Promoting yourself as a freelancer or consultant can be one of the most challenging things to do, especially if you’re an introvert. However, it’s vital in order to grow your career. The more you expand your online presence, the more clients and business you will generate.
If you are struggling but want to get started, keep on reading. Below we are going to discuss six expert tips to follow to help promote yourself online.
1. Sign up to the right social media sites
The first step to promoting yourself is to choose the right social media platforms. This is the best way to offer your services and will also generate traffic to your website (which we will get into below). Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook are the most popular, so take a look and see which ones you like. The more you have, the better the reach. However, you want to make sure that you can dedicate enough time to each.
2. Be honest and authentic
Online, honesty and authenticity are everything. You might think it’s ok to lie, but it will always catch up to you. Be professional but remember to be yourself. Take Ryan Gibbs on Instagram, for example. Alongside sharing information about your profession, you also want to talk about your hobbies and interests. This makes you appear relatable, reliable, and trustworthy.
3. Build a website
Your website is going to contain the most in-depth information about you. Your social media will hopefully direct potential clients here, so you want it to make an impact. The design should be simple and easy to navigate, and you need a domain name that is unique but still trustworthy. While you can get someone to create one for you, it is possible to design a website yourself.
4. Create a blog
Blogs are, without a doubt, one of the best ways to promote yourself online. Not only will it help improve your reach to potential clients by self-advertising, but you can generate a voice for yourself and share your skills and talents. However, it must be done correctly with SEO (search engine optimization) to boost its efficiency.
5. Interact with people
Owning and managing online platforms is good, but they aren’t going to grow and expand unless you are interactive. Alongside posting regular content, you also want to comment back and talk with others online. The more you engage with others, the more noticeable your platforms and website will become. Alongside this, it helps you establish more trust. It’s better to appear like a regular person than a robot or automated page.
6. Be original
With so many other businesses and individuals out there offering the same services, being original is one of the most essential tips to follow. The more unique your content is, the easier it will be to generate a following. Get creative and use a mix of video, text, and music. It’s all about getting noticed.