Freelancing is very appealing. You get to be your own boss, work from home and manage your time and wokflow.
It’s no wonder then that 20-30% of the working population in the US and EU are freelancers.
Source: McKinsey
But when the novelty of these perks begin to wear off, freelancers might not actually have it all. In fact, many even consider going back to their desk jobs because of the challenges they face, the most significant of which can be finding clients to work with.
In a study done by Contently, 49% of creative freelancers struggle to find clients, even when they have excellent skills.
Source: Contently
The reason? Although most freelancers today work online, the majority of them still rely on referrals from their contacts to find clients.
Source: Contently
As a result, many will turn to online freelance platforms to find clients. Although this can help, the competition can be tough and the work can be short-term.
Email marketing: a better way
As with any business, getting in front of an ideal client is the best way to have a steady stream of work. But the problem most freelancers face is that, unlike a business, you don’t have the luxury of a company helping do this for you. You’re forced do this on your own without compromising too much of your time or budget.
For these reasons, freelancers should not just delve into email marketing, they should be addicted to it! Here are 7 reasons why using email marketing will help promote your freelance business.
1. Build up your list of leads
An email list is the heart of any email marketing campaign. It’s also the most valuable asset of online entrepreneurs, including freelancers.
As the name suggests, a list of leads contains the names and email addresses of visitors to your website who want to hear more from you.
2. A tried and tested strategy
Email marketing is one of the oldest marketing strategies still in use today.
For starters, email remains one of the most widely used forms of electronic communication, especially when it comes to business. According to Radicati, there will be approximately 3 billion people using email by the year 2020.
More importantly, email marketing delivers the most conversion from leads to paying customers than any other type of marketing strategy used today. Just take a look at these stats:
- Messages sent via email are 5x more likely to be seen than if they were posted on Facebook
- Email marketing can give you a 3800% ROI. That means that for every $1 you spend, you get $38 back.
3. Increase brand awareness
If you want to get more clients, growing your audience should be one of your top goals.
Email is perhaps the most direct and personal way to reach your target market. When you consistently deliver emails containing high-quality content, your email subscribers are more likely to share with others.
By getting more people to share your content, you help spread the word about you and your business.
4. Establish trust
People prefer working with someone they trust because it’s less stressful and more productive.
Trust is not something that happens overnight. It’s something that you have to build and develop over time. Emails that contain high-quality content can be a great way to build credibility.
5. Collect customer feedback
Include feedback and testimonials from previous and existing clients to get other potential clients. This will help replicate the power of word-of-mouth marketing on your website or social profile.
The easiest way to gather this is by creating an email marketing campaign that requests feedback from your existing and previous clients.
6. Charge premium prices
Let’s face it: Not all clients are willing to pay premium prices for the projects they want completed.
This is especially true when you search for clients using online freelance platforms. Even today, it’s amazing how many people and companies think they’re doing freelancers a favor by paying them as little as $3 for a 300-word blog post! Email marketing can help get you in front of people who are willing to pay a higher, more fair rate.
7. Keep in touch with previous clients
Email marketing helps you extend your business relationship with your clients long after the project’s completion. By staying in touch, and subtly reminding them about your other services, you may find an old colleague reaching out about a new project.
Want to learn more ways to create an authentic connection with your customers? RSVP to learn more tips from Shari Levitin.