In a traditional 9-to-5 gig, professionals are encouraged by their employers to improve their skills continuously. Whether these are soft or hard proficiencies, setting goals tied to salary or title changes is a substantial motivation. However, when you’re the boss of yourself, it can be challenging to analyze the areas of your work that need improvement.
Plus, with so many master classes available online, it can also be confusing to determine which one is worth your investment. Luckily, we’ve researched the best of them available.
10 master classes for freelancers that will build and stimulate your career
1. ‘Pricing Your Work: How to Find Value as a Freelancer’
Cost: Currently offering two months free.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever struggled with how to price a client. We’ve all been there, and even seasoned professionals who have been in the business for a decade struggle with setting competitive rates. You want to be fair to yourself, to the client, and well, continuously attract more lucrative opportunities. In this course, you’ll learn how to arrive at the near-perfect proposal price.
2. ‘How to Write Better Headlines — For Content, Email, and Social’
Cost: $94.99 (but look out for sales!)
As every writer knows, a killer headline isn’t the same writing style for a newsletter subject line or an Instagram post. These various methods require different skills.
In this 3.5-hour class, you’ll learn how to improve your headline and caption wordsmithery for these mediums:
- Blog posts
- Website homepages
- Social media across many platforms and devices
- Evergreen web content pages
- Email, newsletters and subject lines
3. ‘SEO Training Course: Building Sustainable Traffic for Business Growth’
Cost: Free
If you haven’t investigated the industry of inbound marketing, including search engine optimization, you’re missing out on a big market. Every brand and company wants to come up in internet searches, and if you can offer this service, you’re more likely to land a new client.
This course includes 22 videos, six lessons, and three quizzes. You’ll end the session with newfound confidence and the ability to move the rankings.
4. ‘Becoming Pitch Perfect’
Cost: $117
Elevator pitches can be hard to condense. You may offer many services, so how do you fit it into a short email or phone call? In this master class, guided by Career Condessa, you’ll learn best practices in delivery, writing, and of course, selling.
5. ‘Blog Basics’
Cost: $175
Starting your own blog is probably one of those items on your to-do list that you’ve meant to get around to, but you’ve been so busy with client work you haven’t been able to. Consider this your gentle nudge to get started already. In this expert-guided course, you’ll learn everything from creating your domain to building traffic and more.
6. ‘Ultimate Google Analytics Course + 50 Practical Examples’
Cost: $94.99 (but look out for sales!)
While some content marketers are comfortable with numbers, others started as reporters, and never quite hopped on the bandwagon. Now that you’re building your own empire, with this course, being able to report data to your clients will help you attract and secure more long-term contracts.
7. ‘Photoshop CC 2020 MasterClass’
Cost: $59.99 (but look out for sales)
Even if you’re not looking to build a career as a designer, understanding the fundamental basics is recommended for any digital freelancers. After all, if you don’t have to hire someone else to complete a client task, you’ll keep more money in your pocket.
In this course, you’ll have 16.5 hours of videos, two articles and six downloadable resources. By the end, you’ll know how to:
- Retouch photos
- Use keyboard shortcuts and best practices
- Master masking to combine images together
- Understand the differences between different file formats
8. ‘Digital Marketing Trends’
Cost: Free with LinkedIn Premium, or $29.99
One of the benefits of hiring a freelancer is that he or she is an expert in their chosen field. An employer doesn’t have to invest in terms of salary, healthcare, or retirement, and they have someone who can advise them on the latest and most significant trends. Which means, of course, you need to know everything about digital marketing. In this biweekly series, you’ll be updated in real-time on the industry.
9. ‘The Freelance Masterclass: The Ultimate Guide to Freelancing’
Cost: Currently offering two months for free.
No matter if you’re a website designer, a photographer, a UX/UI designer, a social media guru, or a content marketer, this master class is a no-brainer. It covers a landslide of topics, including finding clients online, building various profiles and CVs, walking through hourly and fixed-rate pricing, creating contracts and so much more.
10. ‘Productivity Masterclass: Creating a System That Works’
Cost: Currently offering two months free.
Holding yourself accountable as a freelancer is no easy task. Since you don’t technically have to put on pants or get out of bed every day, it’s tempting to waste away the hours and procrastinate. To become successful and scale your business, you need to determine a system that works for you. This expert-guided course teaches you ways to organize your inbox and notes, calendar schedule hacks and more.
What to look for in a master class:
If these options aren’t a fit for what you’re looking for, don’t sweat it. There are many, many others on the web.
Before you book or pay, follow these tips to ensure you are selecting a reputable, beneficial course:
- The class should be hosted by a trusted company or freelancer who has a proven track record of success within your industry.
- The class should have reviews from others. A perfect 5-star rating isn’t necessary, but anything below three is probably not a good buy.
- Ask your friends and mentors for the classes that have improved their skills and grown their client base.
