Do you have a side hustle? Yes, a side hustle. For those of you in the dark, a side hustle is the modern day name for moonlighting. It’s having a freelance job, a side gig, or a second job. Are you a Freelancer?
The side hustle – or freelancer market has grown so big, economists have given it a special name… they call it the Gig Economy.
Basically, a Gig Economy is built on temporary positions, and independent workers are paid for short-term engagements. According to Intuit, by 2020, 40 percent of American workers will be independent contractors.
Whatever you call it, the Freelancer’s of today have a problem… and it’s a big one!
The Problem is huge… the solutions are easy, but unknown. And I’m going to share them with you today. So, keep reading…
There Are Millions of Freelancers In The Market
Today, millions are working as a freelancer. According to a report put out by Spera – 54 million Americans reported performing some type of independent / freelance work in 2015.
54 million Americans is almost 33% of the workforce!
It’s a staggering stat.
One out of every three workers in the nation is trying to make ends meet by working a side job. Who says the economy is in recovery?
These 54 million Americans are working hard to put food on the table.
But they have a major problem… And I bet if you’re a freelancer, you have the same problem…
The Problem Freelancers Have Right Now
If you’re a freelancer, you know exactly what I’m going to say.
The biggest problem freelancers have is finding that next gig, selling their services or product, or knowing where the next dollar is coming from.
In a word, freelancer’s biggest problem is MARKETING!
Look, you can have the best product or service in the world… but if nobody knows about it… then you will continue to be stuck in the same rut you’ve always been in. And nobody wants that.
How do you break out?
Here are three simple ways you can master your marketing demons.
How Freelancers Can Master Marketing – 3 Simple Steps
Freelancer Step Number One: Start advertising.
Sounds simple, right… WRONG. Advertising is very difficult. I said these would be simple steps – not easy.
Recommended for You Webcast, September 7th: 3 Ways to Speed Up Your Marketing Review and Approval Process
I recommend you start on Facebook. Yes – everyone and their mother is on Facebook. I don’t care if you sell homemade soap, or offer photography services. Get on your Facebook account and start posting. Start engaging with your current customers.
Then step up and run an advertisement.
I don’t have room to go step by step here, but basically, you’ll jump in and start with a purpose. I recommend driving traffic back to your website.
I assume you have one of those websites that describes who you are, what services you provide… and more importantly WHY someone should pay you. If you don’t have a website with this basic stuff, don’t worry. Instead of sending people to your website, start by boosting posts and promoting your Facebook page.
Why am I pushing you to advertise?
Because you’ll quickly figure out who your perfect customer is. You don’t need to spend a lot of money… $5 or $10 a day can go a long ways to starting to get your website or facebook page some traffic.
Inside of Facebook, you’ll be able to target people. And I mean really target people!
Now here’s a pro tip – Get a specific as possible! Look at the categories… target people near where you live… focus on their demographics (age, gender)… and target those with the same interests your customers have. Add multiple levels of interest.
The more specific you are here, the better.
Once you get your advertising up and running…
Step Number Two – Capture Contact Info.
Once you start seeing a stream of traffic from your ads going to your website… start to capture contact information – email addresses are the easiest.
Now I know what you’re thinking – “How in the heck to I do that?”
Good question. Here’s the simple answer. Sign up for a simple email system – Like iContact.com, Aweber.com or MailChimp.com. Learn how to use the system… and use it.
How do you get people to sign up and give you contact information?
Offer them something… a free 10-minute consulting gig. A piece of Soap. A free picture. Access to a free report. It can be anything… but make is valuable to your customers.
Now here’s an advanced technique…
When you capture a prospect’s contact information – Get their phone number – and ask for permission to text them info.
Text message marketing is one of the FASTEST growing parts of mobile marketing. It gives you the ability to reach out to your prospect right on their phone. And text message marketing is 10 times more responsive than email marketing.
YES – text message marketing is 10x more responsive.
There are dozens of mobile marketing companies out there. I’m partial to my company Betwext.com… It’s the best text marketing business on the market – but I’m biased.
Once you’ve grabbed contact information here’s what you do next…
Step Number Three – Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
As a freelancer – you need to sell yourself and your product. And the best way to do that is to communicate with your prospects on a regular basis.
What do you communicate about?
Anything and everything of value! But this point is critical – you must communicate on a regular basis. So, set a schedule and stick to it. If you don’t you’ll look like a flake and it will cost you business!
Ok, once you have your communication schedule down – what do you talk about?
If you make a product… shoot a video about how you make it. Focus on one part of the process and go into detail. Give people what they want… knowledge about you and your product.
If you make cupcakes… talk about your frosting, how it’s made, where the ingredients come from, why you chose those ingredients, different types of frosting, how to tell good frosting from bad. Think about it… you could shoot 2 dozen videos on frosting (or write 2 dozen articles).
More frosting ideas – how to color frosting, natural frosting colors, artificial frosting colors, how to make frosting, how to store frosting, how to use frosting, fancy decoration techniques for frosting.
My apologies to all you bakers out there… I don’t make cupcakes – and I try to limit my frosting intake! But you get the idea.
Let’s say you offer a service… do the same thing.
Show the different ways your customers use your services…. Show them what you do, how you do it… and WHY!
Now use that contact information you’ve captured. With email – you can send two or three emails every week about your products or services.
If you’re using text messaging, I’d limit your communication to once a week.
Now here’s a professional marketing tip… use the 4-1-1 ratio. For every 4 messages you send with content… send them 1 message asking them to order your product or service (ask for the sale)… and send them 1 message asking them a question or requesting feedback. Just be sure to mix them up…
This formula works because you will be delivering content, helping people with problems, and asking for feedback… all of which encourages engagement. And engagement is king!
Is there more you can do?
Of course… but I’m running out of space.
Remember the freelance / side hustle / moonlighting / second job / gig economy is growing like a weed. And if you want to get your share of the billions of dollars floating around out there… start marketing like a pro. Run advertising, capture names, and communicate.
If you’re thinking about using text message marketing to promote your freelance business, we wrote a special report just for you… “The Ultimate Guide to Mobile Marketing”
Remember Mobile Marketing is a very powerful tool that freelancers must use. It’s a cost-effective way to communicate with your prospects, customers, and employees! Give it a try today.
Is This The Biggest Problem Freelancers Have Today?
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