These eight marketing strategies will help you increase brand awareness and your customer base.
While large companies have dedicated marketing staff and budgets, independent contractors often have fewer resources. There are many ways to effectively market your freelance business, regardless of the product or service you offer. Some of these strategies require only a modest capital investment, while others can be done for free. Consider using these marketing strategies to promote your freelance business.

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Create an Impressive business website

You are doing yourself a great disservice if you do not have a professional online presence. It will convince potential clients of your skills, let them know who you have worked with in the past, and provide them with information about your background.

There are many small business website builders available that are easy to use. There are many templates available. Some of them are designed to showcase portfolios or clients. Others feature physical products. You may be able to use free plans, depending on the type of freelance business that you run. However, if your products or services can be bought online, then you will need to pay to have e-commerce capabilities.

Learn Search engine optimization (SEO)

Content marketing plays a major role in the acquisition of new customers for both small and large businesses. Writing a blog won’t get you the exposure or customers that you want. It’s important to have a plan in place for getting this content in front of the right people.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the answer. Strong SEO, which involves incorporating highly searched phrases and keywords into your content, can help you surface your content for those who are searching for it. Content marketing software automates this process and can even suggest content with artificial intelligence tools.

Create Business Profiles on Popular Platforms

You’ll also want to consider creating business profiles on popular platforms, such as Google Business Profile, Angi, and Yelp. Google Business Profiles, Angi, and Yelp are among the most popular, but some platforms cater to freelancers, such as Upwork and TaskRabbit. These platforms may not be used by people to search for you, but they are all highly ranked on search engines. This can help you appear when people look for your services or you.

Encourage your clients, both current and past, to write a review. People often choose businesses based on reviews and testimonials. You can’t always expect positive feedback. But addressing negative reviews professionally and quickly can make your customers feel heard.

Related Article: Top 10 Freelancing Platforms for New Freelancers

Keep a strong social media presence

Social media marketing is especially beneficial for small businesses. You can showcase your work or products on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Consider these platforms an extension of your website.

Keep your personal and business profiles separate and your branding consistent across your social media profiles, your website, and your channels. This includes your logos, fonts, names, and colors.

Marketing in your local community

Local marketing is a great way to reach clients in other parts of the country or even around the world. You have a connection with other local small business owners and residents as a small business owner.

You can market in your area by posting a flyer at a local community board or by leaving a stack of business cards (with permission) at another small business. Join local business coalitions and industry-specific groups.

ALSO READ: Avoid These 6 Marketing Mistakes for Small Business Success

Reach out to your target market

Start reaching out via email marketing, direct mail, or phone calls. Create a compelling pitch that explains what you offer as a freelancer, your experience and strengths, and how they can benefit. Keep your pitch short but informative, and ask a family member or friend for feedback.

Network

Few people are comfortable marketing themselves to strangers. But it is a great opportunity to promote your business. Word-of-mouth and contacts can be a great way to open doors for your new business, even if you do not meet any new clients.

Consider alternative methods to promote your business, including posting on local websites such as Nextdoor. LinkedIn is also a great marketing tool. Posting and joining relevant industry groups will help you to build your brand and establish yourself as an expert.

Consider using advertising platforms

There is a lot to be said about advertising platforms, such as Facebook Ads and Google Ads. You can create ads with either just copy or visual assets to market yourself.

These services allow you to drill down into audiences and create a targeted reach of those who you believe will be interested in your freelancing business. If you want to focus on local users, you can choose to “geotarget” them or only display ads to those in specific industries.

Conclusion

This article offers strategies to help freelancers market their businesses effectively, even with limited resources. Key strategies include creating a professional site, learning SEO, creating business profiles on popular social media platforms, maintaining a strong social media presence, marketing within the local community, and reaching out to your target market via email, direct mail, and phone calls. This article stresses the importance of having a strong online reputation, using SEO techniques, and leveraging local marketing and social media opportunities to reach clients and establish a professional reputation.