When I ask people what marketing tools they use, so many say, “word of mouth,” which makes my blood boil (ok, that may be a little dramatic!) because word of mouth is not a marketing tool! It’s something that happens to you! You don’t control it. And to me, marketing is all about controlling your business so you can take better care of yourself. In fact, in a recent presentation, I did a bit of a rant on this.
So what marketing tools and activities can you do to get more control?
In this post, Kate Bielamowicz of Contently reached out to several freelancers, business owners, and marketing experts (including myself) to present this insightful post with best practices on marketing in the freelance community:
5 Marketing Tips for Getting Work to Come to You
Five often overlooked marketing tips and strategies were covered, including making lists, building your own community, and being active in communities outside of your own.
About making lists, I said:
“The struggle I often see people having is thinking that everyone is their client—that everyone could be a prospect for them,” Benun said. By not defining the clientele that they want to attract, freelancers can hand over the control of their business to the marketplace. In effect, making lists is a key first step in defining your marketing strategy, or “finding your people,” as Benun called it.
In reference to being active in communities outside of your own, Mridu Khullar Relph of The International Freelancer said:
“In general, joining online communities –both within your expertise and with other freelancers—can do wonders for your business. Having work fall into your lap is a “fantastic side effect’” of being engaged in writing communities,” Relph said.
High quality clients that are a joy to work with are everywhere, but they’re not simply wandering around aimlessly – they are smart, picky, and selective, as you should be too. You’re wasting valuable time and energy trying to convert low quality clients into your dream clients. Instead, focus all of your time and energy on earning and attracting the types of clients you want to work with by providing value, building trust and familiarity, networking, demonstrating your expertise, and advertising.
Savvy freelancers don’t take a shot-in-the-dark approach to marketing their businesses. Make your marketing strategy more efficient by making it work for you, instead of the other way around. Create a focused marketing strategy of the best techniques based on your own interests, skillset, and the types of clients you are targeting. Then, analyze, revise, and refine your strategy as you discover what works best for you.
By incorporating these 5 marketing tips into your strategy, your days of chasing work will soon be over and the clients you desire are sure to be banging on your door in no time.
Are you ready to find your people? Read the rest of the article here.
And if it’s time to choose your niche, check out The Pick a Niche Kit.
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