The Internet gives you a seat at the global table. It extends your reach to people you might never meet, lets you be everywhere at once, and works while you’re not: You might be asleep or going all in on your best poker hand in months while someone nine time zones away is sipping coffee, browsing your website, and deciding you’re the best person for the job he needs done.
Turning Up the Volume
Online marketing should amplify, not replace, in-person marketing. These freelancers tell how they use it to stay on contacts’ radar:
“When I updated my website last year, I sent an email blast to all my contacts. And every six months or so if things are slow, I send an email, basically saying, ‘Hi, I’m here for you if you need anything.’ I get responses.”
“In my professional group’s monthly meetings, I might talk with a member 6 times a year, about 10 minutes each time. Would I expect him to trust me with a major project based on an hour of small talk? No. But if we do that and connect online, it really pushes my marketing momentum. He reads my social media posts; I read and comment on his. I send him interesting articles. If I do 5 posts a day, 3 days a week, that’s 15 posts per week, or 750 posts a year (allowing 2 weeks’ vacation!). I’ve made up to 750 additional impressions on him, compared to 6.”
You’re busy and the Internet’s vast, so be strategic and find the online marketing methods that work for you. This chapter aims to help you figure that out.
The Internet hums with millions of conversations. Your challenge: finding the people who want to tune in to you. Thus a ridiculous amount of attention is paid to some terms and practices you should know about.
I’ve done it. You’ve done it.
I refer to the shameless-yet-smart practice of looking yourself up online.
When you do, you’re using a search engine, which trawls the Internet finding and listing all the places where your name appears.
Search engines are information hoarders that chug around cyberspace 24/7, tracking changes constantly. You want to harness their info-hoarding talents.
In Chapter 4, you learned about mirroring prospects’ language to build trust. The Internet version: online content using words and phrases people use to search for products and services like yours.
Search engines know those keywords in excruciating statistical detail. So can you, using analytic tools (some free, some paid) such as Google Adwords: Keyword Tool (adwords.google.com). Ask your peers how they’d look up someone like you. Try searches using different keywords and study the top-listed websites.
The more you use your prospects’ language, the more relevant search engines may deem you on those topics, and the higher you may show in search listings. It’s like being at eye-level on a store shelf, in an optimized position to be noticed.
Of course, it’s not really that simple. Search engines also notice your content’s relevance to the keywords searchers use, links to your content found elsewhere on the Internet, and other factors. All are weighed, or indexed, using secret algorithms to calculate your potential relevance to searchers, and thus your ranking. It’s not a perfect imitation of how humans size people up, but it’s all the Internet’s got.
Because search engines are constantly chugging, you have lots of chances to optimize your ranking by updating your content, refining your keywords and creating relevant content, making friends online by linking to others and having them link to you, and most important being an active, informative presence. This is the “have a strategy” aspect of the marketing trifecta we talked about in Chapter 8.
Of course, just finding a product at eye level on the store shelf doesn’t mean you’ll buy it. Which is why slick SEO strategy is no substitute for having a product or service people really want. True relevance to your customers, coupled with knowing how to express that relevance in ways search engines understand, is smart SEO.
Because SEO is so complicated, once you’re involved in a real marketing campaign, you might want to hire another freelancer who can do all the stuff that needs doing to help you show up higher in a search. It’s kind of like hiring an accountant: Sometimes it pays to hire an expert. Hey—maybe this is a good barter opportunity (see Chapters 11 and 15).
Think about products and services you like and recommend. We might say you have a relationship with them. Social media optimization involves building online relationships with people who might become or connect you with customers. You do this using Chapter 8’s “think give, not get” approach: offering useful, appealing, interesting information that encourages people to visit you online, share your coolness with others, and maybe, in time, become clients. That buzz around your content gets noticed by search engines.
Dressing thin content in catchy keywords won’t get you into the SEO party. You need content that’s rich in utility and optimal keywords in website page titles, headlines, and opening material (what pops up in searches), so people click on your stuff. Then your high-quality, keyword-rich content might link to pages deeper in your site, so people stay there, browsing and enjoying. You should also link to others’ website pages that you find useful, delightful, or important. Become a hub for awesome information online.
The more people appreciate your content, the more apt they are to share your links. The greater the sharer’s influence, the more likely they’ll drive traffic to your site.
All of this boosts SEO. Do a handspring! If any of these folks eventually becomes a customer, do a handspring and a cartwheel.
An idea file can help keep your digital content quality high. Save every idea and relevant link you could share. Here are some to get you started (for more, see Blog or Slog?):
Opinion pieces. Weigh in on an industry issue.
Problems/solutions/explanations/FAQs. Show your chops: Explain how you solve a common problem, answer a client question, or tell or show how a process or product works. It might become a webinar or tutorial.
Inside views. Reveal what pros know that customers often don’t.
Product reviews. Help readers be smart consumers and show your knowledge of industry best practices.
What will be your base in cyberspace? Will you have your own website? A bio on a professional site? A business page on a social media site? All of the above? Choose a focal point to concentrate your efforts.
“My website has been worth every nickel, though it’s a hassle to keep it updated,” Jing, a children’s songwriter, says. “Often the first thing people do is look you up online. If you don’t have a website that catches their attention, odds are that’s where it’ll end. When I perform at schools, every teacher thinks they’ve already met me because they’ve seen my video on my website.”
Below we’ll look at three levels of website complexity. First, some general guidelines.
The well-appointed website:
Knows what works and what doesn’t. Become a website voyeur. Study other websites’ design, content, and navigability. What draws you in, tosses you out? But remember, your website needs to show who you are. Don’t go for a corporate look if that’s not you. Ask your network how they built their sites and why. Read and take some classes or webinars on website development and online marketing.
Stays current. Since search engines notice change, even minor updates to your website—a photo and a little text—are good things. Your website shouldn’t require more than you’re willing to do to maintain and keep it fresh.
Knows what interests visitors. A successful website engages visitors from the instant it opens and is structured by what they want to know.
Reflects your style. Corporate websites have to be all things to all people, but you can give your website your own spin. Being yourself also helps you qualify prospects: You’re more likely to attract good matches.
Makes you easy to find. Make it easy to contact you from any page on the site. Make it easy for visitors to provide their contact info so you can build a mailing list. Remember “think give, not get” and offer something in exchange: A free article, a resource list, a recipe, an exercise, a song.
Answers frequently asked questions. It saves everyone’s time and communicates how you work.
Listing your rates is a personal decision. Some freelancers with fixed or minimum rates find it eliminates tire-kickers. Clients may like the transparency. Or try an optional section where prospects can tell you what they need and select their budget range from a menu.
Shows you off. Share your background and training, a client list, work samples (get clients’ permission first—build it into your contracts if possible), video or audio clips, and client testimonials: “I got a superlative endorsement and put it on my website. It wasn’t exactly unexpected, since I’d asked for it. But I didn’t expect it to be so stupendous. It made me feel great about the work I’d done.”
Protects your rights and your visitors’. Explain your policy on not sharing visitors’ contact or personal information. Protect your copyright in your site. Do you need to include other terms and conditions, disclosures, policies, or disclaimers? Discuss this with a lawyer.
First step: buying a domain name. Search online under “domain name registration” to find registrars, see if the name you want is available, and buy it for a modest fee.
It could be your business name (which could be or include your name), ideally ending with .com, or your own name (or a version), depending on availability.
Your choice of hosting service (prices and capabilities vary) depends on your needs and the complexity and capability (current and anticipated) of your website. Read reviews and ask other freelancers.
Could a prepackaged, hosted website be for you? The design and technology are licensed to you; you just supply the content. You sacrifice some uniqueness and customization for lower cost and easy setup—but it’s a no-fail, reasonably priced, website recipe you can season with a few of your own flavors and quickly serve up a site that won’t embarrass you, without hiring a developer or designer.
A prepackaged option may not be for you if you plan to fast-track your site’s growth or have a really specific vision. Before you commit, read the terms of service and know exactly what the package will let you do. Want to upload audio or video? Get the file size limits. Want to sell products (or plan to)? Find out how orders are processed, including security and fulfillment.
If someone’s visiting your site, they’re motivated to learn about you. So make sure your home page looks great, directs visitors clearly, and links to other social media spaces where they can find you.
SEO start-up: Include links to your website anywhere you’re visible online and in your email signature file.
ASK SARA
Q Dear Sara, I’m a professional bookkeeper, and I also make and sell jewelry. Can I have both on my website?
A Freelancing lets you pursue multiple passions for profit. But if you combine them in one website, some prospects might question how you can be equally good at and dedicated to such different things. (“Is she doing my monthly billing or prepping for the craft show?”) If one activity pays less or is perceived as lower-status, it might devalue your services.
If you have any concerns about perception, set up a dedicated website for your craftwork or join a professional online group such as Etsy (etsy.com).
HELP YOURSELF ALERT
If you’re hiring a website developer, ask how they prime a website to be adaptable as technology changes. What’s their experience with features you might want to add? Do they test performance on multiple browsers (which?), and processes such as secure payment? How will their work facilitate SEO? Also important: building in security against malware. And what’s their support policy?
Want to step up? There are choices to make. And possibly more expense, if you’re hiring help (see A Developing Story).
Think how visitors to your site would want to use it. How would someone make an online appointment or purchase? Is it likely that they’ll be using a smartphone to access your site? Will your website look great and be fully usable on different-size screens and types of devices? Discuss the possibilities with your designer and developer.
On the SEO side: Lurk less; comment and share more. Work on building relationships with and linking to other sites. Keep updating your site with new blog posts, articles, or other content.
If you want a website that looks fierce, markets you like a rock star, and functions like a geek’s fever dream, these abilities don’t usually come rolled into one person. You may need to hire a website designer, website developer, and a marketing consultant.
A designer focuses on the site’s look and visitors’ experience. The developer should be expert at programming and function. An online marketing consultant should help you figure out your customers’ needs and what features your website should have.
Get deeper into tutorials, newsletters, and blogs on online marketing and websites. Talk to freelancers with great websites; ask who they hired. The clearer you can be about what you want, the better your team should be able to cost out the job and deliver what you need.
Make your website scalable: built to accommodate added features, growing traffic, and technological change. If e-commerce is your goal, work with your developer to set up your store so products and services can be added. And keep your security up-to-date.
You already know the key to good digital marketing: Be helpful on subjects where you’re knowledgeable, and you build visibility, trust, and a following. With or without a website, you can pursue any of the items below.
It’s your digital goldmine: an instant, low-cost, direct line to people who’ve trusted you enough to provide their contact info. (Important note: This doesn’t mean they’ve opted in for mailings.) A good mailing list is:
Democratic: Everyone has or can develop one.
Versatile: You can email one person, handpick a group, or reach hundreds with a click.
Trackable: You can tell who opens your emails, clicks on the links, opts in or out, enrolls, registers, votes, or buys.
Any Level 4 ventures stand a better chance if your mailing list is current.
Our email inboxes have become like digital dens. We don’t like it when people drop in uninvited. Drop in on your email contacts this way and you might end up in the trash or deleted as spam.
There are legal penalties for violating anti-spam laws, so play it very safe. Some tips:
• Always get consent before adding anyone to your mailing list.
• Include a clear opt-out or unsubscribe.
• Include a valid return email address, your company name, and your physical mailing address.
• Don’t ever supply email addresses to others.
Check out “CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business” from the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection Business Center (http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus61-can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business). Unsure how the law applies to your situation? Consult a lawyer.
And remember:
Think give, not get. Give people a little something in exchange for signing up to your mailing list.
Always be relevant. If people hear from you too often about stuff they’re not interested in, you’ll lose them.
An email newsletter is a digital upgrade of a time-tested marketing tool. While websites and blogs wait to be visited, an email newsletter goes visiting (to fully consenting recipients, as just discussed), bearing enticing links to your website or blog.
No website or blog? An email newsletter is a super-fast, supercheap way to remind people about your products and services and launch new ones.
Hate public speaking? An email newsletter lets you build an audience without putting on a tie, wearing heels, or suffering an attack of dry mouth.
What would your readers find interesting, helpful, or diverting? Ask your network how they create, design, send, and manage their newsletters.
Not into doing your own? If your professional group has one, ask if members can contribute content. Pitch some ideas. Your byline can include your website and contact info.
Trust in the sender is critical in getting people to open an email. Consistently use your name or business name as the sender.
Putting your e-newsletter title in the subject line builds trust and branding.
If possible, pick up some design elements of your website or business materials.
A lot of people read email in a viewing panel, so make your lead compelling and your entries short. Or give digests, with links to a deeper dive: blog posts, articles, video, photos.
Write it into your calendar. Work on it a little each day. You risk losing momentum and credibility if you send out a couple issues, followed by silence.
Put opt-in language in your email signature file, on your website, and on your blog. Ask prospects if they’d like to receive your email newsletter. If you give talks, pass a signup sheet or ask people to give you their business card if they’d like to be added to your mailing list.
SEO’s Dynamic Duo!
A blog (short for web log—a term no one uses) is an online log of your thoughts, ideas, insights, opinions, discoveries, and perceptions. Blogs can be text-, video-, or image-based, or a microblog: a mix of super-short posts with visuals and links.
You can quickly set up a blog on a free blog site, integrate your blog into your website, use a blog instead of a website, or start a blog as precursor to a website.
Blogs are SEO boosters and marketing tools because:
1 You can update them anytime with fresh, relevant, keyword-rich content.
2 They’re a platform for linking to others’ content, and vice versa.
3 They let you cultivate relationships online: Readers can comment on your posts and you can respond.
4 They can funnel subscribers to your email newsletter.
5 You can incubate ideas by seeing what generates comments and interest.
6 You can build the trust that can pave the way to business.
A good blog is a significant time investment. Committed bloggers post every day. Be prepared to do weekly posts or several per month minimum. Consistency is key. We talked in Chapter 6 about being there for your clients. This is being there online.
It helps to have a goal. Do you want to get paying customers? It’s not easy to make money directly from a blog unless it’s from ad display (assuming your blog subject is attractive to advertisers). Instead, you might try an email newsletter, which goes to people who’ve already confirmed their interest in you. Do you want to connect with prospects? Make sure your content addresses their interests—this sounds obvious, but it’s surprisingly easy to lose focus.
It’s totally up to you. But keep it real, not too formal, and informative, like a good conversation. Some topics:
• What you’ve always wanted people to know about your industry: why it’s cool, frustrating, freaky, weird, wonderful, or wildly unpredictable. It’s your very own virtual soapbox. Climb up and wave your arms.
• New developments in your field and what they mean for your customers
• A list of really good resources
• Inside tips, tactics, strategies, warnings, or updates
• Examples of how you work and why
• What you learned from attending a workshop, seminar, show, or speech
• Interviews with pros in your field (a great excuse to call prospects and cross-link to other websites or blogs)
• What to ask or look for when hiring professionals like you
• Product reviews
• Regular features: a weekly summary, recipe, or project; a monthly digest; a “best of” list; an annual roundup
• A demonstration of how something is done or of how something works (or what to do when it doesn’t)
• Themed posts tied to holidays or seasons
• Ways to save time, energy, money, or all three
End some posts with “What do you think?” You want your blog to be “rapport-talk,” not “report talk,” as mentioned in Chapter 8.
You can start by following some blogs that get good traffic, are read by people in your target markets, and that you like.
Then start commenting on a few. Don’t crash the party; introduce yourself with a few words about what you do. Show appreciation of the posts and of others’ comments, and contribute your own. Link to helpful resources. Ask questions. Become familiar as a regular. (Once you start blogging, your comments might sometimes include links to relevant blog posts you’ve written, but they shouldn’t be excuses for self-promotion. Link to others’ content, too.)
A next step might be guest-blogging. Choose blogs your prospects read. Study the content, length, tone, and format of the posts, and check their policies on guest posts before pitching ideas. Blogs with a more modest readership might be more responsive than super-popular ones.
You might leave it at that. Guest-blogging can be a great way to build your visibility online.
You can share a blog: “My professional group started a blog. We share the responsibility to post, comment, and spread the word through our contacts.”
Before launching your blog, you might stockpile several weeks’ worth of posts. Build in links between them. Doing so invites readers to stay engaged with your blog and makes it seem robust from the start.
Schedule blog work just like your other work, so you can prep seasonal or holiday posts, do interviews, keyword research, arrange guest posts (while you’re on vacation!), or plan a series.
It’s smart to check with your lawyer about any legal issues (state, federal, and international) if you intend to blog, including libel, invasion of privacy or right of publicity, protection of intellectual property and trade secrets (yours and others’), and not violating noncompete and nondisclosure agreements, to name some.
Be informative, but be yourself. Some bloggers are known for analysis and stats. Others go short-form, packed with tips, lists, and links.
Around 500 words or so.
Pairing a photo per post really livens things up. Make sure you’re cleared to use it, and include a credit line. Or feature fellow freelancers’ pix, with credit line and link to their site. Or take your own if you’re good at it (ask someone for their brutally honest opinion). Try bullet points, lists, subheads, videos, or flowcharts. All promote sharability.
Especially in headlines and first paragraph.
If someone’s commenting on your posts, congrats! It’s like getting a prospect callback. Make sure you answer, getting a thread of good discussion going, or saying simply: “Glad the post was helpful!” “Thanks for your comment!” “Great idea!” “Thanks for pointing that out.” “I hadn’t thought of that . . .” et cetera. You can block or remove comments from “trolls” (cranks who are nasty or profane). People who respectfully disagree aren’t trolls. They could be opportunities to show how you handle differences of opinion.
Have buttons so readers can click ’n’ share on the social media platform of their choice.
Offer a free article or a short video or podcast. It’s a taste of what people could have if they hired you.
Not into writing? Too busy to blog? Try microblogging, a short-form, highly fluid platform. A current example is Tumblr (tumblr.com), where you can post short written bytes, videos, images, links, or a combination of all, or Twitter (twitter.com). (See Microblogging at a Glance.)
Posting reviews positions you as an authority. Are you an IT pro? Review new electronics and software. Caterer? Review local restaurants. Writer or editor? Review books.
Post short videos demoing a process (exactly how does one debone a chicken, replace spark plugs, or give the cat a pill?) or showing you performing (a song, dance, or a short presentation). If you give a talk that’s videotaped or recorded, ask if you can use a brief clip for promotional purposes).
Audio podcasts let your work travel with people on the go. Offer them on your website as free content, or post them on a hosting service and announce them on social media. This plus blogging makes you findable in multiple media, all over the Internet.
Freelancers’ feelings about social media are all over the map. Take the quick quiz below and then read what your answers say about your relationship with social media:
Which of these statements best describes your relationship with social media?
1 I love it.
2 I thought this was supposed to help my business—nothing’s happening.
3 It’s been great for reconnecting with people I know.
4 I’m not sure it’s for me.
5 I’m just starting to learn about it.
1 Into It. You’re off and running with social media. But do you have a plan for using it as a professional? How do you want to influence others?
2 Results Seeker. You understand how social media can help your business, but building trust takes time and focused effort. Maybe concentrate on one social media space for now, setting a deadline to assess results.
3 Connector. You’ve mastered the relationship side of social media. Now add a professional focus: Where can you do the most good and be the most successful?
4 Undecided. You haven’t decided whether social media is for you. Is there any social media space where you’d feel comfortable at some level of engagement? If you have no presence, you might be significantly limiting your market outreach unless your personal network and word-of-mouth are thriving.
5 Learner. Maybe you’ve been reading about it and talking to other freelancers about their social media practices. Maybe you’ve been lurking online, watching how it’s done. All very smart moves. But eventually, you have to learn by doing.
Where you fit on this spectrum might depend on where you are in your freelance career, your comfort level with technology—maybe even what day you’re asked. Some have abandoned blogging for the speed and agility of social media. Many use it as an amplifier for their other online marketing.
This section will help you figure out an approach that works for you. First, let’s profile the major players.
What they are: LinkedIn (linkedin.com) is an example of a professional networking site. Check out these networking spaces if your primary aim is to connect with other professionals in specific fields. The conversations and the site’s overall thrust are more business-focused than on social networking sites, where professional identity and marketing may or may not enter in.
Basic uses: You can post your profile, contact info, links to your website, blog, and other social media, and testimonials about your work, and you can join discussion groups. If you don’t have a website, it’s a way to be findable online.
Prospecting positives: It’s a great way to find contacts old and new: “I’ve found people I forgot I ever worked with. And I’ve located contacts in minutes that it would have taken me days to track down, if ever.” You can then reach out to new contacts through those you’ve already made. For example, you might discover that your cube-mate from your first job now knows the CFO at a company where you’d like to get a gig and can make an introduction. You can also get known by participating in discussion groups not just of freelancers, but also of professionals you’d like to work with in various fields.
Tips for connecting: Give testimonials without being asked. If others return the favor, great, but this is about the Love Bank. Ask clients if they’d be willing to provide testimonials you can post (or ask if one they gave you for other marketing can be posted).
If there’s a discussion group topic you’re knowledgeable about, respond with helpful information and links to web pages, articles you’ve read, or relevant content on your website or blog. As you get to know the regulars, send them invitations to connect. This is how group members become contacts, and eventually maybe freelance friends or clients.
What they are: Facebook (facebook.com) is an example of a social networking site with both a social component and a business side for those who want to use it professionally.
Possible uses: Everything from reconnecting with old friends to connecting with people with common interests (professional or personal) to launching business events and products.
Finding the mix: How much of your personal self you share might depend on your industry, the image you want to project, and whether showing a personal side is good for your business. Talk to your network; find out what they’re doing and how well they feel it’s working. Make sure the site’s privacy settings are set exactly the way you want them and you know exactly what others see when viewing your content. Be vigilant about what others post on your page; remove what doesn’t fit your mix.
If you have a personal page and a business page, put a more professional photo on your business page, link to your website and/or blog, and publicize this page in all your business networking.
Whatever you do, apply the classic email advice: Never post anything you wouldn’t want seen by the world.
Website replacement? Possibly, but not necessarily. Pluses include fast, do-it-yourself setup with social networking functions quickly in place, and a hotline to your devoted peeps and all of their peeps.
Some drawbacks: You have to work within the site’s design and function parameters and follow its rules, which can change at any time; low traffic can create a “dead page” perception; traffic is limited to site members; eventually your content or number of products may outgrow your page; and there’s the possibility, however remote, that the site might cease to exist.
You could start with a business page and then transition to a freestanding website, or have a page that ultimately drives traffic to your site.
What it is: Twitter (twitter.com) is one example of a microblog: very short-form blogging (Twitter limits posts to 140 characters) where people share everything from what they’re up to at that moment to ideas, thoughts, information, opinions, jokes, breaking news, rallying cries, questions, and links to engaging content (their own and others’). Twitter has shown its amplifying power in everything from political transformation in the Middle East to marches on Wall Street—and this area is changing quickly, with new technologies emerging by the season.
Best business uses: If your target market’s in this space, it can be a way to build profile as a source of useful, interesting, quirky, creative (or whatever other adjective you want to be known for professionally) content, and drive traffic to your website or other spaces where people can learn more about you.
Since space is limited, it’s critical to remember the basic rule of social media: Share, don’t sell. Any blog topic you can think of can be pared to microblog size to help others gain impressions of you—short blurts about what you’re working on, events you attended expressing opinions, asking questions, or alerting people to goodies coming from you (a new blog post, a webinar or talk, a discount, a freebie). The Love Bank cyberetiquette about sharing others’ links and giving credit where it’s due applies big-time.
How it helps: As you build visibility and credibility through your posts, others will share your posts with their connections, who may in turn share with theirs, and so on. That’s how your name and what you do can become known to total strangers, potentially all over the world. It’s digital word of mouth. As mentioned, all this can drive traffic to your social media pages, website, blog, or email newsletter. And some might inquire about doing business with you.
Tips for traffic: Make your handle your name or your business name if possible, or what you do. In your profile, include keywords and a link to your website or other online bio info. Be relevant. Share others’ links as well as your own.
Since social media marketing costs so little (unless you’re hiring a consultant) and can reach so many, it has huge potential for freelancers compared to the expense of traditional marketing campaigns. Yes, it takes time and there are no guarantees of success, but that’s true of the traditional methods, too.
Social media also fits freelancing because it’s based on personal connection—something freelancers have in spades that big companies struggle to emulate. The keys are being authentic and being in control of the process, from choosing the tools to using them.
Some people “friend” everyone who asks and “follow” everyone who follows them. Others apply traditional friendship or networking standards. Just like your other business policies (do you take phone calls in the evenings? work on weekends?) know your policy and follow or change it by choice, depending on your goals: “When I first joined LinkedIn, I only connected with people I knew personally. Now that I’m starting to connect with people in discussion groups, I may have to change my policy.”
Set goals, ideally measurable ones. (See “Do Regularly Review Results.”) Do you want to:
• Get more clients?
• Grow your network?
• Drive traffic to your website or blog?
• Increase subscriptions to your email newsletter?
• Increase product purchases?
• What else?
All of these might be goals for you. If so, rank them so you can a) concentrate your efforts for best results, and b) build one goal atop another. You might need to grow your network before you can get more clients. You might need to start a newsletter or microblog intensively before you can increase traffic to your website. You might need more traffic to your website before you’ll see a spike in product purchases.
Your goals will also influence your social media decisions.
If you want more clients, find the social media spaces where they hang out.
If you want more email newsletter subscribers, blog readers, or webinar students, your posts have to be interesting conversation-starters and direct people to other great info from you on your website, where they can sign up for your newsletter (the opt-in will be prominently displayed, right?).
If you want to grow your network, connect with other freelancers: “LinkedIn lets me learn about people I’ve met or want to meet, and it has connected me to old friends in new ways. For instance, it turns out the husband of an old family friend does much the same kind of work as I do—which I only know because LinkedIn told me so. It could have taken years of holiday parties to find this out! We’re now collaborating on a project.”
If they’re not microblogging, don’t put your effort there. If they’re commenting on blogs, join in.
Start in one social media space and build from there. If you spread yourself too thin, you won’t be able to judge how well it’s working. If you’re in multiple social media spaces, integrate them so your posts in one show up in the others. You’ll save time and look like a social media party animal! That way, too, people can respond and share in whatever space they’re most comfortable.
Not only will you become trusted for the excellence of what you share, but it’s efficient: You’ll do less scouting for good content. And you might establish an authentic connection with these influencers over time. Also study the Internet practices of people who adopt new social media practices early. It could be they’re pointing toward the future.
Asking for help and opinions draws a crowd. “Prepping a blog post on tax FAQs. What are yours? Ask me anything!” Post a link to the finished piece, saying, “Thanks for your great questions!” Or “What’s your fave homemade cookie?” Create a recipe for the most-nominated one and offer it as a free download. “Making a book video trailer. Any advice?” Post the finished trailer and thank those who offered help.
You’ve also got a readymade research pool for Level 4 ventures. Create surveys or quizzes and invite people to take and share them. Your new products and services can be launched in the same space: “You spoke, we listened!”
For example, when they click on a link that takes them to your website, offer them something of value for free for joining your mailing list. It’s bad form to hard-sell in social media, but once they decide to opt in, sign up, register, or buy, make that process fast and effortless.
Says one freelancer: “I try to assign a deadline for updating my website. But sometimes that doesn’t work.” Says another: “I find social media addictive.” They pretty much sum up the two extremes of digital marketing. It takes time, and there are only so many hours in your day.
First, set a kick-off date for your new online marketing venture—be it your first blog post or first Tweet. Work backward to schedule pre-launch to-dos: market research, tutorials, lurking, reading and commenting on other blogs, setting up your account, drafting your first post(s), et cetera.
Remember activity’s essential for SEO, so to keep momentum once you’re rolling, break down tasks in your calendar: writing your blog posts, composing your email newsletter, updating online profiles, visiting discussion groups, commenting on industry blogs.
Choose a pace you know can maintain and gradually increase it. Shoot for several times a week on social media. Or do some every day, or break it into two or three short sessions daily. Investigate tools (some are free, some paid) to integrate and manage your social media. Ask freelancers who are active online how they get it done.
Networking relationships aren’t built overnight, and online relationships are no exception. Give it six months or so of consistent effort. Then ask:
• How close have I come to meeting my goals?
• Do I need to revise my goals?
• Do I need to break my goals into smaller increments?
• If I step up my commitment, what can I reasonably do?
• Should I change my strategy (including my content) in specific ways?
• Should I change my platform or mix of platforms?
• When will I check progress again?
Use metrics (see Measuring Success) to help you evaluate.
• Which social media space is driving the most traffic to your website?
• Once visitors get there, how many bounce (leave), how many browse, and how many buy a product or sign up for your webinar or other offering?
• Who’s linking to your site?
• Who’s subscribing to your blog, versus dropping in?
• Was there a spike in views of your video?
• Which keywords are more heavily searched than others, and are they in your online content?
• What search terms bring up your website, and which ones result in actual visits?
• How many people opened your email newsletter—and then clicked on the link to the promo you were running?
You can answer questions like these by using analytic tools (free or paid). There are numerous options. A familiar, free resource for starters is Google, specifically Google Analytics (google.com/analytics/index.html), Google AdWords: Keyword Tool, and Webmasters Google (google.com/webmasters). If your blog hosting service offers analytics, study them; the same goes for where you post your videos. For other free ways to get started, type “free web analytics” into your browser.
The Internet gives you an opportunity to become part of a community far beyond your physical reach. And like other aspects of freelancing, the rewards can be far more than monetary. “Somebody once compared social media to a giant party line,” Maryann says. “Sometimes I think it’s more like being at a giant party. People ask for advice, opinions, and directions. They share information, ideas, and consolation. There’s a lot of laughter. And there’s an amazing collective bullshit detector at work on the Internet. If you’re doing something good and genuine, and you go public with it in a good and genuine way, that shines through. And connection can come from the most surprising places.”
When you market yourself online, you never really know where the results will come from. But that’s business—actually, life—writ large. You plan, strategize, analyze. That’s preparation for opportunity. But in the end, like any interaction between people, you have to let go of strategy and go in there and be real, in order to get something real in return. Fortunately, being real is something that freelancers, bold individualists, know how to do.