If you’re a solopreneur, you work hard. In the course of any given day, you do everything from meeting with prospective clients to sweeping dust bunnies from under your desk. And as a solopreneur, you have no intention of hiring someone later or delegating tasks over to team. You’re in it alone and that’s just the way you want it.
The problem when you’re on your own is making sure everything gets done. Growing your business and taking care of administrative tasks means that you have to prioritize, make the most out of the time you have and work efficiently.
And somewhere in there, you have to find time for marketing your business. After all, if people don’t know about you, all the hard work in the world won’t turn you into a success. So, how can you get a handle on marketing as a solopreneur? Follow these seven tips to make your marketing time count.
1. Create Profiles in Online Business Directories
One of the most effective ways to get the word out is by using online business directories. Effective profiles include biographies, business details, news, awards and video and logo uploads.
Profiles are easy to create and update. Not only does a complete profile listing give you an online presence within each directory, but profiles show up in search engine results as well. That’s exposure every solopreneur needs. LinkedIn, CrunchBase and My Google Business are the three most important to utilize.
2. Brand Consistently
Branding a business is no less important for solopreneurs than it is for large corporations. Using the same logo, motto and color scheme throughout online and printed advertising material builds a legitimacy in the minds of potential clients.
3. Make Use of Content Marketing
Online content marketing is a big term that means giving your clients information they can use. To make effective use of content marketing, the information you provide must be related to your business in some way. For example, if you sell carpet, present how-to articles on your website about carpet stain removal or offer home decorating tips. Make sure content is relevant, easy to understand and most of all – informative.
4. Write a Blog
A blog is your chance to let your personality shine through. Personal stories about how you came up with your business idea, what it means to you, client benefits and up-to-date industry news are all acceptable blog topics.
5. Write Guest Posts
Guest posts on other websites give you exposure you wouldn’t necessarily achieve. Guest posts also provide a way to solidify your expertise in your field. Look for websites that offer industry-related information and ask about writing a guest post. Many sites encourage expert guest posts and include writer guidelines and submission information.
6. Effectively Use Social Media
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram are extremely useful for building online communities of loyal customers. Even better, those loyal customers share with their friends who may become customers as well.
Facebook and Twitter are the most popular outlets, but if your business has a visual element, Pinterest and Instagram are also important. To use social media successfully, make time each day to read, answer and introduce posts.
Make it fun for your followers – perhaps conduct contests or ask how they spent their weekend. Then read and respond. Social media only works when there is active communication between you and your followers.
7. Consider Outsourcing
As a solopreneur, you try do everything. But, just because you can do everything doesn’t mean you should. Here’s a tip – outsource. Hire a freelancer to design a logo. Commission a writer to help you with content. Outsourcing doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It simply means you know it’s best to let the pros handle important elements of your marketing strategy. And, outsourcing gives you the time to do what you do best – run your solopreneurship!
