As business owners we worry about marketing our skills. I know, I’ve been there. I invite you to activate your business brain. Switch on your marketing mindset.
If you want potential clients to know that you are available for work, you need to tell them using marketing. Otherwise how will they know?
Tall Tartan Talks here … I give you tips on how to market your business. These are strategies I’ve tried when marketing my proofreading business. They have reinforced that I am friendly, efficient and trustworthy. Sprinkling publishing confidence.
Let’s begin at the beginning. If you don’t have a website, have a presence on social media, for example, LinkedIn. Here’s my profile page.
I post many marketing tips on LinkedIn for edibuddies and other freelancers. Find my tips by searching for my hashtag #TallTartanTips then follow to be notified of my posts.
The tips are handy reminders I have picked up in the CIEP (Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, ciep.uk) forums, at Drive the Partnership Network, and on social media about how to own, run, and market your business.
Use my tips as reminders to help you maintain a positive business brain and marketing mindset.
Tips about marketing your business
I have sorted my tips into six categories:
- Useful resources
- Using social media
- Blogging
- How to be a business owner
- Motivation tips.
Useful resources
- Build a website or pay someone you trust to build it for you. It is your shop window which you own, unlike your social media profiles.
- Make time for investigating resources that will help you improve your marketing. Listen to the podcasts of experts in your field.
- Invest money in resources: you need to speculate to accumulate. It could be a course or a tool to help you do your job more effectively.
Using social media
- Follow useful connections on LinkedIn, who might know others in industries you have an interest in. This could help find you work.
- Like, comment, and engage with connections on social media. Be brave.
- Be even braver. Plan content for social media. Have a strategy for showcasing your work by sharing testimonials, plans for the coming week, wins of the last week, poignant thoughts that will resonate with others …
Blogging
I use blogging to get eyes on my website. I write posts about freelancing, education, and running a business. Then I share them on social media otherwise no one will know I’ve published a new post.
Search and follow the hashtag for my blog #TallTartanTalks on LinkedIn. Or go to my blog on my website.
I have self-published an eBook collection of my blog posts as a way to explore self-publishing. Find Tall Tartan Talks – My Collection of Blog Posts: Tips on Running a Business on Amazon.
How to be a business owner
- Feel the fear and do it anyway.
- Think of yourself as a business owner wearing many hats. If needs be, outsource the skills you don’t have to those who have the skills.
- Practise the 3Ps: patience, perseverance, persistence.
- Look out for your physical and mental health. Ensure a work/life balance by setting personal boundaries. Go outside and get some fresh air by walking or gardening. Perhaps walk in the woods among the trees, which works for me.
Motivation tips
Those who go fishing catch the fish.
Thor A Rain, lead writer of the book First Aid For Feelings Manual from The Helpful Clinic (I proofread their book.)
I love this quote because you can’t catch fish (get clients) unless you go fishing (email or phone them). It is up to you to tell clients that you are available for work. How else will they know? It’s a no-brainer.
Thor and Nicki’s book, First Aid For Feelings – the essential Manual for self-care skills and good health, emphasises how to look after yourself and gives tips on how to be physically and mentally healthy. That’s especially important when you run your own business. (See image in my gallery.)
I gain valuable advice from members like Thor when we attend Drive, our networking group on Zoom. The weekly meetings are a collaborative space where my freelancer tribe shares wins, problems and advice. I learn something worthwhile at every meeting which helps me stay motivated. Find your tribe and safe space.
Inspired by Thor, I created a marketing strategy that I use when emailing prospective clients: Eight steps that worked for me.
Testimonial
“Annie encouraged me to market my services to companies I knew I could help. She helped me to see that someone will see your content and want to use your services at some point in the future, so it makes sense to keep marketing.
If you are proactive with marketing, and don’t worry about the responses, you will fit someone’s need, somewhere. You’re right – they won’t know if you don’t tell them. Annie helped me think more clearly about where to go with my marketing. Thank you!”
Andrea Constable of Squiggle Social
Since writing this, my post as part of this mindet is available: 8 Steps for Reaching Out to New Clients
Sprinkling publishing confidence,
Annie
Emailing
Email me to check my availability for proofreading non-fiction and children’s books.
Subscribing
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