No matter what type of freelancer you are, there are plenty of ways you can find business online quickly, easily, and for free. Here are five ways all freelancers, from graphic designers to writers, can find business online.
Niche job boards. There are plenty of job boards that exist for freelancers of different types. Some cater to many different types of jobs. Others cater to specific freelancing markets. Both types are useful for finding freelance jobs.
Search engines. Do a search for the types of businesses you're targeting on your favorite search engine. Write down names, addresses, and email contacts for the sites you find in your search-as well as the names of contacts, if you can find them. Send a friendly, personalized email offering your services-or market to them traditionally by phone or mail.
Forums. Find a forum marketed to your niche. Create a profile that includes links to your website in your signature. Respond to questions, offer helpful advice, and get the word out about your services if the forum has an advertising section. The more you build your reputation on the forums, the more traffic you'll get to your website.
Your own website. Of course, for the above technique to work, you'll need to have your own website. Your website is a place for you to display your portfolio and resume, showcase a sales letter outlining the benefits of your service and the reasons prospects should hire you, and a comparison between yourself and your prospects. You can position yourself as an expert by making your site a resource-a blog, article library, or a selection of e-books can help you establish your reputation and draw traffic to your site.
Other people's blogs. Once you have a website established, you can get the word out by going to blogs that focus on your niche market. Write thoughtful, interesting comments on others' blog posts, and always include a backlink to your website. In this way, you can get the word out about your services to a community of people who may be likely to hire you. Be sure you choose blogs that are marketed to your customers-not just others in your profession.
Be careful if you decide promote your product directly in blog comments. This is sometimes frowned upon, and might get your comment deleted. Only promote your product in the most casual of terms and only if it's extremely relevant to the post. Avoid the hard sell; it can be unappealing to this audience.
Online marketing can be a great way to promote your services. To be truly successful, however, it should be included with offline marketing techniques to reach as many potential customers as possible. Combine these two marketing methods, and you're sure to see a growth in your business.
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