During their infancy, most freelance businesses struggle with two things: marketing their services and attracting new clients. Believe it or not, there are plenty of clients out there also wondering how they can reach you. It doesn’t matter the size of the gap between you and your clients; with a good marketing strategy, you can bridge it and attract new customers to your business. Keep the following tips in mind when creating a freelance business marketing strategy:
Create a website
A website is an essential tool for any business that is determined to move with the times. An online presence is especially useful if you run a freelance business that serves different customers daily. With an efficient web design, you can level the playing field for your business and give it a new traffic source. While you’re at it, do not forget to promote your website. The internet is just as competitive as the conventional marketplace, and promoting your site is a must if you want to stand out.
Know your target market
Specialization is a trick that most of the market leaders in your industry used to get to the top. You need to find a niche and a target audience and stick to them. Research your target customers, know what they have in common, and use your findings to create customer personas. With that, you can generate more relevant marketing content and get a superior return on investment from your strategy.
Ask for referrals
If you believe in your services, it is not out of order to ask your customers to recommend your freelance business to their friends and family. Word of mouth has been shown to be a highly effective form of marketing as people trust real customers more than they do marketers.
Add links to your social profile
When your Facebook or Instagram bio doesn’t show what you do, you lose a potential traffic source. Your social media profiles may be personal, but many leads will rush there as a final step to confirm if you are truly what you claim to be. Use that space to give a superficial description of what you do for a living and stick links to your website or blog. This way, you’ll be recognized as credible, and you will separate yourself from other users with your name.
Create a killer portfolio website
Many potential clients hate bothering service providers with questions only to end up settling for another provider. Such clients wish they could get a place where they can educate themselves about a business before scheduling the first appointment. This is where a portfolio website comes in. Portfolio websites provide a quick and easy way for freelancers to showcase their work and save themselves the need for many fruitless consultations.
Endnote
Freelancing is on the rise, thanks to the digital transformation of the past few decades. The market is getting flooded, and landing clients is growing harder by the day. Use the above tips to help you stand out from the crowd and achieve your business objectives.
This article was written by Jessica Larson.
