Online Marketing Tips Every Freelancer Should Know

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Online Marketing Tips For Freelancers

The world of freelancing is like walking on thin glass. Freelancers take their strides in a careful and delicate fashion, because each step they take can make or break their business. Surviving in this line of work is tough, and if they are not able to handle their brand properly, they might not be able to get it running again. However, with the help of the World Wide Web, keeping the brand afloat is possible, but only if they use this technology wisely and correctly.

One of the biggest problems freelancers face is promoting themselves online. Although there are a lot of people who use the Internet 24/7, it is difficult to look for and keep clients, because of the competition. Jumping over this hurdle will take a lot of creativity, and quick thinking, and one of the ways to do this is by marketing their brand.

If you are deciding to enter the world of freelance, or are having difficulty with promoting your business; follow these simple tips, and you will be able to maintain the flow of your brand in no time.

Create Your Own Website

First of all, if you want to establish yourself online, you need to create your own website or blog. You can either purchase an affordable domain or create a free account in websites such as Twitter, Tumblr, WordPress, and the like.

Your website is similar to a physical store, and this is where you post your works, and conduct business with your clients. It is also a space that represents you and your brand, so when you are designing your website, be sure to put your product, your audience, and your presence in mind.

Being their Guest

Guest posting – especially in well-known websites – is a great way for people to see what you are capable of. If you think that your skill, material, and potential clients can be found in a specific site, go ahead a contact the owner, and ask if you are allowed to contribute to their page. If they say yes, produce the best output you have ever created so that you can immediately spark the interest of their audience. If not, do not take it to heart, and move on to another website.

Optimizing Your Site For Local Searches

Ideally, you want your products to reach an international audience, but in reality, it is always good to start small. The locals will be your first customers, so fashion your site to cater to their wants and needs first, before anything else. To do this, the content in your webpages have to have something related to the local area, or the locals themselves. You may want to insert applicable data, write precise location information and keywords, treat the reviews on Google as a guide, and leveraging your company website by adding your URL in your Google+ local listings.

Build a Long Term Relationship with Your Clients

Garnering customers in this line of work is difficult. Not only are you competing with other freelancers, but your brand does not have the same audience impact prowess that larger companies possess. You always need to put your customers in high regard because they are the ones buying your product or hiring your services. You need to leave them with an outstanding user experience – to keep them coming back for more and giving them a reason to stay. Who knows? They may be able to help you find your next potential client through a network of people who share the same interests.

Create and Heavily Promote Free Valuable Resources

The word “free” does not immediately mean that you are going to lose money. Instead, look at it as a form of bait to attract more potential customers. The form of your “promotion” does not necessarily have to be physical because free content is appreciated as well. For example, if you are a graphic artist, you can post tutorial lessons in your blog, free of charge, so that aspiring artists can learn a thing or two from you. Besides, getting noticed is an important factor when it comes to looking for potential clients.

Know Your Social Media Sites

In this day and age, getting the word out can be done by simply tweeting or by posting on someone’s newsfeed on Facebook. If you are using any of these social media networks, remember to use their features to your advantage. Posting content differs on each site, and if you are able to follow their format, you will not have any difficulty uploading your work or promoting your product. Bear in mind that what you post should also be in the same line of interests as their audience, because if it does not fit their users’ criteria, they might just scroll past your page.

Do Your Own Research

Sitting around and waiting for a miracle will not help your brand move forward. You need to get out there and search for the answers yourself. Take note of what’s become popular in the past month or so, and get inspiration from there. You may also ask successful freelancers for marketing advice to ensure that your brand survives.

Stay in the Loop

Fads come and go, and can become a nuisance over time. Freshening up your products and/or services every now and then will keep your customers entertained – especially if it suits the current trend. Being updated means that you are moving forward with today’s generation, thus, catering to a much wider, and probably, a much younger audience.

Mobile Devices are The Future

Your blogs and/or websites must act like traditional media. It needs to be in areas wherein it can be easily accessed or seen by people, and what better location to do that than in the handheld devices? Almost everyone has at least one of these inside their bags, so being noticed is not that complicated. You must remember, however, that its format differs from the desktop. When you are planning to move your website or blog into these devices be sure that it is mobile friendly so that your clients and your audience would not face any difficulty whenever they access your site.

Remember the Email

Like what was said earlier, reaching out to potential customers, via guest posting, is a good way to get noticed, but it is still not enough. Normally, when you ask the owners of the site through their webpages, waiting for their response can take months before you realize that you have been ignored. Sometimes, turning to the basics is better and conversing with your potential clients and guest hosting sites through their email yields to better results.

Price Your Products Competitively

The reason why you decided to go to freelance is that you are confident with your skill. Therefore, when it comes to pricing your products and/or services you need to give them justice. Never make them expensive or cheap, because their prices will also determine the credibility of your brand. If you are unsure of how to price your merchandise, ask other freelancers or search online. Another option you might want to consider is to have your clients price the products they buy – this, however, does not work with all types of freelancing jobs.

Be Active with Your Community

Keeping in touch with your audience and updating your pages is one of the best ways to keep your website or blog alive. Internet users will notice that there is still movement in your site, even when you are not online, which generally means that your brand is not out for the count and is merrily striding in this line of profession.

Originality/Uniqueness is Key

Although there are a lot of services, websites, and other blogs that do have the same content, it still does not mean that you have to follow suit. Seeing the same things over and over again can wear out the users’ interests, which can ultimately end their search. Be different and put your brand’s strongpoints under the spotlight. After all, it is one of the only ways to be spotted in a wave of bloggers.

Establish a Good Network

A strong network is all you need to keep your brand from sinking. By having your business’ name be carried by popular websites, people, and the like, you will never have to worry about being ignored or forgotten. This connection, however, is a give and take relationship. So when interested parties are interested in promoting you in their site, you need to repay them either the same way or by proposing an idea that will benefit you both.

Stay Truthful to Your Brand

Nobody wants to be duped – especially when it comes to making purchases. Each time you post, create, or offer your services, always remember what your business stands for and what it is meant to do. It will be easier for your customers and potential clients to retain that information, rather than switching from one type of brand to another. Also, this kind of thinking will garner positive reviews which will significantly affect your business.

Have any of these tips helped you better understand how to promote your brand? Do you wish to share any more advice to our young and veteran freelancers? Please share your ideas and leave a comment.

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Jay is a tech-savvy person who treat gadgets and computers like lab rats, he's a freelance writer and a marketing consultant by day, Mad scientist wanna be at night. You can find him lurking at google+ and twitter