Making the decision to become a self-employed contractor can be a daunting enough task on its own without considering everything that comes with it, especially if you’re low on funds. But starting a business on a shoestring doesn’t mean you can’t get your brand name out there. It’s all about learning to promote yourself in the most cost-effective way possible.
If you’re not one to brag, then talking about your business won’t come easy. Many of us find it difficult to talk about ourselves as it is, and with your livelihood depending on the outcome, it’s understandable that many contractors feel positively terrified.
But with self-employment on the rise in the UK and with more and more people choosing to become contractors - a point underlined by this infographic - learning how to get your business out there is a skill that needs to be mastered. On top of everything else you have to do when becoming a contractor for the first time, marketing may not be something you have ever thought about, but with competition being fiercer than ever, it’s time to learn how to market yourself effectively in a way that doesn’t eat up your valuable time.
Get Online
In this day and age, no self-employed contractor can afford not to have a website, as this is where the majority of your customers will find you. Having a well-crafted website can make the difference between a sale and a potential customer clicking through to a rival site.
When it comes to marketing, building your website is an area where you can’t really afford to skimp and save. However, once your website is established, there’s plenty you can do yourself to ensure it drives traffic. In addition to well-written, well-optimised landing pages, a blog is the best way to get new people on to your site via social media links and traffic from Google searches. People often think that SEO is more complex than it actually is. Beginners can use free tools such as Google Webmaster Tools and Google Analytics to ensure that their site is visible for certain keywords. It will also give you a better idea of which pages or type of content people are engaging with on your site.
Look at your social strategy
As a business, having active social media channels such as Twitter and Facebook is a great way for you to connect with your customers and to get your name out there. Social media allows you to keep potential clients up to date with the latest information about your services but if your channel has been stagnant for a while, it’s time to re-engage and build up that loyal following through regular posting and engagement.
LinkedIn is a great place to start, as it allows you to create a virtual CV. Dedicate some time to perfecting your LinkedIn profile by adding your past employment status and your best skills. Connect with the right people and join professional groups to promote your company’s status and to ensure they are aware of the services you offer.
Using social media is a great way to get yourself known, but managing all the different platforms can be incredibly confusing and time-consuming. Using a platform such as Hootsuite or Sprout gives you the freedom to schedule tweets and posts at all times of the day, as well as giving you a round-up of your latest social media activity at a glance. So you can spend more time on the parts of your business that matter most.
Get it down on paper
It’s all well and good having an idea in your head of where your business is going, but getting it down on paper and in front of your eyes is the best way to make it a reality. Not only are we very susceptible to forgetting important plans, but having a hard copy of your business strategy allows you to refer back to it with ease, and ensure that you are following it properly.
Your strategy should include goals that you want to achieve and time limits in which to achieve them. But there’s no point setting goals that will be out of your reach, such as reaching 5,000 Twitter followers in 2 weeks or getting 20 new clients in one month. Set small goals at first such as engaging with a certain number of people on social media or producing 2 high-quality blog posts a week. If you achieve these goals, then that’s great! If not, don’t dwell on it or beat yourself up, just look at why you didn’t reach your goal and what you can do in the future to ensure you do. Whatever you do, make sure you track your progress. We’ve already mentioned the use of analytics, but you should also find a way to track the number of leads that are coming in as a direct result of your marketing efforts. This will let you know where things are going well and where you need to improve.
Keep them talking
When it comes to promoting yourself as a contractor, it’s all about getting people interested in your product and talking about it. Once you’ve accomplished this, keep them talking about you. By using tools such as the aforementioned Sprout, you can keep in touch with all of your online followers very easily. More importantly, this type of platform enables you to answer digital questions or complaints. It can take years to build a reputation and seconds to break one. Many consumers expect to have their Twitter complaints dealt with in an hour or less, and companies that fail to meet this deadline risk reputational damage. In the early days, you’ll probably deal with most of your clients directly via more old-fashioned methods, but social media responsiveness and general customer service is certainly something you’ll need to consider in the future as your enterprise expands.
By Michael Hough, Director of Quantic UK.
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