When you are first starting out as a freelancer, it can be hard to establish yourself as an online marketer. After all, you have no control over what products your clients will order and no guarantee that they will order anything from you in the first place.
With so much competition, it’s essential that you find a way to stand out from the crowd. Fortunately, there are a number of tactics you can use to increase your presence online and boost your conversion rates. The following are six tips that will help you achieve this.
Launch A Blog
A blog is a great way to establish yourself as an expert in your industry. Not only will they provide you with content to syndicate across social media platforms, but they can also function as a place for potential clients to come for more information.
If you are new to blogging, starting with a free blog that can be accessed via any device is a great way to get your feet wet. There are plenty of platforms that allow for easy blogging, like WordPress and SquareSpace, that also provide you with a free domain. From there, you can look into buying a premium plan to unlock all the features.
The benefits of a blog are numerous. Not only will you be able to establish yourself as an expert in your industry, but you can also use the platform to build a substantial audience that will help you gain future clients. Furthermore, many bloggers build their entire business around their blog, so if you are looking to gain some experience, blogging is a great way to do so.
Create YouTube Channels
YouTube is the second largest video platform, after Facebook, and has over a billion users. In 2019, 54.8 million people were created on YouTube, and 11 million of those were active daily users.
As with blogging, establishing a YouTube channel is a great way to draw in potential clients. Not only will you be able to use the platform to show off your expertise, but you can also upload videos of yourself providing valuable information to potential customers. Furthermore, you can use keywords and tags to make your videos more discoverable, and you can put in as much effort as you want into making the content funny, interesting, and informative.
YouTube can also be a great place for your audience to come for more information about your industry. If you are an astrology enthusiast, for example, you can create a channel to show people all about horoscopes and the different zodiac signs. Or if you are an avid baker, you can create a channel to show people the ins and outs of making the perfect loaf of bread.
Join Online Communities
A healthy community is essential for any business, whether you are a freelancer or a solopreneur. Joining forums like Reddit, where you can engage with potential clients, brings with it the opportunity to establish yourself as an expert in your industry. Not only will you be able to provide valuable information to people, but you will also be able to expose your expertise to people who may not have known much about your industry.
If you are on Reddit, be sure to keep up with the conversation by posting relevant content and engaging with people. One great way to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry is to create a subreddit where people can come together to discuss the various topics that you are passionate about. Whether it’s productivity, sales, or leadership, there’ll be people who have questions about what you believe in and what you offer as a service.
Start A Twitter Account
Twitter is the largest social media network, with over 500 million monthly active users. Like YouTube, Twitter can also be a great place for your audience to come together and catch up on your latest content. However, Twitter is more than just a platform, it is a community where people engage with each other via multiple-choice questions.
This is a great place for marketers to come for inspiration. If you are looking for ways to engage with your audience on social media, consider creating a Twitter account to hold seminars with relevant hashtags, or to just follow and engage with people who are sharing content that is valuable to your audience.
Establish Yourself As An Authority In Your Industry
People want to do business with experts they can trust, so if you are looking to establish your expertise in your industry, consider putting in the work to become an authority in your field. Local businesses, universities, and trade associations can all be sources of information and introductions to potential customers.
Forbes has a list of the top 50 authority figures in business and leadership. If you are looking to climb the ranks, consider using your blog to establish yourself as an expert in your industry, and then use your Twitter to engage with people and let them know that you are indeed an expert in your industry.
Use Social Media To Build Relationships
Social media can be a powerful tool in your marketing toolbox, whether you are a freelancer or a solopreneur. Not only will you be able to use the platform to gain new customers, but you can also use the content that you post to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
If you are posting regularly and engaging with your audience, you will start to see a change in your social media metrics. According to HubSpot Blogging, those who post the most frequently and engage with their audience the most successfully build the most effective blogging communities. Furthermore, creating a blog that is highly informative and valuable to your audience will also increase your engagement on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter.
To get started, simply create a blog (free or premium) and then use the platform to post regularly and engage with your audience. Then when you have built up a small community, you can take advantage of the increased reach that comes with a larger platform to launch your own ecommerce store or to start up a side-hustle.
The Bottom Line
In summary, there are a number of ways that you can use the internet to establish yourself as an expert in your industry. Whether you are a freelancer looking to gain new customers or a solopreneur looking to make a name for yourself, having a blog provides you with fresh content to distribute across the different platforms that you use regularly. Moreover, by joining online communities, participating in thought leadership, and becoming an authoritative voice in your industry, you can exponentially increase your reach and draw in more customers. With the right tools, information, and dedication, anyone can be an online Marketer.