Freelancing has the potential to be an extremely profitable career path. But, to be a thriving freelancer that earns 6 figures a year, it all comes down to how you market yourself.
While marketing your services may seem like a daunting task, it is a very necessary one. Plus, it’s not as difficult as you may think!
A fundamental part of marketing is establishing a presence on social media. This doesn’t always have to mean constant advertising.
You can also establish a presence by posting tips and tricks that show you’re an expert in your field. Or, what about posting fun YouTube videos to help your customers get to know you better?
Luckily, there are many different ways you can market yourself as a freelancer.
8 Ways To Market Yourself as a Freelancer
Now, let’s dive into some of the best ways you should market your freelance services. There are multiple platforms and types of marketing to try out so don’t be afraid to experiment and see what works for you.
Usually, a combination of approaches will get the best results. So, here are some of the best strategies on how to market yourself as a freelancer.
Use Legiit
Besides giving freelancers a platform to advertise and sell their services, there are also tons of advantages to being a member of a community like Legiit.
It gives you the opportunity to:
- Network with other freelancers
- Engage with customers
- Learn new skills
- Discover niches in the market
Many successful Legiit freelancers can attest to the opportunities we offer our freelancers to market themselves.
Take BradyBear, for example. They always take advantage of our Weekly Round-up and they have achieved great success this way.
Weekly Round-up
This is another free opportunity we offer to get you some great exposure. Once a week on a Thursday, freelancers can post their services under the weekly round-up post. We then select a few of these posts to include in an email that we send to our entire email list.
Whether your post features in the email or not, the Comments section still sees a lot of traffic from potential clients!
Create an Online Portfolio
A professional website or online portfolio is a great asset to any freelancer. This ultimately helps you market yourself and your services without doing any pitching.
In a technological world, the first place we turn to when looking for a product or service is the internet. So, a website is a great way for potential clients to see if your services are what they’re looking for.
Your website should be a reflection of your brand as a whole. It can be small and simple and feature some of your best work, examples of what you can do, and your blog. You should also consider adding unique features like a FAQ section or a short piece about yourself.
Leverage Social Media
Social presence is key when it comes to marketing yourself as a freelancer. But, doing this correctly is how you stay relevant and get noticed.
Social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn are extremely oversaturated. Despite this, the opportunity to reach a global audience is still out there!
First things first, make sure you choose the right platform for your services. When it comes to freelance writing services, consider using Instagram or Twitter. Facebook is also a great platform especially if you have access to freelance writing groups like the Legiit community.
Make sure you familiarise yourself with the unique features each of these platforms has to offer so that you can use them to your advantage. For example, use Stories on Instagram to keep your followers engaged and consider making Reels or video posts to try to get on the Explore page.
Blogging and YouTube
If you want to know how to market yourself as a freelancer, blogging and YouTube provide a great platform. Creating a blog or starting a YouTube channel can help you put a personal touch on your marketing.
Some interesting topics to blog or create videos about that will make you stand out include:
- What you do in your day.
- Your greatest success stories.
- Your failures and what you have learned.
- Interviews with other freelancers.
Make sure whatever you choose to blog about is engaging and provides an opportunity for your potential customers to partake in the conversation.
Also, don’t forget to share your blogs or videos on your social media platforms! This can help you generate and direct traffic and boost awareness of your services.
Email Marketing
One of the most effective ways to market yourself as a freelancer is through email marketing.
To obtain an email list from scratch, you can add a free subscription feature to your website. Offer your potential customers free resources or a discount code for their next purchase of your Legiit services in exchange for their email addresses.
Once you have an email list, you can market your services better, keep your customers up to date with your offering, and provide them with valuable content. This way, you can build long-lasting customer relationships and keep them coming back for more!
Get Reviews
Reviews are a great way to establish social proof. Just ask Vasco – a successful Legiit freelancer. One of his top tips is to keep building social proof so that people trust your service.
People are more likely to buy services from someone who others have used and rated highly. So, whenever you complete an order for a customer, ask them to leave a review!
You can also follow up to find out what they enjoyed most about working with you or how they feel about the end product. If they’re happy and express their praise for your services, you might even want to ask for permission to post it to one of your social platforms.
This will show prospects that you provide a high-quality service, which will encourage them to order from you.
Use Your Personal Network
When it comes to marketing yourself as a freelancer, it’s always great to connect with those in your circle. Whether it be friends, family, or colleagues, let them know about your services.
Consider putting a message out on one of your social media platforms. Some of your followers may need your services or know someone who might be interested.
Another way to tap into your personal network is by asking for referrals. If you’ve just completed a job and the client has given you a good review, this would be a good time to let them know you’re looking for more work.
Let them know that you enjoyed the job and loved working with them and would enjoy working with anyone they recommend. This will make them feel appreciated and will get you that referral!
Guest Posts
Guest posting involves writing blogs for another website or company in your niche. By doing so, you advertise your services and expertise to a new audience.
To start off, research some of the bigger websites and bloggers who have made a name for themselves in your niche. Reach out to them and work on forming a professional relationship.
Then, suggest some ideas that include collaborative work. This is a fun way to gain massive exposure and a great networking opportunity.
Tips for Branding Your Freelancer Services
It’s important to know how to brand yourself as a freelancer. Marketing is super important, but there’s not much to market without a solid brand.
So, let’s look at some tips to help you establish your brand:
- Choose a specific style. This shows a glimpse of who you are. Do you want to be more professional and simple, or fun and creative?
- Create an eye-catching logo. You want your leads and customers to be able to recognize you across platforms. So make sure you have a logo that represents your brand! You can even use a freelance graphic designer on Legiit to help you design it.
- Let your personality come out in your brand – whether it be your great sense of humor or your unique style.
- Make sure you have a consistent online presence. As we said, you need to be recognizable to your audience. Keep your voice, aesthetics, and logo consistent across the platforms you use.
Key Takeaways
To have a profitable business, you need to know how to market yourself as a freelancer.
This all comes down to your online presence.
There are many ways to put yourself out there and establish a presence. But the best place to start is with a platform that resonates with you and your target market.
So, consider implementing some of these marketing tips today and watch your client list grow!
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