Part of building your business is adapting to change. You may still use traditional ways of marketing (ads, direct mail), but to make sure your business survives in the digital age, online marketing should be included in your plan.
Reasons why it’s a good idea to market online
When I first started freelancing, I remember getting calls from a New York agency for translation jobs. How did they find out about my services, I wondered? Then I remembered that I had once created a member profile at a translation website, which is how the agency must have found me. It was exciting to get my first jobs from people who found me online, all because I joined and completed my member profile!
To sum up a few reasons why your business should be online:
- Your prospective clients are looking for your services online, at any time of the day.
- Forms a great opportunity to interact and form relationships with your (future) clients.
- Becomes an economical way of attracting clients, especially when sharing helpful content.
- Google loves great content and with good SEO (search engine optimization) your site may rank higher in search results.
- Creates a competitive advantage for you that others who are not online will not have.
How do you market your services online?
All good to know, you may think, but how do I go about doing this online marketing? Don’t you worry, it is actually not that complicated.
If you are tech-savvy you will have to spend some time and effort to do it yourself. But if you have no time or inclination to go that route? Hire someone to help. Here are some guidelines to follow for building trust with your visitors and customers:
- Create your online presence with a member profile or, with your own website.
- Include a photo of yourself so people can see who will work on their projects.
- Use your real name because no one wants to deal with an anonymous service provider.
- Give detailed descriptions of your services and your processes.
- Share your experience and expertise so visitors will know if you fit their project.
- Describe all the reasons why clients should choose you.
What do freelancers think of online marketing?
The majority of freelancers may not like or know how to do online marketing but make an effort any way. Here are some results from a recent survey of about 2000 freelancers to give you a better idea.
- 55% spends 3 hours per week on online marketing efforts
- 51% says it takes too much time
- 41% says it’s too expensive
- 83% spends money on marketing
- 72% invests less than $100 to market online
According to a study of US internet users, about 80% do preliminary research online before making a purchase. So would it be worth to spend some time, efforts or money to market your business online? I’d say: Heck YES!
Since each business is unique and has different needs, there really is no standard for how much time or money you need to spend to benefit from your online marketing efforts. As long as you take action, so just do it!
Website vs member profile
Where do you start to get your business on the internet? To have an online presence, you could either have a member profile with a professional organization (like Proz.com, Translator’s Cafe, etc.) or have your own website. You could even have both, but which is more effective? Since you are in charge, that will depend entirely on you.
Here are some pros and cons to consider for helping you make your own choice.
Member profile
Pros
- You are part of a professional organization.
- It’s where customers go to find a translator.
- There is a community of peers to help or give feedback when needed.
Cons
- You’re lumped together with your competitors.
- The content and format of your profile is controlled by the organization.
- It’s hard to stand out.
Website
Pros
- A unique website can help you stand out.
- Using good SEO practice will help you get exposure outside community sites.
- You have more control over the format and content to share.
Cons
- Requires more efforts to market online, i.e. adding content, using SEO.
- Takes time to build relationships on social media and pull visitors onto your site.
- Standing on your own may feel a bit lonely.
Looking at the advantages and disadvantages will give you a better picture of what may work better for you. It doesn’t mean that you have to choose one over the other either, because you could have both. Get started by finding an organization you can belong in and create a member profile. Maximize your exposure by listing your own website too.
What is one to do?
Whichever channel your choose to market your services on the internet, follow these guidelines for optimizing your online presence.
- Be relatable and don’t be afraid to show who you are.
- Provide detailed information about your services and the way your work.
- Implement at least some basic SEO to increase your chances of being found in search results.
- Use social media to form relationships first, before pitching your services or products.
- Over-deliver and be helpful to gain fans and build a great reputation.
We hope these tips were helpful to get you started or enhance your online marketing efforts.
List of (free or paid) membership sites:
Ready for your own website? Need help with an existing site, or do you have any questions?
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