Why Meeting Deadlines Is a Freelance Marketing Strategy — Build Reputation

Despite how often freelancers muster up the energy to meet a deadline, many still miss work deadlines. Don't underestimate the importance…

Jeanne Grunert

~5 min read · July 3, 2023 (Updated: October 20, 2023) · Free: Yes

Despite how often freelancers muster up the energy to meet a deadline, many still miss work deadlines. Don't underestimate the importance of meeting deadlines. As a freelancer, meeting deadlines consistently is the hallmark of a professional and makes you a desirable independent contractor.

Welcome to my series of lessons learned from 15 years of running a freelance content marketing agency. I've been a freelance writer and content marketing consultant since 2007. The series was inspired in part by our 15th anniversary. I own and operate Seven Oaks Consulting, a business-to-business (B2B) technology content marketing agency.

If you missed lessons 1–10, don't worry: each lesson is a self-contained story that you can read for its value or as part of the series. I've included links to the previous lessons at the end of this article. Choose the one that interests you to begin your education as a freelancer.

Why Is Meeting Deadlines Crucial for Freelancers?

"I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as they go by." Douglas Adams, The Salmon of Doubt

Missing deadlines is so commonplace among freelancers that you will often see advertisements for freelancers stating "must meet deadlines" as a requirement for the job. Not only do freelancers miss deadlines, but they are also notorious for 'ghosting' or disappearing on their clients. This disrupts business, sets project deadlines back, and gives the freelancer a lousy reputation.

As a freelancer, you are in the business of selling yourself first and your skills second. Surprised? Yes, you must possess exceptional talent, but if it comes to choosing between talent and reliability, guess what? Many business owners will choose reliable independent contractors over ones with superstar talent who miss deadlines or fail to communicate important project milestones.

Developing your personal brand and digital reputation as a reliable, expert freelancer is your best marketing strategy. If you are new to the world of freelancing, this advice: meet your deadlines without fail. And, in the unlikely event you cannot meet your deadlines, communicate immediately with your client and suggest an alternative date by which you can provide your work.

Reasons for Not Meeting Deadlines

There are as many reasons for failing to meet deadlines as there are freelancers. Some legitimate reasons why you may not be able to meet a deadline include:

Illness — your own, your spouse, your parents, your child
Death — your own or a close relative

Here are unacceptable reasons for not meeting deadlines:

· I booked too many assignments, and I need more time

· I decided to take a day off

· I went out late last night and have a hangover

· I don't feel like it

· I don't feel inspired

· I started working on it, but it's too hard

· I found something else that pays better

· Deadline? What deadline?

Now, what do all of these statements have in common?

It is not the client's responsiblity to manage your time. It is your responsibility to manage your time properly to meet work deadlines.

Your clients are counting on you to meet your deadlines. If you are working on a project with multiple steps and teams involved, such as a website, and you miss your deadline, it has a ripple effect on the entire project timeline. Often, other teams cannot make up the delay on their end; the project is now delivered late.

Writers who consistently fail to meet their deadlines are quickly released from accounts or fall to the bottom of the writing pool when it comes time to select new freelancers for projects. If they can't count on you to be on time, your work may be useless to them.

Develop a Reputation as a "Can Do" Freelancer

Develop a reputation as a 'can do' freelancer — someone willing to go the extra mile to meet deadlines or submit your work early (before the deadline). Here's how you can develop your reputation as a freelancing all-star who consistently meets deadlines:

· Keep a master calendar of all of your assignments for the month.

· Color code the dates by the deadline (from the client) and your writing deadline. Make sure your own deadline is a few days before the client's deadline.

· Know how long it takes to create the materials due for the project and schedule enough time to meet your obligations.

· Review assignments as soon as they are given to you to ensure you have all you need to complete them. If not, ask early, and ask often for them!

· Make sure you understand how you are to submit your work. If it is through a content management system (CMS) or project management, do you know how to use the system? Can you watch videos or request a brief walk-through tutorial from the client? Many freelancers find themselves ready to send in their assignment, only to be baffled by the technology needed to submit it!

· Confirm receipt of the assignment with your client.

· Track submission dates, billing amounts, and publication date and URL (if applicable) on a spreadsheet so you have a copy of the final work product in your sample portfolio.

As a freelancer, the only thing many people meeting you for the first time online have to judge you by is your reputation. This includes what they discover when they search your name online; any recommendations you have posted; social media posts, etc. The more positive recommendations on your profile, the better. To acquire those positive recommendations, make sure you meet your deadlines. As you do so, your reputation as a trustworthy and reliable freelancer will grow — and so will your business.