Freelancers do much more than just write blog posts or proofread and edit work for their clients. They may also handle publicity and marketing, provide technical support, perform bookkeeping tasks, and even do a little graphic design.
Because they are constantly juggling all of these duties, they must learn and use many different kinds of software applications and tools. Of course, some of these are easier to get used to than others.
As a freelancer, I have used a lot of tools over the years. Some of them I love and others… not so much.
But these three are my favorite free tools for freelancers. They are dependable, easy to learn and understand, and make my work life so much easier.
1. Asana
One of my favorite free tools for freelancers is Asana. I use it to manage tasks that are connected to my work as well as personal tasks.
You can use Asana to schedule projects and events that need to be completed each day. In addition, you can schedule events for the future and order them for completion.
But it can also be used to easily keep track of projects that are shared among team members. The projects can be placed in different sections allowing you to prioritize what needs to be done and when. You can even allow others access to see and work with tasks as well.
Another great feature of Asana is the ability to communicate with clients. If you need a client to follow up on something, just set it up as a task in Asana.
All team members and clients can access reference materials and guides that you store right in Asana. And if you need to link it to other apps, many will work well with Asana.
The free version of Asana is very powerful, but you can always upgrade as your needs change.
2. Hootsuite
One of the most effective tools for managing multiple social media platforms is Hootsuite. It allows you to schedule and manage social media posts all in one place.
Of course, having the ability to go to one single application to handle your client’s social media saves time. The more time you can save, the more clients you can serve and the more money you can make.
If you need to know how to use Hootsuite they offer free courses to help you learn the basics of social media marketing. You can even get certified.
Hootsuite also provides analytics so you can see view reports and track social marketing. This way you can provide meaningful data to clients and make informed decisions based on what you observe.
Starting out with the free version is a great way to introduce yourself to Hootsuite. You can always upgrade later to a different plan if you need to add additional features.
3. Later
Later is a free marketing platform for Instagram and is another one of my favorite free tools for freelancers. It allows you to keep everything organized and labeled for future use and schedule posts in advance so you can move on to other important tasks.
One of the great things about scheduling through Later is being able to see the schedule in a calendar view. You can also sync photos and videos from your computer or your mobile phone.
As freelancers handle their busy days it helps to have tools that make their work easier. Use my 3 favorite free tools for freelancers to make your day go smoother so you can get more done too.
