How to Earn More as a Digital Marketing Freelancer: 3 Core Decisions to Scale Your Income

Are you a Google Ads or digital marketing freelancer making $5k or more a month but ready to break through the next level? If you're already earning well and want to scale your income to 6 or even 7 figures a year, I’ve been where you are—and I know what it takes to make it happen.

This guide is for freelancers who have already mastered the basics, gained success stories, and consistently sign up 1-2 new clients a month. If you’re still in the early stages of your career, focused on landing your first few clients, this might not be the right time for you to focus on scaling. But for those of you ready to make strategic decisions, let’s dive in.

✨ Become a digital marketing freelancer the right way!

Hitting a Plateau: My Own Experience

In 2015, I achieved my first 6-figure year as a digital marketing freelancer. But for the next six years, I remained stuck at that level. No matter how hard I worked, I couldn’t seem to break through. Then, I made three strategic decisions that allowed me to 10x my annual income in just 12 months.

These three decisions are essential if you want to break through your current income ceiling and scale to the next level.

Decision #1: Focus on the RIGHT Tasks

As freelancers, we often find ourselves juggling multiple tasks. After all, we want to ensure that every aspect of our business is of the highest quality. But if you’re trying to scale, this approach will keep you stuck.

You need to ask yourself:

• A: Do I want to remain at my current earning and work level? (There’s nothing wrong with this if you do.)
• B: Do I want to scale my income?

If you choose option B, you’ll need to prioritize the activities that generate the most income for your business. This might mean restructuring your calendar or cutting back on certain projects or clients.

For example, I had to let go of a freelancer contract I held with an external agency. I enjoyed working with them, but staying in that role would have prevented me from scaling my business. By focusing on generating more leads and prioritizing higher-impact tasks, I opened the door to bigger opportunities.

Decision #2: Positioning—Agency vs. Industry Leader

Next, you need to decide how you’ll scale. There are two primary paths:

1. Building an Agency: You scale by increasing your capacity to take on more clients, which usually means hiring staff or outsourcing to other freelancers.
2. Becoming an Industry Leader/Content Creator: You scale by leveraging your expertise to sell digital products like courses, coaching programs, and paid communities.

When I was making this decision, I opted to position myself as an industry leader and content creator. This allowed me to scale without significantly increasing my expenses. Today, I run a 7-figure business with just a few key team members: a customer service manager, a video editor, and a thumbnail creator.

But this path isn’t for everyone. If you prefer the agency model, you’ll need to build a team and potentially invest in office space. There’s no right or wrong answer here—only the best choice for you.

Decision #3: Build Your Authority

Regardless of which path you choose, building authority in your industry is crucial to scaling. It’s what helps you attract more clients or sell more digital products.

To build authority in today’s market, focus on one of two channels:

• LinkedIn: Best for those who want to grow an agency. Share case studies, client success stories, and specific strategies you’ve used to drive results.
• YouTube: Ideal for content creators. This platform allows you to connect directly with your audience and showcase your expertise through engaging video content.

I recommend starting with one platform and mastering it before branching out. For me, YouTube has been a powerful tool for building authority and attracting clients to my digital courses and coaching programs.

Ready to Scale?

Scaling your income as a digital marketing freelancer requires more than just working harder. It demands focus, positioning, and authority-building. If you’re serious about reaching 6 or 7 figures, start by making these three core decisions.