Many professionals found themselves in limbo with their careers during the pandemic. But some found a way through. They turned a corner and launched a startup. So it’s no surprise that 2021 broke records for new business launches.
Thankfully, you don’t have to be a tech expert like Musk or Zuckerberg to thrive in the world of startups. If you have a natural creative talent, you can find a thriving career by turning to freelance.
To help guide you, here are the simple steps to starting your first freelance marketing business.
Get Specific
Before you put pen to paper, you need to decide on a niche. Marketing is a broad area, and you’ll find it easier to attract customers if you specialize in one topic.
Browse online to find the subjects and skills that interest you the most. And do some research on places like Google Trends to see what skills are most in-demand.
If you can find a specialism that you love and one that people demand, that’s the sweet spot.
Name and Branding
Now you’ll need to think of your business name. That will be the name on all your official paperwork, such as your invoice template and website. So make it catchy and unique.
Alternatively, if you want a business as a solo entrepreneur, you can stick with your personal (given) name instead.
You’ll also want to brand your new business. If you have a design background, you could do this yourself using a free online tool like Canva. Or you could hire a professional on Fiverr to create it for you.
Set Up Your Website
You’ll need a platform, domain, and hosting for your freelance marketing business website.
The domain is the cheapest to sort, providing you don’t want a famous name with a top-level .com domain (those sometimes cost thousands of dollars).
You may also prefer to choose hosting where the provider will set up your website platform for you. For example, many hosting companies will offer you a one-click WordPress setup.
Some offer the same for Wix and Squarespace, which are the other two main website platforms you might want to consider.
Market Your Business
The biggest challenge is getting your name out there when starting a freelance business. You’ll need to practice what you preach if you want a career as a freelance marketer and learn how to sell your brand.
Create freelance profiles for all the big social media platforms and start publishing fun and exciting content to those platforms to grow an audience.
Write some blog posts, too, and learn how to do some basic SEO so you can attract the right people when they search on Google.
You might find it easier to pay for some advertising to get started quickly. The best platforms for beginner marketers are Google Ads or Facebook Ads.
Launch an Exciting Freelance Marketing Business Today
Don’t let doubt get in the way of success. Take the plunge and launch your thriving freelance marketing business today using the tips in this guide.
And remember to browse through our business section for other practical tips on how to be a freelancer.
Also published on Medium.
