Starting your own business can be both exciting and terrifying. You’re eager to set up shop and slip into the routine of the daily grind. You’ve done everything to get yourself set up for success. You’ve got a killer website, and you’ve narrowed in on exactly what you have to offer. Great! But…now what? How exactly are you supposed to get hired? As an online business, you have to get creative in how you show people that you’re open for biz. How are you going to show your customers that your lights are on, so to speak? Well, you have to tell them (and keep reminding them) who you are, what you do, and why they should hire you.
How to get clients as an online creative entrepreneur
Be consistent in your branding
The first thing you can do to show your customers you’re serious and reliable is to display consistent branding. You expect the baristas at Starbucks to wear their little green hats. Or maybe you’ve made the grave mistake of wearing a red shirt at Target. Consistent branding matters. People need to trust what to expect from you no matter where you’re showing up.
Show up
I’m sorry to say this, but launching a killer website is only one piece of the puzzle. If you’re hoping to see business come rolling in by simply launching a really great site, well, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. You have to keep showing up. Think of it this way: there’s more to the success of a brick & mortar than the merchandise on display and the pictures on the walls. You can walk by and see the lights on. You can see people inside doing the work. You can trust that they’re going to be there for you when you need them because you can see them. Well, you have to do the same thing with your online business. You have to consistently show up. And you do that by adding fresh content to your site consistently.
Showcase your expertise
Just like the sales reps at your favorite stores, you have to put the customer/client at ease with your knowledge. They have to trust that you know what you’re talking about. But they can’t do that if you don’t show them. There are hundreds upon hundreds of people doing the exact same work as you. So why should they hire you over Joe Schmo who may even ::gasp:: offer the same services for less? Well, by posting strategic, fresh content consistently, you can literally showcase your expertise. Your website will soon transform into a resource for your customers and clients. And if you do this right, they’ll start to send their friends and family your way. Over time, you will grow a loyal customer base of people who trust you because they know you know what you’re talking about.
Promote strategically
So you have all your social media channels set up, right? I’m sure you do, it’s 2018. But let me guess, you’ve quickly realized there are only so many *interesting* ways to say Hey! You! Come check out my website! Again, this is where all that fresh, informative content you’re producing over on your site will come into play. You know as well as I do that people are picky about what they let into their newsfeeds these days. But if you’re consistently giving your potential customers a reason to pay attention to you (like, say, giving them the information they’re looking for), then they’ll consistently show up for you.
If you’re ready to get serious and get your online business off the ground, you need to implement content marketing stat. If this isn’t your wheelhouse, don’t worry. I happen to know someone who is an expert at crafting strategic content for small businesses.
Want to do it yourself but don’t know where to start? You should sign up for Blogging for Your Business, a robust content marketing e-course that literally teaches you everything you need to know to run successful content marketing campaigns on your own.
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