I've worked as a freelance data

analyst myself for just over 2 years

earning more than

$300,000 during that time all through

Linkedin without applying to jobs Myself

by just having two big clients I'm not

trying to flex here but today I just

want to share the five simple steps I

took that made all of this possible you

can do the same even if you don't have

previous experience at all and I'll also

share the three biggest mistakes I see

people make when it comes to becoming a

high- paid freelancer but before we get

to that first you need to understand

that LinkedIn is a search engine just

like Google so that means you can find

your colleagues you can search for jobs

but guess what it's also a search engine

for recruiters and guess which platform

93% of recruiters use so if almost all

recruiters out there are looking for

professionals on LinkedIn then you might

want to do LinkedIn search engine

optimization LinkedIn SEO meaning if

you're a data analyst for example and

there's recruiters looking for data

analysts then you want to have the right

keywords on your LinkedIn profile so

they can actually find you so make sure

you put the right keywords in the right

places starting with the header the most

important place for your keywords and

try to use as many keywords as you can

to describe what it is you're doing you

could be a data analyst SL dat engineer

SL powerbi specialist SL SQL expert

whatever use all of them so that all

recruiters looking for all these

different keywords can actually find you

on LinkedIn and this brings me to

mistake number one using the header

incorrectly and there's two ways to mess

this up first of all you can use the

wrong keywords so keywords that don't

really describe what it is you're doing

or you're using keywords that are not

universally known for your job role or

job description so things like

performance consultant or whatever what

what is that even I don't know and the

second thing I see people do wrong when

it comes to the header on LinkedIn is

there's this trend where people use the

header to kind of describe a story or

what it is they can do what kind of

value they provide or Services they

provide instead of artware design

engineer I put something like I've

created Hardware design to help achieve

XYZ but the reality is no recruiter is

going to look for hardware Engineers by

typing in oh I'm looking for a I am

Hardware engineer looking to blah blah

blah blah blah blah blah no they would

most likely just type in Hardware

engineer I buil dashboards and reports

to add in actionable insights for this

company blah blah no if they look for a

freelance data analyst you better have

that keyword freelance data analyst in

the header it's pretty obvious what you

do as a freelance data analyst you

analyze data now the second most

important place is your bio this is

where you can go a bit more into the

details about what it is you actually do

and what you want you do to do about

what it is you do and what your

expertise is and the key point is you

want to repeat the same keywords as in

your header but you also want to add

more specific ones mention your skill

stack which tools you use or what

programming language you proficient at

and a third most important place is your

work experience again try to repeat as

many keywords as you can but also

mention measurable results you have

achieved in your career recruiters love

to see that now apart from these three

places you also want to mention your

keywords on your education your specific

skills and the Very underrated one your

certifications which brings me to

mistake number two underestimating the

importance of certifications I'll keep

it really short courses are great to

improve your skills but getting the

certification doesn't mean jack but

the fact is that companies and

recruiters sometimes require specific

certifications in fact some recruiters

even use specific certifications as the

search criteria on LinkedIn so if you

want to stand a chance and be on top of

the pile of potential candidates you

need to get certifications now if you

don't have any certifications and you're

into data and AI I can definitely

recommend checking out data Camp they

have all kinds of courses and Industry

recognized certifications I've been

recommending data camp for years already

so if you're interested check them out

in short the more keywords you can put

on your LinkedIn profile the easier time

the algorithm has to index you in the

search results but here's the thing if

you want to become a freelancer then it

needs to be obvious for recruiters that

you're open to freelance gigs so what do

you do you put the word freelance or

freelancer in front of all the

previously mentioned keyword previously

mentioned keywords even if you don't

have any previous experience as a

freelancer it basically says you're open

to freelancing and that's where

platforms like upwork and Fiverr can

come in handy because you can do super

small gigs for a very cheap price but at

least you can get the experience and at

least you can say that you are now

officially a freelancer so you can put

it in your LinkedIn profile or you can

do a project for your mom Builder a

dashboard let her pay you €1 and

officially you are a freelancer so

nobody gives a damn whether you've

actually had previous freelance

experience as long as you have some work

experience you really have to understand

that there's two worlds of recruitment

the freelancing and the non-f

freelancing worlds and recruiters from

one world don't talk to the other world

so recruiters looking for freelance Tech

professionals will only look for

freelance Tech professionals all right

so now that you've optimized your

LinkedIn profile for SEO it's kind of

like you've activated a magnet that will

attract opportunities for you recruiters

projects clients but there's one key

thing to add to amplify that attraction

you see when you go to a restaurant or

order food you first check the reviews

before you watch a next movie or pick a

TV show to watch you check the ratings

and that's exactly what recruiters do as

well when looking for Tech professionals

they check the referrals especially if

you're a freelancer yet I see so many

people on LinkedIn without referrals on

their profile and that's good news for

you because if you can get a referral

you can already stand out from everyone

else on LinkedIn and it's actually super

simple to get a referral just ask your

old employer or colleague or boss hey

I'm trying to update my LinkedIn profile

and since we work together would you

mind writing two or three sentences

about your experience working with me in

return I can write you a referral as

well if you want and having a couple of

referrals as an additional bonus it's

again a place where people can put in

some keywords that will help you in the

ranking on LinkedIn so these two steps

are great for passively attracting

recruiters ERS and jobs but if you

really want to land that six-figure

freelance project as fast as possible

you need to put in some proactive effort

as well and that means you need to

respond to every recruited that reaches

out to you even if it's not relevant or

not freelanc let me explain why if you

get a message from a recruiter along the

lines of hey I came across your profile

and you seem like a great match for this

position we have opened we're looking

for an astronaut with experience in

moonwalking and even though the position

is not relevant to you at all you still

tell them hey thanks for reaching out

unfortunately I'm currently open just

for freelance data analyst positions

change data analyst to whatever you are

if something comes up or if you have a

colleague who's looking for a freelance

data analyst I'm always open to get in

touch doing this raises your chances of

still Landing a freelance job in the

following two ways first of all

recruiters might know a client or an

different recruiter to connect you with

immediately second of all in the worst

case they will put your contact info in

details in their system meaning that as

soon as they do have a matching

opportunity you will pop up in the

recruitment system and they will reach

out to you again all right but what if

recruiters are not sliding into your DMs

daily glad you asked because to attract

some eyeballs to our LinkedIn profile

especially from recruiters and hiring

managers we need to make some noise and

how do we make noise on LinkedIn by

doing something that's simple doesn't

require a lot of effort but it might

sound a little bit scary if you've never

done it before I'm talking about sharing

triple V posts on LinkedIn valuable the

post has to either entertain educate or

Inspire so posting that you a tuna

sandwich on your work

today doesn't fall on those three

categories validate with this I mean see

if there's some posts that are doing

really well lately maybe suddenly on

liners are super popular on LinkedIn or

maybe super long essays are doing really

well whatever it is check out what

formats are already validated and see if

you can translate them into your own

post and then three visual you need to

stop the scroll on LinkedIn and that's

pretty hard to do with just text so

either make your own photo or create one

with with AI that complements your post

do this once a week and you will be

surprised by how many eyeballs this will

attract to your LinkedIn profile some of

my posts have over 60,000 views on

LinkedIn surely there's some recruiters

and hiring managers in there and I see

it time and time again with students

have helped with freelancing they start

posting more frequently on LinkedIn get

a huge influx of recruiters reaching out

to them and real quickly start Landing

interviews or even freelance jobs now

you don't have to post on LinkedIn but

just note that this does does increase

your chances of getting noticed on

LinkedIn whether you like it or not

personal brands are the new resumes now

one thing you do have to do is to enable

the feature on your LinkedIn profile

that says open to work because that's

the first thing recruiters check for on

LinkedIn when they're looking for

professionals all right so this one was

a bit obvious so I'll give you a bonus

step learn from others whether it's

mentors guides or other people that are

already freelancing just reach out to

Freelancers on link thing and ask them

the following question yo I came across

your profile and saw that you are

freelancing I'm looking to start

freelancing myself and was wondering how

and where you found your first project

or maybe you have some other tips for me

if you don't have time to answer I

completely understand cheers that's it

you'll be surprised by how many people

actually reply to your messages which

brings me to mistake number three I see

people make trying to do everything

themselves when I started my freelance

journey I had a mentor that helped me

get my freelancing business started find

my first project and all the high

earning Freelancers that I know also had

someone answering all of the questions

connecting them to the right recruiters

so if you're in a similar spot when

you're stuck in a 9 to5 maybe you want

to go freelancing maybe you want to

start a side hustle a business agency

whatever then I launched a free

community called 95 to dream life filled

with like-minded people all on the same

mission of escaping the 905 and creating

a life of Freedom it's filled with free

coaching free courses click the link to

join and if you want to know the exact

steps I took to go from a 95 to

freelancing to traveling the world and

starting my own business check out this

video

next cheers