Member-only story
Make More Money: Marketing Isn’t a Dirty Word
The people and businesses who need you the most don’t know who you are yet.
Why do so many people, especially freelancers, hate the idea of marketing themselves?
I’ve asked many writers, editors, and artists this question, and I’ve gotten a lot of different answers, including:
- I don’t know how
- I hate talking about myself
- Marketing doesn’t matter
- I don’t have time
Do any of these sound like you?
You’re shortchanging yourself thinking this way. And your business. And especially your bank account.
Why freelance marketing is exceptionally important
Marketing yourself is just another way of saying “looking for clients.”
For freelancers, who usually don’t have the budget and resources for a marketing or advertising team, it comes down to trying to build a pipeline of upcoming clients.
Some believe freelancing is a feast or famine, but that can be managed very effectively by continuous marketing efforts so that you always have a new line of potential clients finding out about you.
Literally, a few small changes and 15 minutes per day can change your business (I added these at the end!).
Marketing isn’t a dirty word — it will change your business.
You probably do some marketing already, even if you don’t call it that.
The most common marketing strategies for freelancers and small businesses are:
- Newsletters/email campaigns
- Facebook/Instagram/Tiktik ads
- Social media posts and comments
- Maintaining a nice website and updating it when needed, potentially with a blog
The thing most people seem to find distasteful or anxiety-inducing is the idea of simply reaching out and messaging, emailing, or calling someone they don’t know or who hasn’t reached out to them first.