12 Low-Cost Marketing Strategies For Freelancers

Being a one-person army is what freelancing entails.

When entering this competitive market, standing out, developing a distinct personality, and generating leads are all responsibilities of a freelancer, concentrating on promotions and marketing strategies might be difficult.

However, as a freelancer, you must generate quality leads to run your business. Nonetheless, it’s clear that when it comes to marketing your expertise as a freelancer, it takes a back seat.

Therefore, understanding marketing and implementing efficient business techniques is critical; and it takes a lot of time and effort to do so, especially if you seek low-cost solutions to promote your freelance business.

So, what marketing methods have you used as a freelancer? Is it too pricey or not perfect for you?

Below mentioned are some of the best low-cost marketing strategies that freelancers can use to attract more potential clients:

Table of Contents

Make your website

Owning a website as a freelancer is about establishing your professional identity. It comes with a slew of benefits that help develop a personal brand. Outline your talents and provide examples of your work so that visitors to your site can get a sense of the type of work you perform and the style you prefer. They will make faster decisions if you show them your distinct offerings and results-oriented work.

Your website is your first opportunity to fill in the gaps in your client’s needs by offering appropriate solutions.

Choose a domain name and a best hosting like VPS to launch your site.
Use website design software or a content management system to create your website.
Add relevant, personalized content to your website.

Your website aids in the acquisition of organic traffic, the development of credibility, the establishment of authority, and the generation of sales.

Moreover, you can also use a blog to present your work portfolio if you don’t have a full-fledged website. To establish authority in your niche, provide helpful content to your blog. Maintain your blog’s consistency and keep it up-to-date.

Add a link to your website/blog to your social media profiles, email signatures, freelance proposals, professional invoices, and anywhere else to reach out to as many people as possible. Make your contact information prominently displayed on your website/blog, or develop a form for people to use to contact you.

Commence with Guest Blogging

Guest blogging is one of the most effective strategies to expand your consumer base swiftly. It should be a two-way street. Identify possible blogs relevant to your field of expertise and volunteer to write for them.

Check out why guest blogging is important.

You’ll have access to an entirely new customer base due to guest blogging. Invite them to contribute to your blog at the same time. Guest Blogging will provide your clients with a unique perspective, resulting in a win-win situation for everyone.

Guest blogging allows you to acquire visibility, establish contacts, and obtain backlinks. Keep in mind, though, the reach and trustworthiness of the site you’re planning to use for guest writing. To write an effective guest blog make sure your content is of the highest quality possible because you will be interacting with a new client base.

Guest blogging helps you expand your network, raise brand awareness, and improve your Google search rankings by gaining backlinks. As a result, it is also an excellent SEO tactic.

Build a powerful network

As a freelancer, your goal should be to ensure that as many professionals as possible are aware of you and your work. Forming a rich network can be accomplished using various online and offline means.

Attend industry-related conferences and events, and keep your business card on you. These gatherings are a terrific method to meet new people who may be a good source of excellent work in the future.
Working from co-working spaces or cafes is another option. Working from a co-working space allows you to network with other freelancers from various fields. These connections can be mutually advantageous because you can work on projects with them or rely on them to provide you with opportunities and vice versa.
Request referrals from previous customers who were happy with the service you did for them. Follow up with them 2–3 times if they don’t respond right away. A word from a reliable source can quickly spread and speak volumes about the quality of your job.

Check out different ways to collect feedback and why is it important.
Join other online forums connected to your freelance niche on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook, or join other groups on social media channels. Joining these channels will allow you to establish a network with other people who share your interests and search out more opportunities. The goal is to stay active on these online channels and connect with other users.

Continue to try, and don’t forget to follow up. Following up is an effective outreach strategy that works the majority of the time. Thank your new network, ask for evaluations, and ask for referrals when you’ve successfully converted a lead and delivered the result.

Any aspiring freelancer’s go-to platform is social media. It is the most cost-effective low-budget marketing strategy which may perform wonders for you if used correctly. The idea is to determine what the market wants and then deliver on it. LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are just a few well-known platforms. Also, you can use monitoring tools such as LinkedIn analytics tools to know real-time insight.

Make sure your content is current and relevant. To grab the audience’s attention: post tips, how-to guides, insights, and other relevant information from your profession on these social media platforms. Making such content can assist you in appearing to be a trustworthy source.
Don’t only provide professional stuff; let your viewers into your personal life.
Share your thoughts on issues that need to be addressed from a societal standpoint, and work to resolve any potential problems.
Be considerate of individuals with whom you connect on these networks. Make sure your talks are a two-way street if you want to establish yourself as a reputable source. You don’t want to come across as exploiting another person.

These exercises will help you establish a relationship with your audience and a personal brand.

Check out how social media can boost your freelance business.

Co-market with your fellow freelancers

Join together with your competition; you will be able to reach more individuals. However, this will help you accelerate your growth because you know their working talents and abilities. Furthermore, if the fellow freelancer has a large audience, it will save you money on advertising.

Join and contribute to communities

You may contribute to freelance communities both online and offline. For example, if you’re invited to specific gatherings, don’t forget to bring your business cards, brochures, and a one-pager summarising your services.

Joining communities will assist you in informing like-minded others about your work and abilities. Additionally, you will be able to meet new people and expand your network.

Produce podcast with a couple of other freelancers

Starting a podcast is an excellent method to reach out to potential customers. One of the benefits of podcasting is that it is easy to get started, even with little or no experience.

You can discuss technological advancements or how these advancements have influenced your firm. You will become an authority on your subject if you include a link to our podcast on your website. And more people will realize that you know what you’re talking about when it comes to your product and services.

Check out: 24 Best Podcasts Freelancers Should Tune Into

Live stream of your work

Live streaming about your business or an assignment is a terrific low-cost marketing strategy for attracting more online audiences. Living streaming your work through a video transcoder will boost your credibility since people will recognize that you are honest and a successful freelancer.

Moreover, before participating in live streaming of your work as a powerful low-cost marketing strategy, ensure all your equipment is functioning correctly. Performing an online webcam test can save freelance tasks from technological glitches and maintain professionalism during crucial demonstrations.

Remember to do an online webcam test before starting to live stream.

Optimize online advertisements.

Advertising a business online may help you promote your business at a reasonable cost when done correctly. Begin with Google Adwords or Facebook Ads. For your first campaign, invest only a small amount of money in obtaining data insights. We recommend settling on the lifetime Ad spend to stay below budget and in control.

Experiment with a few different options to see what works best for you.
Do A/B testing as you choose one, which means duplicating the ad set and changing only one element at a time?
It’s time to scale the campaigns once you’ve figured out what works best for you.
Optimize the leads and reach out to bounced charges using the remarketing option.
Generate lookalike audiences and ensure that each landing page is distinct.

Promotion by word-of-mouth

Word-of-mouth advertising is a compelling low-cost marketing method, as any freelancer who has expanded their business can attest. This strategy is not only feasible, but it also costs less. Make sure your close friends and family members know that you are a freelancer.

It would also benefit you to inform significant persons about your freelance business. When others in your circle know what you do, they can help you expand your network by spreading the word.

Learn the non-conventional ways to get leads as a freelancer in this post.

Send cold emails

You can spend some of your leisure time as a freelancer sending cold emails, and all you need are potential clients’ email addresses to send them. You can send between 20 to 50 emails per day, which is free and doesn’t take up much of your time.

Your cold emails should focus on your products or services, and you should receive roughly five responses out of 50 contacts. This method involves patience, but it is a fantastic sales presentation to help you build your client base over time. Just don’t forget to work on your email deliverability as it’s one of the most important factors for the success of your campaigns.

Check out how cold emailing can help you save a lot of money on premium tools.

Seek references

You can promote your company by asking existing and past clients for referrals if you’re a freelancer. If a client is pleased with your service, he will almost certainly refer you to others if you ask.

The majority of buyers, almost 90%, are affected by their peers while making purchases. As a result, if your firm receives a referral, it will become more well-known, and your client base will progressively expand. You can entice your customers to refer others by providing incentives such as a discount.

Summing Up Low-Cost Marketing Strategies

A lot to learn, right?

Don’t worry; you don’t have to complete all 12-pointers at once; we understand that you have a lot on your plate as a freelancer.

Start by experimenting with three to four of them for at least two weeks to see what works best for you. Track your progress using Google Analytics, Search Console, or any other tool you’re comfortable using. Examine the drawbacks of the low-cost marketing strategies employed. After that, see which ones aren’t working for you and eliminate them—replacing old methods with new ones and repeating the process.

Moreover, the above-mentioned technique will help you determine what’s working for you and what is not. Make sure that you are bringing value somehow with whatever method you employ. Another excellent option is to hire a registered agent to handle all your documentation, such as specialized business forms and tax returns, so you can focus on growing your freelancing business.

We hope that by using these low-cost marketing strategies outlined in this post, you will be able to grow and scale your freelancing business.