6 Ways To Market Your Freelance Business
When you work as a freelancer, finding and retaining clients is an important part of making sure that you earn a living and are able to keep doing what you doing. While sourcing clients can sometimes be easy, there are times when you’ll need to work extra hard to secure work.
Whether you’re new to freelancing or you’re in need of some new ideas to help you grow your business, the following tips could help you out. Here are six ways to market your freelance businesses.
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1. Create a strong online portfolio
In this day and age, people aren’t going to take their word for it when you tell them what you can do. They’ll want to see proof in portfolio work, past projects and client testimonials. There are ways to create a knockout portfolio that you can include on your website and direct potential clients toward. With the right portfolio, you can make a fantastic impression and help your services stand out from the crowd.
2. Get out there and meet people
Many of the skills and expertise that lend themselves to freelance work can be used online, meaning many freelancers only ever communicate with clients via email or less commonly, on the phone. By getting out there and meeting people face to face can be a good way for people to connect with you on a more personal level, which many people will respond to. Attend conferences and networking events, brand yourself an area with pull up banner stands and other promotional materials and start introducing yourself. You’ll soon build confidence and could find yourself with a whole new list of clients to work with too.
3. Use social media
Social media is a great way to connect with potential clients, and it’s easy to do. You can use social media to market your freelance business, as well as help you develop a following that can make your connections within your industry. Freelancing can be a lonely place, and those online networks could be more important than you know. Develop a content plan, post regularly and make the most of targeted ads to help you attract the right clients.
4. Use your downtime to create pet projects
While those quiet periods can be unnerving, it’s important that you keep yourself busy. Rather than dwelling on the fact that you haven’t got work coming in, focus on ways you can attract new clients and also spend time working on a pet project. The work that you do, even if it is for your own personal use, can be a key part of your portfolio and demonstrate your passion towards what you do. You could find that you develop new techniques and add new skills to your repertoire, allowing you to offer even more fantastic services to clients.
5. Write a blog
Blogging is a fun way to market your freelance business and can be a creative outlet for you to share ideas and opinions on your areas of work. Blogging regularly provides website visitors with useful information and cement your status as an expert in what you do. A blog is also a useful way to boost traffic to your website, allowing you to pin interesting articles to Pinterest, share links on Twitter, etc. and find new clients through different channels. Learn more about the ways you can optimize your website to boost traffic and hopefully encourage people to get in touch.
6. Offer special deals and discounts
If business is a bit slow, it might be time to try some classic marketing techniques and start offering up some promotions. From refer-a-friend schemes to providing discounts on your services, there are several things you could put out there to tempt new customers as well as encourage business from existing customers. However, make sure you don’t put out offers you can’t afford – you shouldn’t have to undersell yourself and undercut other freelancers to generate some business. Get a fair rate for your freelance services and limit how much discount you’re willing to offer.
Your freelance business is your own personal way of making a living, and with so much invested in it, you’ll no doubt feel extra pressure to make a success of things. Finding new ways of marketing your services is very important, allowing you to attract clients in a number of ways and keep things fresh. From using your website and online presence to getting out there and meeting people, you’re sure to be rewarded for your hard work as you enjoy turning your freelance business into a success.
