Inch by inch, row by row, that’s the way the Garden grows…
This is the only wisdom that you have to keep in mind when you start marketing your home-based freelance business or service. Of course at times you might be awfully frustrated to take your business, which is just one-to-one, with no inventory, employees or rent, to the next level quickly.
At one point it will seem like a cakewalk, but when the customers flock-in like in hundreds or when the phone falls off the hook, homebased freelancers often fall out due to lack of time management, organization and other things and trying to juggle everything by their own.
So, first take a deep breath, then calm your senses and cheer up as we take you through 9 easy marketing tips for home based freelancers:
1. Focus on a Single Product or Service
Don’t try to be all things for people. Focusing on a single thing, marketing it, selling it and doing everything to keep its sales increasing, is often easier and less cumbersome than picking two or more product, which eventually will garner less profit for a home-based freelancer.
Even if it’s as simple as making ribbons, concentrate on creating beautiful ones and focus on growing its customer base.
2. Don’t Miss the Opportunity to Bring Out Related Items – Expand Product Line
This is applicable only when you have created a strengthening clientele for your existing product or service. It will give customers a wider selection and will also providean opportunity to those retailers who like to stock a line of products from a single brand than go for a single item.
Taking ribbons for example, after a good year for sales, expand your product line to make items like wrist-bands, hair pins, gift baskets etc.
3. Develop New Ideas to Market Your Products to Your Existing Customers
This is easier than finding new customers. Introducing product line to your loyal customers is a good idea, but even if you don’t expand your product line, you can sell more of your products to them in an attractive way.
For example, if you can afford to spend, you can create different offers, like ‘buy one and get one free’ and ‘buy two in the value of one’. Another rewarding way to boost sales is giving out freebies, something like a ‘free hair cut if bill crosses $500’ or ‘free coupon after 10 paid services’.
4. Hire Someone – an Intern, a Helper, your Kids or a Freelancer
This will not only enable you to develop a large network but also balance your expenses and productivity much better. Since you cannot and shouldn’t afford to hire a full time staff, a freelancer or an independent contractor would be a better option.
Example: If your ribbons and wrist bands are getting immensely popular and you are running out of design ideas or time for packing & delivery, hire a freelancer for designing the products and colour combinations or hire someone for packing the items.
5. Team Up with Another Thriving Company to Promote Your Business
You should partner with a related company and see how easy and cheap is it a marketing technique that you can employ.
However, make sure the company you partner has no product similar or even distinctly similar to your products. It should be give & take; if they help you to promote your products, you should also market theirs.
If you design wedding gowns for example, you can convince a beauty parlour or jeweller to carry it in their store and direct their brides to you and like-wise you can pass on free trial coupons of the store or salon to your customers.
6. Sell Your Products for Different Demographic or Market
If your focus is on school goers and teens, expand your target audience to college goers and officer goers. If you sell your product to working moms, try selling it to home-makers and pregnant moms.
Make some modifications in your production, like new design or plan that fit all. You can also use the retail-oriented product or service strategy.
For instance, you can contact a local bakery or supermarket to sell your home-baked cakes, muffins, tarts and pies at a retail price while you sell your products to the bakery at a wholesale rate.
7. Find New Mediums for Marketing
You can use one of those umpteen numbers of marketing medium to promote your services and product. You don’t have to spend any money to market your home based freelance business. There are so many tools and methods that you can use to spread a word about your services.
You can send out weekly news-letters via email to customers, use Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to talk about your products and services, and also use WhatsApp Business to create groups. Plus, you can also take classes or conduct a small work-shop to further promote your skills and knowledge.
8. Either Create a Website or a Blog Post Site or Both to Sell Products Online
It’s no longer necessary to open a store to sell your products; the internet will do it for you.
For home-based freelancers who are especially into creating unique stuff like artefacts, gourmet foods, collectibles etc. a web based store or boutique will help you reach millions of customers around the world without much investment.
With technology peaking at its invention, now you can create your own Website, Domain Name and Host your site for less than $20 a month. All you have to choose is an authentic company who will register your Domain Name (the website address or URL).
The same company will provide you templates to build and host your pages on their server. eCommerce site charges are little higher.
9. Try Expanding Your Services to Another Location
This could be your final take and should be thought about only when you have a thriving business running. You can rent an office space or share a space in a business centre for a monthly fee.
This is not exactly suitable for home-based freelancers who sell products or perishable goods. But this is mainly for freelancers who offer professional services like auditors, accountants, homeopathic doctors, physiotherapist etc.
