I recently saw a quote from Gina Horkey that said “To be successful at freelancing, you should always be marketing.”

 

Yes, yes! So so true!

 

If things slow down, do some marketing.

If you’re feeling unsure about yourself and your business, do some marketing.

If you haven’t found your first client yet, do some marketing.

If you’re worried about losing a client, do some marketing.

Anything that makes you feel unsure, insecure, or slow with freelance writing, the answer is marketing.

 

But what’s the best way to market your freelance writing business?

Find where your ideal clients are hanging out and start making some connections.

 

And how do you do that?

Well, here are 50 ideas:

1. Send a pitch to a company or brand you love
2. Promote a niche-specific piece you wrote on LinkedIn
3. Tweak your Twitter profile
4. Keep business cards with you at all times
5. Make a “Writing Tip of the Day” post in one of your Facebook groups
6. Start a Facebook business page for your freelance business
7. Contact 5 local web designers to see if they ever work with freelancers.
8. Tweak your LinkedIn profile
9. Make a helpful comment on another freelance writer’s blog
10. Write a blog post with a pinnable poster in your niche (like this!)
11. Link to the above post in a Blog Post thread in one of your Facebook groups
12. Write an epic post for Medium
13. Tweak your byline
14. Put out a post on your personal Facebook page about your business
15. Create a “list” on Twitter and add a bunch of business owners in your niche. Start interacting.
16. Introduce yourself to a copywriting course creator
17. Research directories for your niche and start pitching.
18. Add your own business to the above directories.
19. Create an opt-in for your niche.
20. Purchase a Facebook ad promoting your opt-in, targeting people in your niche.
21. Film a Facebook live about how your services benefit clients.
22. Download the video from above and share on Youtube, adding relevant tags.
23. Join a Google + community in your niche and start interacting.
24. Ask a current customer for a testimonial. Add it to your website.
25. Attend a local networking event.
26. Write a press release about your own business and share on free press release services.
27. Pitch a niche site for a guest post.
28. Pitch to the Huffington Post.
29. Collab with someone to create a webinar.
30. Check HARO daily and contribute as a guest contributor.
31. Search Pinterest for a hot topic in your niche and write a post about it.
32. Be a guest on a podcast.
33. Tweak your Instagram presence.
34. Create a case study of a favorite brand and then share it with them.
35. Find an article that ranks #1 on Google and write a better/updated post
36. Offer a free service.
37. Write a one-page business plan.
38. Cross-post on an online friend’s blog.
39. Become “known” in freelance circles.
40. Hang out on Reddit and provide valuable posts to people in your niche.
41. Answer a question on Quora.
42. Make sure you’ve optimized your Quora bio.
43. Make your email or contact info easy to find on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
44. Promote industry content on Twitter.
45. Host a giveaway.
46. Offer to swap services with someone. Web copy in exchange for a site redesign.
47. Host a 10-day challenge.
48. Research and use relevant hashtags on Insta and Twitter.
49. Offer to do a course for a local writing group.
50. Make sure everyone you know knows what you do.

 

{Pin me, so you can find me again!}

 

Now, you obviously can’t focus on all of these or every platform at one time, and they’re not quite as simple as they seem, but they can be broken down in a straightforward way. You can make time to do something in each of these overarching categories every day:

 

• Pitching: actively cold pitching prospects or sending submissions.
• Networking: making connections in both your niche and the freelance writing industries.
• Marketing your business: spreading word about your services on your website and social media.

 

I would suggest putting all your focus on one or two platforms and rocking them like crazy, such as your website and Facebook. Then, you can re-purpose any content you put out on those platforms to your other social media outlets (Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn) to stay active.

Just make sure you do a little marketing every day to grow your business.

There’s no way your business can’t grow if you promote it every day!

Alternately, your business can’t grow if you don’t promote it. If your business is stagnant right now, it’s probably because you’re not actively getting yourself out there.

 

 

How about you?

Which marketing method has been most effective for your freelance business?