Marketing has great importance in this era. Without marketing, it’s hard to grow a freelance writing business with full potential.
Just bidding on freelance marketplaces and waiting for clients to get more work is not the only strategy to grow your writing business. You should follow different marketing methods that will be helpful for the long term growth of your business.
Below 10 marketing strategies are given that will help to get consistent work. Follow some of them to get more work in future.
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Set up a Blog
Starting a blog in your niche or blogging about your services is a good way to market your services. However, blogging requires patience and hard work to rank in search engines. Consistently blogging will give you results in long run. Publish at least one blog post per week.
Blogging increases your chances to be found in search engines.
You never know, someone reaches to your blog like your content and hire you.
Add service page, hire me page and contact page in your blog so people reading your blog reach out to you and contact you for business inquiries.
[Read: Best Blogging Ideas]
2. Guest Posting
Guest posting means writing blog posts on someone’s website with an author bio. In this way, you will appear in front of different readership and can promote yourself through writing and author bio.
Try to guest blog in your niche blogs otherwise, guest blogging will be of no use. Consider popular websites for guest posting. Popular blogs or authoritative websites show your credibility of work and help to spread your content to a larger audience.
3. Create a Writer Website
Every professional writer has a writer website to showcase their services. Sometimes clients use google to find freelance writers. So, build a website and optimize it for search engines so clients can find you easily on search engines.
You can create a writer website by using WordPress or Wix. Add a portfolio page, contact page and about page in your writer website for your branding purposes. Having a writer website shows your credibility as a professional writer.
4. Cold Pitch
Cold pitch is the process of sending emails to strangers possibly clients to offer your services. Freelance writers send cold pitching to companies and solopreneurs for getting business.
In this process, you send cold emails to companies and bloggers and tell them you are a freelance writer for hire. So if they are interested in your pitch idea they can contact you.
5. Warm Pitching
Warm pitching is the process of introducing yourself to others before sending them an email. In this way, you introduce yourself to brands or companies by commenting on their blogs or engaging them on social media. Later you send them emails and offer your writing service.
The chances of acceptance of your warm pitch are greater than a cold email as companies already know you.
6. Be an Influencer
In the online world, clients use different approaches to assign their work. They can also use social media to find freelancers. Get on any of your preferred social media sites and post content related to your niche consistently.
Regularly posting content on social media platforms just not only build your followers but will also increase organic reach in your social media profiles. So in one way you are an influencer and in another way you are available for clients through organic reach.
Use Canva to create social media posts. It’s simple and easy to use.
[Read this: Top 10 online freelance trainers in Pakistan]
7. Run Paid Ads
Now because of the digital world, the marketing of the business is not as costly as it used to be in past. Traditional marketing costs more than digital marketing. Advertisements through posters and banners are examples of traditional marketing.
Run Facebook ads or Google ads to get leads for your business.
This strategy is good for experienced freelancers as they have a strong portfolio to show to clients. You can use Fiverr or freelance groups to get services from social media advertisers.
8. Talk to Peers and Relatives
You can get work through your network. Tell your friends, relatives and people around you that you are a freelance writer. In Pakistan, many businesses are getting online. So getting work through people around you is possible.
If you tell people about your services so chances are someone in your peers in need of a content writer may contact you.
Telling people around your business is also part of the marketing process. So spread your words to others and get more work.
9. Create Professional Profiles on social media
Create professional profiles on popular social media sites. You should be everywhere for online business so clients can find you and contact you easily. The best social media sites for writers are Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest. Add a professional photo, write an engaging bio, add your writer website or portfolio link. Post consistently your blogs there.
- Discuss your achievements regarding your writing career.
- Engage with people in your industry.
- Use popular hashtags especially on Twitter and LinkedIn to get organic reach in your profile.
You never know someone catches attention to your work and contact you and hire you immediately.
10. Have Testimonials
Testimonials are a goldmine for freelancers whether you are a writer or graphics designer testimonials are inevitable for your business.
Testimonials are written feedback for your work given by the client. Get testimonials from clients and paste them into your website or LinkedIn profile. These are proof of your previous work history.
Testimonials prove you are a credible person to assign work.
If someone is a ghostwriter or have done work but don’t have any bylines, collecting testimonials and putting them on their websites can make a big difference.
If you want to boost your business, so invest your time in the marketing of the business. Especially focus on digital marketing as it is becoming an important part of businesses. Every business nowadays adopts digital marketing strategies to get leads.
[Read also: How to start freelancing in Pakistan]
Hi, I am Tanzeela Kausar, a freelance writer. I am passionate to write about career, education and personal finance topics. In my free time, I like watching movies and reading books. You can reach me on Twitter: @TanzeelaDhillon