As a Digital Marketing Strategy Consultant and small business owner, I understand the importance of digital marketing strategies for freelancers and small businesses. It's essential to have a well-thought-out plan to maximize your reach and get the most out of your efforts. In this blog post, I'll be sharing the top 5 freelancer digital marketing strategies from my perspective.

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These strategies are designed to help you make the most of your marketing budget and maximize the effectiveness of your campaigns. Whether you're a freelance web developer, a content creator, or any other type of freelancer, these simple strategies will help you reach new heights in your digital marketing endeavors.

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1) Get Clear on Your Target Client

Knowing who you want to work with and what their needs are is essential for creating a successful digital marketing strategy. The first step is to ask yourself some important questions about your target clients: 

• Who are they?

• How old are they?

• What are their lifestyles like?

• What are their interests?

• What do all of your current clients have in common?

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Having a clear understanding of your target client will help you create content that resonates with them and attracts them to your business. After answering these questions, you can start to form a profile of your ideal target market and build a tailored digital marketing strategy to reach them. With the right content, you can use email marketing, SEO techniques, and other digital marketing strategies to effectively reach your target client and drive more leads to your business.

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2) Know Where They Hang Out Online

Understanding where your target audience hangs out online is one of the most important steps in any digital marketing strategy for freelancers and small businesses. Obviously, social media marketing is a popular and cost-effective method for reaching potential customers, but did you know that "In a February 2019 survey, Instagram was the top social network for viewing photos whereas Facebook was more popular for sharing content."

Source: Statista. 

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Platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter(X) are great for building relationships, engaging with customers, and showing off your expertise. LinkedIn is especially helpful for finding clients in specific professions or industries. 

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Once you know where your target audience spends their time online and for what purpose, you can begin to create content, craft a message, and design an approach that will attract them. You can also use other free marketing strategies to reach new audiences, including:

• Posting on forums and classifieds websites

• Guest blogging

• Writing press releases

• Participating in online events or webinars

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I have more free strategies in my arsenal. Contact me to learn more!

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Finally, consider incorporating paid marketing into your digital marketing strategy, such as running ads on search engines or social media platforms, buying display ads, or running retargeting campaigns.

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Remember this: Google isn’t the only search engine out there! Alternative forms of search are becoming so popular that even Google has added short-form videos to its search results in order to compete with TikTok. That said, I am sure you have guessed that TikTok’s search bar is an alternative search engine. YouTube, Instagram, and other social platforms are good examples too. Think hard about Section 1, and get clear on your target audience to discover the best alternative search engine for your business.

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3) Create Content That Attracts Them

Digital content is a powerful tool for attracting potential customers and establishing your expertise in your field. When creating content, it's important to keep your target customer in mind. Ask yourself: What are their needs and interests? What type of content will they be interested in? Incorporating relevant keywords into your content is key to helping search engines recognize and rank it higher. Ensure that your content is of high quality and provides valuable information. 

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Want a content strategy that doesn’t suck? Schedule a call with me.

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Social media is another great channel for sharing content that attracts potential customers. Many freelancers and small businesses use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube to share content and engage with followers. Consider creating visual content, such as infographics, images, and videos, that your target audience can easily consume. Short-form video is currently very popular and is being promoted by all platforms, so don't ignore it. You can also use social media platforms to promote special offers or discounts to generate leads. 

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Additionally, free marketing resources for freelancers, such as ChatGPT AI or keyword search websites like https://answerthepublic.com/, are invaluable for finding topics related to your industry and generating interest in your business.

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4) Incorporate SEO Tactics into Your Strategy

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a crucial digital marketing strategy that ensures potential clients find you when searching for your skills or services. As a freelancer or small business owner, you can take advantage of free online tutorials that show how to optimize your website and content with keyword research, backlinks, and other SEO best practices. YouTube Academy (my nickname for YouTube) has taught me more than any professor, especially when it comes to new tech and specialized niches.

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Correctly optimized websites make it easier for customers to find you and learn more about the services you offer. Social media marketing is also important for SEO, as search engines often crawl social media profiles when looking for information about people and companies. Make sure your profile is up to date and includes links back to your website. It's important to target specific keywords and phrases that people in your industry search for by including them in your content and profile bio, ensuring you're always at the top of the list when potential customers are looking for services like yours.

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Focusing on search engine optimization (SEO) for your website is another great way to get your content noticed online. This involves crafting content that is optimized for the keywords your target audience uses when searching for services, helping you rank higher in organic search results. 

5) Use Email Marketing to Stay in Touch

Email marketing is a time-tested strategy that should be at the top of your digital marketing to-do list as a freelancer or small business. Staying in touch with potential and current customers helps you stay top-of-mind and be the first person they think of when they need services or products you offer. With an email list, you can send out newsletters, promotions, and updates to remind people of your presence. Segmentation allows you to tailor your messages to different groups and capture leads through opt-in forms. If you aren’t capturing email addresses, you are greatly limiting your marketing potential. 

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Need help building an email list? I have built email lead capture infrastructures for multiple small businesses and can lay the groundwork for yours as well. Send me a message.

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Back to the email strategy: To maximize your email marketing efforts, ensure you have a clear understanding of your email system. Allow your email contacts to self-identify demographics that are important to your business, such as industry, job title, or location, using surveys or a signup checklist. Create content specifically for them and tailor your emails accordingly. Focus on creating quality content that will engage your readers and keep them interested. Finally, ensure that your email campaigns are optimized for mobile devices, as most people access their emails on phones and tablets, ensuring that your message looks good and is easy to read on any device. One of my clients had 92% of their contacts read their email blasts from mobile devices. This all goes back to knowing your target audience. If all your clients are on mobile devices, make content for mobile viewing. 

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By implementing effective email marketing strategies, you can build lasting relationships with your customers and enjoy long-term benefits like extended LTV and repeat sales.

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Leveraging these top digital marketing strategies can significantly boost your visibility and engagement as a freelancer or small business owner. If you're ready to enhance your digital marketing efforts but need some guidance on where to begin, I'm here to help. Contact me for a free discovery call where we can discuss how to effectively implement these strategies tailored to your unique needs. Together, we can take your digital marketing to the next level. 

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All the best,

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Lauren