One big advantage of working as a freelance model is that you don't have to share your earnings with an agency, so you will take home the entire amount from the project. Since being a freelance model means you're your own boss, you'll also need to bring in your own gigs. I would recommend the following three ways to look for work as a freelance model in India.

Social Media: 

The first step towards your career in freelance modeling is to build a strong online presence. You have to create your brand persona which will bring you the desired project. Since most brands and creative professionals are active on social media, especially Instagram, it is imperative to have an IG account where you can showcase your portfolio and other recent works. Try to maintain two separate profiles for sharing personal content and business work. Also, keep your work profile public so that people can find you. Start conversations with potential brands and industry professionals on social media.

Social media is a great place for connecting and networking. Keep an eye out for posts from talent hunt agencies and casting directors. Pages on WhatsApp or Facebook have several groups created by casting agencies who regularly post updates on auditions. This will help you to stay connected with the right kind of people with similar professional objectives and it will also help you to get regular updates on casting meetings and auditions.

Social media is a powerful platform for discovery, so use it effectively. There are some great stories on how to find models online. Read those stories for some extra inspiration. Here is one.

Networking:

Since you are your own boss when it comes to freelance work of any kind, networking is important. Identify the kind of people you want to work with, whether they are photographers, makeup artists, casting directors, or the production team. Once you recognize them start contacting them - compose an email, leave a comment on their social media posts or DM them on Instagram.

Do whatever it takes (without stalking or spamming them) to connect and start a conversation. When you write them, be objective, share your vision and clearly state why you want to work with someone. Doesn't give any importance to the random message.

Once you've established a connection, find ways to meet them with the sole purpose of building something together. Even if your message doesn't translate into an instant meeting, stay in your approach. Write them at regular intervals. There are no ground rules, but you don't want yourself to be tagged as spam, so it should be good to start emailing or sending out DMs every 3 weeks with a clear agenda.

Keep track of industry events where you can interact with your peers and meet new professionals from similar backgrounds. Recently, I attended the LFS Conclave in Mumbai, an event that brings together industry thinkers and emerging talent.

Events like LFS are great opportunities to understand the dynamics of the industry and connect with the people you can work with. Unlike your social media profile, a real meeting leaves no room for creating a fake personality, so be real and don't try to be someone else. As always, people will like you for who you are not for who you are.

Niche Targeting:

This is probably the most useful networking approach, but it requires persistence and doesn't expect immediate results. List 10-20 brands or people you want to work with and create a touchpoint to reach them. This list should be tailored to your brand personality and approach to modeling, which we discussed earlier.

Whatever relevant work you  do, make it a point to share and stay consistent with these contacts. Contact them at least once a month, and set a goal to meet at least 2-3 people from this list each month.

Never send an email with a generic note or just a compliment without any personalization. Example: If you want to work on a project, tell them what motivates you to be a part of it, why you think you are the best fit and share any past experience that makes you relevant. Similarly, instead of saying I love your work, tell them why you love your work.

This will help you build relationships with your potential customers. You are more likely to work with someone who has known you and your career graph for a long time.

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