As a freelancer, it can be tough to get your name out there. After all, with so many people trying to do exactly what you do, it can be overwhelming to put a website up and hope people will bite. However, with the right strategy, you’ll not only be able to start marketing yourself more effectively but also start landing more gigs in no time.
Start With Social
One of the primary channels for inbound traffic, it’s a must for you to get on top of your social media game. Not only will this be where clients will discover you, but it’s also where you’ll have access to an enormous amount of prospects if you know how to do your research. No matter if you’re looking to pick up photography, design, or writing, there’s a social channel where you can find what you’re looking for.
Take a glance at what mediums your skill set is currently using to advertise themselves. For example, as noted by Pew Internet, 88 percent of 18 to 29-year-olds are on some sort of social media platform; if you’re able to capture that demographic on Instagram, it could not only land you more gigs but advertising potential as well. Each discipline will have a different medium (I.E., content marketing tends to use LinkedIn), but if you’re able to master optimizing each platform, it will be an advantageous position for your business.
Pick Up Some Mentors
Another key aspect of marketing yourself as a freelancer is the type of mentors that you bring on. These are going to be useful to not only help you out with the logistical elements of finding clients and working through deals but additionally in having a second set of eyes on your work. Plus, as essentially a business owner, this is just a wise investment to make; because as noted by Entrepreneur, with 80 percent of CEOs in a survey stating that they have a mentor, this is a fairly common practice.
Start out by looking through your network and identifying the people you consider strong to listen to, highlighting if they have different strengths in the advice you seek from them. Additionally, it’s not a bad idea to compile a list of resources that are helpful as a teacher or even motivational figures. For example, Brian Magierski is a serial entrepreneur who can give you a good idea of the scope of what’s happening in the crypto market. Your mentor should be someone who helps you grow, so make that a primary focus in your efforts with them.
Lock Your Contracts In Place
Although it takes a little getting used to talking about, having your contracts in place is crucial to your success. This provides a barrier as legal protection, as well as assures you that you’ll be getting paid in a timely fashion. Because if there’s one thing a lot of freelancers miss, it’s having the right protections in place against bad actors.
A big part of having contracts in place is knowing what exactly your terms are. For example, according to Skillcrush, the average freelance web designer cost around $59 per hour, which while that is a good figure to keep in mind, they’d most likely charge a bulk rate for a whole website. Looking at things from a project-by-project basis will help you increase the likelihood of success, as well as packaging it simply into digestible terms for your contract (i.e., 50 percent upfront, 50 percent when it’s done). Finally, if you’re looking for an affordable solution to executing contracts, attorney Aaron Kelly offers an automated system to help with the drafting process.
Keep It Consistent
Finally, as the name of the game is client acquisition, your marketing efforts need to stay consistent if you plan on being successful. In fact, according to Hubspot, it takes approximately 18 touches with a buyer before they make a purchase. And if you’re not too familiar or you haven’t done much cold calling, then keeping that in your mix will be crucial.
To begin, start by looking at your current marketing mix, including what inbound versus outbound strategies you’re currently implementing. Additionally, don’t forget to keep a schedule of your mix, including when to post on social media, do calls, etc. The overarching goal here is to work in your marketing materials at a rate that will help you for the long run, highlighting on how you can improve each time.
What are you the most excited about with marketing yourself as a freelancer? Comment with your answers below!
