In order to get paying clients as a freelance video editor, it’s essential that you show your expertise so the client will know that you will do a good job and will trust you. One of the best ways to do that is to build a portfolio of your previous work and show that to potential clients. But what do you do when you don’t have a portfolio yet? After all, when you’re just starting out, you don’t have any previous experience, but you still want to sign paying clients, right?
In this article, I will show you the exact method I use to go from a beginner video editor with zero prior experience to an established freelance video editor with high-paying clients. By using this method, you will be able to get your first couple of paying clients without having a portfolio.
Start by Working for Free
The best option if you don’t have a portfolio and you don’t have any experience working with clients is to start working for free. I know what you’re thinking: you don’t want to work for free. You want to actually get paid for video editing. But if you are starting from zero, actually working for free is probably the best option. Be careful, though—there’s a good way to do it, and there’s also a bad way to do it.
My Personal Experience
So this is basically what I did. I went on Reddit and joined a subreddit called YouTubers. This was basically a subreddit full of beginner and up-and-coming YouTubers. I made several posts there saying that I would edit a free video for anyone who was interested. I got many responses and quickly started editing the first videos that I ever did for other people. Editing these videos was really beneficial. Even though I didn’t get paid a single dollar, I improved my skills. I also got feedback from other people, and most importantly, I started learning how these client relationships work: how to talk to them, how to share files, etc.
Transitioning to Paid Work
After that, if somebody liked my work, I proposed a price and asked if they were interested in working with me for that amount. Many people said no or simply ghosted me, but two people said yes and agreed to pay me. I remember it was a super low amount, like $8 or $10 for a five-minute YouTube video or something. But this was how I got my first couple of clients and started earning money with video editing.
Benefits of Offering Free Work
The good thing about this strategy is that offering free work will get some people to give you a chance, even though you have no previous experience. If you have good skills, the client will be impressed and will be happy to pay you. And even if they reject you, you can still put the free video you edited into your portfolio and start building it that way. You can do this tactic on any platform. You can send Instagram DMs, post in different Facebook groups, send cold emails, or go on Reddit like I did.
Using Available Footage
Another way to create a portfolio is to use already available footage on the internet. For example, if you edit videos for content creators, you can find a ton of unedited material like podcasts, interviews, or simple long-form videos that don’t contain editing. You can just download it and edit it to the best of your ability. When you have a portfolio of 3 or 4 videos, you can start outreach and either offer a free video like I explained previously, or you can just state your prices and get paying clients straight away, as you already have edited videos that show your skills.
Conclusion
Nowadays, it’s super easy to find paying clients as a video editor, as basically everybody needs one. Focus on improving your skills and reaching out to as many people as possible, and you won’t have any problems signing paying clients.
I hope you found this article helpful. If you did, make sure to subscribe, and if you sign your first paying client with this method, let me know in the comments. Also, check out my newsletter in the description, which is all about how to make more money as a video editor. Keep it up!
