From a Freelancing Nobody to a Lead Magnet
If you have been ranting about not making your leads stick enough to offer you a freelancing gig, there must be something really wrong in this picture. Is it you or them? How about meeting them halfway by becoming a lead magnet so you don’t only convince them about your expertise, but convert them into freelance clients. The latter seems to be a tougher job and you may need to reassess your portfolio website, to start with. Is your site doing a horrible job of capturing leads?
Best Practices on How Freelancers Can Become a Lead Magnet
Welcome to the age of digital word-of-mouth! Like it or not, influence and trust need to be earned these days. You may have a beautiful website, a professional profile in social networks, a blog, a vlog… and the list goes on. Still, you’re not getting quality visitors or converting them into customers. You can fix this by:
Redefining Your Brand Message
Personal branding is a hit-or-miss deal with many freelancers, especially those who are just starting out. You have to understand what and who your target market is, so you can clearly define what solutions you can offer to your prospects. It’s not about the “me” mentality these days. What benefits will your prospects get in doing business with you? Answer this, clear and simple.
Taking a Stand
Never underestimate the power of words in writing your website copy, your blog, your professional profile, or even in writing your cover letter. If you sound like everyone else, the chance for you to standout will be next to impossible. Context rules these days, so try to come up with creative ways that will elicit a “Wow” moment from your prospects.
Have a strong Call-to-Action
You’ve got great content. Now, what? Don’t just leave people hanging in the dark; get them to hire you. For example, you can try offering free reports or trials in exchange of their names and email addresses. This way, you can save them in your mailing list for future service offerings that you may have. Make sure that you use simple and straightforward language to guide people on what to do next, like “View Testimonials” or “Hire Me”. A simple website navigation will also do the trick.
Being Relevant
Gone were the days when brochure-style websites are useful for freelancers. Are you offering valuable content that resonates with the needs of your target clients? Is your website updated with the latest info in your niche? Being current may also mean optimizing your website so people can find you in the searches and the trick is to offer quality, consistent content – minus keyword stuffing. Besides, keyword density is pretty much dead these days.
Being Likeable
In this age of sharing, being likeable can mean offering value-added service that’s enough to earn you not only trust, but customer testimonials too. Whether you’re offering discounts, a loyalty program, a free report or ebook, a weekly podcast, a money-back guarantee, a VIP membership to your monthly newsletter and a bonus for early payments – it will come down to customer satisfaction.. and a happy customer can spread the goodwill about you like a plague on the Social Web.
This is just the icing of the freelancing cake, and the key to becoming a lead magnet will always be up to you. Whatever media you plan to use for capturing and converting leads, it will all come down to doing your research well, testing your call-to-action messages, and building relationships that are meant to last. Are you ready to create value and capitalize on it?
Your Thoughts
Do you think that it is harder to get new clients than keeping your existing ones? Or, is it the other way around?
How to Improve Website Conversions
Something Interesting:
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