5 marketing tips for freelancers

You are a freelancer, not a marketer, you probably already know that, but when you enter the universe of freelancing, you have to do a lot more than just your set projects. You are more than likely aware of just how vital marketing is by now, but incase you have been burying your head in the sand, or want to pick up some tips – here are some super simple things you can use to level up your marketing skills.

(1) Blog like a boss

How many times have you read a marketing guide, or even a freelancing guide which has told you to blog – a lot, right? You want to know why? IT WORKS, it really does. Of course there is the search optimization and SEO side of it, but there are many more reasons to turn your hand to the paper (or keyboard). If you blog more than once a month it lets your potential cliens know you are active. If someone visits your website and sees the last blog post was 2 years ago, they are going to think you’ve stopped freelancing. Even worse, if they see no blog, they might think you haven’t even started!

People hire others based on personality as well as skills. Having a little piece of writing available to show that personality is a great way to build rapor with potential clients. It also gives them a peek of your current work, projects and interests.

Lastly, make use of current “hype” websites, like Medium. Pop your blog posts on there and watch the visitors roll in.

(2) Have a kick ass website

If you skim through Gumtree or use a paid board for jobs, almost every potential client is going to want to see samples of your work. Instead of having to dig through the vastness of the Internet every time you want to send links, put all your work on a website.

Your website should also have an about page, a picture of you, your contact information (such as an email address), and your rates. When building out any other content, imagine you were hiring a photographer to take photos of your wedding day. What would you want to know about that photographer? Thinking like this will help you get in the mindset of a potential client. Putting yourself in the clients shoes will place you and your website in a winning position to gain more inquiries.

(3) Level up your social media prescence

You will have heard various success stories about freelancers getting clients through social media? Yes, they are real. Social Media is the special ingredient to generate new leads, fresh traffic for your business and increasing your brand awareness. By developing a strong social media presence, keeping your accounts up-to-date, frequent postings and interactions, using it for self- branding, you can market yourself well, way above your competitors.

Use of social media management tools acts like a game changer in achieving business goals and communicating with potential clients. Let the online community know about your freelance business. Be constantly active, instigate a bit of networking and share useful content. Boost your Social Media presence – Share, Engage and Network.

(4) Network often & connect

Twitter and Facebook are excellent for networking with clients, customers and like-minded people. That’s very obvious, but you would be surprised by the sheer amount of freelancers that do not make use of its strengths. Social media is the best marketing platform and resource goldmine that a business can have – plus it’s absolutely FREE.

Aside from social networks, try to connect with your clients, customers and/or audience in other creative ways – for example by using a mailing list to send out updates.

All of these platforms online and many other creative strategies offline can be used to market your freelancing.

(5) Follow up, stay in your clients mind

By now, you will be getting more comfortable with marketing yourself. You have sent out emails to prospective clients. Like you, these clients are busy people. They sometimes forget to get back to you, even though they were amazed by your work.

Following up can seem scary, but do not be intimidated (you are not hassling them!). You can create long-term professional relationships this way and even get more referrals. Keep it short and personal. Reminding them of your previous work and successes on their projects, suggesting next steps.

To conclude:

To have a successful freelancing business, you must be awesome at your craft, market, and be a salesperson all at the same time.

By building out your website from a clients perspective, email marketing, and crafting a great elevator pitch, the hustle that is freelancing becomes much simpler and more profitable!