Noone:

Filmmakers: “You can’t pay rent with exposure!!”

Q: How many times have you heard a creative bring up free work?

A: Every, Single, Time!

But let’s dig a bit deeper here, if a client doesn’t pay for your work, can it still be worth your time and energy?

I think the answer isn’t so black and white—there's a right way and a wrong way to offer free work, and for me, it depends on 4 VARIABLES.

Picture This Scenario: “You’ve followed Sam Kolder for 3 years and love his travel YouTube videos. You joined Kolder Creative (smart move), and your BIG goal is to work with him one day! So you decide to reach out and ask if he has an opening; how would you do this?”

Would you;

A.) Email Sam saying: "Hey - I’ve followed you for years and love your work. I joined Kolder Creative and have worked with 3 big clients. My YouTube channel has 5K subscribers, and I’d love to work with you! I’ll carry your bag, edit all your videos, take photos of you, and order your food. I just want to learn and gain experience, you don’t even have to pay me."

B.) Email Sam saying: "Hey - I’m a KC student and noticed you haven’t posted any YT shorts! YouTube’s algorithm is highly focused on this feature right now, so I edited 5x 15 sec YT short videos for your channel. After researching channels with a similar size/niche, I estimate each video will receive over 100K views, for a total of 500K EXTRA views to your channel in 2-3 weeks. Just let me know and I can repurpose these videos specifically for TikTok as well. I have some extra time this month if you’d like to discuss creating more videos like this."

A: TAKEAWAY—The email is focused on you, not Sam and his personal needs. You didn't mention any high-value tasks you can help with. You also leave it up to Sam to figure out ways for you to help in his business. This comes across as desperate, willing to do anything to work with him. Never do this; you lose your positioning as "the expert," and for any client, this is a turn-off.

B: TAKEAWAY - You took the initiative and identified an opportunity within Sam’s business he hasn't had time for or wasn't fully aware of. You offered value upfront by editing 5x 15-second videos for FREE to show your skills while including the results he could see by posting them. You also suggested reusing the same videos on TikTok, which would be even more valuable to Sam. Then, you opened up the opportunity for him to hire you for long-term work without being needy. Boom!

B is the clear winner here…

If Sam ever wanted to post more YT Shorts and TikTok videos or even hire a full-time editor, who do you think he'd call first? He'd likely even come to you for advice!

Let's say it didn't turn into a full-time job with Sam, but he liked the videos and posted 3 that received over 350K views.

You now have a high-value client (Sam) to use as a case study to attract future clients who need YT Shorts, TikTok videos or Reels. You can also use those videos for your portfolio, and show the extra views/benefits Sam received because of your work!

So ask yourself, was offering the free work worth it?

I think it can be, but I'd consider a few other factors before doing it.

THE 4 VARIABLES

• EXPERIENCE:

1. Beginner - If you’re starting out and want to build up a portfolio, working for free with the approach in the example above might be the most effective way to do this.
2. Intermediate - It might be worth it if you have a solid portfolio but want to add new industries to your roster. If not, it all depends on the client, whether you're passionate about the project, and what benefits you will get from it.
3. Expert - At this stage, working for free is entirely up to you.

• CLIENT: Is this a dream client you’re passionate about working with, or do you see a long-term benefit for your portfolio? If yes, it might be worth it.
• EFFORT: How much time will you have to put into this project? A few hours, days or weeks? Will it take away from other paid projects?
• BENEFITS: What are the long-term benefits from doing this? Will having this client in your portfolio lead to future paid work? What terms can you negotiate into the agreement to get the most out of this opportunity?

When I would 100% say NO to free work:

1. Let's say you identified a client's need upfront and created videos for free that offered a ton of value and results - just like in Scenario B above. But after seeing the results, the client asks for more free work after you already provided so much upfront. In this case, I’d 100% refuse. There’s a good chance you wouldn’t want to work with this client. They’d likely always lowball you, ask for crazy revisions, and be a nightmare to work with.
2. When the client isn’t a good addition to your portfolio and you don’t see any long term benefits from doing the free work.
3. If you reach out to a client, pitch them and offer your rates only to have them say, “We appreciate it, but we don’t have a budget right now. If you show us what you can do, we will hire you when we do have a marketing budget." Either you lost them somewhere on the “client journey,” or they will likely never have the budgets you’d ask for. Saying yes at this point doesn’t position you as an expert but as any “vendor” who can shoot videos. Best to say no thanks and walk away!

So, it really depends on your experience, the client, and the opportunity.

When done right, working for free can literally change your life and put you on a path you only dreamed of!

It’s exactly how I got connected with Sam 6 years ago and built a new career for myself. You can do it too!

Find out more in the KC All Access Student Dashboard under 'Business Insights'

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