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Last Updated on January 20, 2024 by Work In My Pajamas
There are currently more than 62 million freelance workers in the U.S., and that number is expected to increase to a whopping 90.1 million by the year 2028. Clearly, freelancers are here to stay.
If you’re a freelancer looking to separate yourself from the pack and spread the word about your work, you need to learn some effective freelance marketing strategies.
If you’re not sure of the best way to promote yourself and get your work seen by the right clients, keep reading. Listed below are ten helpful tips you ought to keep in mind.
In This Post:
1. Start with a Website
These days, every freelancer who wants to succeed long-term needs to invest in a website. Most people start with an online search when they’re looking for a particular product or service. If you don’t have a presence online, you’re going to be missing out on a lot of potential clients or customers.
There are lots of online programs that make it easy for you to build a website without putting in a ton of time or effort. In many cases, it’s also worth it for you to hire someone to design a website for you. This will help you have a more professional presence and make it easier for you to establish credibility.
2. Work with Influencers
Influencer marketing can be an effective tool for helping you get the word out about your product or service.
Reach out to influencers, especially local influencers, and find out if they’d be willing to work with you. Try to find someone who’s message aligns with your brand or who promotes products or services similar to yours.
Keep in mind that every influencer has different rates that they charge for promoting things on their platforms, so you might have to talk to several people before you find someone who’s a good fit for your business.
3. Write Guest Posts
Writing guest posts on other people’s websites helps you share knowledge and expand your message to a larger audience. Reach out to bloggers who talk about products similar to yours or who are in a related field.
Many bloggers will let you write guest posts on their site and include a link back to yours in exchange for a small fee. You might also be able to work out a deal where they write a post on your blog in exchange for you writing one on theirs.
4. Use Facebook
Facebook can be a very useful tool for freelancers and entrepreneurs. The key is to use it in the correct way.
Make sure your Facebook page links back to your website and displays your contact information in a prominent place. Give people multiple ways to get in touch with you.
Be sure to post on other pages or in groups from your business’s Facebook page, too, rather than from your personal account. This gives you a chance to connect with others and let them know what you have to offer.
5. Give Something Away
Sometimes, it helps to give something away. Offering free services or products can help to get people interested in what you’re selling and turn them into repeat customers. This also gives you a chance to build a body of work if you’re just getting started.
6. Hold Seminars and Workshops
Look for ways to share knowledge and get others excited about what you’re doing. Hosting online webinars, in-person seminars, or workshops allows you to provide value and meet with and learn more about potential customers and clients.
7. Send Cold Emails
It’s scary to do, but sending cold emails can be a very effective tactic, especially for new freelancers.
Reach out to businesses in your area that might benefit from your products or services and let them know that you have something to offer them. You won’t get a response to every email, of course, but you never know who will take an interest and want to learn more.
8. Ask for Referrals
Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals, either. Your clients are often happy to talk about your services to their friends or family members, they just might need a little prodding to help them remember to do so.
You might even want to consider running some kind of special to encourage more referrals. For example, clients who refer your services to someone else can get a small discount on their next purchase or be entered into a drawing to win a bigger prize.
9. Network IRL
Believe it or not, people do still network in real life. Look for local events for entrepreneurs in your area or for professionals who work in your field and see if you can snag an invite.
These kinds of events provide you with lots of opportunities to connect with others who may be able to give you advice or make use of your products or services.
When you meet people at these events, remember to always follow up afterward with an email or LinkedIn message. This helps people to keep you in mind and increases the chances that they’ll contact you in the future.
10. Hand Out Leaflets and Flyers
In addition to good old-fashioned face-to-face networking, you also shouldn’t underestimate the value of other, more traditional marketing techniques, such as leaflet distribution or hanging up flyers around your town.
People do still read these things, and you might even get more attention from them because they’re less common these days.
Hang up your flyers in strategic locations, such as local coffee shops or busy street corners. You never know who will take an interest in what you have to offer and decide to give you a call.
Try These Freelance Marketing Strategies Today
As you can see, there are tons of ways you can promote yourself and get the word out about your services as a freelancer.
Keep these freelance marketing strategies in mind and it’ll be much easier for you to promote your work and get people excited about what you have to offer.
Do you want to learn more about working as a freelancer? Check out the resources on our site today to learn everything you need to know about building a successful freelance business.
