I will talk primarily about social networks as the top of the chain in attracting audiences.
It should be noted right away that promotion is not constant sales and reminders of your services. You don't have to become salesman or a boring marketing billboard. Of course there is no perfect way: you trying, make mistakes, correct a few details and move on.
Who is your ideal client?
It would be great if the entire audience were converted into clients, but this is impossible. A good indicator is 1.5-3% of the total number of all your fans. It may seem small at first glance, but even rough mathematical calculations will give you a very rosy picture. All this is relevant if you are talking to the target audience. This is where you should start the process of preparing content before you build a posting plan or start paying for advertising.
If you have no audience and little experience working with customers, then you will have to make guesses. After gaining some experience, it is worth returning to this task to clarify this important parameter. If you already have work experience it will help you more accurately identify the ideal client with whom you want to communicate and work.
Describe all possible details, such as age, work position, monthly income, field of activity, annual profit, the size of the staff of the company in which they work, the range of services that suit them, unmet needs, communication features, key problems that they solve for themselves, etc.
You need to understand well for yourself who you will be talking to. The more accurate you are, the easier it will be for you to create Content.
Personal brand and Content types
Keeping in mind the formed image of your ideal client, create a few rules that you will rely on when creating content.
- Come up with a phrase or a few words that succinctly describes you (in this context). Maybe you are meticulous to small details or you quickly achieve results, what is your strength?
- Determine your unique offer that you will convey through your content.
- Write a list of all types of Content that you will be creating in accordance with the platforms on which it will be posted. The uniqueness and specificity of platforms must be taken into account. Content that is very similar in nature can of course be duplicated on several.
- Come up with a Mission. Something that goes beyond making money. I'm not against high income, but that's not the point here. You need something that will inspire you. Align your content with your mission.
- The visual style of the content - this part, strangely enough, is not critical at the initial stage. Which doesn't mean you can ignore it. If you're interested, come up with a color scheme for the posts, or some distinctive details. The most critical is the avatar on social networks. Take a professional photo, it doesn't cost much, like a passport photo, but with more interesting light, maybe a pose and a smile, perhaps on a colored background, which is something that has been going away lately (according to my observations).
If you already have an audience, you can share your work with them and get their opinion.
Example and schedule
Let's say you are an illustrator. The obvious platform for promotion is Instagram. This is just an example, don’t immediately discard Twitter for example, each network has its own strengths.
Even drawing one illustration a week, this is enough to fill your feed with at least 3 posts a week:
- One Reel, in which you can show a close-up shot of the drawing process, can be mixed with a distant shot of the desktop and separate objects on the table. Reels are a separate interesting and very powerful promotion tool. We'll talk about this separately another time.
- One carousel with a new illustration and subsequent slides with the main stages of the process.
- A set of your working space shots from finished illustrations on a monitor or wall with a more detailed description in the text about how it was created.
Analyze your next month, try to be realistic about what you can do in the time you have and make a daily schedule.
Define the next two, three speciphic steps, for the upcoming week, towards your content generation.Some stages of creation can be combined into blocks to process several posts at once. For example, shooting of Reels can be done in a batch a week or two in advance, the first block is shooting, one by one. The next block is montage and preparation and posting with defined schedule. It depends on the formats you choose, but the main thing is that you won’t spread this time throughout the week.
Meanwhile you will spend more time collecting ideas that need to be written down somewhere. If you already use some kind of application like To do list, then try using it, or install a separate similar one, not to confuse the stream with freelance work.
Set aside a dedicated time to actually do the work. And track how your community reacts to the actions taken.
This way you will create a constant posting schedule that will be easier for you to follow and your audience will understand what to expect from you.
Quality of content
There is no need to overcomplicate the content creation process. Spending too much effort can make you give up on the idea of creating Content. Find those options that require the least amount of energy from you to produce it, start creating, and in the process, having already gotten used to your own schedule, you will naturally begin to look for ways to improve quality and attractiveness. And most importantly, you will receive feedback from the audience.
Publish your expertise first, without directly stating what you do. And at some intervals, remind them about your products and that you can help. In terms of quantity, such posts should be somewhere around 80/20 (per week), with the majority allocated to posts that provide value to your client and the rest directly promotes your services and products.
Try to integrate story into your content. Everyone loves stories. They hold the audience very well and interests them in general. Even in a short Instagram carousel of 3-5 slides you can tell and show the Problem, the Process of solving it, and the Results. Three simple components can easily be used in both video and text. It takes some effort and practice, but it's not that difficult.
Variety of content
Experiment with formats, find those that get the greatest response, and improve that chosen format. Completely. don't give up on others types, keep experimenting, but with less effort. This experimental part may also include posts using new platform tools that appear with constant regularity. Algorithms change and you simply cannot stay in one place.
At the same time, stay true to your traditional channels where you own a platform. This is either your personal website, a newsletter as an examples. The ultimate goal of all this actions is to attract a paying client one way or another.
I advise you to concentrate on promotion in one social network for the first, at least 3 months. This will allow you to get used to the process, work through your own process, understand and learn many little things, and only then add other social networks. All for the sake of making your attention more focused, believe me, this is really important.
Who are your colleagues and competitors?
I used the word competitors, but this is hardly appropriate; all the professionals working with you in the same field are rather colleagues. And it makes sense to establish connections with them. There are many advantages to this.
Colleagues are always interested in discussing the details of the work process; both parties benefit from this. In addition, it may turn out that they have a client for whom they do not have time, or does not work in their field, they will remember you and pass on the contact. Of course, you shouldn’t count on this as the basis for cooperation.
In general, a good habit to have a list of specialists in similar or parallel fields whom you know well and to whom you can redirect your clients. This may appear to be a referral link, depending on your relationship with the Colleague.
I am sure that if you were interested in the field in which you work for at least one day, you spied on how your colleagues behaved. What do they publish, what formats, what kind of responses do they get. Take at least 5 good examples that you consider indicative and analyze their brand. Literally write down your observations so you can use your notes as a guide to evaluate your own content.
Bring your audience to your controlled channels: newsletter, custom work request form...
The first 5 seconds of a potential client’s glance at your profile header on a social network, the header of your website, or an email, should clearly give an idea of who they are dealing with, whom you are helping and get a direct contacst for communication. If your goal is to attract people to a paid product through a free magnet product, then write where to pick it up.
General recommendations:
- Write clearly and concisely
- Indicate anly key types of services and products
- If you have third-party channels for selling products in stores, on third-party platforms - write and tell there too
- Stay human
The last point may seem strange, but it is a fairly common phenomenon when the presentation becomes dry, corporate. You are a living, real person who has pros and cons, you can and should use this. This is how your subscribers become your fans.
Goals and process review
A good tip is to imagine that your audience, in the form of both fans and customers, has been around for a long time. It's here and this is not the first time you communicate with them.
But in order for the process of working on your brand to be supported by specific data, you need goals. Create around 3 main and measurable goals, for example:
- Increase your Instagram audience by 20% over the next month
- Post 3 posts on Instagram per week
- Attract up to 2 clients per week.
At some intervals it is worth looking back at the work done and conducting an audit.
- Redefine goals
- Update posting schedule
Conclusion
In the modern world of independent specialist services, the role of self-promotion is constantly growing. This allows you to stabilize the flow of clients and deepen your own knowledge in the field. Achieving these goals requires work and a strategic approach that pays off many times over.
I hope this article helped you learn something new and better navigate the world of freelancing and content creating.
See you in the next article,
Dmitry.
It should be noted right away that promotion is not constant sales and reminders of your services. You don't have to become salesman or a boring marketing billboard. Of course there is no perfect way: you trying, make mistakes, correct a few details and move on.
Who is your ideal client?
It would be great if the entire audience were converted into clients, but this is impossible. A good indicator is 1.5-3% of the total number of all your fans. It may seem small at first glance, but even rough mathematical calculations will give you a very rosy picture. All this is relevant if you are talking to the target audience. This is where you should start the process of preparing content before you build a posting plan or start paying for advertising.
If you have no audience and little experience working with customers, then you will have to make guesses. After gaining some experience, it is worth returning to this task to clarify this important parameter. If you already have work experience it will help you more accurately identify the ideal client with whom you want to communicate and work.
Describe all possible details, such as age, work position, monthly income, field of activity, annual profit, the size of the staff of the company in which they work, the range of services that suit them, unmet needs, communication features, key problems that they solve for themselves, etc.
You need to understand well for yourself who you will be talking to. The more accurate you are, the easier it will be for you to create Content.
Personal brand and Content types
Keeping in mind the formed image of your ideal client, create a few rules that you will rely on when creating content.
- Come up with a phrase or a few words that succinctly describes you (in this context). Maybe you are meticulous to small details or you quickly achieve results, what is your strength?
- Determine your unique offer that you will convey through your content.
- Write a list of all types of Content that you will be creating in accordance with the platforms on which it will be posted. The uniqueness and specificity of platforms must be taken into account. Content that is very similar in nature can of course be duplicated on several.
- Come up with a Mission. Something that goes beyond making money. I'm not against high income, but that's not the point here. You need something that will inspire you. Align your content with your mission.
- The visual style of the content - this part, strangely enough, is not critical at the initial stage. Which doesn't mean you can ignore it. If you're interested, come up with a color scheme for the posts, or some distinctive details. The most critical is the avatar on social networks. Take a professional photo, it doesn't cost much, like a passport photo, but with more interesting light, maybe a pose and a smile, perhaps on a colored background, which is something that has been going away lately (according to my observations).
If you already have an audience, you can share your work with them and get their opinion.
Example and schedule
Let's say you are an illustrator. The obvious platform for promotion is Instagram. This is just an example, don’t immediately discard Twitter for example, each network has its own strengths.
Even drawing one illustration a week, this is enough to fill your feed with at least 3 posts a week:
- One Reel, in which you can show a close-up shot of the drawing process, can be mixed with a distant shot of the desktop and separate objects on the table. Reels are a separate interesting and very powerful promotion tool. We'll talk about this separately another time.
- One carousel with a new illustration and subsequent slides with the main stages of the process.
- A set of your working space shots from finished illustrations on a monitor or wall with a more detailed description in the text about how it was created.
Analyze your next month, try to be realistic about what you can do in the time you have and make a daily schedule.
Define the next two, three speciphic steps, for the upcoming week, towards your content generation.Some stages of creation can be combined into blocks to process several posts at once. For example, shooting of Reels can be done in a batch a week or two in advance, the first block is shooting, one by one. The next block is montage and preparation and posting with defined schedule. It depends on the formats you choose, but the main thing is that you won’t spread this time throughout the week.
Meanwhile you will spend more time collecting ideas that need to be written down somewhere. If you already use some kind of application like To do list, then try using it, or install a separate similar one, not to confuse the stream with freelance work.
Set aside a dedicated time to actually do the work. And track how your community reacts to the actions taken.
This way you will create a constant posting schedule that will be easier for you to follow and your audience will understand what to expect from you.
Quality of content
There is no need to overcomplicate the content creation process. Spending too much effort can make you give up on the idea of creating Content. Find those options that require the least amount of energy from you to produce it, start creating, and in the process, having already gotten used to your own schedule, you will naturally begin to look for ways to improve quality and attractiveness. And most importantly, you will receive feedback from the audience.
Publish your expertise first, without directly stating what you do. And at some intervals, remind them about your products and that you can help. In terms of quantity, such posts should be somewhere around 80/20 (per week), with the majority allocated to posts that provide value to your client and the rest directly promotes your services and products.
Try to integrate story into your content. Everyone loves stories. They hold the audience very well and interests them in general. Even in a short Instagram carousel of 3-5 slides you can tell and show the Problem, the Process of solving it, and the Results. Three simple components can easily be used in both video and text. It takes some effort and practice, but it's not that difficult.
Variety of content
Experiment with formats, find those that get the greatest response, and improve that chosen format. Completely. don't give up on others types, keep experimenting, but with less effort. This experimental part may also include posts using new platform tools that appear with constant regularity. Algorithms change and you simply cannot stay in one place.
At the same time, stay true to your traditional channels where you own a platform. This is either your personal website, a newsletter as an examples. The ultimate goal of all this actions is to attract a paying client one way or another.
I advise you to concentrate on promotion in one social network for the first, at least 3 months. This will allow you to get used to the process, work through your own process, understand and learn many little things, and only then add other social networks. All for the sake of making your attention more focused, believe me, this is really important.
Who are your colleagues and competitors?
I used the word competitors, but this is hardly appropriate; all the professionals working with you in the same field are rather colleagues. And it makes sense to establish connections with them. There are many advantages to this.
Colleagues are always interested in discussing the details of the work process; both parties benefit from this. In addition, it may turn out that they have a client for whom they do not have time, or does not work in their field, they will remember you and pass on the contact. Of course, you shouldn’t count on this as the basis for cooperation.
In general, a good habit to have a list of specialists in similar or parallel fields whom you know well and to whom you can redirect your clients. This may appear to be a referral link, depending on your relationship with the Colleague.
I am sure that if you were interested in the field in which you work for at least one day, you spied on how your colleagues behaved. What do they publish, what formats, what kind of responses do they get. Take at least 5 good examples that you consider indicative and analyze their brand. Literally write down your observations so you can use your notes as a guide to evaluate your own content.
Bring your audience to your controlled channels: newsletter, custom work request form...
The first 5 seconds of a potential client’s glance at your profile header on a social network, the header of your website, or an email, should clearly give an idea of who they are dealing with, whom you are helping and get a direct contacst for communication. If your goal is to attract people to a paid product through a free magnet product, then write where to pick it up.
General recommendations:
- Write clearly and concisely
- Indicate anly key types of services and products
- If you have third-party channels for selling products in stores, on third-party platforms - write and tell there too
- Stay human
The last point may seem strange, but it is a fairly common phenomenon when the presentation becomes dry, corporate. You are a living, real person who has pros and cons, you can and should use this. This is how your subscribers become your fans.
Goals and process review
A good tip is to imagine that your audience, in the form of both fans and customers, has been around for a long time. It's here and this is not the first time you communicate with them.
But in order for the process of working on your brand to be supported by specific data, you need goals. Create around 3 main and measurable goals, for example:
- Increase your Instagram audience by 20% over the next month
- Post 3 posts on Instagram per week
- Attract up to 2 clients per week.
At some intervals it is worth looking back at the work done and conducting an audit.
- Redefine goals
- Update posting schedule
Conclusion
In the modern world of independent specialist services, the role of self-promotion is constantly growing. This allows you to stabilize the flow of clients and deepen your own knowledge in the field. Achieving these goals requires work and a strategic approach that pays off many times over.
I hope this article helped you learn something new and better navigate the world of freelancing and content creating.
See you in the next article,
Dmitry.
