Developing A Content Plan Is The First Step
The first step in establishing your marketing plan is to develop a content plan. This can be done in a number of different ways, but we’ll cover the most common method here:
You’ll want to take some time and think about what you want your blog or website to be about. What do you write about? Is there anything that has been on your mind lately?
Is there any information that’s been hard for you to find online? What kind of content would be helpful for your audience(s)?
Next, create an outline (or even just bullet points) of all the topics/ideas that come up as part of this brainstorming process above you might have too many ideas for one post! That’s fine; just keep adding them in as they come up until everything is covered.
Be sure not only include things related directly to what makes sense given what we know so far (i.e. if someone wants help finding a job after college graduation but isn’t interested in working abroad then don’t include anything else).
But also consider any potential opportunities down the road such as partnerships with other businesses who may need their services advertised on other platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook Ads, etc.)
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Understand the Freelance Landscape |
| 2. Define Clear Marketing Goals |
| 3. Tailor Strategies to Freelance Audience |
| 4. Leverage Online Freelance Platforms |
| 5. Embrace Personal Branding for Success |
| 6. Implement Data-Driven Decision Making |
| 7. Foster Client Relationships for Repeat Business |
| 8. Monitor and Adapt to Market Trends |
| 9. Balance Automation with Personal Touch |
| 10. Continuously Learn and Evolve |
What’s The Purpose?
The first step to meeting your goals is to define what you’re trying to accomplish. For a goal to be effective, it needs a clear and specific purpose. The reason behind your goal should be well-defined so that you can set yourself up for success from the outset.
For example: If you want more clients, why? Do you want money? Or validation? Or do you just want more work?
Knowing the answer will help determine how much effort goes into your marketing efforts and how much time they should take up in comparison with other things like client work, networking events, social media promotion, and so on.
When it comes down to setting goals, there’s only one thing that matters: You’re never going to get anywhere if all of these things are equal priorities in your life.
Your goal needs some weight behind it or else it’ll just remain an abstract idea floating around in limbo forever (I’ve been there!).
Crafting content that speaks directly to your audience’s needs is essential. Learn how to implement effective personalization strategies by exploring our guide on getting personal with content marketing and connecting on a deeper level.
Set A Realistic Schedule
First, set a realistic schedule. Being a freelancer means you have the flexibility to work whenever you want but that doesn’t mean you should work all the time. You need to schedule your time so that it makes sense for both your business and personal life.
For example, if you have young children and a full-time job during the day or if this is your first attempt at working as a freelancer, it might not be feasible for you to complete any marketing tasks in the early mornings or evenings before heading home.
But as long as you take care of yourself by getting proper rest and exercise each day, then setting aside dedicated blocks of time for promotional activities will help ensure these efforts are successful in meeting their goals!
Ask Yourself What Your Audience Wants And Needs To Hear From You
To meet the goal of building relationships, you must know your audience. What does this mean? You need to know what your audience wants and needs to hear from you.
If you’re trying to sell a product or service, this will be different than if you’re trying to build up a new blog or community.
Asking yourself these questions can help:
- What are my readers interested in?
- What do they want and need from me?
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Think About How You Want To Connect With People After That Moment
So, you’ve sold yourself on a new way of seeing your freelance marketing goals. Now it’s time to think about how you want to connect with people after that moment.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself about the person who hires you and the work you want to do:
- What do I want to achieve?
- How can I help them?
- What can they do for me?
- What’s in it for them?
- What’s in it for me?
Identify Key Influencers In Your Niche
Identifying key influencers in your niche is one of the most important steps to getting new clients. Influencers are people who have their audiences, and they can help you reach a larger audience by sharing your content with them.
There are a few ways you can identify influencers:
Find out who is already reaching out to these people on social media or emailing them directly with an offer of free work or advice.
If someone is actively promoting themselves as an expert or consultant, chances are they’re doing well financially so it makes sense that they’d be interested in expanding their business even further!
Search for people online who have large social media followings related to your niche (e.g., Instagram accounts with thousands of followers posting about interior design). You can also look up industry-focused blogs with large reader bases (e.g., Homepolish).
These individuals might not consider themselves “influencers,” but chances are good that many other readers would consider them so due to the popularity of their work/content creation.*
Reach out directly through email using LinkedIn’s advanced search tool when searching for potential partners based on keywords associated with their skill set.
Make Sure To Join Groups Relevant To Your Industry And Engage With People In Those Groups Regularly
In the freelance world, there are several ways to connect with others and learn from their experience. But these groups are not just good for getting advice on how to handle certain situations; they can also be used as a marketing tool.
You must join groups relevant to your industry and engage with people in those groups regularly. Be helpful, offer value, and don’t be afraid to ask questions when needed (but don’t overdo it).
Keep in mind that being consistent is key! If you have any goals in mind, make sure they are realistic so that both you and your clients will be happy when all is said and done.
Transparency will set up goodwill with your clients while being authentic will help them see who they are working with before they commit their business which leads me right into my next tip: patience!
Being patient at all times during the process is incredibly important because everything doesn’t always go according to plan (and if it does then we need our heads checked!).
There may be times where things get delayed or pushed back due unforeseen circumstances such as illness or family emergencies; never take anything personally but instead understand why this happened even though there may have been no malicious intent behind it whatsoever.”
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Give Them The Option To Sign Up For A Newsletter
Let them know how often you will be sending them emails. This is a good way to build trust, as it shows that you are not going to send them random marketing messages every day.
If they opt-in, make sure you have an unsubscribe function in place. This will help protect your brand and avoid any potential lawsuits over unsolicited messages or spamming.
Make sure that the email software is set up so that emails are sent from a different address than your business email account (i.e., instead of “johndoe@companyname.com” they should be sent from “johndoe@companyname-marketingblogger@gmail).
This can help prevent any confusion about who sends the message and what kind of information you are sending out there for people to see and whether or not they want this information being shared publicly with other companies on their behalf without their knowledge or consent!
Stick With One Topic, Or One Specialty At A Time
- Stick with one topic or one specialty at a time.
- Focus on one niche, industry, type of business, and/or product.
- Focus on just one type of client/customer: small businesses, medium-sized organizations, or large corporations.
If You’re Going To Give Something Away, Make Sure It’s Valuable
As you can probably imagine, giving something away that’s already been done can be a bit of a challenge. The good news is that there are lots of ways to give away something valuable while still putting your unique twist on it.
Here are some ideas:
Give away a tool or resource that will help them achieve their goals.
For example, if one of your goals is to increase engagement with social media followers, consider creating an infographic about how to do so or compiling some best practices for using social media at work (and then linking back to your services).
Give away something that solves a problem for freelance marketers (or those who want to become freelance marketers).
For example, if you notice that many freelancers struggle with staying organized between projects or finding new business opportunities online, you could create an ebook called “How To Stay Organized When You’re Freelancing.
This would also make sense as part of a larger course on entrepreneurship skills but it wouldn’t necessarily require anything more than an eBook for people who enjoyed reading it to feel like they got their money’s worth!
Give away content related specifically to saving time/money; this could take the form of several blog posts explaining how much money someone might save by doing X instead Y activity every day/week/month;
This could also mean creating short videos showing the exact step-by-step process involved
Elevating your marketing strategy requires careful optimization. Discover how to create meaningful engagement by reading our insights on optimizing your marketing strategy and effectively reaching your target audience.
Offer Your Services Pro Bono
Pro bono work is a great way to build your portfolio because it allows you to create high-quality work without any financial incentive.
In addition, pro bono work can help you build your reputation, network, and expertise. Here are some examples of how pro bono projects have helped me grow as a freelancer:
I worked on an internal website for my university’s faculty union that was shared with members across Canada. The project allowed me to create a website from scratch and establish myself as an expert in web design and development at this institution.
I volunteered at an organization that provides health services for low-income families in my community. This allowed me to develop relationships with local stakeholders who are now aware of my skillset and may refer business my way in the future.
Through working with non-profit organizations such as these two examples above, I’ve been able to grow both personally and professionally while contributing positively to my community!
Write A Comprehensive Description And Use Keywords In Your Profile
Your profile page is your virtual storefront and first impression. It’s where you get to explain who you are and what you do engagingly. Your clients will use this to decide if they want to work with you, so make sure that it’s clear, concise, and compelling.
To get started writing your description: Think about what keywords would be relevant for someone searching online for a freelancer like yourself. For example, if I were looking for a writer or editor, keywords might include “writer” or “editorial services.”
Now write out a few sentences describing exactly what it is that makes your business unique or different than other freelancers offering similar services.
Then, describe how you plan on helping clients achieve their goals through working with them (this is also known as a value proposition). Finally, add any specialties or certifications that may be relevant to the type of work you do (such as having worked specifically with nonprofits).
Crafting compelling narratives tailored to your audience can set your brand apart. Dive into the world of hyper-personalized storytelling with our exploration of the future of marketing and captivate your audience like never before.
Place Links On Other Websites Or Blogs That Are Relevant To Your Services Or Products That Lead Back To Your Website Or Blog
- Place links on other websites or blogs that are relevant to your services or products that lead back to your website or blog.
- Create a link at the bottom of every email you send out.
- Add an “About Us,” “Contact Us,” and/or “Resources” page where it is easy for people to find information about what they need from you, such as pricing and packages.
Further Reading
Explore more resources to deepen your understanding of marketing strategies and objectives:
Marketing Objectives Demystified Learn how to set effective marketing objectives to drive your business forward. Dive into this comprehensive guide on marketing objectives for actionable insights.
Marketing Plan Examples and Templates Looking for inspiration? Check out a collection of real-world marketing plan examples that can guide you in creating your own successful marketing strategies.
Crafting a Powerful Marketing Strategy Enhance your marketing approach by understanding the core elements of a successful strategy. Explore this blog post on creating a powerful marketing strategy for valuable insights.
FAQs
What are the key components of effective marketing objectives?
Successful marketing objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. They provide a clear direction for your marketing efforts and help evaluate their success.
How can I create a well-defined marketing plan?
Crafting a solid marketing plan involves identifying your target audience, setting clear goals, outlining strategies, and allocating resources effectively. Templates and examples can provide valuable guidance.
What role does a marketing strategy play in business growth?
A marketing strategy outlines your approach to promoting products or services, identifying target markets, and positioning your brand. It’s a roadmap for achieving business growth and customer engagement.
How can I align my marketing objectives with my overall business goals?
To align marketing objectives with business goals, ensure that your marketing efforts contribute directly to achieving broader company objectives, such as revenue growth or market expansion.
What are some common challenges in implementing marketing strategies?
Challenges may include changing consumer behavior, evolving technology, budget limitations, and staying ahead of competition. Regularly reviewing and adapting your strategy can help overcome these hurdles.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.