Posted by Promoting a freelance business in 2020 can be challenging—this is an area that is growing rapidly, giving clients more options and freelancers more competition.
To stay ahead of the game, freelancers need to know how and where to promote their business, to bring in more prospects and earn revenue.
We share seven methods for business promotion that freelancers can use this year.
1. Optimize Your Website
No matter what freelance business you are running, a website is an absolute must for your online marketing strategy.
When you meet potential clients, they will search for your site—if you don’t have one, you may likely lose out on business prospects.
Websites are also important tools for showcasing your work—either through design or content portfolios or by hosting products.
You can create a site easily on Wix or WordPress, both of which offer themes and templates that can be customized to your company’s needs.
If your website needs to expand in the future, you can use cheap WordPress hosting providers that will help you cut costs and give you the option to fill out the site with more content.
2. Keep an Updated Blog
Creating a blog is a great way to promote your freelance business—it allows you to write content about your company and tap into leads generated through search engines.
Blogs are also a great way to showcase your products or services—as well as to share how your company can benefit your target audience.
Aside from writing about your business, your blog can include news from the industry, tips for navigating the field, and your own experiences and case studies.
While creating a blog is certainly helpful for your business, you need to keep it updated with content to ensure a steady flow of visitors.
It’s also important to grow your blog organically by using relevant long-tail keywords, optimizing posts for SEO, and building links within your blog and externally.
With a regularly updated blog and engaging content, you can draw in more views to your site and generate more leads.
3. Capitalize on Social Media
According to these beauty industry statistics, 52% of buyers make purchases based on brand social media accounts—that’s half the client base.
It is clear that social media is an integral part of any business’ marketing strategy—it’s one of the best ways to organically reach your audience and drive traffic to your website.
As a freelancer, it may be difficult to have a presence on every social channel—but you can still pick one or two that fit your niche and optimize the way you use those for your business.
Depending on your target audience, some channels may be more suitable for your business than others.
You can cultivate your profiles on Instagram and TikTok to reach younger audiences, while Facebook and Twitter are better for older demographics.
LinkedIn is a must for any professional—it’s a great channel for meeting other professionals and building relationships with potential clients and partners.
To make the most of your online presence, it is best to use social media management tools like Kontentino to schedule and post content, so you don’t have to do everything manually.
4. Network Online
Social media is also a great resource for networking online. Facebook and LinkedIn groups have become very popular over the years, and are now used more often than the general feed.
Join groups that exist in your niche and share ideas and content with people—it is best not to be overly sales-forward in these groups. Build the connections organically to generate business.
Following bloggers and influencers in your field is also a good idea—you can leave comments on their blog posts or on their social posts, sharing what you found interesting.
You can also host webinars where you share your experiences and learnings—you can end the presentation with a call to action for people to visit your website.
The goal is to make long-lasting connections—one-of sales won’t bring in the profits, only repeat customers can do that for you.
It is important to remember not to overstretch yourself—don’t join more groups than you can handle and don’t start conversations which you have no intention of continuing.
The people who engage with you online are doing so to add value to your business and to get some value from their connection with you.
With that in mind, keep your sales pitches for after you have actually made a meaningful connection with people online.
5. Offer Guest Posts
Guest blogging can be an excellent way to drive traffic to your website and business.
The process requires some effort on the part of the freelancer—you need to search for high-quality blogs in your niche and pitch ideas to them.
But most blogs will be happy to get the free content—and you will be allowed to include a link or two to your business in the post.
As a guest blogger, you may have to go through a few rounds with the editorial team to perfect the piece for the host site.
However, this process will be worth it if you can reach a whole new audience.
6. Utilize Referrals
For freelancers to build their business, word of mouth marketing is crucial. Without a network to boost your business, you need to rely on the limited resources available to you.
That is why asking former and current clients for reviews and testimonials is so important.
They have worked with you and have been pleased with your services—who better to act as an ambassador for your business?
But you don’t only need to turn to people you have worked with for referrals—even friends and family can promote your business to their networks, bringing in more clients for you.
Your network isn’t as small as you think it is—but remember not to push your business at every opportunity, or people will stop wanting to be around you.
Find organic ways to pitch your services and ask for referrals—mentioning a business casually in conversation can be more effective than hard-selling it.
7. Use Freelance Platforms
There are a number of online marketplaces where you can advertise your freelance business—some of these sites are free, but others do require a small fee.
Sites like Fiverr, FreeUp, Kijiji, Upwork, and more are good resources for sharing your skills and finding prospective clients to do the remote work without having to do too much of the groundwork.
Clients are able to connect with freelancers and negotiate projects, deadlines, and prices through these networks.
Once the project has been completed, freelancers can make an invoice with details about the hours required for the work and associated fees.
These networks allow for a great deal of transparency—both clients and freelancers can share reviews about working with each other.
For a freelancer who is just starting out, these networks are a great way to enter the market and build lasting connections.
Conclusion
Freelance businesses need time to get off the ground and to grow—but these seven methods of promoting your services will help in that regard.
Getting the first few clients can take some time and effort, but once you have a large enough portfolio and client base, you will be better placed to attract more prospects.
With Crowdfire, you can find curated content, schedule your posts, engage with your audience, deep-dive into analytics and create custom reports. Now introducing Social listening. Try it for free.